Since 2008, NBEF has provided over $100,000 for New Brunswick Public School teachers to implement innovative projects and activities in classrooms and after-school programs. This special collaboration has involved more than 50 educators and has impacted thousands of students ranging from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. The process begins with teachers submitting grant proposals that offer novel concepts and strategies which result in dynamic learning experiences for students.
Some of the projects and activities have included specialized fitness sessions for handicapped preschoolers; a SMART Board for elementary students; an in-class technology workstation for students with special learning needs; books and visits by Marcie Aboff, noted author of children’s publications in math and science for Kindergarten -5th grade students; an electronic field trip to the Philadelphia Museum for 4th – 8th grade students; and Moodle software, a web-based interactive content management system for high school students.
Below are group photos of NBEF’s Innovative Teacher Grants for Excellence recipients and brief descriptions of their projects:
”Active Seating – Classroom Initiative: To Promote Focus, Fitness
and Wellness Concepts within a Living Health Curriculum”
Aaydah Copprue-Worthey, New Brunswick High School
This initiative will create an innovative living curriculum for about 140 students that supports both real-life health applications, as well as reinforces key concepts of the learning material for 11th grade health education by incorporating practical wellness in the learning and working environment.
“A 5th Grader’s Dream Library”
Alexandria Edvin, Roosevelt School
The purpose/goal of this project is to increase 39 5th grade students’ reading engagement and develop reading stamina by promoting equitable access to a variety of texts with the purchase of a new, diverse classroom library.
“AMES ROOM” & “Geometry Creation of AMES ROOM”
Erick Valentin, New Brunswick High School
Franciny Nunez, New Brunswick High School
About 42 10th-11th grade students will be able to apply key geometric concepts and principles, as outlined in the high school geometry standards, to analyze and explain various optical illusions and geometric paradoxes exhibited in the museum. At the end of the trip students will create an informative and visually engaging project.
“Better Lighting = Better Classroom Environment”
Jessica Denhard, Lord Stirling Community School
Magnetic light covers will be used to cover the fluorescent lights in the classroom, creating a more calming and productive place for 60 fourth grade students. The goal would be to see increased student engagement and productivity, while reducing distractions and headaches.
“YPAR – Youth Participatory Action Research”
Kimberly Hagen – Blanquita B. Valenti Community School
Based on the learning and work from the Rutgers Civically Engaged District Project, 25 sixth grade students will conduct action research, as a team, to identify an issue and help improve their school and community. Students become active citizens who are skilled researchers, data analysts, critical thinkers, problem solvers, and communicators. This real-life connection allows for more relevance in the curriculum. It also expands school adults’ understandings of youth perspectives and experiences.
“International SEL Day for 2024”
Linda Lucero, A.C. Redshaw Elementary School
The International SEL Day for 2024 would be based on the book How Full Is Your Bucket?, which, in summary, is a book that explains how we as individuals each carry an invisible bucket and according to our interactions throughout the day, they either fill or empty our bucket. In contrast, the book also explains that what we say or do to others fills or empties their buckets as well. The book would be read by the teacher as part of International SEL Day on March 11, 2024. The book is an excellent way for kids to learn that in the process of filling other peoples’ buckets, they also fill up their own. About 741 students in pre-k through fifth grade will be able to be a part of this exciting day!
“Terraforming Horizons”
Lixangel Daniel, New Brunswick Middle School
Visiting The Buehler Challenger & Science Center can inspire 30 eighth grade students to explore the potential future of space exploration, including concepts like terraforming Mars. Witnessing advanced space technologies and learning about the challenges of space travel will spark their interest in fields such as astrobiology, astronomy, space exploration technologies and environmental science.
“Jump Rope Program School Assembly”
Marcella Paglione, Paul Robeson Community School of the Arts
The goal of this project is to build a sense of community within the school, motivate 500 students, grades pre-k through fifth, to reach their goals and foster a sense of growth mindset. Through an assembly with Rene Bibaud from ROPEWORKS, students will see and participate in a school assembly about jump rope skills and challenges. Throughout this program, Ms. Bibaud discusses topics such as giving your best effort, goal setting, fitness and more while demonstrating incredible jump rope skills and routines. This assembly not only brings the student body together but also motivates them to try their best like Ms. Bibaud once leaving the assembly.
“Sensory Pathway at Lord Stirling Community School”
Melissa Phillips, Lord Stirling Community School
The purpose of a Sensory Pathway is to establish a creative and playful location for 477 children, grades pre-k through fifth, to work on their gross motor skills, making connections to their brain that relates to their senses. The Sensory Pathway is designed to stimulate and improve an individual’s spatial awareness, balance, focus, fine and gross motor skills, academics and much more. This sensory pathway will provide opportunities for students to engage in a brain break while establishing independence and pro-social skills as they engage with this sensory platform.
“Panthers Rock – Rock on, Sing On Creative Collaboration”
Mittie Cowan, Paul Robeson School of the Arts
Panthers Rock seeks to engage more than 50 students in grades 5th-8th, in creative collaboration through singing, playing ukulele, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, and keyboards. Students become members of a modern band working together to rehearse, lead practices, and navigate the sometimes murky waters of creative collaboration through conflict resolution. Students also learn to consider places and their audiences when choosing music to perform.
“Enhancing P-Tech Makerspace”
Victor Alegria, P-Tech School
A makerspace is an area with open space for 180 students in grades 9th-12th, to gather and create. These do-it-yourself (DIY) spaces have areas for independent and group work. The resources within a makerspace can vary greatly, based on the materials and tools available. These resources can range from duct tape and craft sticks to 3Dprinters and computer software programs.
Honors Trip to Museum of Natural History
Kathryn Galasso, New Brunswick Middle School
The purpose of this activity is to take 7th grade Honors Science students to the Museum of Natural History in New York City. This experience will show them connections to things in our Earth’s past, present, and future that are relevant and important to what they learn in class.
Read Anywhere, GO EVERYWHERE!
Hassana Gray, Redshaw Elementary School, Lord Stirling Community School & Livingston Elementary School
Read Anywhere, GO EVERYWHERE’s goal is to ultimately improve students with disabilities reading levels. By adding a subscription to a reading site, this will offer more reading opportunities in and out of school.
Food Sustainability Methods with Hydroponics
Kelly-Marie McCartney, New Brunswick High School
The goals for this project will allow students to design and carry out experiments to test the best methods of food crop growth using a vertical hydroponics system in the classroom to help develop creative solutions for world hunger and food sustainability methods. The food grown can also be provided to the culinary academy in the same school.
Vocabulary Enrichment for Sophomores
Elizabeth Sheridan, New Brunswick High School
This project will allow more students to learn and develop their vocabulary. Extending a Vocabulary.com license to include English 10 and Honors English 10 students will allow them to practice and gain new vocabulary.
APES & AP Bio Trips
Katherine Banfitch, New Brunswick High School
In this project, students will be able to do real field-based lab work and leave their community of New Brunswick to travel to Sandy Hook, NJ. Students will perform a series of experiments exploring biodiversity, biomagnification, the food web, climate change, and threats to biodiversity etc.
STEM Tinkering Station for Young Engineers
Lixangel Daniel, New Brunswick Middle School
This project will allow young engineers to thrive using hands-on learning activities. They have many special abilities and could really benefit from embracing their curiosity by exploring and testing engineering challenges. Learning how to manipulate tools, understand the properties of materials, and identify unique solutions to problems is at the core of all of making and engineering.
Speed Stacking in PE
Marcella Paglione, Paul Robeson Community School for the Arts
Cup stacking with “Speed Stacks” is an exciting individual and team sport that promotes hand-eye coordination, quickness, and concentration. This project will help students use both sides of their bodies and brains to develop important athletic and lifelong skills.
KON-3D
Hector Lopez, Physics Teacher, Co-leader Joseph Wong, Mechanical Engineer, Physics Teacher, STEM club Advisor, New Brunswick High School
Kon-3D is a collaboration between the STEM Club and the Physics Department. Through this project, the teachers hope to provide an engineering project to STEM club members that culminates with the construction of a wind tunnel. STEM club members and physics students will design and 3D-print wing foils and turbine propellers used to produce electrical energy. Students will investigate which designs lead to more efficient electrical production.
Beth Maratea, Basic Skills Teacher
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
Battle of the Books
Who doesn’t love a small friendly competition, especially when it involves reading? New books will be purchased with the focus to have 3rd-5th grade students read, discuss and compete with other students to read, read, read. This project will promote the use of reading skills and strategies that children are learning in school.
Carmelo Leotta, Health & Physical Education Teacher
Lincoln Annex School
Manage, Move and Motivate
Children love to move, jump, play and go outside, but the COVID pandemic limited the amount of exercise and outdoor hobbies children did, causing many students to become unmotivated. Now, returning to school has served as a motivation for children to start moving. With the purchase of tracking pedometers children will be able to manage their own goals, by counting their steps for the day/week and get back to the things that they love to do.
Jeanmarie Swiontkowski, Fashion Design & Textiles Teacher
New Brunswick High School
Recreating Iconic Gowns (with a focus on sustainability)
Project Runway, a television series, focused on the fashion industry is a popular show that is an attention grabber. With this theme in mind, high school students will recreate iconic gowns by designers such as Alexander McQueen, using sustainable practices. They will do the research, learn draping techniques, sewing skills and explore sustainable methods in fashion to reduce waste and combat fast fashion.
A.C. Redshaw School
JoAnna Castellano, Mathematics Specialist
Math Number Mats
This project is geared towards children becoming more engaged in math by making it enjoyable to learn and understand. It focuses on self-confidence using Kinesthetic learning. With scheduled times incorporated into the lesson will ease math anxiety and improve retention for hands-on learners.
Kaitlyn Comerford, 2nd Grade Teacher
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
Woodrow Wilson’s Buddy Bench
Making new friends may come easy to some kids, but not so easy to others. The concept of the buddy bench is to help kids avoid feeling lonely and isolated and help foster friendship in the playground. Children can go to the bench if they have no one to play with, and other kids who see someone on the bend can go over and ask them to play.
Steven Thornburg, Theater Arts Teacher
New Brunswick High School
Documentary: Live, Devised Theatre
Due to limitations during the COVID pandemic, schools had to go virtual for two years and many students in the arts haven’t had the same opportunities as students in the past. This project will provide a much-needed performance opportunity and document the work that the theatre program does. They will have live theatre experience and they will be able to see talent on video.
Danielle Fleming, Art Teacher
New Brunswick High School
The Printing Experience
Students get exposed to so many useful resources, and the opportunity to learn about Printmaking is what this project offers. This project will focus on Pop Art, Modern Art, Op QArt, Contemporary Art and Street Art. They will use Printmaking as a tool for creating and implementing SEL Art and Social Justice Art.
