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‘Challenge grants’ totaling $17,411 awarded by panel

November 14, 2000 Call Staff BLACKSTONE -- The BMR School Committee this week approved 14 grants totaling $17,411 through its annual "challenge grant" program to reward teacher initiatives. The grants, ranging from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars each, were awarded to teachers at Millville Elementary, John F. Kennedy, A.F. Maloney and Blackstone-Millville Regional Middle/High Schools. Three grants will not be funded through the initiative, but the School Committee said funds would be available through the operating budget. The challenge grant program, in its third year, is an effort by school officials "to raise the bar" by encouraging teachers to create innovative learning ideas, said Assistant Superintendent Frederick W. Hartnett, who coordinates the grant program. The largest grant awarded this year was $4,005 for a "big screen" purchase of a liquid crystal display (LCD) to augment technology in the high school English Department. It was written by Mark Campopiano. The next largest grant was the "Awesome Authors" program to enhance the ability of students to integrate technolgy into the writing curriculum, $2,788, written by Edie Faulkner and Estelle Martineau at Millville Elementary School. JFK School grants were: "A Lesson in Rock," $307, creators of a CD library of music that teaches facts in math, language arts, science and social studies, written by Susan Bergeron and Karen Thompson; "Learning about our Local Heritage," $425, second-graders learning the history of their community, creating booklets depicting the surrounding geographic area, written by Jo-Ann McGahan and Margaret Skehan; "River Rats II," $779, expansion of the River Rats unit through a challenge grant, written by Debra Swain and Joyce Parmentier. Also, A.F. Maloney School, "Enriching the Curriculum Things Puppetry," $560, use of puppets and a puppet theatre to encourage creativity and expand curriculum through literature and writing, written by Jeanne Walker; "Enhancing Writing through Technology," $1,250, use of the AlphaSmarts laptops to enhance writing, written by Carolyn Young, Cindy Thompson and Cecelia Doyle; "Opera New England," $715, educational and entertaining experience while learning about opera with focus o Mozart’s "The Magic Flute," written by John Staples; "Maloney Arboretum," creating a flexible, educational environment in an under-utilized courtyard. A second grant at Millville Elementary is "Penpals Across Town Lines," $600, communciations between third grades in Millville and Mendon, written by Marie Smith, Cynthia Fric and Linda Harris. Four other grants at the middle school/high school were: "Meet Lucy Stone," $400, presentation by Judith Black of a production illustrating how to construct dramatic monologue as part of women’s literature, written by Marilyn Dufresne and 50 students; "School Store," $1,856, purchase of start-up equipment to operate a school store; "Turning On, Turning Off," $1,500, purchase of puppets and plays from "Kids on the Block Inc." to be used by the Peer Education Club to present programs on family problems, drug and alcohol use and tolerance to elementary pupils, written by Stephanie Descoteaux; "Early Spanish Learning," $1,200, continuation of introducation to language for elementary grade youngsters taught by high school students in Spanish 3, 4 and 5, written by Pauline Winn. The three other submitted grants that the School Committee plans to fund through the budget are: $1,932 for the "Grade 3 Reads Across the Genres" program to foster an appreciation of literature using a variety of literary materials tied to the Massachusetts Frameworks. It was written by John F. Kennedy School teachers Linda McGill, Christine DiLibero and Roberta Lavergne; "Unique Critique Discussion Group," $582, to enhance second grade language arts by including literature discussion groups, written by Susan Decker; and "Theme-related Reading," $700, fostering curriculum objectives surrounding literature while tied to learning standards, written by Decker and Patricia Royce.