Glenview Education Foundation

GEF Awards Nearly $60,000 in Grants

Forty-two teachers became GEF’s first class of grant recipients under the Foundation’s new STAR initiatives - thanks to the support of the District 34 school community. A summary of the 2009 December Grants is below.

Kindles in the Classroom @ Springman
(Teacher Investment & At-Risk Support)

This pilot program is designed to explore the impact of digital literature on student achievement and motivation to read. (See Grant Highlight Below) Educators: Kim Shaw, Ronda Franks, Jan Christensen, Denise Rewers, Kathryn Baumgartner, Stacey Heller, Laura Iannotti, Debby Topp, Deb Faermark, Katie Michaels, Katie Grodecki, Brooke Klassman, Stacey Grossman, Ken Malatesta, Kim Hegna, Allison Huck, Julianne Tripple, Julie Rudnicke, Tracey Serve, Sarah Myland and Heather Hopkins

Summer Reading Program @ Hoffman (At-Risk Support)

Pilot of innovative summer at-home reading program that includes 1:1 support with the goal of retaining reading success and skills over the summer months. Educators: Allison Parks, Adrienne West, Janine Wilson, Stephanie Turrell, Elle Chrul and Gillian Mathews

Interactive Response System Technology: SMART Response @ Pleasant Ridge (Science Enrichment, Teacher Investment & At-Risk Support)

An interactive response system combining handheld wireless remotes, a receiver and powerful assessment software that allows teachers to better understand what students have learned and where they need additional instruction. Educators: Deanna Sainati, Jan Hinton, Kathy Pattengale and Jenny Louis

Weatherbug Weather Station @ Attea (Science Enrichment)
Real-time weather data can be used by the entire school community to enhance science, mathematics, geography and technology education. Students will be able to track, compare, differentiate and monitor the climate using authentic information as they apply it to various curricular subjects. Educators: Laura Nekola, Lisa Nathaus, Susan Musslewhite, Katie Nowicki, Wendy Brown and Helene Davitz

Interactive Tables for Primary LRCs @ Lyon, Henking, and Westbrook (Science Enrichment, Teacher Investment, At-Risk Support & Readiness Skills)

Specifically designed for primary aged children, these hands-on/minds-on tables take the demonstrated success of the SMART Boards down to primary eye-level - onto the surface of a table. One will be added to each of our primary buildings in the Learning Centers for small group sessions available to all students. Educators: Alison Keller, Caryl Doetsch and Jennifer Nelson

GEF Recital Night @ Attea, Springman, Glen Grove, Hoffman and Pleasant Ridge (Readiness Skills)

A long held GEF tradition, Recital Night offers band and orchestra students across the district an opportuntiy to enhance their abilities to perform before an audience. Key among the audience are professional musicians who serve as clinicians offering advice and instruction to individual and small groups of students as they work to improve their musical and communication talents. Educators: Allie Reatherford and Sue Dobias

Since 2001, GEF has provided more than $650,000 to fund innovative and high impact pilot programs across the district. This year GEF launched its Reach for the STARs campaign that will focus on grants in the areas of Science enrichment, Teacher investment, At-risk support, and Readiness Skills. Learn more in the Reach for the STARs article below.

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GEF Awards More Than $160,000 to Teachers and Administrators in Grants in the 2008-2009 School Year. Congratulations to ...

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GEF Awards More Than $60,000 to Teachers and Administrators in Spring 2008 Grants - May 2008.
On May 9th, 2008 the Grant Giveaway Team was again busy sharing good news to District 34 staff members. Congratulations to ...

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GEF Awards More Than $40,000 to Teachers and Administrators - December 2007.
On December 7th, 2007 the Grant Giveaway Team was busy visiting teachers and staff members who were selected to recieve the winter 2007 grants. Congratulations to...

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GEF Provides More Than $72,000 to Teachers and Administrators during the 2006-7 School Year.
In May 2007, a new group of District 34 educators were pleasantly surprised when the GEF Grant Giveaway Team arrived unannounced with blue and green balloons, funny hats and kazoos to announce the Foundation’s latest group of grant recipients.

The Dorothy M. Weber Educator Development Grants and Special Projects Grants awarded by the Glenview Education Foundation are designed to support Glenview School District 34's long history of innovative instruction and leading edge practice. The grants assist District 34 professionals as they seek to implement new ideas in their classrooms and across the district. The GEF is proud to honor the educational efforts of District 34 in these ways and are excited about the ideas and thinking from the educators in the District.

Charlotte Carlson Grant: Middle School Science Technology
$23,054
Initiated by Tony Schwinghamer, Crosbie McCourt, Paulette Andrews from Springman and Amy Muller, Wendy Brown and Lisa Humbert from Attea.

This grant represents the first phase of the Charlotte Carlson Grant. Charlotte Carlson was a science teacher who lived in Glenview and worked in Winnetka. She generously donated more than $100k to the Glenview Education Foundation through her will. Because of her connection to science, the GEF Board decided to use the Carlson grant to transform the middle school science curriculum for District 34.

This first phase of the Carlson grant is designed to infuse digital sensor technology, using tools from the Vernier Software and Technology company, into a standardized set of science laboratory experiences for all middle school students. The development of these lab experiences will begin with a review of the current curriculum through a summer work project funded by the District. The first portion of the grant money will be used to purchase specific sensors and probes (e.g. temperature and force sensors) that coordinate the lab work with core scientific concepts. The equipment purchased will allow for two classrooms, in each of the two middle schools, to run experiments simultaneously.

This phase of the grant also allows for professional development for teachers in the District who are interested in becoming trainers on the use and application of the equipment.

Future phases of the Carlson grant project will allow for expanded investment in laboratory interfaces and types of equipment. The additional investment will allow for as many as four classrooms in each building to conduct experiments simultaneously, and will allow for enhanced study of force, motion and chemistry.