Jessica Bulleit, Art Teacher
New Brunswick High School
3-D Printing: Incorporating STEM into Art
Hands on learning is a great way to engage students in something new. By bringing cutting edge technology, such as a 3D printer, students will have the opportunity to use the engineering and design process to create a 3-dimensional sculpture, that will later on be displayed in an art show at the school.
Lauren Haug, General Music Teacher
A.C. Redshaw Elementary School
Improvisation & Composition
Learning how to play an instrument is something that every child should have. The goal is to provide every student in any given music class with a barred instrument for them to use throughout a music class period. They can read and play musical selections with/out accompaniment and can be recorded so that their performance can be shared with others.
Joseph F. Kriete, JAG Specialist
New Brunswick Adult Learning Center
Career Readiness & Digital Literacy
During a four-phase learning plan, the goal is to maximize student understanding of College and Career Readiness topics that are associated with the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program. Through “real word” concepts, students will engage in lectures, hands-on activities and computer-based learning.
Lixangel Daniel, Special Education Teacher
New Brunswick Middle School
Vertical Farming
Climate change threatens the long-term food security and with this project students will be exposed to different ways of sustainable farming, such as Vertical Farming. This type of farming is friendly to our environment, using up to 90% less water than conventional farms.
Rashana Evans, Art Teacher
New Brunswick High School
Positively Making Murals
Art is a way that individuals can express what they feel, think, and enjoy! This project will engage students in the process of making murals, from the design to the production. They will research, sketch, plan and paint as a team. With the use of vibrant colors, students will create words and imagery that promotes positivity and success.
Jessica Bulleit and Daniel Fleming, Art Teachers
New Brunswick Middle School
“Virtual Art Class Kits for Academy Students”
Through this grant, advanced New Brunswick Middle Schools students were able to receive art supplies that helped to serve as social emotional learning, building confidence, resilience, creativity, and much more all through their own paintings. This project allowed students to boost their problem solving skills, demonstrate creative thinking and utilize an outlet for expression. Their artwork will be displayed at their schools in fall 2021.
Shan Byrd, Special Education Teacher
McKinley Community School
“Restoring Justice through Cross Cultural Collaborations”
New Brunswick students who attend McKinley School were able to learn about Latin and African Diaspora cultures. Through a series of workshops, virtual trips, and student led activities, students learned about the histories of indigenous, Latinx and people of African descent.
Marilyn Crawford, Head Nurse and Katsiaryna Sikorakaya, School Nurse
New Brunswick Public School District
“The Road to Recovery”
Covid-19 has affected the lives of everyone, and this project helped to serve as a health initiative to educate students, parents and staff about the virus and preventing outbreaks. Emphasis was placed the contributions of both children and adults, and how their efforts will help end the pandemic. This project incorporated questionnaires, informational flyers, friendly competitions and even giveaways.
Kathryn Galasso, Science Teacher
New Brunswick Middle School
“At Home Physics and Engineering Kits”
This project provided students with the opportunity to conduct hands-on projects with actual kits. They were able to brainstorm, design, and even build and test their designs of their own engineering projects.
Joseph F. Kriete, JAG Specialist
New Brunswick Adult Learning Center
“Business and IT Center 21 Century Skills”
This project provided students with a learning experience that will lead to a long-term career preparation through completion of career readiness topics and applications, where the students were able to complete certificates of accomplishment through lectures, hands-on activities and computer-based learning.
Jeanmarie Swiontkowski, Fashion Design and Textiles Teacher
New Brunswick High School
“Sustainable Textiles … Experimenting With Natural Dyes”
Through the use of natural dyes and sustainable fashion, this project was able to teach students the value of these item while also teaching about reduction of waste and the value in repurposing. Students were able to dye textiles with natural materials such as flowers, teas and even vegetables. They were also able to repurpose garments and incorporate natural dyed textiles. Sustainability is important in the fashion industry and students were able to gain firsthand experience of these techniques.
Seth Upson, Mathematics Teacher
P-TECH School
“Building Minds through Minecraft”
What student doesn’t love technology? Through this project students engaged and participated in a STEM project that focused on concept, design, development, and execution stages of the engineering process with the use of the popular game, Minecraft. Students love this game and there are so many different areas, from content, to building processes, that were implemented to achieve student success.
“Frankenstein the Musical”
Project Leader: Marli DeFilippis
New Brunswick High School
Thirty-five students will read the Classic Gothic Lit novel “Frankenstein” they will travel to the Park Theatre Performing Arts Center to see an original musical based on the novel. This experience will enable them to compare and contrast the lyrics with the text after seeing the play. The students will write an essay based on their interpretation of both the novel and the performance.
“Enhancing Participation”
Project Leader: Carmelo Leotta
Lincoln Annex School
This project involves innovative equipment that’s designed for students in PE classes to develop life skills through team-building activities. These activities, including retrieving objects using elastic straps, creating drawings, and solving math problems, will challenge teams to communicate, plan, and cooperate. The goal of this project is for students to be more productive, creative, motivated, resilient, and appreciative of others.
“SEL through STEAM”
Project Leader: Laura Moyer and Jessica Sudah
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
This project is built around the need to connect social emotional learning with elementary and middle school students working together to solve STEAM related challenges. The activities will include engineering design challenges with blocks as well as math and science challenges. Groups will be heterogeneous, showing unity and teamwork, and older students will be responsible for younger students, showing trustworthiness while competing with other groups.
“Battle of the Books”
Project Leader: Beth Maratea
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
Battle of the Books, a quiz competition, allows students from grades 3-5 to complete reading at least three books from the reading list, discuss the books as a team, and answer questions after completion. Each team is presented with an event from one of the books and will identify the book as a team. This project allows students to promote their reading, strengthen their comprehension, as well as build team-building skills.
“Business & IT Center 21”
Project Leader: Joseph Kriete
Adult Learning Center (ALC)
Business & IT Century 21 is a digital curriculum resource that provides teachers and students with training modules that facilitate blended learning and differentiate instruction lessons and activities. This resource consists of over 500+ hours which covers everything from: Business Fundamentals, Microsoft Office, Google Applications, Coding Fundamentals, and more. Upon completion of unit modules, students will receive a certificate of mastery which indicates completion and attainment of certified transferable skills, necessary for college and career readiness.
“Puppet Theatre 101: Writing and Presenting”
Project Leader: Steven E. Thornburg
New Brunswick High School
Using professional hand puppets, students in grades 9-12, will experience differentiated training in writing and performing a showcase for invited audiences. The goal of this project is to increase students’ self-confidence, skill development in writing, communication, inventing, developing animation and verbal skills, projection, and characterization.
“Girls in STEM: Leadership and Empowerment”
Project Leader: Gina Bruno
P-Tech
The STEM field is predominately male; however, it has been changing in recent years. This project consists of a series of empowerment workshops and a research component centered on females in STEM. The goal is to assist female P-Tech students in gaining the confidence needed to be successful. Activities included: Team Building exercises, STEM activities for collaborative learning, research projects on women, and more.
“Wonders Beyond the Classroom-Learning through Interactive hands-on Activities”
Project Leader: Kathleen Reitsma
Roosevelt Elementary School
After students studied how organisms are adapted to environments and how they receive information through their senses, they will visit the Zimmerli Art Museum. Hands-on activities are essential to learning, especially for special needs students, and they will be able to learn, play, discover, and get curious about concepts presented in class. Students are able to gain knowledge of various careers in the Science field as well as continue to develop a love for learning.
“Build it Better”
Project Leader: Rebecca Donatelli
New Brunswick High School
Funded in previous years for this initiative to continue to grow and impact students’ interest in STEM careers, ten teams of high school participants compete to design, build, test, and market a device in one day. Students were given $100.00 (fake) and had to budget their money in order to complete the task. Upon completion, three celebrity judges decided the winning team. This project allows students to practice their engineering skills as well as take what they have been learning in their science class and apply it to the real world.
“Positively Making Murals”
Project Leader” Rashana M Evans
New Brunswick High School
Students prepares each mural location, sketch, plan, and paint to provide a synergy between the visual arts and the school environment by transforming the walls into vibrant forms of “positive” inspiration. These murals are a part of visually communicating positivity, responsibility, respect, and perseverance to students and their peers and enhances the school environment. Students expand upon their leadership skills, the art of teamwork, and also display effective communication and interpersonal skills.
“Robotics After School Program”
Project Leader: Anthony Mwangi and Sheryl Haege
New Brunswick Middle School
Using the latest generation of LEGO EV3 Robotics, this project enhances a comprehensive robotics program that engages undeserved youth in hands-on afterschool and summer enrichment experiences. This program utilizes motors and sensors to build robots and program computers to prompt the robot’s movements, reaction and sound. Students will then showcase their work in the LEGO League (FLL) Regional Qualifying Events. The students were also invited to showcase at STEAM night ran by the Liberty Science Center at NBMS in March 2020.
“Adventure-Challenges-Investigations-Fun and learning by doing at the Liberty Science Center”
Project Leader: Kathleen Reitsma
Roosevelt Elementary School
Students researched animals and their habitats in class before they went on a trip to the Liberty Science Center, where they were presented with a fun and interesting interactive manner of understanding ideas/skills/concepts. Students then engaged in a project of illustrating and writing about their favorite activities/exhibits. This activity allowed students to reinforce and learn concepts outside of the classroom as well as gain some knowledge of various careers and opportunities in the science world.
“American’s Battle of the Books”
Project Leader: Beth Maratea
Woodrow Wilson School
Battle of the Books allowed students from 3rd to 5th grade to complete reading at least three books from the special reading list, discuss the books as a team, and answer questions after they are finished. This project allowed students to promote their reading, strengthen their reading comprehension, as well as build team-building skills.
“Classroom Aquaponics”
Project Leader: Sydney Bleach
New Brunswick High School
The goal of this project was for students to use their knowledge of habitat systems, chemistry, and engineering to build and maintain a sustainable aquaponic system where the waste from fish were used as nutrients for plants to grow without needing soil. This project addressed the need for students to problem solve and learn about sustainability, resource management, food shortages, and urban gardening.
“Leaping Into Literacy”
Project Leader: Nancy Campbell and Elizabeth Vastano
Pupil Personnel Services (PPS)
Training sessions allowed parents of children ages 3-5 to focus on a different book with activities that complement the story and highlight a variety of skills. This project addressed the importance of families reading and speaking to their children, and children were able to build vocabulary and enhance their appreciation of reading.
