Mrs. Federico's first grade class weigh in after their first week of school...They love the benefits of flexible seating which was made possible by WEEF!
2016 - 2017 Grants
WEEF funded $27,276 for the 2016-2017 school year. Congratulations to the following grant recipients:
Aerial Drone Photography and Videography - Students will be introduced to DRONE technology for taking aeiral footage (photos and videos) to be used for a wide array of school or town projects. Footage and shots will be used to create pictoral essays or video projects. Students will also learn proper use of DRONE flying as it relates to government
regulation/legislation on flights and airspace. Tom Albamonti - Westerly High School
WMS Marching Band Percussion Equipment - This grant will "seed" a marching band program at the middle school. Marching band percussion equipment that is sized and weighted specifically for middle school students will be purchased and will provide students opportunities to participate in community parades. Dawn Smith - Westerly Middle School
Anatomy in Clay - WHS students will get an exploratory, hands on experience in learning about the human body through the Anatomy in Clay Learning System. This system provides a stand alone human skeleton model which students can write on, build muscles, blood vessels, nerves and other body organs and attach them to the model. This helps transform a very difficult exercise in memorization into an intuitively memorable experience. Julie Malone - Westerly High School
Blended Learning for Better Learning - Chromebooks will help implement Blended Learning practices. Blended learning through technology allows a student's educational experience to be more personalzied, engaging and meaningful to the students themselves. Different groups of students can learn different content and then teach their peers resulting in a more personalized learning experience. Erica Devoe - Westerly High School
Ditch the Desks - The concept of "flexible seating" will be introduced to first graders at State Street School. A variety
of seating options (high stools, stability balls, adjustable tables, etc.) will allow students to choose the placement in
the classroom in which they feel most comfortable working in. Kristen Federico - State Street School
Student Voice through Social Action - Chromebooks will assist WHS sophomores in a new course being offered which will provide personalized learning experiences around issues of social justice and action. Students will create meaningful change with their own voices by curating materials in their own textbooks, collaborating with each other and the larger community & connecting with authentic sources and their civic drive. Anne Barnhart - Westerly High School
I think I can…I know I can…I did it with an iPad! - iPad Minis will be purchased so that Kindergarten students can be
paired up to work cooperatively and take on learning at their own level while also working with a peer to problem solve,
communicate and share and teach each other. Stephanie Troupe - State Street School
WMS Vex IQ Robotics - A classroom set of VEX IQ Robotic kits will be purchased which will help bridge the gap between the middle school and high school robotics programs. The system will allow students to use a more sophisticated programming language until they graduate to the full VEX Robotic systems when they move to high school. Charles Julian & Susan Wood - Westerly Middle School
Discovery Garden Grant - A combination of 2 separate grant requests from the high school and middle school which share the same needs and objectives. A district garden will be created as an innovative teaching tool where students will gain an understanding of ecosystems, an appreciaiton of food origins, nutrition and knowledge of plant and animal life cycles leading to practical horticultural skills to last a lifetime. Bluetooth technology assists in watering plants and a Smart Plant sensor measures crucial aspects of growing healthy organic plants. This grant will help introduce a farm to table concept to WHS culinary students and also teach science students about sustainable growing of fresh food.