Atomic Learning
$3,452
Administrators Phil Collins and Brian Engle

For today’s students and staff, the efficient application of technology and software to learning is the norm – not the exception. Atomic Learning is a modular subscription service that provides online training for virtually all of the District’s software and technology-based programs (e.g. excel, powerpoint, digital video and audio processing). The Atomic Learning modules will be available to all students in grades 3-8, as well as District staff. They can be used at any time – potentially even from home – and the Atomic Learning system can track utilization of the system, as well as progress within individual modules. This grant will allow for the purchase of the Atomic Learning system, as well as a training program for staff in the application of technology into the curriculum.

Kurzweil Scan/Read Lab Pack
$3,614
Pleasant Ridge Teachers Deanna Sainati and Katie Konieczka

The specific goal of the this project is to improve reading performance for students reading one to two grade levels below their current grade placement. This grant will enable the school to purchase a program from Kurzweil Education Systems that has been developed to address reading difficulties stemming from learning disabilities, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder and other language-based difficulties (e.g. ESL students). The Kurzweil system uses assistive reading software that provides a high quality, human-sounding, synthetic speech system to read text as it is displayed and highlighted on a computer screen. The audible tools assists in word decoding, but can also be used for standardized test-taking and to support writing development. In addition, the Kurzweil software can be used to support both classroom textbooks and Internet content; this will improve student access to basic curriculum materials and will open up new knowledge sources.

Wendy Brown at Attea
Teaching Physics with Toys

Donna Toops and Helene Davitz at Attea
Increasing Keyboarding Proficiency

Nancy Kabat at Glen Grove
Orff National Convention

Janet Conlin at Henking
Kindergarten Art

Karen Sarasin at Henking
Orff National Convention

Aimee LeBlanc and Emily O’Connor at Henking
Assistive Technology and Social Language

Bonnie Buehler and Susan Zolin at Springman
Smart Boards Engaging Smarter Kids

Jason Kieronski at Springman
Culture Games

Robin Paul and Mary Louise Rothschild at Westbrook
Supporting Early Literacy

Robin Paul and Mary Louise Rothschild at Westbrook
Techno-Matic Math Facts

Brenda Fuson at Westbrook
Orff National Convention

Diane Balter at Hoffman
Leap to Literacy

Julie Hock and Terri Kimura at Hoffman
Determining Heart Rate

Doree Lattanzio, Diane Abram at Lyon
AAHPERD National Convention

Dave Jones and Jodi Barasky
AAHPERD National Convention

Kathleen Ann Kuzminski at Pleasant Ridge
The Effects of Character-Based Literacy on Classroom Dynamics

Deanna Sainati, Kathy Pattengale, Jan Hinton and Kristin Juozaitis at Pleasant Ridge
Nonfiction Literacy & Differentiated Instruction in Content Areas

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Garth Trask at Henking
Creation of 2nd & 1st grade UCSMP Math Unit Review Assessments Using Classroom Performance System Technology

Susan Clarke, Laura Strejc and Linda Friedman at Hoffman
Digital Handheld USB Scope

Jackie Kemper at Westbrook
Empowering Students & Enhancing Learning with Classroom Performance System Technology

Mary Louise Rothschild and Robin Paul at Westbrook
Sight Word Reading Approach for Non-Readers

Kathy Hamilton and Therese Shultz at Glen Grove
Assistive Technology to Improve Reading and Written Expression Skills in Students with Special Needs

Katie Millman and Ivy Nitzkin at Glen Grove
Peace Jam: Service Learning to Solve Global Problems Through Local Activities

Dave Jones and Jodi Shifrin at Pleasant Ridge
Cardiovascular Fitness Beyond the School Years

Deanna Sainati, Jan Hinton, Kathy Pattengale and Kristen Cusack at Pleasant Ridge
The Private Eye Kit: Developing Thinking by Analogy, Increasing Wonder, Creativity, Problem Solving & Communication

Jessika Gaither, Jennifer Wu and Heather Hopkins at Springman
Teaching and Learning with Digital Cameras

Emily O'Connor at Henking, Linda Brown at Lyon and Melinda Prawer at Westbrook
"How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk" Parent Education Programs

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Carrie Binetti, Springman
Emily Fifield, Lyon
Sharon Giless, Westbrook
Dan Heuser, Lyon
Jan Hinton, Pleasant Ridge
Lorianne Marcotte, Glen Grove
Dominic Mariano, Hoffman
Jeanie Monroe, Lyon
Paul Nudelman, Henking
Emily O¹Connor, Henking
Tina Patitucci, Lyon
Kathy Pattengale, Pleasant Ridge
Robin Paul, Westbrook
Allison Cohen Reatherford, Springman and Attea
Mary Louis Rothschild, Westbrook
Deanna Sainati, Pleasant Ridge
Mary Stump, Westbrook

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Mary Lou Baldwin, Glen Grove
Carol Doetsch, Henking
Linda Fowler, Westbrook
Debra Gurvitz, Lyon
Heather Hopkins, Springman
Diane Horban, Glen Grove
Katrina Klever, Henking
Kathryn Konieczka, Pleasant Ridge
Brenda Kraber, Glen Grove
Joanne Lee, Henking
Rosemary Lorenzo, Pleasant Ridge
Peggy McCarthy, Westbrook
Donna Morrow, Westbrook
Ivy Nitzkin, Glen Grove
Paul Nudelman, Henking
Robin Paul, Westbrook
Mary Louise Rothschild, Westbrook
Laura Strejc, Hoffman
Beth Tsoumas, Glen Grove
Lucille Van Nostran, Westbrook
David Work, Lyon
Mary Pat Zur, Westbrook