Celebrating

News/Press Releases

Social Emotional Learning Storytime Grant Awarded to Weston Resident

 

April 2022 – WEF is excited to announce a grant to Weston resident Zaneta Moravec for the creation of additional original content for a free monthly Social Emotional Learning Storytime Series at the Weston Town Library. Using wordless books in black and white, children ages 3-7 are encouraged to communicate while creating their own versions of each story, which features an original character created by Zaneta.

WEF is excited to announce a year-end fundraiser celebrating our school community – Weston Walks!

Weston Walks is a safe and family-friendly WEF fundraiser designed to celebrate our educational community’s resilience, perseverance and achievements during this challenging time.

Join us in appreciating our educators, staff, students, and Board of Education members by becoming part of our fundraising team or directly contributing a donation to our school-based grants.

Weston walks together!

Ways to Fundraise:

  • Pledge a mileage goal and walk!

Walk, jog, run or hike…but be aware of traffic conditions and be safe!

  • Engage in peer-to-peer fundraising!

Set your own goal and share your campaign page with family and friends

  • Simply donate!

Dedicate a donation to your favorite teacher, staff member, or student

To donate or register for the team, click here

Or scan our QR code

Or simply text “westonwalks” to 44-321

  • Help spread the word!

Take a photo of yourself participating in the event and share it on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #westonwalks

WEF Honors All Weston Public Schools K-12 Certified Staff with 2021 David Trigaux Award

Recognizing the extraordinary experience of the past school year, with its new and challenging demands on our teachers and certified pupil personnel staff, the principals of our four schools nominated all certified staff to be the recipients of the 2021 David Trigaux Innovation Award.

The tremendous amount of innovation that occurred during 2020-21 includes:

  • District-wide – all teachers became adept at using technological resources including Zoom, Kami, Peardeck, Jamboard, and Screencastify
  • Hurlbutt and WIS – numerous uses of technology to integrate “roomies and zoomies”
  • Weston Middle School – addition of virtual field trips and guest speakers as well as continued participation in academic competitions through online resources
  • Weston High School – all teachers implemented Canvas for learning management, with additional resources such as Labster, Pivot Interactive, Desmos, Soundtrap, Musescore, Noteflight and Audio Tool used for particularized instruction

WEF Sponsors MLK Day of Service at Lachat Farm

January 2021

WEF was honored to be a sponsor of the visionary MLK Day of Service planned by @lachattownfarm to commemorate MLK Day 2021. WEF provided funding to help purchase the children’s book “A Ride to Remember”, which was co-written by the first African-American child to ride a carousel in a Baltimore amusement park. Sharon Langley’s ride coincided with Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, DC, in August 1963. The book will be given to all families who participate in the Day of Service and has also been given to every teacher at Hurlbutt and WIS to share with their students. A recorded reading of the book by Hamilton’s Renee Goldsberry was made available on the Lachat Town Farm website on MLK Day.

WEF Contributes to Weston Historical Society Outdoor Signage Project

December 2020

The fall of 2020 saw the installation of new outdoor signs on the grounds of the Weston Historical Society. WEF provided funding for the Wayfaring Sign, a detailed map of the grounds that also includes an overall history of the Coley Homestead. Four additional signs provide in-depth information on the various buildings on the property.

For more information on how to enjoy the Coley Homestead signs, you can read this : Weston Today article

WEF Funds Diverse Books for Weston High School

October 13, 2020

For its first grant of the 2020-2021 school year, WEF was pleased to provide funding for culturally diverse books for Weston High School. These texts will be used to ensure that all English classes have access to at least one culturally diverse text.

In the words of Christine Cincotta, English Curriculum Instructional Leader for Grades 6-12, “our students, in both focus groups and on mid- and end-of-year surveys, have expressed their passion for reading more titles by diverse authors.” She notes that with the WEF grant, “we can guarantee that every single student at WHS will read at least one full-length text that addresses inclusion and representation.”

Kate O’Keefe Named as WEF’s 2020 David Trigaux Award Recipient

The Weston Education Foundation (WEF) is proud to recognize Kate O’Keefe, photography, studio art, drawing and painting teacher, as the 2020 recipient of Weston Education Foundation’s David Trigaux Innovation Award. Since 2001, WEF has given this award annually to a teacher who demonstrates a unique level of originality and dedication toward creative teaching. The $2,500 award may be used in any way that fosters educational innovation, including travel, studies, or work outside the classroom. “WEF’s objective is to enable recipients to pursue their work with increased vigor,” said WEF Grants Chair, Sandy Hart.

Mrs. O’Keefe’s colleagues tell us that students talk about how they sign up for one of her art classes to fulfill a credit – but come back for a more advanced class due to her way of nurturing a creative ability that they never know existed. Ms. O’Keefe strives to share her love and passion for the arts with her students and give them the confidence to visually express themselves. Mrs. O’Keefe says, “I have found that as students have watched me create a body of work, they have become more apt to take creative risks and push themselves to the next level. Showing students, discussing my work and artist statements with them has helped the AP students streamline their bodies of work and written statements. Because I too switch between many different media and artistic techniques, I believe it has inspired many of my students to try new media or techniques, take risks with concepts or ideas, work on a larger scale, and have more confidence in their own talent.”

The Award is named for David Trigaux — teacher, principal, program administrator, and former superintendent of the Weston Schools — who was widely recognized for encouraging creativity in education and for his support of teachers who brought it to their classrooms. He also played a critical role in the creation and early evolution of the Weston Education Foundation.

If you’d like to learn more about WEF, our work, and those that we support, we encourage you to have a look around our site.

WEF FUNdraiser: Harlem Wizards vs Weston’s Brainy Bunch on Saturday, Oct. 5 @ 5PM

Come watch a team of K-12 Weston teachers and administrators (aka Weston’s Brainy Bunch) “battle” it out on the basketball court against the world famous Harlem Wizards! The game is guaranteed to be fun for all ages, with tricks, skills and amazing shots coupled with fan participation and lighthearted fun. And some very lucky “Wiz Kids” will also get on the court with the Harlem Wizards during warmups! Advance purchase necessary.

General Admission tickets are available at all of Weston’s Back To School Nights, online, and at the door on game day. For full information on our event and to purchase tickets at any level, including how to be a Wiz Kid, click here.

General info on the Wizards can be found on harlemwizards.com. All net proceeds will be devoted to Weston Education Foundation’s school-based grants. Concessions will be available at the game, thanks to the WHS Boosters Club.

Doors at Weston High School gym open Saturday, October 5 at 4pm. Game time is 5-7pm. See you at the game!

Call for Weston Education Foundation Community Grant Applications

The Weston Education Foundation is calling for applications for their Community Education Grants Program. Download the Application Form here.

The purpose of these grants is to provide funds (up to $1,500) to Weston-based organizations or individuals to develop innovative educational programs that benefit their constituents and/or Weston residents. Preference is given to organizations that can demonstrate sustainable funding for their project after the completion of the grant. Additional criteria may be found here.

Since its inception in 1994, WEF has disbursed more than $850,000 in community, technology and teacher grants. Previous Community Education Grants have helped fund programs such as art and education classes at Lachat Town Farm, the Weston Historical Society oral history series, Weston Against Cancer’s educational fair, the Weston Town Library MakerSpace, and much more.

There are two grant cycles available for Community Education Grants: the first is from September 1-October 15; the second is from February 15-April 1. Community organizations must wait for 12 months to apply for another grant if they are a current grant recipient; additional grant requests are expected to cover new projects.

To learn more about our Community Education Grants Program, please contact the Grants Committee at grants@westoneducationfoundation.org.