School Year 2008-2009

MEC is proud to announce the following grant awards for the 2008-09 school year totaling $15,354.90, supporting enrichment activities for all students in the Middletown Schools.

Aubrey Atwater Donnelly Trio Cultural Heritage Concert
All Elementary Schools – C. Johnson and J. Vaillancourt

Following the outstanding success with the Aubrey Atwater Donnelly Trio last year, this grant will once again supplement the cultural arts/music program with performances at J.F. Kennedy, Forest Avenue, and Aquidneck Elementary Schools. This year’s concert would feature integration of both our cultural heritage, and immigration as it affects the US Cultural history, in music and the arts. Included in the concert are original folk instruments, singing, fiddling, story telling, and both Irish step dancing and clog dancing.

Celebration of Spanish and French Art
J. H. Gaudet Middle School – K. D’Arpino/C. Karoly/C. Sisson

Integrating French and Spanish culture with text and exhibits in the library, this program will incorporate a traveling display of the works of Picasso and Monet with classroom discussion, artistic self-expression, and historical perspective. Grades 5-8 will participate in this program through their French and Spanish classes. The exhibit will also be open to high school students enrolled in French and Spanish and Art classes. The students will learn about the artistic styles of the artists and practice these skills by creating their own “masterpieces.” They will also be exposed to several samples of the artists’ works by viewing a traveling display set up in the library. This program targets the Culture Standard of Foreign Language Study as well as several Applied Learning Standards and Art Standards.

Cultural Collaboration of the Arts
J. H. Gaudet Middle School – Grade 8 – J. Armstrong

In collaboration with the MEC grant for the study of the French artist Claude Monet and the Spanish Artist Pablo Picasso, this grant will supplement the program with a trip to the Rhode Island School of Design’s Fine Arts Museum, which holds a number of original works by these artists.

Old Slater Mill Trip
J. H. Gaudet Middle School – Grade 5 Cluster 1 – D. Kryzek

The students of Cluster One, Grade Five, have visited the Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island for the past three years. The objective of the trip is to further strengthen the students’ understanding of the role of Rhode Island in the history of the Industrial Revolution. The Old Slater Mill is a “working” museum, and this trip will highlight the school year studies of United States History. During the visit, the students will see a working water wheel, which turns the machinery in the Wilkinson Mill, and an actual working cotton gin. The mill itself has working textile machines, showing how thread and textiles were made in the 1700s and 1800s, from cotton plant to spinning wheel to actual fabric. In addition to the exciting visuals, the Slater Mill shows a short film, before the tour, which emphasizes how Rhode Island, with the use of child labor, contributed to our culture at that time in history. With the help of the costumed staff at the Slater Mill, this trip will show the children that they are very lucky to live in an era which discourages child labor in any form, and which encourages formal schooling for all.

MHS Gay/Straight Alliance Activities
Middletown High School – D. Byron

The Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) is a new club at MHS whose goal is to teach tolerance, promote diversity, and create a safe environment which is free of prejudice against LGBTQQ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning) youth. This youth driven program promotes advocacy, support, and empowerment, and works to eliminate prejudice to make MHS a “Safe Zone” for all students. This grant will supplement a Diversity Movie Night and events for the National Day of Silence. The National Day of Silence has been designated as the day for students across the country to observe a daylong silence during school hours. MHS students will host a breakfast, wear stickers, and distribute “speaking cards” to explain how “ending the silence is the first step toward fighting injustices.”

Natural Helpers Training
Middletown High School – T. Sunn

The Natural Helpers program has an 18-year history at MHS, and represents a cross section of the school population. Students who are involved with the Natural Helpers are selected by their peers from a school-wide survey, which identifies students with a demonstrated aptitude for helping others. This grant will allow new Natural Helpers to attend a one-day training program at Camp Fuller in South Kingstown, followed by several training and supervision exercises at school.

Destination ImagiNation Teams
J. H. Gaudet Middle School – M. Maurer, parent coach

Gaudet Middle School students have participated in this extra-curricular activity for nine years, winning many awards. This grant will enable four teams to compete this spring. Destination ImagiNation is an international, creative, problem-solving program where teams of 5-7 students work over several months on the solution to a challenge that is one of five challenges posted by the international organization for that year. The challenges represent multi-discipline and multi-intelligence tasks. Challenges encourage structural/engineering applications and theatrical/performance art. The teams also practice “spontaneous” problem solving for the competition, where the teams must devise a solution in a short window of time, usually under 5 minutes. This program relies on parent volunteers as team managers, who meet with the teams each week for several months.