Desiree Derix & Michelle Diaz - Westerly Middle School and Chef Finkelstein - Westerly High School
Listen Up! - First graders at State Street School will be exposed to a listening center with flexible seating and access
to fiction and non-fiction texts. A listening center will help increase students' fluency, automaticity and expression by
engaging them through character's voices, background noises and music. Alyssa Bonner - State Street School
Virtual Reality Education - Virtual reality viewers will allow all WMS World Language students to go on virtual field trips immersing them in experiences that give them a deeper understanding of the world beyond the classroom. This grant will also provide cross curricular connections to other content such as music, art & social studies. Ide Koulbanis - Westerly Middle School
Sunfish Team Chromebooks – Chromebooks will be purchased to enhance curriculum implementation for the Sunfish Team. Mike Nenna was one of 55 teachers honored during WEEF’s Teacher Appreciation event and won the $1k grant being offered through the program. Mike Nenna -Westerly Middle School
Aerial Drone Photography and Videography - Students will be introduced to DRONE technology for taking aeiral footage (photos and videos) to be used for a wide array of school or town projects. Footage and shots will be used to create pictoral essays or video projects. Students will also learn proper use of DRONE flying as it relates to government
regulation/legislation on flights and airspace. Tom Albamonti - Westerly High School
WMS Marching Band Percussion Equipment - This grant will "seed" a marching band program at the middle school. Marching band percussion equipment that is sized and weighted specifically for middle school students will be purchased and will provide students opportunities to participate in community parades. Dawn Smith - Westerly Middle School
Anatomy in Clay - WHS students will get an exploratory, hands on experience in learning about the human body through the Anatomy in Clay Learning System. This system provides a stand alone human skeleton model which students can write on, build muscles, blood vessels, nerves and other body organs and attach them to the model. This helps transform a very difficult exercise in memorization into an intuitively memorable experience. Julie Malone - Westerly High School
Blended Learning for Better Learning - Chromebooks will help implement Blended Learning practices. Blended learning through technology allows a student's educational experience to be more personalzied, engaging and meaningful to the students themselves. Different groups of students can learn different content and then teach their peers resulting in a more personalized learning experience. Erica Devoe - Westerly High School
Ditch the Desks - The concept of "flexible seating" will be introduced to first graders at State Street School. A variety
of seating options (high stools, stability balls, adjustable tables, etc.) will allow students to choose the placement in
the classroom in which they feel most comfortable working in. Kristen Federico - State Street School
Student Voice through Social Action - Chromebooks will assist WHS sophomores in a new course being offered which will provide personalized learning experiences around issues of social justice and action. Students will create meaningful change with their own voices by curating materials in their own textbooks, collaborating with each other and the larger community & connecting with authentic sources and their civic drive. Anne Barnhart - Westerly High School
I think I can…I know I can…I did it with an iPad! - iPad Minis will be purchased so that Kindergarten students can be
paired up to work cooperatively and take on learning at their own level while also working with a peer to problem solve,
communicate and share and teach each other. Stephanie Troupe - State Street School
WMS Vex IQ Robotics - A classroom set of VEX IQ Robotic kits will be purchased which will help bridge the gap between the middle school and high school robotics programs. The system will allow students to use a more sophisticated programming language until they graduate to the full VEX Robotic systems when they move to high school. Charles Julian & Susan Wood - Westerly Middle School
Discovery Garden Grant - A combination of 2 separate grant requests from the high school and middle school which share the same needs and objectives. A district garden will be created as an innovative teaching tool where students will gain an understanding of ecosystems, an appreciaiton of food origins, nutrition and knowledge of plant and animal life cycles leading to practical horticultural skills to last a lifetime. Bluetooth technology assists in watering plants and a Smart Plant sensor measures crucial aspects of growing healthy organic plants. This grant will help introduce a farm to table concept to WHS culinary students and also teach science students about sustainable growing of fresh food.
Desiree Derix & Michelle Diaz - Westerly Middle School and Chef Finkelstein - Westerly High School
Listen Up! - First graders at State Street School will be exposed to a listening center with flexible seating and access
to fiction and non-fiction texts. A listening center will help increase students' fluency, automaticity and expression by
engaging them through character's voices, background noises and music. Alyssa Bonner - State Street School
Virtual Reality Education - Virtual reality viewers will allow all WMS World Language students to go on virtual field trips immersing them in experiences that give them a deeper understanding of the world beyond the classroom. This grant will also provide cross curricular connections to other content such as music, art & social studies. Ide Koulbanis - Westerly Middle School
Sunfish Team Chromebooks – Chromebooks will be purchased to enhance curriculum implementation for the Sunfish Team. Mike Nenna was one of 55 teachers honored during WEEF’s Teacher Appreciation event and won the $1k grant being offered through the program. Mike Nenna -Westerly Middle School