“Learning about Digital and Analog Signals through GPS Geocaching”
Project Leader: Kathryn Galasso
New Brunswick Middle School
The goal of this project was to engage students in a hands-on STEM activity to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals through geocaching. Students first attempted to find hidden caches via maps and compasses (analog), then switched to handheld GPS units (digital). This project deepened students understanding of NGSS (Next Generation Science Standard).
“Literacy Alive!”
Project Leader: Lynda Mesa
New Brunswick High School
By purchasing needed materials such as a Building Bricks Set, Play Doh, Stacking Board Game, subscriptions to online educational sites, and more, 9th grade students were able to facilitate a love of literacy that lives beyond the pages of the text. By having materials on hand, students were more apt to explain their thinking thus leading to increased writing skills. Students also benefited from scaffolded skills, whether it be auditory, visual, or kinesthetic.
“Mentor Text for Social Justice”
Project Leader: Carol Giordano
A.C. Redshaw School
The purpose of this project was the provide teachers and students with mentor texts, to support the understanding of Social Justice/Equity issues in the classroom. Teachers used the books for Intentional Read Alouds and students were able to read the books during independent reading time. Reading books related to Social Justice issues addressed grade-level reading and Social Studies standards.
“Montclair Art Museum “Art Truck” Visit”
Project Leader: Jessica Bulleit
New Brunswick Middle School
The Montclair Art Museum, a mobile studio that travels around New Jersey, was able to visit the school, where students created three-dimensional sculptural objects using recyclables, through the guidance of museum professionals. This experience not only helped students to better understand modern concepts in art by creating and learning from professionals, but also reinforced concepts in science, art, and engineering.
“News 2 You and News to Me”
Project Leader: Joan Hellman, Sharon Uckar, and Julie Ziv
New Brunswick High School
News2You and L3Skills were used by Life Skills students and gave them the opportunity to have conversations both in and out of the classroom about current events as well as instruction and activities based on each individual’s ability. Students read informational texts, enhanced summarizing skills, and wrote about chosen topics. The goal of this project was to provide students the means to connect to the world around them as well as build self-confidence while learning new things or reinforcing skills.
“Princeton Moot Court Competition”
Project Leader: Elizabeth Sheridan
New Brunswick High School
The purpose of this project is for students in grades 10-12 to experience a Moot court, a simulation of an appeals court, or a Supreme Court hearing. Teams of two “attorneys” prepared and presented arguments on a legal case, and students learned how to argue like a Constitutional lawyer. Three two-student teams were sent to the Princeton Moot Court Competition where high school students from across the country competed. This project allowed students to study Supreme Court case law as well as engaging students in critical-reading and critical-thinking skills.
“Third Annual STEM Build it Better Challenge”
Project Leader: Rebecca Donatelli
New Brunswick High School
Funded three years in a row, ten teams of students competed to design, build, test, and market a device in one day. Students were given one hundred (fake) dollars and had to budget their money in order to complete the task. Upon completion, three celebrity judges decided the winning team. This project allowed students to practice their engineering skills as well as take what they have been learning in their science class and see how the whole process works in the real world.
“Wonders of Physics”
Project Leader: John Caputo
New Brunswick High School
Funded three years in a row, the main goal of the project was to expose New Brunswick High School Physics students to high-quality Physics demonstrations and to get them excited about science. Two Physics assemblies were held during February and teachers requested written responses from students on the impact of the event. This project motivated students and helps them understand Physics concepts effectively.
“#ArtsEncounter”
Project Leader: Christine M. Patterson
New Brunswick High School
For this project, 11th and 12th graders were able to watch the play Crowns which allowed them to increase their exposure to African American history. Students analyzed the play prior to watching and after, were able to interview the artists and had to conduct a post-play critical analysis and writing activity. The goal was for students to identify and analyze the impact of theatre techniques and author choices.
“A Sound Innovations Revolution”
Project Leader: Christopher Johnson
Paul Robeson Community School for the Arts
The purpose of this project was to introduce a highly innovative, revolutionary band curriculum for instrumental students, drawing both technical and musicianship components together in one complete curricular approach. This project allowed students to become more musically literate and have a more technical knowledge of their instruments as well as advancing skill sets.
“Access to Fusion”
Project Leader: Sophia Gershman
New Brunswick High School
The purpose of the project was to provide students with an immersion experience of becoming scientists for a day: working on cutting edge experiments in plasma physics, meeting and talking with scientists, engineers, and technologist at the laboratory, and observing first-hand technical equipment beyond imaginable. Students then made presentations for lower-class students, sharing their excitement and knowledge.
“Coding and Robotics through Mindstorm LEGO”
Project Leader: Jessica Sudah and Michael Leone
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
Using the LEGO Mindstorms Kit, students were exposed to robotics and had the opportunity to build at least one robot and code it to perform a specific function. This project enhanced the coding STEM-enrichment classes and also introduced students to robotics. Students were able to work collaboratively, brainstorm ideas and build and test their designs, which increases their critical thinking and learning processes.
“Collaborative Expressions”
Project Leader: Rashana Evans
New Brunswick High School
This project allowed students from the Fine Visual and Performing Arts classes to produce inspirational works of art utilizing a mix of medium, application, and presentation. Student expressed their perspectives on “human interaction, our individual fears and self-consciousness, and the world we live in.” “Collaborative Expressions” aims to increase collaboration among students and teachers to merge the disciplines of drawing, painting, dance, music, theater, film, and photography.
“Enhancing Technology in High School Special Ed Classrooms”
Project Leader: Lynda Mesa
New Brunswick High School
The purpose of this project was to increase the level of rigor utilizing available technology in Special Education classes. The purchase of multiple educational websites has allowed students to engage in increasingly successful peer-to-peer-activities as well as increased academic scores. These students also gained confidence in their academic skills: thinking creatively and finding innovative solutions to a range of problems.
“One Word at a Time”
Project Leader: Joan Hellman, Sharon Uckar, Julie Ziv
New Brunswick High School
The goal of this project was to assist Life Skills students with overall reading abilities needed for successful integration within their community and society by offering additional reading instructions. Students had repeated exposure to specific target words through a variety of engaging learning activities and were able to learn new words and phrases at their own pace. This allowed students to increase their ability to function independently as they navigate around their community and society.
“Putting the “A” back in iSTEAM”
Project Leader: Kevin Conover
New Brunswick High School
Students created a mural to decorate the wall in the iSTEAM pad on the theme of Space Exploration. Students were able to learn about the role of art in understanding the physical world in general and in space exploration in particular. The purpose of this project was to provide students with an opportunity for creative self-expression, building confidence, motivation, and self-esteem.
“The Build it Better Challenge: A Collaborative Project between NJIT and the STEM Themed Institute”
Project Leader: Rebecca Donatelli
New Brunswick High School
Funded two years in a row, this project is a partnership between NJIT and New Brunswick STEM. Six teams of students competed to design, build, test, and market a device in one day. Students were given one hundred (fake) dollars and had to budget their money in order to complete the task. Upon completion, three celebrity judges decided the winning team. This project allowed students to practice their engineering skills as well as take what they have been learning in their science class and see how the whole process works in the real world.
“The Generational Gap Stops”
Project Leader: David Lago
New Brunswick High School
The purpose of the project was to showcase this generation’s interests through a large canvas painting. Students brainstormed what they believe defines their generations and later painted a canvas to express a symbol of the students. The goal of this project is to be ongoing and have paintings for each outgoing generation, eventually creating a generational gallery space in the school.
“The Wildlife Camera Trap Project”
Project Leader: Sydney Bleach
New Brunswick High School
This project, which was a unit activity for six biology classes, allowed students to learn how to use a camera trap to ask testable questions and determine wildlife inhabitance within their community. Students then worked to create their own investigation into the habitat of the high school garden and prepared a presentation. The goal of this project was for students to be able to connect what they are learning in the classroom with real-world issues and to ask testable questions and plan an investigation.
“The Wonder of Physics”
Project Leader: John Caputo
New Brunswick High School
Funded for the second year, the main goal of the project was to expose New Brunswick High School Physics students to high quality Physics demonstrations to excite them about science. Physics assemblies were held during February and teachers requested written responses from students on the impact of the event. This project motivated students and helps them understand Physics concepts effectively.
“Empowering Readers and Mathematicians”
Project Leader: Lori Starozytnyk
Paul Robeson Community School
Many students in New Brunswick do not have access to high-interest non-fiction reading. So, this project was created to provide students with materials to empower students as readers, mathematicians, and global citizens. Scholastic News is the perfect way to build the close reading and analysis skills required by Common Core and state standards and includes digital issues as well as videos and games to accommodate all readers. Dyna Math uses real-world math situations to motivate and engage students. Through this project, students showed growth in fluency, comprehension, speaking and listening skills, and mathematical thinking.
“Hands on Connections”
Project Leader: Joan Hellman, Sharon Uckar, Julie Ziv
New Brunswick High School
This project provided Life Skills to students with functioning-level appropriate hands-on career development activities that integrate academics with career/technical instruction to help prepare for decision making about career areas. Workstations were added to the class with stations focused on office work, warehousing, and receiving and sending. Integration of hands-on activities that connect academics to a marketable skill in the Life Skills elective fostered and promoted the connections that students could not do effectively otherwise.
“Tada! Youth Workshops in Musical Theatre”
Project Leader: Steven E. Thornburg
New Brunswick High School
The purpose of this project was to increase student self-confidence and self-expression by reinforcing the curricular relationships between music, drama, and dance. A Master Class is given to students where they engage in warm-up, icebreakers, improvisational exercises, learning three songs, and the choreography. Students will demonstrate increased self-confidence through stage presence and self-expression through a collaborative final showcase taught by professionals from Tada! Youth Theatre in New York City.
“NGSS Science Supported By Literacy”
Project Leader: Darlene Keller
Livingston School
To supplement 4th grade Math and Science classes, Dyna Math and Super Science were used to provide practice in non-fiction literacy and correlate to the themes and standards taught in 4th grade classes. This project not only allowed for supplement and reinforcement of skills and knowledge but also supported technology standards because it includes digital access to the magazine site.
“The Build it Better Challenge: A Cooperative Project Between New Brunswick STEM and NJIT”
Project Leader: Rebecca Donatelli
New Brunswick High School
A partnership between NJIT and New Brunswick STEM, five teams of students competed to design, build, test, and market a device in one day. Students were given one hundred (fake) dollars and had to budget their money in order to complete the task. Upon completion, three celebrity judges decided the winning team. This project allowed students to practice their engineering skills as well as take what they have learned in their science class and apply it to real-world scenarios.
“Singing the Past, Present, and Future”
Project Leader: Jennifer Emery
New Brunswick High School
Composer Marco-Adrian Ramos was brought into the classroom to meet and work with students to encourage their interest in high-level music, music study/participation, and composing/arranging. This project was created to engage students to create music, allowing them to have influence over the composer and create a purposeful opportunity to connect to their culture.
