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EXPERT-IN-RESIDENCE GRANT – PAST RECIPIENTS

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2007/2008

“Greg Tang, Mathematician”

Applicant:Linda Froschauer Beneficiary: Hurlbutt Elementary and Weston Intermediate Schools Grant:$6200 Purchase of: All-day workshop Project: Greg Tang, renowned author and math educator, led assemblies designed to demystify math concepts for both Hurlbutt Elementary School and Weston Intermediate School students.

“David Biedrzycki, Author”

Applicant: Storm Smith Beneficiary: Weston Intermediate School Grant: $5000 Purchase of: Writing seminar Project:Renowned children’s author, David Biedrzycki, led a week-long writing seminar designed to strengthen the writing skills of third through fifth grade students.

2004/2005

“Science”

Applicant: Linda Froschauer Beneficiary: Hurlbutt and Weston Middle School Grant: $8,400 Expert’s name: Robert Evenski, with The Connecticut Academy for Science and Mathematics Project: The Expert-in-Residence will work with the K-8 grade faculty for a total of two years as they prepare to launch a new science program. This grant was requested to fulfill the initial year of a two year plan with a specific focus on K-5 science. During the first year, the initial work with the Expert-in-Residence will be along the lines of immersing teachers in quality science teaching – namely pedagogy, inquiry, conceptual development, and performance assessment. All teachers will be involved in exploring teaching materials they have not had the opportunity to utilize previously. Learning the content will be a critical piece of this overall plan. Teachers will not only be instructed in the content but wi9ll also have some of the same exploratory experiences their students will participate in during their learning of the content.

“Visiting Artist Workshop”

Applicant: Sydney Girardi Beneficiary: 3 WHS Ceramics classes Grant: $540, $270 for 1 semester and $270 for another semester Expert’s name: Charles Jones, of the Creative Arts Workshop Project: A one-day workshop, teaching three separate classes about hand-building pottery. This workshop will present students various techniques and procedures regarding hand-building. The student’s last project will be to design and build a piece of hand-built pottery. Other art teacher’s will be invited to observe.

2002/2003

“Word Up”

Applicant: Len Tomasello Beneficiary: systemwide Grant: $8,000 Expert’s name: several poets and storytellers Project: A week-long poetry celebration which sent visiting poets and storytellers to all three schools. It exposed students and teachers to new forms of writing and exploring language patterns, rhythms, and word analysis, all under the aegis of professional poets. There were also open-mike opportunities where students, teachers, parents, and community members were able to read and share their original work.

2001/2002

“Language Arts and Creative Expression”

Applicant: Sharon Radko, WMS librarian Beneficiary: grade 5 Teachers involved: grade 5 teachers Grant: $5350 Expert’s name: Lorna Stengel Project: This storytelling program supported the fifth grade tale unit in which students are introduced to a various types of folk tales. Since folk tales are based in oral tradition, bringing in five “expert storytellers” was a natural extension to the curriculum. Students heard professional storytellers during both the tale and storytelling units. The “performances” offered an opportunity for students to become immersed in tales. With help from classroom teachers trained in a workshop and the expert, the students used storytelling techniques they had seen modeled to retell a folk tale for a community service project.

“Advanced Placement Vertical Team”

Applicant: Mary Kolek Beneficiary: Primarily WHS students in AP Language Arts. Grade 7-12 Language Arts students will benefit because each of these grades will have a L.A. representative teacher involved in workshops. Grant: $8,075 Expert’s name: The College Board Project: A series of workshops led by The College Board Vertical Team Trainers for middle and high school teachers to help them work together to build and strengthen a continuum of skills to create vertical teams in Language Arts. The purpose is to ensure that AP English is not an isolated course but a planned program of teaching skills and concepts over several years and that a planned program is best achieved by vertical cooperation of teachers to coordinate the teaching efforts. The establishment of vertical teams will help make certain that English courses leading up to grades 11 and 12 AP courses provide a continuous focus on developing students who possess the rigors necessary for the AP program

2000/2001

“Composer-in-Residence”

Applicant: Sean Burton, WHS choral/orchestra director Beneficiary: grades 9-12. Approximately 120 students Teachers involved: one Grant: $1,000 Expert’s name: Nathan Paul Scalzone Project: WHS students learned and performed an original work with the insight/guidance of the composer-in-residence. The project provided students with the opportunity to work with a living 20 th-century choral composer who discussed elements of contemporary composition for orchestra. The piece was performed during the spring Weston Pops Concert as a world premiere event. Students who were enrolled in choral music, music theory, orchestra, and the entire audience benefited from this endeavor.

1999/2000

“Science”

Applicant: Richard Miller Beneficiary: systemwide Grant: $10,000 Expert’s name: Harold Pratt Project: Expert’s time only; no individual teaching/guidance involved. This expert objectively evaluated the K-12 science curriculum and helped develop a long-term paln to improve science instruction for all students.

1999

“Reading Workshops”

Applicants: Trish Epifano and Jeanne Michel, Language Arts Department Chairs Beneficiary: 75 Hurlbutt and WMS Language Arts students Teachers involved: 27 Language Art teachers Grant: $5,000 Expert’s name or company’s name: Columbia Teachers College Project: To cover the cost of a Columbia Teachers College staff developer to come to Weston and hold five reading workshops for grades 3, 4, and 5 teachers. The overall goal was to enable the staff to be trained as “workshop mentors” to support the BOE goal of differentiation in teaching reading. A lab class would be created for each grade so that the expert could model the Columbia Teachers College-developed classroom strategy. **Project was approved but never got off the ground.

1997/1997

“Project Adventure”

Applicants: Darli Ebling and K-12 PE/Health Department Beneficiary: systemwide Teachers involved: Hurlbutt, WMS, and WHS Physical Education/Health teachers Grant: $5,000 Expert’s name or company’s name: Bart Crawford of Project Adventure Project: the Physical Education/Health Department, used Project Adventure to help develop an atmosphere of trust, discovery, and teamwork. The K-12 P.E. and Health Department received direct training from Bart Crawford when he co-taught the P.E. and Health classes. Mr. Crawford provided staff development workshops for all administrators and addressed the three PTOs. The classes he taught focused on problem-solving, building communication skills, interpersonal relationships, and risk-taking activities.