.
The
Mohonasen
Foundation for Excellence, Inc.
P.O. Box 4207
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THE GRANT
PROGRAM
PAST
GRANTS
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LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES THROUGH GAMES – Why are high school students using popular games such as Uno, Clue and Candy Land? To help them learn and practice second language acquisition. In their foreign language and English as a Second Language classes students are applying their language skills by forming questions, giving directions and conducting the games in Spanish and French. Awarded to Faith Perry.
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RECONSTRUCTING A 17th CENTURY SHIP – Some lessons are best learned outside the classroom in a real life setting. By helping reconstruct a 17th century ship at Mabee Farm, middle school students in a project-based alternative program are learning the skills of many trades, job skills and the responsibilities associated with them. The Mohonasen Foundation provides the transportation, work clothing and other supplies to make this project possible. Awarded to Jason Hoke.
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PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT – Athletic training involves mental and physical exercises that improve performance and can make athletes more competitive. By partially funding a gun training basketball machine to the athletics department, the Mohonasen Foundation provided equipment that allows athletes to increase the time spent in training. Awarded to John Karbowski.
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TEXT TALK VOCABULARY PROGRAM - One way to increase reading achievement is through a stronger vocabulary base. Some Bradt students now use trade books to build an understanding of words that goes beyond texts and into everyday life. Awarded to Susan Yates.
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DRAPER BOOK NOOK - The Book Nook at Draper Middle School was created through a Foundation grant to provide a balanced literacy program. Draper sixth graders needed materials to read effectively in the content areas (science, social studies, etc.). Content area reading requires that a special set of skills be applied to factual material. A grant of $2,500 will provide books used for instruction in content area classrooms and in ELA classrooms. Awarded to Kim Coelho.
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SENSORY INTEGRATION TOOL KITS - Common objects such as balls, squeeze globes and kaleidoscopes take on new significance when used to help students learn to improve their attention and focus in the classroom. The Foundation provided these supplies to help students at Bradt School learn self-regulation and to make them aware of the processes of learning, growth and development. Awarded to Michele Greco-Hacket.
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SCULPTURE INSTALLATION - An art project became a focal point for the Mohonasen community when a sculpture commemorating September 11 was installed in a high school courtyard. The sculpture has become inspirational and motivational to both the students who helped create the sculpture and those who find beauty in its design. The eleven-foot sculpture consists of an abstract figure in motion and two towers composed of cut glass. Awarded to Lars Turin.
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GRAPHING CALCULATORS FOR HIGH SCHOOL MATH - An increase in the number of students in high school math courses found the classes short on calculators required for use on Regents exams, the SAT and ACT. The foundation provided the math department with twenty TI-84 graphing calculators that have greater capabilities than the old calculators to graph, program and perform statistical work. With an expected life of at least five years, the computers will serve hundreds of students. Awarded to Greg Massaroni.
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ENGINEERING DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS - Engineering Design and Development students designed unique projects but lacked funds to construct the projects. The Mohonasen Foundation came to the rescue with over $1,600 for materials to construct the prototypes. The five student projects included a Wonder Shovel, an innovative rake, a security system, an electric car and a ski rack that could be mounted on a pickup truck. The projects required students to design and manage their projects, fabricate and construct prototypes, work on a team and present their finished work. Awarded to George Reluzco.
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A MOVE FOR PINEWOOD CHESS CLUB - It might look like a game but what’s behind the establishment of the Pinewood Chess Club is an opportunity for critical thinking, strategy development, and logical reasoning. Through the chess sets provided by a Foundation grant, Pinewood students met in an after-school setting for competitive play to gain experience in the conventions of chess and the social norms of play. Awarded to Mike Klugman.
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CHARACTER EDUCATION MATERIALS - When Mohonasen football players go to practice, they receive instruction in more than football skills. Warrior coaches also set aside at least twenty minutes of each practice session to devote to character education - the development of leadership and discipline. This grant provides all football players with character education texts used to introduce and reinforce character-building skills. Awarded to Scott Sabourin.
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ENGINEERS AID ROCK CLIMBERS - When the Draper Middle School Physical Education faculty responded to a survey from the Engineering Design and Development class, their hopes reached new heights. The teachers were looking for a solution to a problem: portable storage was needed for the harnesses, helmets, carabineers, rocks, hardware and gear used in the Project Adventure activities. Mohonasen High School engineering students came to the rescue by designing, then building, a portable rock climbing storage unit that custom fits the needs of physical education students. It is a solution that gives physical education students more time to enjoy rock climbing activities in a safe environment and engineering students to design and develop a functional product. Awarded to Nicole Schaap.
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ACADEMIC SKILLS FLUENCY PROGRAM - Materials used in a fluency program for academic skills students was so successful, the students completed nearly all materials before the school year was half gone. But the budget for reading materials was gone. The Mohonasen Foundation provided funding for additional reading fluency materials so the highly motivated Pinewood readers can continue their remarkable rate of progress. Awarded to Edie Watson.
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SENSORY INTEGRATION CENTER FOR THE DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS PROGRAM - A center within a classroom, the sensory integration center utilizes practices and technology that have proved to benefit students with sensory integration disorder on academic and social skill performance. Equipment purchased under this grant is essential for their functioning in the classroom when they need to redirect frustration or when sensory integration is essential for their function in the high school classroom. Weighted vests, lap desks and pencil fidget toppers plus special balls and brushes are provided for the students under this grant. Awarded to Erica Lanoue and Nancy Joseph.
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WRITING CLASSES FOR TEACHERS - Bradt’s young writers are supported in a rich, literate environment that encourages them to observe the world then to write about it. The children write, revise, edit and publish their observations in writing workshops that are an integral part of the ELA curriculum. Through special training in the teaching of writing, teachers strengthen their instruction skills as well as their commitment to teaching excellence. Awarded to Melanie Weinlein, Susan Yates, Sandra Hladik.