“Book Club”
Project Leader: Lisa Menasha
New Brunswick Middle School
Having a lunchtime library book club will provide a casual and relaxed environment where students can read and discuss the literature of their choice. Students and librarians met to discuss the book club and pick the book, the librarian ordered the books, and reading and meeting schedule was set up. This project allowed students to be comfortable discussing a book in an open forum and enhanced their literacy and encourage a love for reading.
“Support for Amistad and Holocaust Commission”
Project Leader: Carol Giordano
A.C. Redshaw School
The goal of this project was to support New Brunswick School Districts fulfillment of the Amistad Commission and the Holocaust Commission mandates through the use of mentor texts. These texts help orient students to difficult material through narrative texts and have vivid pictures to support the narrative and help to decode unknown words. This project allowed students to have a deeper, richer understanding of the contribution African Americans made to American history.
“The Wonder of Physics”
Project Leader: John Caputo
New Brunswick High School
The main goal of the project was to expose New Brunswick High School Physics students to high-quality Physics demonstrations to encourage an interest in science. Physics assemblies were held during February and teachers requested written responses from students on the impact of the event. This project motivated students and helped them understand Physics concepts effectively.
“Trip to the Brand New African American Museum of History & Culture (Smithsonian)
Project Leader: Linda Rudrow, Pamela Bennett, Lee Neamand
New Brunswick High School
A trip to the Smithsonian Museum allows students to critically see, experience, and examine the Black experience in the United States and throughout the African Diaspora through heritage exploration. The goal of this project was to expose the students to an environment that promotes their individual, social, and academic well-being. Debriefing activities were held after the museum and students prepared a presentation, reflecting their personal highlights of the trip.
“Teaching With Tools”
Project Leader: Nancy Campbell and Elizabeth Vastano
Pupil Personnel Services (PPS)
“Tools of the Mind” continues to provide strategies and support to classroom teachers to assist them with modifying and adapting the curriculum to enable students with special needs to engage meaningfully in all activities related to the curriculum and daily routine. Teachers are provided a “tool kit” that includes modified scissors, markers, crayons, paintbrushes, etc. This project ensures that all children are actively engaged in the curriculum at a level that is appropriate for their development both academically and socially.
“Leaping into Literacy “
Project Leader: Nancy Campbell and Elizabeth Vastano
Pupil Personnel Services (PPS)
Four training sessions were provided to parents, each session focusing on a different book with activities to complement the story and highlight a variety of skills. These sessions provided parents with story extension activities and strategies as well as materials to use with their children. This project assisted parents in recognizing the importance of reading and speaking to their children to enhance language and literacy.
“Engineering Standards: Students will build models of solutions to ecological problems”
Project Leader: Kelly-Marie McCartney
New Brunswick High School
Students researched an ecological problem facing the world today (eg. Greenhouse effect, air/land/water pollution, etc.) and used engineering practices to design a solution and create a working model of that solution. This project allowed students to take into account pros and cons of their solution and societal and financial constrictions then present their ideas.
“Drums Alive, Drumtastic” Engaging the Creative Mind, Enhancing Wellness”
Project Leader: Aaydah Copprue
Paul Robeson Community School for the Arts
The program has infused music, creative movement, self-expression, and percussion skills all wrapped in a fun fitness-based program that engages the body, mind, and spirit. With the use of a Drums Alive/Drumtastics tool kit as well as other materials including fitness balls, students grades 3-6 practiced percussion skills, fitness and dance activities, cooperative learning games, and learned composition and choreography.
“Paul Robeson School Science Construction Time Lapse Video”
Project Leader: Patricia Chilelli
New Brunswick High School
Introduction to Engineering students set up a GoPro and accompanied solar panel to take time-lapse pictures of the Paul Robeson construction site during daylight hours enabling them to visit the construction site on a continuous basis. Students then used the raw video to analyze various aspects of construction and site management. Through this project, students get district level exposure for their design and artistic efforts and experience professional meetings with district and construction administration.
“Legacy Mosaics”
Project Leader: Kristine Templeton
New Brunswick High School
The goal of this project was to change the environment, specifically the big blank walls, at the high school. It is a permanent part of the high school so that in the future the current students can return and still have a visible connection to the building and reflect on the meaning and creative expressions used.
“Yoga Mindfulness in the Classroom”
Project Leader: Nadine Sanchez
Lord Stirling Community School
Mindfulness and Yoga can be a tool to decrease student stress. This project was created to bring yoga in the classroom as a transition tool to calm and reset students’ focus. This method was also used instead of detention and punitive punishments. This project allowed decreased recidivism in disciplining, as well as increased focus, coping, and stress reduction.
“Increasing Vocabulary Skills in Preschool Disabled Students”
Project Leader: Naomi Weiss and Judith Tannenbaum
McKinley K Center and Early Childhood Centers
Selected parents were given a Spanish-English picture dictionary to “read” with their children at least three times a week and teachers measured receptive and expressive language skills at the beginning and end of the semester. The purpose of this project was to improve and increase English vocabulary skills in Hispanic Preschool Disabled students.
“African Dance Master Classes with Karen Love and Simonson Dance Master Classes with Lees Hummel”
Project Leader: Alicia Giglio
New Brunswick High School
The purpose of this project was to increase student self-confidence and self-expression and reinforce the curricular and social relationships between African Dance technique, Simonson Jazz technique, Music and Drama. Guest teachers offered a Master Class, consisting of warm-ups, exercises, and learning/creating choreography. This project benefited students’ self-confidence, self-expression and technical proficiency.
“Alternative Energy Sources”
Project Leader: Sophia Gershman
New Brunswick High School
Students conducted experiments investigating alternative means of energy conversion to the electrical energy necessary to maintain the modern standard of living. This project allowed students to develop science and engineering skills and improve their problem-solving skills, quantitative and evidential reasoning.
Career Readiness
Project Leader: Shauna Margerum, Michael Carter and Antoine Allen
New Brunswick High School
Career Readiness is a three-pronged career awareness program that targets at risk High School Students for their successful transition to employment and/or a postsecondary education. Modeled after the NJ Chamber of Commerce LearnDoEarn curriculum, this initiative provides students, mainly those with specific learning disabilities a unique and motivational way to acquire and develop experiential skills to further enhance as well as, increase their potential for gainful employment upon graduating High School. Career Readiness employs the use of life skills, information technology, business theorem and other success principles to help students learn to build their employability skills.
“Inspiring Students and Developing Global Awareness via Electronic Field Trips”
Project Leader: Kymm Spillane
Woodrow Wilson School
Now in its 5th year, this project enable distance learning for Woodrow Wilson School students by means of electronic field trips provided by the Philadelphia Museum of Arts. This year’s program transports 180 students in grades 2nd, 4th and 8th through a visually interactive experience where they get to merge visual arts with language arts, social studies, math, and technology. Students expand their global awareness in the following areas: (1) Art of Asia; (2) The Impressionist Era; (3) Modern and Contemporary Art; (4) Art of Spanish and Mexican Artists; (5) Art and Math; (6) African American Artists; and (7) Women Artists. Imagine visiting and interacting with a Docent at the Philadelphia Museum without leaving the school building. As a culminating activity, participants will produce works of art that reveal their level of understanding of what they saw through the electronic experience.
“Enhancing ESL Student Reading Skills”
Project Leader: Kathleen Eppinger, Anna Torres and Roxanna Marcone
Livingston School
With a student body of 582, of which 98% are Hispanic, a team of educators at Livingston School looked to create new pathways to improve literacy among its ESL learners. Enhancing ESL Student Reading Skills presented them with an ideal opportunity to accomplish this goal. This project seeks to broaden learning past the classroom by providing 115 K-2 students and their families’ greater access to a variety of pleasure reading materials in Spanish, enabling both parent and student to partake in the experience at home. Students are asked to help comprise a list of Spanish Language titles they would like to read (at home), along with requests from the Bi-Lingual teachers to identify books that synchronize with the school curriculum.
“Here Comes the Sun”
Project Leader: Lori Starozytnyk
Paul Robeson Community Theme School for the Arts
Here Comes the Sun is a standards-based, project-based, collaborative learning experience that seeks to teach students how science can be used to solve real world problems. The project provide 75 5th grade students engaging hands-on, integrated learning deepening their understanding of the sun as a source of renewable energy, while anchoring their foundation to help them further develop their appreciation and visualization of STEM engineering processes. Students are taught to design, build and market a solar powered car, as part of their activities.
“Building Character Education”
Project Leader: Hope Zabolinsky
McKinley Community School
It has been said that character can be measured by what one would do if no one were looking. Thus, true character is instilled at a deep level so that positive behavior is automatic. Building Character through Education seeks to do just that by instilling in 80 2nd grade students awareness on ways to be responsible citizens in the communities in which they live. Student participants will take part in a variety of activities and skits that highlight building and developing interpersonal and interpersonal skills.
“Wonders of Physics”
Project Leader: John Caputo
New Brunswick High School
This project involves exposing New Brunswick High School physics students to high quality physics programming, using demonstrations as a way to excite and inspire participants about physics and math, math being an integral part of the training. Moreover, the project helps to expand the students’ knowledge of science careers enabling them to understand practical applications of physics as a science. Through this grant, New Brunswick High School seeks to partner with the Rutgers University Physics Department to conduct physics assemblies for 500 students in 9th through 12th grade, thus making it possible for them to have an inspiring experience, one that could spark an edge of motivation and further study on their part.
“Spanish Listening Centers”
Project Leader: Lisa Capote
Livingston School
The goal of this project was to improve language skills and the reading habits in 2nd grade students by encouraging them to increase their reading in the classroom. Funds for this project are to be used to acquire a listening center, which comprises of a CD library with book companions. Students who participate in this project are allotted 20 minutes of reading time in the classroom, enabling them to appropriate this time toward reading material that bridges them to a grade level text in their native language as well as providing them with an opportunity to discuss and challenge their ability to move on to a higher grade text level. Consequently these applications will increase their vocabulary, fluency and reading comprehension as they apply it to a new language acquisition.
“Super Bowls for Change II”
Project Leader: Rashana Evans and Nilda Gutierrez
Lord Stirling School
This project fuses art, entrepreneurship training, and community service for 3rd and 4th graders. Students learn to incorporate business concepts in the arts, by producing, promoting and selling their artwork. In general, students are taught to assess create and utilize a cooperative business model to help the community. Moreover, students will learn about the need to maintain a high level of work ethic as well as work as a team, a value that serves well as they enter the workplace. Proposed activities will include creating their own art work, marketing products with posters, catalogues and developing a video for commercial use.
