BHEF Grants

BHEF Grants Awarded for the 2008-2009 School Year

In 2008, The Berkeley Heights Education Foundation awarded $29,260 in grants to support programs across all of the schools in the district. The grants ranged from interactive art programs to cutting edge scientific equipment. We thank you all for supporting the Education Foundation and its fundraising activities throughout the year. Our 2008-2009 grants awarded include:

World Music Drumming: New and different percussion instruments for William Woodruff Elementary School will support an innovative music program called World Music Drumming. Developed by master teacher Will Schmidt, this program brings the music and rhythms of Latin and African music into the classroom. The program will also teach African and Latin American culture and reinforce the importance of teamwork. (Ms. Conti)
Kiln Creations: The BHEF grant replaced the current outdated kiln with a new state-of-the-art kiln for ceramics classes at Governor Livingston. The kiln will enable to students to produce more sophisticated artwork in a safe and more energy efficient manner. (Ms. Pfeiffer)
Let’s Read Together: A test program for kindergartners in Mrs. Maceroli’s Hamilton Terrace class will enable students to concurrently listen to a book on tape while following along in their own books. Students will be able to discuss the story afterwards. The shared listening technology enables the children to individually experience the story aurally and visually and then explore verbally together. (Mrs. Maceroli and Ms. Stevenson)
Berkeley Heights String Days: This residency program was designed by Berkeley Heights orchestra teachers and coordinated by David Grego. The program taps string musicians in New Jersey who run a series of three hands-on workshops coaching the students, helping them to improve their skills while increasing their musical awareness and classical knowledge. The program will culminate in an all school performance at Columbia, allowing the children to share their accomplishments with their peers and the Berkeley Heights community. (Mr. Grego)
Art and Animals: Using the theme of animal adaptation, students in the fourth grade at Hughes School and Mountain Park explored specific ways animals have adapted for survival. With this knowledge, the children will utilize pen & ink and watercolors to “camouflage” the animal within its environment. They will conclude the unit of study by forming a haiku nature poem about the animal and its adaptation to be incorporated within the art project. This is an exciting program that brings art, language arts and science together in a unique way. (Ms. Pilkington and Ms. Pearsall)
Cultura funtastica!: This interactive Spanish program will bring to life Hispanic cultures through the use of bilingual books and art projects to all classes at William Woodruff Elementary School. The emphasis is on building Spanish vocabulary, and the multi-sensory approach incorporating authentic Spanish folklore and hands on art projects will engage the children and bring the lessons to life. (Mrs. Goldstein)
Math Olympics: This year, the Elementary Quest Program will participate in a national Math Olympiad. The students will have 5 competitions throughout the year, testing their math knowledge and developing their team and cooperation skills. The BHEF is funding the entrance fee and materials for the project. (Ms. Masri)
The Giving Garden: A grant was awarded to reinvigorate the Woodruff School’s Shannon Koch Memorial Garden by “giving ownership of the garden to the students.” The grant will support the initiation of a garden club. Each year, a group of children at Woodruff will become garden docents: they will learn how to teach the history of the garden and the care required to keep it going. The project will be self-sustaining as new students come into the program and are mentored by outgoing students. The program will beautify the school, enrich students’ understanding of the eco-systems that allow things grow in harmony, and add to the understanding of the larger community environments. (Mrs. Biorge)
Adolescent Advice: An interactive panel discussion and workshop with “adolescent experts” will help parents of 4th through 8th graders and administrators weather the storm of pre-adolescence. The grant was awarded to the guidance counselors of Columbia and the topics to be covered include helping children transition through childhood and adolescence and improving communication with children. (Mr. Sullivan and Ms. Dolan)
Bugs, Snakes and Science: This grant will bring science to life for 7th grade students of Mrs. Wilczynski’s science class by including live reptiles, amphibians, and insects. The grant will fund 2 in-class interactive sessions with Dominic Rizzo, a naturalist, and include an informative talk and hands on experience with the creatures. In his presentation, he will discuss animal characteristics, animal behaviors, what each animal eats, how they live, how they interact with other animals, their impact on the food chain, etc. After the first visit, the students will complete a research activity where they will research a native species to New Jersey. This research will include a project and select groups will make a mini lesson that they will teach to an elementary class. (Mrs. Wilczynski)
Civil War Close-Up: The BHEF grant will bring to life the importance of primary sources in history education and the history of the Civil War period. The New York Historical Society (NYHS) will conduct an in-depth lesson on the exhibitions they currently have in their museum with Governor Livingston’s AP American History class. Students will then visit the museum and experience three relevant programs: Grant and Lee in War and Peace, Slavery in New York, and Lincoln and New York. They will be provided the material and knowledge to improve their observational and analytical skills. (Ms. Burke)
NYC Museum Madness: This innovative art program leverages Berkeley Heights’ proximity to New York City’s world class museums and grantee Ms. Mohr’s professional training. With this grant, GL art students will be transported to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim Museum, International Center of Photography, The Whitney Museum of American Art and The Museum of Modern Art. The students with Ms. Mohr’s leadership will make connections between the visual arts and other academic disciplines: foreign languages, language arts, history and journalism. They will be required to describe, analyze, interpret and make a judgment about the work's worth based on the information they have gathered. (Ms. Mohr, Ms. Ladinski, and Ms. O’Grady)
Literature Meets the iPod: A subscription to Blackstone eAudiobooks will provide all GL students with access to downloadable electronic audiobooks from school and at home. This far-reaching program allows current technology to support literary exploration. Students will have access to the collection of over 1,800 titles from best sellers to classics to listen to via their I-Pod, MP3 player or computer. (Ms. Avino)
Media Center LCD station: This grant provides a new LCD station for the Mountain Park Media Center, including LCD projector, cart and wall screen. This technology will provide opportunities for students to learn to use technology and online resources. (Ms. Merrill)
Capture the Memories: Governor Livingston’s yearbook advisor was awarded a grant to purchase up-to-date digital photography equipment to support the high school yearbook curriculum. (Ms. Schulthes)
Mobile Music: Jewel Crenshaw and Thomas Kamp have been granted funds to create a mobile recording studio with a laptop, music keyboard, speakers, software and audio interface all mounted on a cart to enhance our students’ learning of music in lessons, classes, rehearsals and concerts at Mountain Park School. (Ms. Crenshaw and Mr. Kamp)
Physics in Real Life: The grant will provide the opportunity for all physics students at Governor Livingston to quantitatively make observations pertaining to real life activities, inside and outside the classroom with mobile data collection kits. Students in the Advanced Placement, Honors, Physics and Conceptual levels will all have access to the mobile probes and sensors allowing them to collect data in a uniquely innovative way. (Mr. Flakker and Mr. McKinnon)
GL on TV: A grant was awarded to Governor Livingston to help purchase a new field camera package to build upon the quality and quantity of programs being shown on GLTV (Comcast 34/FiOS 47). (Mr. Voorhees)
GL’s Own “Runway”: A grant was awarded to Governor Livingston to purchase new state-of-the-art sewing machines. Enrollment in design classes has increased, and technology must keep in pace. These new sewing machines will enable students and teachers to bring their creations to life. (Ms. Heuss)
ACTIVwand for Promethean Board: Ms. Ulewicz of Hamilton Terrace was granted funding for an ACTIVwand, a Promethean board accessory, which makes it easier for children to interact with this state-of-the art equipment. (Ms. Ulewicz)

2008-09 Grants