Grants
2021 to 2022 Grant Recipients
Five grants totaling $10,737.27 have been awarded for the 2021 to 2022 school year.
1. Khan Academy Incentive Program - Tony Lementowitz WHS
This grant request was for funds to cover the costs of an incentive program for all high school
students for their participation in the Khan Academy initiative. The hope is that students will
increase the time they practice on the Khan platform, which not only prepares students for the SAT,
but also builds their skills in their areas of deficit to become more college and career ready
2. Saltwater Aquarium as A Living Classroom – Leslie Fastovsky WHS
This was a funding request for a living, controlled, nano-scale reef ecosystem saltwater aquarium,
capable of supporting our modern marine science curriculum.
This proposal will establish a permanent coral reef aquarium at Westerly High School, around which to
develop a marine sciences curriculum. WHS was lucky enough to get a donated saltwater aquarium,
unfortunately it is now in need of both repair and upgrading. The donated tank was limited, but yielded
remarkable results in terms of student engagement and interest in the program. Multiple students from
the class, who are currently seniors at WHS, are applying to marine science programs at colleges and
universities in an effort to further their education on coral reef ecosystems. Students that were not
naturally drawn to the sciences, loved the hands-on nature of the work. They were motivated to
develop their problem -solving skills as their decisions had real effects on the tank and its inhabitants.
This type of student engagement creates enduring knowledge and will foster a life-long connection to
this precious natural ecosystem.
3. Bilingual Backpacks for Literacy and Numeracy - Beth Melillo/ Stephanie
Lenihan - District MLL
MLL students will be able to use the literacy and numeracy materials in the backpack to continue to
develop both English and their native languages during the summer 2022.
With the summer bilingual backpack for literacy and numeracy, the MLL student will find materials in his
or her native language as well as English along with math manipulatives that are fun and entertaining to
use. Research supports both the need for MLL students to retain their native language while learning
English as well as using manipulatives to learn math concepts. “Educators can support families in
furthering native language literacy by providing families with native language books to read at home, or
even wordless picture books to look at with children” (Hill 69). The materials will support the acquisition
of English while encouraging the proficiency of the native language and other materials will help to
sustain the progress made in the development of math skills. The entire family should benefit from the
resources with summer school guidance as well.
4. Science Manipulatives and Models – Nick Pendola- WMS
Hands on learning is a key factor in student performance, so to enhance and enrich the Foss science
program, this is a request for visuals and hands on experiences to use with the Earth and Sun and Living
System kits. This will engage the fifth-grade students with hands on. collaborative projects and
opportunities to gain insight into real life connections.
5. Rising Engineers –Bea Lukens - Springbrook Elementary School
This funding request was for Lego Spike Prime Sets and Brick O engineering sets would to fourth grade
students an introductory robotics opportunity for small group focus on critical thinking and solving
complex problems. These Education Plus Bundles will prepare these rising engineers to step into the
robotic field and use collaborative experiences to generate limitless inventive possibilities and develop
firsthand knowledge into the creative design process. As these “rising engineers” begin to journey into
the field of robotics, the eventual outcome is to have a 4 th grade team compete in a state robotics
competition.
Five grants totaling $10,737.27 have been awarded for the 2021 to 2022 school year.
1. Khan Academy Incentive Program - Tony Lementowitz WHS
This grant request was for funds to cover the costs of an incentive program for all high school
students for their participation in the Khan Academy initiative. The hope is that students will
increase the time they practice on the Khan platform, which not only prepares students for the SAT,
but also builds their skills in their areas of deficit to become more college and career ready
2. Saltwater Aquarium as A Living Classroom – Leslie Fastovsky WHS
This was a funding request for a living, controlled, nano-scale reef ecosystem saltwater aquarium,
capable of supporting our modern marine science curriculum.
This proposal will establish a permanent coral reef aquarium at Westerly High School, around which to
develop a marine sciences curriculum. WHS was lucky enough to get a donated saltwater aquarium,
unfortunately it is now in need of both repair and upgrading. The donated tank was limited, but yielded
remarkable results in terms of student engagement and interest in the program. Multiple students from
the class, who are currently seniors at WHS, are applying to marine science programs at colleges and
universities in an effort to further their education on coral reef ecosystems. Students that were not
naturally drawn to the sciences, loved the hands-on nature of the work. They were motivated to
develop their problem -solving skills as their decisions had real effects on the tank and its inhabitants.
This type of student engagement creates enduring knowledge and will foster a life-long connection to
this precious natural ecosystem.
3. Bilingual Backpacks for Literacy and Numeracy - Beth Melillo/ Stephanie
Lenihan - District MLL
MLL students will be able to use the literacy and numeracy materials in the backpack to continue to
develop both English and their native languages during the summer 2022.
With the summer bilingual backpack for literacy and numeracy, the MLL student will find materials in his
or her native language as well as English along with math manipulatives that are fun and entertaining to
use. Research supports both the need for MLL students to retain their native language while learning
English as well as using manipulatives to learn math concepts. “Educators can support families in
furthering native language literacy by providing families with native language books to read at home, or
even wordless picture books to look at with children” (Hill 69). The materials will support the acquisition
of English while encouraging the proficiency of the native language and other materials will help to
sustain the progress made in the development of math skills. The entire family should benefit from the
resources with summer school guidance as well.
4. Science Manipulatives and Models – Nick Pendola- WMS
Hands on learning is a key factor in student performance, so to enhance and enrich the Foss science
program, this is a request for visuals and hands on experiences to use with the Earth and Sun and Living
System kits. This will engage the fifth-grade students with hands on. collaborative projects and
opportunities to gain insight into real life connections.
5. Rising Engineers –Bea Lukens - Springbrook Elementary School
This funding request was for Lego Spike Prime Sets and Brick O engineering sets would to fourth grade
students an introductory robotics opportunity for small group focus on critical thinking and solving
complex problems. These Education Plus Bundles will prepare these rising engineers to step into the
robotic field and use collaborative experiences to generate limitless inventive possibilities and develop
firsthand knowledge into the creative design process. As these “rising engineers” begin to journey into
the field of robotics, the eventual outcome is to have a 4 th grade team compete in a state robotics
competition.