“Books Lover’s Club”
Project Leader: Diana Collazo
New Brunswick Middle School
Many students have limited opportunities to read books for pleasure other than what they are assigned in school. This project seeks to encourage student appreciation in the art of reading for pleasure, while helping them further develop their vocabulary beyond their grade level. Students in grade levels 6-8 will learn to use their imagination and apply independent thinking as they are urged to share their viewpoints during group discussions and projects. A portion of the reading will be devoted to students reading a book(s) of their choice either in a paired, single or group reading settings.
“STEM Club After-School Enrichment Program”
Project Leader: Rebecca Donatelli
New Brunswick High School
The STEM Club After-School Enrichment Program, is part of the HS STEM Themed Institute, which seeks to expose HS students to STEM fields including environmental science, forensic science, engineering and medicine. In this very unique program, students in grades 9-12 will have an opportunity to participate in hands-on, problem solving activities in various STEM areas with the expectations that these students will eventually pursue STEM higher education and careers. It particularly, targets minority students and women who are underrepresented in the STEM fields.
“Bringing Brainy Technology into ESL: BrainPop for the ESL Classroom”
Project Leader: Brittney Penson and Deborah Schneider
Redshaw School
BrainPop for the ESL Classroom brings technology into the ESL classroom, a revolutionary idea that helps to enhance ESL learning in a positive and forward thinking manner. The BrainPop approach uses short videos to reinforce the learning process via interactive quizzes, and extended activities. By having access to BrainPop, students in grades K-5 will be using technology along with their ESL curriculum, leveraging multimodal processing capability, animation and user friendly lessons that will encourage their participation enthusiastically.
“Parents and Children Reading Together”
Project Leader: Kate Sa
Adult Learning Center
The purpose of this project is to provide New Brunswick families enrolled in the ESL for Parents class at the Adult Learning Center access to new bilingual children’s books. Books will be the centerpiece of this project, and improved literacy will be the outcome. The foundation and driving force of this project is parental involvement with their children. ESL for Parents is designed to help parents learn English so that they can become full partners in their child’s educational and development process. Seventy five adults and their children are the targeted group.
“Jazz and Hip Hop Master Classes with Lees Hummel and Stephanie Scull”
Project Leader: Alicia Giglio
New Brunswick High School Dance Studio
Often dance is used as a means to increase self-confidence and self-expression in our youth. This projects seeks to add to that dynamic by reinforcing the curricular relationships between Dance, Music, Drama and Interpretation with Language Arts, Cultural Enrichment and physiology. Students in grades 10-12 will engage in master classes where the main focus of activities will include understanding Dance by using jazz and hip hop techniques as well as understanding the importance of physical preparation through warm up exercises, choreography, and positioning. The project will culminate in a presentation at the school’s annual Festival of Arts Performance.
“Food for Thought”
Project Leader: Julie Ziv, Sharon Uckar and Joan Hellman
New Brunswick High School
The purpose of this grant seeks to improve the health and wellness of persons of disabilities in grades 9-12, ages 14-21. This project is modeled after Easter Seals New Jersey “Be Well and Thrive Health and Wellness Program”, a program that is aimed at persons with special needs and their families. It is a six week curriculum, brought into our school and taught by Easter Seals staff which includes proposing strategies to improve nutrition, personal hygiene, fitness and overall wellness. Some of the topics covered will address Nutrition and Meal Planning, Exercise, Smart Shopping, Stress Management and Self-Care.
“LAL Listening Center”
Project Leader: Melissa Vega
New Brunswick High School
The goal of this project is to increase the amount of time students are reading independently with challenging text. Students are provided with an environment where they get to explore reading at a higher level. Funds will be used to purchase single player “read aloud” CD’s as well as headsets that will be made available for participating students. Language Arts, particularly reading comprehension, is an area that students struggle with. The Listening Center is another useful technology to further develop the reading skills of students ages 7-8, preparing them for High School.
“Adding Tools to your Toolbox”
Project Leader: Nancy Campbell & Elizabeth Vastano
New Brunswick Pupil Personnel Services
Over the past 10 years, the number of students with disabilities in preschool general education classes has more than doubled. Included in this cluster are students diagnosed with autism, visual and hearing impairments, orthopedic and other physically fragile conditions. The Adding Tools model sets the premise for supporting Preschool Teachers in general education classrooms throughout the district by providing them with strategies and technical assistance to best meet the needs of preschool students who are classified and/or are receiving services in Early Childhood Inclusion classrooms. Moreover, this project makes it possible for classroom teachers to modify and adopt existing curriculum in a way that engages students in a more meaningful way. Support will be provided selectively to children attending Lord Sterling, Paul Robeson, Redshaw and Puerto Rican Action Board Pre-school
“Do, Make, Break: Tech Makerspace@Your Library”
Project Leader: Sarah Neiderman
New Brunswick High School
This project seeks to create a Makerspace in the school library, where students can learn about technology and computer programming. The project also aims to be a resource for students who would like to experiment with technology, but lack the resources to own their own equipment. The Makerspace will allow 50 students in grades 9-12, a place for free experimentation, collaboration and educational play. It should be noted, that a significant number of these students may already be involved in tech programs, like Robotics. This will enable them to take their learned skills to a deeper and independent level of involvement.
Mr. Shy’s Team Building Challenges
Project Leader: Michael Shymanski
Paul Robeson Community School
The purpose of this project was to teach Paul Robeson Community School 1st through 5th graders the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship. This was achieved by engaging the students in weekly physical fitness and team building “challenges” with resources provided by the grant, i.e. exercise balls, scooters, dinosaur eggs, jump ropes, etc. The primary aim of these fun, competitive exercises was to put the students in a variety of high pressure situations in which they needed to utilize their team to be successful.
Inspiring Students and Developing Global Awareness via Electronic Field Trips
Project Leader: Shauna Margerum, Michael Carter and Antoine Allen
Woodrow Wilson School
Now in its 5th year, this project enable distance learning for Woodrow Wilson School students by means of electronic field trips provided by the Philadelphia Museum of Arts. This year’s program transports 180 students in grades 2nd, 4th and 8th through a visually interactive experience where they get to merge visual arts with language arts, social studies, math, and technology. Students expand their global awareness in the following areas: (1) Art of Asia; (2) The Impressionist Era; (3) Modern and Contemporary Art; (4) Art of Spanish and Mexican Artists; (5) Art and Math; (6) African American Artists; and (7) Women Artists. Imagine visiting and interacting with a Docent at the Philadelphia Museum without leaving the school building. As a culminating activity, participants will produce works of art that reveal their level of understanding of what they saw through the electronic experience.
Kim Spillane
Project Leader: Kim Spillane
Woodrow Wilson School
Funded for a 4th consecutive year, this project provided distance learning for Woodrow Wilson School students by means of electronic field trips facilitated by the Philadelphia Museum of Arts. This year’s program engaged 443 1st through 8th graders with exposures in the following areas: (1) Art of Asia; (2) The Impressionist Era; (3) Modern and Contemporary Art; (4) Art of Spanish and Mexican Artists; (5) Art and Math; (6) African American Artists; and (7) Women Artists. The students experienced these offerings of the Philadelphia Museum without leaving the school building. They even interacted with a Docent through the electronic tours. As a culminating activity, all participants created works of art that replicated what learned.
It’s all in the Game!
Project Leader: Suzette J. Sularski, Psy.D.
Office of Early Childhood Education
This project involved the use of “board games” to increase parent-child interactions. The program introduced parents and teachers to activities that emphasized protective factors such as well-developed social and academic readiness skills and strong home-school connections. This special initiative reinforced the use of board games as a teaching and learning tool that provides both direct and indirect benefits for preschool students. For instance, social emotional skills are enhanced because of the nature of board games requiring the practice of turn-taking, sharing, waiting, and observing limits. Children build self-confidence, self-esteem, empathy, and frustration tolerance as they and other players experience consequences, successes, and disappointments.
Lemonade Literacy
Project Leader: Lillian Sawma
Livingston School
The project hosted workshops for parents of 1st graders with tips and techniques to better assist their children in reading, writing, and spelling. The workshops were designed to teach parents fun and engaging activities to play with their children and supplied them with magnetic letters, leveled books in Spanish and in English, crayons, markers, and other tools. The aim was to provide parents with knowledge and necessary resources for them to maximize learning in the home. Additionally, the project promoted parental involvement in school. Thus, when young learners know their parents are interested in what they are learning, they are encouraged to work harder in school.
Culture and Foreign Language Immersion Club
Project Leader: Vincent Romagnuolo
New Brunswick Middle School
The purpose of this project was to educate New Brunswick Middle School students in foreign languages and cultures. The project encompassed several parts of the globe stemming from North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. Not only did the children learn about the way of life in different countries, they also were exposed to the music, film and everyday language of the countries they studied.
Reading, Writing, and Hope in Hard Times
Project Leader: Lori Starozytnyk
Paul Robeson Community Theme School for the Arts
This grant supplied 5th grade students at Paul Robeson Community Theme School for the Arts with the novel “Bud, Not Buddy,” which promotes awareness of social injustices such as racism, poverty, and homelessness. Its message — “hope in times of hopelessness” encouraged students to never give up; and the book’s poem entitled “I Am” inspired them to feel good about themselves and what the future might bring. Having all of the school’s 5th graders study the same novel, enabled book club discussion groups to be created and allowed students to meet and talk about the story with their peers in other rooms.
Scholastic Super Stars
Project Leader: Project Leader: Diane Loughlin
Redshaw School
This project introduced 5th graders at Redshaw School to “Storyworks Magazines” and “Storyworks Common Core Readers.” These publications were used to expose students to paired text selections of different genres on the same topic with an aim for them to develop critical thinking skills. The students were assigned to write opinion pieces using content from the magazines to support their answers. The development of these skills was measured through various writing prompts. Each magazine was used throughout the marking period in whole group and small group instruction as well as center activities. At the end of the school year, the students were able to take the magazines home to enjoy and discuss with their families.
Life on Earth, People Who Changed the World and Arts and Culture
Project Leader: Dolores McAndrew
Livingston School
This grant helped expand Livingston School’s 4th grade classroom libraries in Science and Social Studies disciplines. This initiative supported an ongoing collaboration among all teachers of 4th graders to promote curriculum based research projects covering topics such as: “Life on Earth,” “People Who Changed the World,” and “Arts and Culture.” The students’ projects consisted of research papers that supplemented materials for models, posters, dioramas, etc. Once completed, each student presented the projects to their classmates. In addition, their parents were invited to the presentations, enabling them to see their children’s progress and become engaged in the educational process.