Hoodie Dance Squad “Off the Curb” Visits & Boom Boxes
J. H. Gaudet Middle School – P. Guarino

This grant will support the after school Hoodie Dance Squad in its second year, which is comprised of students in grades 4-8 who rehearse at the middle school. Goals of this team include learning to work as a team, commitment, tolerance, responsibility, artistic creativity with movement, moral character, and leadership. Visits by professional dance instructors will allow the students to further develop performance skills for a dance recital at the school. The funding of additional music players will allow for rehearsals of several dance numbers and updated equipment supporting I-Pods.

Going Ducky Over Books!
Aquidneck Elementary School – D. Lukowicz

This grant will allow 350 students at Aquidneck School, grades Pre-K-4 to meet the author of Lemon the Duck, and will supply each classroom with autographed copies of the book for future students to enjoy. The book is based on a true story. Lemon, the duck, was born two years ago with a neurological disorder. Laura Backman, the author, has been caring for Lemon since her birth in April 2006. The students at Aquidneck School will meet Lemon and will learn about animals with disabilities. The goal is for the students to feel empathy and to learn how individuals can help to improve the quality of life for the disabled.

Norman Bird Sanctuary Field Trips
J. H. Gaudet Middle School – D. Murphy – Grade 6

This grant will support the science curriculum for grade 6, which includes a study of the earth using a mini kit called “Earth Science.” The students study the rock cycle, glaciation, and erosion, and discuss how Aquidneck Island has been affected.

Starbase Atlantis Academy
J. H. Gaudet Middle School – D. O’Bryan – 5th Grade

This grant will assist with the cost for middle school 5th graders to continue participation in Starbase Atlantis Academy. Sponsored by the US Navy, this program is designed to provide students with training opportunities in math, science, goal-setting, and teamwork skills. The 5-day academy exposes students to real world applications of math and science through experimental learning, simulations, experiments in aviation and space-related fields, sea-going vessels, and more. Each of the seven fifth grade classes would visit Academy five times, culminating in a Starbase Atlantis Academy Graduation on the fifth day. Parents are invited to the graduation, as well as the other classes.

“We Are All Connected” – Norman Bird Sanctuary School Visit
Forest Avenue Elementary School – C. Hutchinson –4th Grades

This grant would enable Forest Avenue School to bring in the Norman Bird Sanctuary to conduct two one-hour programs for all fourth graders in support of the current KITES science curriculum. The first program, “Schoolyard Safari,” will relate to the Earth Materials and Ecosystems kits. Students will explore the schoolyard by conducting experiments and collecting data to learn about the earth materials in their own backyard, and learn firsthand about our ecosystem. The second program is called “The Balancing Act” and again, students will have hands-on opportunities to learn about the delicate balance of nature.

Library Movie Access – Netflix
Middletown High School – D. Fontaine

This 8 month Netflix account for the Middletown High School Library will allow students to access nearly 8,000 documentaries for educational use for the remainder of the ’08-’09 school year. This program will serve all disciplines across all grades at the High School, and provide an affordable outlet for teachers to enhance their curriculum with enrichment activities.

Stories On Stage
Forest Avenue Elementary School – K. Ceglarski and K. Bowley – K-2

This grant will fund “Stories on Stage” for all K-2 students and will explore authors and their literature for a five-week program, culminating in a performance of the three classes for the parents and Forest Avenue student body. “Stories on Stage” is a creative drama program that introduces the children to the basics of acting by using their voice, body, and imagination, presented in a non-competitive and nurturing environment. The children will learn basic theater techniques, improvisation and stage movement by “acting out” well-loved stories and fairytales and playing theater games. A parent run collage workshop will also be held to facilitate the “paper-making” through various mediums to be used for the backdrop of the set and as a springboard for creative writing.

RISD Field Trip
All Elementary Schools – Grade 3 – J. Paquette

This grant will help to defray costs of the annual trip to the RISD Art Museum, for all third graders. Students will view and discuss artifacts in support of all curriculum areas.

Norman Bird Sanctuary Trip
J. F. Kennedy Elementary School – Multi-age K-2- L. Call

This grant will fund two trips to the Norman Bird Sanctuary. “Sandy Shores” will allow students to explore the diversity of life that inhabits the beach and learn about the geology of the Rhode Island shoreline. Students will record observations on a variety of coastal organisms and will compare and contrast different beach habitats. In “Marsh Madness” students will discuss the different types of wetlands, learn about watersheds, and investigate the importance of Rhode Island’s salt marsh through field exploration and experiments.