Ecosystems and Food Webs
Project Leader: Hope L. Wilkins, Priscilla Rosa, Darlene Keller and Amanda Gross
Livingston School
This grant funded an expansion of Livingston School’s ecology unit with non-fiction books, DVD’s, and Audiobooks. This initiative helped enhance 4th grade students’ knowledge of food webs within various ecosystems. Students utilized the text and illustrations of the new materials to create presentations, diagrams, PowerPoint slides, webs, charts, and written summaries. These presentations demonstrated the students’ insight and ability to identify relationships between organisms in a food web.
Native Americans and the Westward Expansion
Project Leader: Kathleen Eppinger, Kami Puente, Sandra Jacobowitz and Carlene Young
Livingston School
This grant helped expand the non-fiction social studies unit of Livingston School’s Media Center through the purchase of 3rd grade level books covering the topic of Native Americans and the Westward Movement. The students used the Media Center and its new resources to develop projects on American Natives, including models, posters, dioramas, etc. They also researched the Westward Movement and its effects on the Native Americans, which is part of the 3rd grade curriculum. At the end of the year, the projects were used to create a display for the school’s Academic Fair.
Mark My Time Bookmark
Project Leader: Tara Webster
Livingston School
This grant purchased “Mark My Time Bookmarks” for 5th grade students at Livingston School, which tracked the children’s required reading times in a fun, colorful manner. The products were acquired in multiple neon colors with electronic functions aimed at encouraging kids to make reading a daily habit. The project’s goal was to increase the amount of time students read at home in order to improve their stamina, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
Clicking to the Core
Project Leader: Randall Miller
Redshaw School
The goal of this project was to actively engage and formatively assess 3rd grade students using a “personal response system” known as “iRespond Lite Clickers.” These educational resources allow teachers to instantly survey and collect data from the entire class. It helps to facilitate a learning environment that enables students to respond to different types of questions: Multiple Choice, Multiple Response, Numeric-Fill-In-the-Blanc, True/False, or Yes/No. Thus, students can be assessed as a whole class, individually, or in teams.
Wonders of Physics
Project Leader: John Caputo
New Brunswick High School
This grant funded three physics assemblies for New Brunswick High School students, 9th through 12th grade. The presentations were performed by a Rutgers University Physics Department Professor and four physics graduate students. The project enhanced the students’ knowledge of science careers and enabled them to see practical applications of physics as a science.
Acting, Writing and Design: CoLAB Arts Residency
Project Leader: Steven Thornburg
New Brunswick High School
The purpose of the project was to provide a Theatre II Class for advanced students. It was a 12-week residency in which the students trained in design (focusing on lighting), group ensemble practices, Meisner and Chekhov Techniques as well as analysis of classical plays/stories. The culmination of the project was a public performance infusing various disciplines that the students learned and experienced during the residency. The final production included a collaboration of a director, design team, production staff and ensemble that created and presented an original work of art.
Weather Assembly/Mobile Weather Studio and Earth Science Lesson
Project Leader: Barbara Zabel
New Brunswick Middle School
This grant funded an assembly for 300 Middle School students presented by John Marshall, a meteorologist from CBS and NBC news in New York City. The program enabled students to interact with a real life meteorologist and learn about weather concepts, motions of the moon, and gauges of tides. Not only did the experience provide students with an fun and exciting overview of how weather is actually forecasted and reported on television but it also served as an inspiration for students to be more perceptive to earth science studies and disciplines as well as gain insight and interest in pursuing careers in meteorology and related fields.
Year Round Author Studies
Project Leader: Norma Perez-Jackson
Roosevelt School
This grant funded a literacy project that entailed 3rd grade students reading books by renowned authors Eve Bunting, Jean Fritz, Patricia Pollaco and Greg Tangs. The publications covered a variety of topics ranging from social studies, to mathematics, to heart wrenching stories comprising difficult issues, triumph, and inspiration. Key objectives of this project were to encourage students to read; increase their fluency; motivate them to become better writers as well as introduce them to the possibility of becoming authors themselves. Upon finishing their reading, the students had a culminating assignment that included a written and oral presentation about the book and author.
Newspapers and Literacy
Project Leader: Gloria Rahn and Sushama Raina
New Brunswick High School
This project engaged 10th through 12th grade ESL Intensive Literacy students with a broader base of exposures while they learn English. This initiative entailed using newspapers as a tool to provide students with themes and content in which enhanced language acquisition can be facilitated. Some of the activities included: (1) Completing weekly language based reading assignments covering one current event article; (2) Undertaking crossword puzzles covering monthly issues; (3) Writing letters to the editor about issues of interest; and (4) Reading and discussing an American tradition and/or holiday highlighted in the newspaper. The aim was for the students to improve vocabulary and reading and language skills, raise awareness of current events, and help ESL students better assimilate in a new cultural environment.
African Dance Master Classes with Karen Love and Kimani Fowlin
Project Leader: Alicia Giglio
New Brunswick High School
The purpose of the project was to increase self-confidence and self-expression of 10th through 12th grade students. This Arts Residency experience also reinforced the curriculum areas of Dance II and Dance III as well as enhanced students’ understanding of social relationships between African dance, music and drama. The students were able to demonstrate their increased kinesthetic comprehension of dance technique, performance and musicality. In addition, they developed choreographically individually and collaboratively. As a culmination, their work was showcased during the High School’s Annual Festival of Arts Performance event.
10 Hairy Legs Dance Residency
Project Leader: Alicia Giglio
New Brunswick High School
This grant funded a dynamic arts residency program that exposed advanced 10th through 12th grade dance students to modern technique warm-up, exercises in piles, and tendus du swings. Students were guided through structured improvisational activities that incorporated Laban Movement actions and terminology. This creative experience culminated with a sequential piece of work that the students presented during the High School’s Annual Festival of Arts Performance event.
A Career Center for You — Your Future
Project Leader: Virginia E. Haase
New Brunswick Middle School
This grant funded a Career Center at the New Brunswick Middle School which provides materials and resources that will help enhance students’ career oriented focus, choices, and direction as they begin to think about high school and beyond. A key objective of the Center is to help students develop a better understanding and appreciation of connecting classroom experiences with various careers that they may be interested in pursuing. The Center encompasses a four drawer file cabinet, biographical books of known role models in various fields, career preparation books such as “What Color is My Parachute and career based software that includes assessment tools that enables students to develop their own profiles of interests via work with school counselors and teachers.
Tada! Youth Theater Master Classes
Project Leader: Steven Thornburg
New Brunswick High School
The program utilized the students’ creativity and guided practice by Tada Arts Residency instructors to develop a final mini-musical showcase. The Tada! Youth Theater Master classes provided a forum for student confidence building and self-expression. The company used live musical accompaniment through each skill-building activity, which reinforced the significance and inter-curricular importance of music, dance and drama.
Inspiring Students and Developing Global Awareness via Electronic Field Trips
Project Leader: Alissa Furfaro and Katy Champion-Uras
Redshaw School
This grant enabled 400 students (1st, 4th and 5th graders) to visit the Philadelphia Museum without leaving the school building. The visits aligned with interdisciplinary content such as Social Studies, Science, Technology, Language Arts and Math. Many of the students had never visited a Museum before and this project provided them with an opportunity to virtually experience a museum atmosphere. The students realized the benefits of technology and were able to see the high quality of the art work. The program featured: (1) Art of Asia; (2) The Impressionist Era; (3) Modern and Contemporary Art; (4) Art of Spanish and Mexican Artists; (5) Art and Math; (6) African American Artists; and (7) Women Artists. As a culminating activity, all participants created works of art that replicated what learned.
The Senior Mural Project
Project Leader: Kristine Templeton
New Brunswick High School
With this grant, New Brunswick High School students will paint a large scale mural that details their educational journey and symbolizes their contribution to the school. A primary aim is for student participants to work as a team and realize that the collaborative process yields far better results. In addition, the project seeks to emphasize the connection between art and the capacity to communicate effectively in a positive and productive manner.
Bones are Basic
Project Leader: Kristine Templeton, Art and Computer Graphics Teacher
New Brunswick High School
This grant provides supplies for New Brunswick High School 9th through 12th grade art students to sketch anatomical forms in 3-D visual design. Students will sketch human figures and hands in various poses, positions and forms. Through this project, students will enhance their drawing skills, vocabulary, understanding of anatomy, and ability to implement observational methods.
The Clothesline Project
Project Leader: Linda Ashford
New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School
The purpose of this project is to engage 50 high school sophomores in an open dialogue about stereotypes. Students will participate in compelling discussions concerning stereotypes and ways to look beyond them by developing a better understanding of each other. The culminating activity will entail each participant creating an “I am” statement that will be used to design T-shirts which will be hung on a clothesline.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble: A Literacy and Performance Arts Experience
Project Leader: Kate Sa
Adult Learning Center
This project involves 50 parents and 100 children (ages 3 – 9) who will read “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.” The families will identify the book’s author, William Steig, define and practice any new vocabulary, answer comprehension questions, and discuss the story elements and theme. As a culminating experience, they will attend a State Theatre production of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble which will be preceded by a workshop including excerpts and props from the performance as well as Q&A facilitated by the actors.
Inspiring Students and Developing Global Awareness via Electronic Field Trips
Project Leader: Kenneth Redler
Woodrow Wilson School
This grant will provide a virtual presentation from the Philadelphia Museum for 390 students, 1st through 8th graders. The program will feature the following: (1) Art of Asia; (2) The Impressionist Era; (3) Modern and Contemporary Art; (4) Art of Spanish and Mexican Artists; (5) Art and Math; (6) African American Artists; and (7) Women Artists. Students will experience these offerings of the Philadelphia Museum without leaving the school building. They will have the opportunity to interact with a Docent through the electronic tours. All student participants will create works of art that replicate what they have learned.
Terra Nova Workstation
Project Leader: Nilda Gutierrez
Lord Stirling School
This innovative portable workstation will be used to engage 3rd and 4th grade students with special learning needs in various hands-on experiments. They will learn proper lab and measuring techniques while understanding scientific methods they will apply in and outside the classroom. Through this interactive technology program, students will explore plants, insects, planets and even dinosaurs! The aim is to develop students’ curiosity and self-esteem as well as increase their interest and desire to learn science.
Souper Bowls for Changes
Project Leader: Rashana Richardson
Lord Stirling School
This project fuses ceramic art, entrepreneurship training, and community service for 3rd through 4th graders. Students will learn how to form, operate and utilize a cooperative business to help the community. They will create decorative soup bowls from clay with themes based on hope, peace, love, and giving. They will then develop and implement a cooperative business model to package, price, market, and sell the bowls with the profits donated to Elijah’s Soup Kitchen.
Enhancement of Daily Activities
Project Leader: Chef Debbie Olsen
New Brunswick High School
The purpose of this grant is to help enhance the cooking experience of students by funding additional equipment to fulfill the growing programs’ needs. With this expansion of resources, culinary students, grades 9 through 12, will be enabled to perform more activities during class time, including chopping vegetables and fruits, weighing materials for recipe production, and sharpening knives more quickly and efficiently.
Math and Movement
Project Leader: Luisa Ferraro and Gaetana Swercheck
Redshaw School
This project will engage 170 students, ages 6 to 11, in an exciting form of exercise, stretching, cross-body movements, yoga, and visually-pleasing floor mats designed to help enhance their understanding of math concepts. This innovative program uses floor mats and banners to incorporate and parallel various mathematical concepts, including addition, subtraction, telling time, skip-counting, multiplication, division, fractions, factoring, and positive/negative numbers.
Kindle Our Kids to Better Reading through Digital Text
Project Leader: Olufemi Francis and Hassana Williams
Redshaw School
The E-readers purchased through this grant will be utilized in the classroom as an independent literacy activity for 4th and 5th grade special needs/resource students. The project will include downloadable nonfiction grade appropriate e-books that support content area instruction that will help enhance the students’ abilities to read more fluently. In addition, use of this technology will allow students to apply non-fiction text in research, reading to inform, and report writing.
Just As I Am: An Autobiographical Exploration through Writing and Art
Project Leader: Jessica Harris
Lincoln School
This project introduces 4th grade students to the book, “Writing Your Life: Autobiographical Writing Activities for Young People” by Mary Borg. Through the comprehensive collection of activities outlined in the book, the students will be prompted to examine their lives from before they were born to looking ahead in the future. They will draft, write, revise, and publish a thirteen chapter coffee table book about themselves.
Then and Now: Exploring Life in Early America
Project Leader: Emma Burtenshaw, Carmen Rodriguez and Maria Nazareth
Lincoln School
Through this grant, 2nd grade students will visit Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University for a tour of artifacts, reproductions and hands-on activities illustrating what daily life was like for children years ago. The students will experience different aspects of a child’s life at Liberty Hall in the 1780’s (American Revolution), the 1820’s (New Nation), the 1860’s (Civil War), the 1900’s (Industrial Revolution) and the 1940’s (World War II). By comparing recreation, technology and lifestyles, students will grasp an understanding of how the world of children constantly changes.
Performance in Theater Workshop/Shakespeare 2.0 Translation, Adaption and Imagination
Project Leader: Steven Thornburg
New Brunswick High School
This grant sponsors an Artist-in-Residence Program for students that focus on two texts, one classical and a piece taken from classical test and adapted to contemporary language (i.e. Orestes by Euripides in comparison with Orestes 2.0 by Charles Mee). Over the course of 8 weeks, students will study a specific sonnet of Shakespeare and discuss its style, form, use of language, vocabulary and major themes. As students analyze and comprehend the meaning, they will create a product by rewriting the sonnet and presenting their version live.
Liberty Science Interactive Museum
Project Leader: Kathleen Reitsma
Roosevelt School
Through this interactive science adventure, 4th grade students will explore sea creatures, create a 10-foot geyser and view colorful poison dart frogs. The museum offers three floors of exhibits and hands-on experiences that covers topics on the environment, health and inventions culminating with a 3-D movie presented in the Imax Dome Theater entitled, “Tornado Alley.
Music Basics and Composition through Guitar Class for High School
Project Leader: Mary Vetter Purcell
New Brunswick High School
This project will allow students to learn music theory, composition and performance through instruction using the guitar. In addition, students will learn about pitch, rhythm, harmony and musical form. They will achieve a level of competence on the guitar that can be synthesized into a performance as a guitar ensemble or in conjunction with other performing groups at the high school.
Raising Academic Achievement through Reading
Project Leader: Kathleen Eppinger
Livingston School
This project will improve literacy skills and academic achievement for K – 5 students through increased access to library materials. By merging funded purchases of printed materials, the students’ chances to learn and enjoy reading will be enhanced. The goal of this literacy plan is to create a library atmosphere where students can go to find award winning fiction and classic works that are specially selected for high-interest, age appropriate books for children.
Goal Setting
Project Leader: Ginny Haase
New Brunswick Middle School
This project entails an inspiring learning experience for students who are referred to in-school suspension for behavior and disciplinary issues. These students will be introduced to the book, “We Beat the Street,” which chronicles the lives of 3 Newark youth who achieved success in spite of growing up in an adverse environment. The activity will include reading, discussing, and writing essays highlighting the messages expressed in this motivational publication.
C.A.R.E.S. High School Culinary Arts Program
Project Leader: Scott Bollwage
Adult Learning Center
This grant funds an innovative culinary arts program that enriches students with technical training and practical academic content applications for careers in the restaurant industry. Some of the culminating activities will entail the students developing and marketing “Café Central,” a café style eatery what will service the Adult Learning Centre student and staff population as well as the Central Office administration staff. Upon completion of the program, students will receive a food service certificate
Anti-Bullying School and Community Assemblies
Project Leaders: Aimee Schneider, Nancy Zankel, Eve Berne and Kenneth Redler
Woodrow Wilson School
The purpose of this project is to train, educate, and reinforce pro-social skills and anti-bullying protocol for students, staff and the larger school community. This special initiative supports the New Jersey Statewide Anti-bullying mandate, providing prevention and awareness activities campaigns through reading materials, websites, creation of themed posters and participation in an evidence-based H.I.B. assembly.
Scrabble Wiz
Project Leader: Arnold Anderson
Roosevelt School
By playing Scrabble, 2nd through 5th grade students will expand their vocabulary, speech tenses and abilities to form words. In addition, through a combination of learning both math and English in a competitive game setting, students will practice mental arithmetic by doubling and tripling their scores. An aim of this project is to increase their understanding and aptitude to spell and apply words in various contexts. This objective is supported by the game’s requirement to use a dictionary.
I Love English: Learning Language through Technology
Project Leader: Karen Ellingson, ESL Teacher
New Brunswick Middle School
English Language Learners enter the middle school facing language barriers that limit their ability to keep up with their peers, and stifles their confidence and motivation to learn. This project will provide these students with an innovative language-learning software system, Rosetta Stone which will help to improve their language skills and enhance their ability to become more proficient in English. Teachers will be on hand in order to provide the necessary training and ensure an accurate and effective use of the program. The software will be made accessible to students before and after school, reinforcing their language skills development outside the regular class time.
The Immigrant Experience
Project Leader(s): Karen Ellingson, ESL Teacher and Ann Marie Barr, ESL Teacher
New Brunswick Middle School
This grant will provide English Language Learners with the opportunity to visit Liberty State Park, as part of a field and research project. Students will spend the day visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, seeing firsthand the universal symbol of freedom and democracy and learning about the immigrant experience in America as they participate in hands-on activities and analyze historic artifacts. In the classroom, students will write about their experience, and work collaboratively to create a bulletin board that will be seen by their peers and parents.
Philadelphia Museum Electronic Field Trips
Project Leader: Kenneth Redler, Visual Arts Teacher
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
This grant will provide virtual presentations from the Philadelphia Museum to students in 2nd through 8thgrade. This project which highlights four artistic expressions: 1) Art of Asia, 2) The Impressionistic Era, 3) Modern Art, and 4) The Art of Spanish and Mexican Artists, will bring the students to the Philadelphia Museum without leaving the school building. Students will have the opportunity to interact with a Docent through the electronic tours. All student participants will create works of art that replicate what they have learned.
Traveling Museum Exhibits
Project Leader: Brandi Gustafson, Social Studies Teacher
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
Presenting the traveling museum exhibits (American Indian Art and Prehistoric Rock Art) will provide a unique anthropological experience for the entire student population at Woodrow Wilson. Students will create and learn various aspects of ancient art, historical preservation, and as tour guides, learn to develop their organizational and presentation skills with the intention of explaining their observations to an audience.
Book Club – Understanding Graphic Novels
Project Leader: Sarah Neiderman, School Librarian
New Brunswick Middle School
This grant will support the development of an after-school Book Club that will help improve the literacy and critical thinking skills of middle school students. Student participants will meet twice a month to read as well as engage in discussion about their assigned books, using graphic novels as their focal interest. Multi-dimensional in its approach, many of the books will depict different cultures and ethnic traditions that the students will experience through food, traditional customs and parental involvement.
The Senior Mural Project
Project Leader: Kristine Templeton, Art and Computer Graphics Teacher
New Brunswick High School
This grant will provide New Brunswick High School seniors with the opportunity to engage in group collaboration to paint a large scale mural that details their educational journey and symbolizes their contribution to the school. Students will experience a sense of pride and accomplishment when completed. A primary aim is for student participants to work as a team and realize that the collaborative process yields far better results. In addition, the project seeks to emphasize the connection between art and the capacity to communicate effectively in a positive and productive way.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road to 66 Bartlett Street
Project Leaders: Jessica Harris and Dayna Sacks, 4th Grade Teachers
Lincoln School
This grant funded an after-school theater program that exposed 4th through 6th graders to acting techniques and helped them improve various literacy skills. As they read and performed, the children learned about character traits, settings, moods, points of view, inferences, and character motivations. Additionally, the students learned how to identify the differences between monologues and dialogues, lines and stage directions.
In-Class Technology Workstation
Project Leader: Nilda Gutierrez, Special Education Teacher
Lord Stirling Community School
This grant provided an in-class technology workstation that provides special learning needs students with innovative educational software and websites, including electronic talking dictionaries, BrainPop.com and Enchanted Learning.com. This interactive learning environment offers language friendly and cutting-edge illustrative resources, which enables students to expand on their knowledge and skills in multiple content areas such as science, social studies, math, and language arts.
Techies Got Talent
Project Leaders: Elaine Foulides, Music Teacher and Barbara DeBaylo, Art Teacher
New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School
This activity was a talent production that was written, staged, directed, performed and filmed by students. The grant supplied a camcorder, a multi-format DVD Writer, and blank DVDs for students to fuse technology into the creative process by filming the rehearsals and performance, editing the performance footage, adding graphics (titles and credits), and producing a final copy for distribution.
Using Moodle In The Classroom
Project Leader: Anthony Mwangi
New Brunswick High School
This grant provided a web-based content management system that makes it easy for teachers and students to interact, communicate, and share materials in a supervised and safe online environment. It is used interactively in the classroom, as well as collaboratively by students at home. Using Moodle prepares students for the 21st century classroom and environment by requiring them to think and to create in innovative, collaborative ways.