Guest Artist Program
Middletown High School – P. Statser, C. Vars, D. Ramey

This grant will allow Middletown High School to begin a guest artist program, providing individualized instruction and interaction with area professional artists. The program will include guitar instruction, vocal clinicians, and dance classes in support of the annual International Night in the spring.

Harvard Model United Nations Conference
Middletown High School – L. Clark

This grant will assist the new MHS Harvard Model United Nations Club (HMUN) with registration fees and advisor expenses to attend the conference in Boston. At HMUN, delegates gain insight into the workings of the United Nations and the dynamics of international relations by assuming the roles of UN representatives and members of other international bodies and national cabinets. HMUN is an exciting opportunity for students to debate issues that confront world leaders and to draft resolutions in response to these global issues. Participants will develop their abilities to work with others who are equally motivated and passionate about the topics of debate and to respond to global concerns.

The MHS students started researching their assignment of Mauritania in October, collecting preliminary research on its economy, government, education, culture and customs, and social issues. Students then completed study guides and wrote position papers on assigned committees for presentations as Mauritanians at the conference; Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, Commission on the Status of Women, United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations Development Programme, and The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. At the conference, students will spend four days attending opening ceremonies, meeting in committee sessions, handling crisis situations, hearing from expert witnesses, and being exposed to presentations and guest speakers. Students will create working papers and resolutions, and share this invaluable experience with classmates.

Narragansett Bay Biomes Instruction
Forest Avenue Elementary School – C. Moy –K-1

This grant will allow for the purchase of the Biomes Program “Narragansett Bay and Its Organisms” for the K-1 science curriculum. The program begins with a visit from graduate students studying to be marine biologists at the University of Rhode Island, followed by a Biomes visit to the school for a hands-on approach to learning about the Bay. Biomes will transport many living organisms to the school for three separate class presentations discussing these organisms and their habitat, Narragansett Bay. The children will also choose an organism to further investigate. They will work in small groups with the organism of their choice and use their senses to record information for a report and presentation of Narragansett organisms. Each child will use the information to write a report and present the information to parents during Narragansett Bay Day – “A school of fish!”

Norman Bird Sanctuary Science Connection
Aquidneck Elementary School – J. Brennan-Corey –2nd Grade

This grant will fund a one-day field trip to the Norman Bird Sanctuary and a one-day outreach program from the Sanctuary for second graders. The field trip “Geology Rocks” investigates sedimentary, volcanic, and metamorphic rocks of Aquidneck Island. During hikes along the Sanctuary’s ridges, they will use magnets, compasses, and magnifying lenses to explore the changing landscape. The “Ooey Gooey Outreach Program” visits the school where students will investigate polymers and other basic principles. In part of this science lab, students will create slime, and make things foam, fly and fizz.

Save the Bay Exploration Center
J. F. Kennedy Elementary School – D. O’Neil – Kindergarten

This grant will provide 65 kindergarten students from John F. Kennedy School with a field trip opportunity for a morning of science learning. Students will explore the touch tanks in the center and take a habitat discovery walk along the shoreline. Hands-on means brains-on! Exploring creatures from our nearby natural resource, Narragansett Bay, allows the children to investigate and experience ocean animals. Save the Bay Exploration Center is an interactive marine science learning center, which supports the Animals 2×2 science curriculum. This visit will plant the seed for a lifetime of love and respect for the bay.

Budding Geologists – Can You Dig It? Field Trip
Forest Avenue Elementary School – M. Paiva –2nd Grade

This grant funds a trip to the Norman Bird Sanctuary in support of the second grade curriculum KITES science kit. Budding geologists will work “in the lab” for an interactive look at rocks and minerals. Fossils, erosion and accretion, and a variety of earth science concepts will be discussed. The program includes hiking and exploration of the various rock formations of Aquidneck Island.

Shakesperience Performance
J. H. Gaudet Middle School – M. Corr –ELA 7th Grade

This grant will fund an interactive lesson in “Folktales and Folklore” for Gaudet 7th Grade ELA students. This program, provided by the “Shakesperience” Company of Waterbury, Connecticut, will provide an engaging learning experience. Two actors are sent to the school during the day to present an interactive performance about folklore. Curriculum guides are sent prior to performance day, to guarantee that the presentation is relevant. During that day, students will attend a 45-minute session during their ELA block.