Recording Our History
Project Leader: Carol Giordano, 3rd Grade Teacher
Paul Robeson Community Theme School for the Arts
With funding for a video camera and blank DVDs, 3rd grade students had the opportunity to integrate technology with a project designed for them to capture the oral history of their families. Students engaged their families in this enriching and exciting activity, as they learned, told and re-told stories that encompassed their history, culture and traditions.
Home English Language Practice (HELP)
Project Leader: Marybeth O’Connell, Speech Teacher
Paul Robeson Community Theme School for the Arts
This grant provided digital recording devices for students to rehearse speech-language lessons repeatedly at home in order to increase fluency and comprehension. The focus area of this project, which required parental involvement, was for students to develop and gain mastery in their communication skills, both orally and in written form. This structured and measurable approach was designed to increase student achievement and social competency.
Reading & Writing ~ The Ultimate Superpowers!
Project Leaders: Nancy Antos-Ali, Basic Skills Teacher/Melissa Howard, 1st Grade Teacher/Diane Neal, Language Arts Literacy Specialist
Redshaw School
The emphasis of this project was for K-5 students to internalize the concept, “I am a reader. I am a writer. I have the ultimate superpowers”. The grant underwrote costs for books, visits and presentations by Marcie Aboff, noted author of children’s books that have many math and science connections, such as The Pizza Palace (fractions), The Lemonade Standoff (addition & graphing) and The Tallest Snowman (measurements). It was an exciting school-wide event for students geared toward engendering a life-long interest in reading and writing.
Traveling Museum Exhibits
Project Leader: Brandi Gustafson
Woodrow Wilson School
This grant sponsored traveling museum exhibits for one week each to expose Pre-K through 8th grade students to Ancient Egyptian Art and the Harlem Renaissance. This virtual field trip provided a unique educational experience for classrooms without the need for students to leave the school building. Students created art work that correlated with what they learned in their Social Studies classes and from the exhibits.
Philadelphia Museum Electronic Field Trips
Project Leader: Kenneth Redler
Woodrow Wilson School
This grant provided four virtual presentations from the Philadelphia Museum for 5th through 8th grade students in four program areas: (1) Art of Asia; (2) The Impressionist Era; (3) Modern Art; and (4) The Art of Spanish and Mexican Artists. Students were able to actually interact with the Docent at the museum through the virtual tours and created art work that replicated what they learned.
Binding Together Good Ideas Project Leader: Jessica Harris, 4th Grade Teacher Lincoln Elementary School
This project provided a binding machine and supplies for 4th grade students to “publish” their written stories, poems, and essays. The aim was to instill in students a sense of empowerment in writing by enabling them to see their work and the work of their peers being published. The culmination of this initiative was establishing a section in the Lincoln Elementary School Library that features books authored by students.
Going Into Business Sale Project Leader: Anise Kaplan, Basic Skills Instructor Livingston Elementary School
With imaginary jobs, income, interest-bearing bank accounts, and spending activities (i.e. shopping, dinner engagements, vacations, etc.), 5th and 6th grade students learned to make real life practical applications of addition, subtraction, and multiplication with decimals by using money amounts. They were also provided with hands-on training, resources, and supplies to start-up, manage, and operate a school store. Overall, this project exposed students to various math and life skills in a fun and fulfilling manner.
It All Started With A Mouse Project Leader: Tami-Lyn Strachan, 5th Grade Teacher Livingston Elementary School
This grant provided 5th grade students with books for an exciting thematic study on the life of Walt Disney. The aim was for students to see that Walt Disney’s dream all started with a mouse and that they too can accomplish their dreams from start to finish. Students created blueprints for their own amusement parks, containing 4-5 theme areas, and complete with restaurants. Students also studied the history of roller coasters and how they tie into science modules of simple machines. The project concluded with a study of EPCOT Center and various countries featured in the World Showcase.
Success Murals Project Leader: Rashana Richardson, Art Teacher Lincoln School
This activity provided 3rd through 5th grade students, with the opportunity to engage in a collaboration to paint both small and large scale murals around the school. Students were given a sense of ownership and responsibility to spread positive messages of success and achievement in school images that they conceived, organized, and ultimately painted. The school benefited by having created an aesthetically meaningful environment that can be used to visually prompt students to remember their goals and aspirations for being the very best in life.
Classroom Performance System Project Leaders: Andre Bridgett, Biology Teacher/Barbara Debaylo, Art Teacher/Toni Austin, Chemistry Teacher New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology School
With the NBEF grant, a Classroom Performance System (CPS) was included in the learning process for high school students. This innovative technology was designed to provide immediate student feedback by way of a wireless handheld response pad. Students were enabled to actively apply their knowledge, enhance their critical thinking capacity, and build their confidence. The CPS works in a similar fashion to the “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” show in which the audience is polled. It embodies technology that engages all students simultaneously within a classroom setting.
Redshaw Teachers Incorporate Smart Board Lessons Project Leaders: Diane Neal, Reading Specialist/Delia Homs, Math Specialist/Judy Steinitz, Literary Coach/Angela Blake, Kindergarten Teacher/Randall Miller, 4th Grade Teacher Redshaw Elementary School
The purpose of this project was to use a mobile SMART Board, an instructional interactive technological tool that engaged and motivated students to learn targeted skills. The SMART Board enables teachers to implement lessons that are visual, tactile, and auditory, thus creating an environment that is fun and exciting, therefore, increasing student alertness and retention. The SMART Board is utilized by teachers across curriculums and measured by increased student engagement during SMART Board lessons, improved benchmark scores, report card grades, and individual and group performance-based assessments.
Newark Museum Electronic Field Trips Project Leader: Kenneth Redler, Visual Arts Teacher Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
This electronic field trip activity provided students with the benefit of an exciting educational museum experience without actually having to leave the school building. Through the use of innovative technology within the classroom, students were enabled to interact with the Docent of the museum, while getting a close up look at Art and History. In turn, students (grades 4th – 8th) created their own museum style exhibits of artwork that included statements of objectives that they aspired to accomplish.
Music In The Parks Choral Competition Project Leader: Libby Montiel Gopal, Music Teacher New Brunswick High School
The New Brunswick High School Choir, “The Elite Chorale,” honed their talents and presentation skills by competing against other top-notch high school choirs in the Six Flags Great Adventure “Music in the Parks” in Jackson, NJ. The evaluation process of this exciting state-wide music competition included both written and recorded feedback from judges.
My Gym – The Importance of Physical Fitness In Children Project Leaders: Theresa Strydesky, Teacher of Handicapped/Toni Ficken, Early Childhood Education Master Teacher Paul Robeson Community School
My Gym instructors provided a fitness program devised for handicapped pre-school students. The monthly structured classes incorporated music, dance, puppets, relays, gymnastics and other original activities. The purpose of the project was for special needs students to have fun as they increased their strength, balance, coordination, agility, flexibility and social skills.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Read Project Leader: Dr. Natalie R. Kreitzman, Speech Language Specialist Lincoln School This grant provided books and resources for a comprehensive six month reading program that engaged communication impaired students in disciplines that accentuated reading, comprehension, and vocalization. This was a student driven project with an emphasis on increasing word usage and various forms of expression, i.e. writing and performing skits as well as drawing illustrations based on the books that they have read.
The Native Lands Project Leaders: Jessica Harris/Dayna Penchansky, 4th Grade Teachers Lincoln School
Fifty-five (55) fourth graders traveled to Green Meadows in Parsippany, NJ for a presentation of “The Native Lands.” The students had up-close and personal conversations with Native Americans as well as witnessed their lifestyles and culture, including various types of music and dance.
Garden & Insects Project Leaders: Karen Asson, Pre-K Teacher/Christina Campasano, Kindergarten Teacher Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students created a garden of flowers and vegetables incorporating worms, butterflies and ladybugs; and supported the local bird population, as well. The project included getting the ground ready for a garden, preparing the soil, planting seeds, caring for the habitats, creating borders, and maintaining journals. This project nourished students’ senses and fostered their creativity, curiosity, cooperativeness, and persistence.
Here We Grow Project Leader: Karen Ellingson, ESL Teacher New Brunswick Middle School
This grant helped expand an existing after school gardening program for Middle School students. The student gardeners prepared different types of soil, plant seeds, plants, and bulbs; and maintained the garden by weeding and watering. They worked as a team in making a difference for their school and community; and developed a strong sense of pride in their accomplishments. A notable goal of the program is for the students to successfully grow enough plants to one day establish a “Farmers Market”.
Steps To Success Project Leaders: Stella Goyo-Shields, Bilingual Teacher/Karen Ellingson, ESL Teacher New Brunswick Middle School
This project was designed to enrich learning for “English as a Second Language” (ESL) Middle School students with a Fifteen (15) week after school program involving peer leadership and tutoring. The focus was on various aspects of language and culture with lessons that were theme-based and communicative in nature integrating listening, speaking, writing and reading practice. Highly motivating, hands-on materials were used, as the Project Leaders assisted students and tutors in designing and producing their own language learning tools. Interactive games, technology and a field trip were incorporated in the program.
Finding A Cure Project Leaders: Toni Austin, Chemistry Teacher/Elaine Foulides, Music Teacher New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School students were exposed to science through performing and visual arts. Students dramatized the steps to developing drugs and treatments for a disease by creating storylines/scripts and acting out scenes. The story followed a disease from identification of the disease to the drug discovery for treatment of the disease. As the story unfolded, students showed the importance of the scientific method in the process. The finished product entailed videotaped performances that will be used for class instruction.
Fun, Food, Friendship Project Leaders: Ann Seiderman, Pre-School Disabled Teacher/Debbie Grant, Pre-School Disabled Teacher/Irmaliz Minaya, Inclusion Pre-K Teacher/Toni Ficken, Early Childhood Education Master Teacher Lord Stirling Community School
Kindergarten and Pre-kindergarten students of Lord Stirling Community School explored literacy, mathematics, science, and motor skills through a “Cooking” theme-based program with small appliances, basic kitchen gadgets, linens, and storage carts. The students utilized nutritional recipes to facilitate the growth of language skills, letter recognition, measuring skills, following 1 and 2 step directions, and socialization.
B.E.A.R. (Be Enthusiastic About Reading) Project Leader: Renee Rivaldo, Language Arts Specialist – Basic Skills Interventionist Lord Stirling Community School
This grant supplied books and resources for a six month incentive-based reading program for students that impacted fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. The purpose of the program was to instill the love of reading in all environments outside of school with a built-in mechanism to involve parents in their child’s learning. A key emphasis was, “By making a big deal about children who read on their own and rewarding them for their efforts, children stop viewing reading as a difficult task, but as a fun activity”.