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BOOK NOOK - The Book Nook at Bradt School is the central location of leveled readers used for reading instruction. The Foundation granted $3,500 to provide a sufficient number of interesting texts for eager beginning readers. Awarded to R. Sharp, S. Berschwinger. M. Weidl, K. Pace, L. Welch.
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CHARACTER EDUCATION/CAREER OUTLOOK - All Mohonasen high school students were challenged to understand how their attitudes can move them forward or hold them back. Jason Dorsey, nationally recognized author and motivational speaker, reached out to students and caught their attention with his humorous approach to excuses, fears and troublemaking friends. Students learned they can control their reactions to events in life that don’t appear to be fair. They learned how to take control of their own success and let go of their excuses. This program addresses a New York Learning Standard for Career Development, “Students will ...explore career options, and relate personal skills, aptitudes, and abilities to future career decisions.” The Mohonasen Foundation was a major supporter of this program that was also supported by the Spanish Honor Society, Peers for Peace and the Student Senate. Awarded to High Schools That Work Committee Representatives Jean Vause and Kathleen Derochie.
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TELESCOPES FOR KIDS: BRINGING ASTRONOMY INTO THE COMMUNITY - The observatory at Draper Middle School is home base to an ardent Astronomy Club whose members can now take astronomy into the community in an unprecedented way. The Foundation funded ten telescopes that students may take home for short periods of time to pursue their love for astronomy and science. After interacting and learning with their families, students return to the classroom to share their discoveries and enthusiasm for astronomical observation. This unique project enriches the existing Middle School observatory program and helps solidify Mohonasen’s science program. Awarded to Jeremy Lundy.
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BALANCED LITERACY DEVELOPMENT - PROFESSIONAL TRAINING - Training in ELA, specifically in balanced literacy, supports Mohonasen’s goal of implementing the program in elementary classrooms. The Professional Development Committee requested Foundation funding after analyzing standardized tests results and identifying means for strengthening students’ differentiated needs. The grant provides instructional tapes to help teachers develop comprehension strategies. The tapes are used for training new teachers as well as experienced teachers striving to learn effective methods of instruction. For group training or individual study, the tapes will help teachers meet the needs of all readers. Awarded to Lauri Phillips and The Professional Development Committee.
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VIDEOCONFERENCING WITH THE CINCINNATI ZOO - Videoconferencing is an engaging activity in which students ask questions of, respond to and participate in an active manner with experts. Two fourth grade classes at Pinewood School interact with educators from the Cincinnati Zoo as students learn about characteristics that enable animals to survive in specific habitats. Fourth graders will study animal adaptations then create adaptations for a new animal based on its climate, diet and defense needs. Awarded to Paul Browne and Dee Moffitt.
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CONTINUED SUPPORT WITH STRUGGLING READERS
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APPLIED PHYSICS IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING - The projected shortage of aerospace engineers in the next decade concerns scientists. Mohonasen students enrolled in the pre-engineering sequence may help to fill that shortage. The thrust of Aerospace Engineering, a newly established course in the pre-engineering sequence, will have much greater impact with equipment funded by the Foundation to get it off the ground. The grant provides a portable data logger and a load cell used to capture thrust forces in rocket engine thrust experiments; a camera that records images from inside a high g force environment; a radio controlled plane; and a portable GPS unit to aid in flight navigation simulations. Awarded to George Reluzco.
- PLANTING TO
PROMOTE SCIENCE CONCEPTS - How does your garden grow? Ask
students in Pinewood’s self-contained, multi-grade class and they
will tell you. To help them understand concepts about eco-systems,
the students will build vegetable and flower gardens in raised beds,
construct butterfly houses and erect miniature solar greenhouses to
measure the effect of temperature on plant growth. As their gardens
grow, so will their self-esteem and pride in having contributed to
the school community. Awarded to Mike Klugman, Kerry Vumbaco, Kathy
Klein.
- LANGUAGE
ARTS SUMMER INSTITUTES - Language arts instruction at
Bradt School will employ current methodology thanks to grants to
three teachers who focused on studies of reading or writing
instruction. With the summer courses complete, the teachers prepared
materials, designed plans to deliver instruction, and shared their
new ideas with cohorts. Awarded to Elaine Lounsbury-Browne, Melanie
Weinlein and Susan Yates.
- MICRO-PROCESSORS
AND ROBOTICS IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING - Do not fear alien
invasion! The robots you see at Mohonasen High School are not
figments of your imagination. Built by students in the engineering
sequence, they are a means for students to learn engineering and
programming basics. Awarded to
G. Reluzco.
- PINEWOOD
SUMMER READING PROJECT - Maintaining skills and enthusiasm
for reading is critical over the summer months when students are on
vacation. This Foundation grant funded over 150 books for Pinewood
students who may have otherwise been unable to purchase or obtain
books on the suggested summer reading list. Awarded to Mindy
Holland.
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FROM CLAY TO CLASSROOM - High school teacher Lars Turin has enriched the program he teaches to Mohonasen art students. Mr. Turin studied with experts around the world during five weeks of intensive study at the selective Summer Six Program at Skidmore. Student products utilizing the new techniques are now evident in the high school ceramic studio. Awarded to Lars Turin.
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VHS/DVD CONVERSION PROJECT - Anyone who recalls waiting for the teacher to fast forward or reverse a video tape to exactly the right point for a lesson to continue, will appreciate this project that takes VHS tapes and burns them to DVD. By converting aging social studies tapes and compiling them by unit to a series of DVDs, students will no longer have to wait. The lessons will be more engaging and better focused, and old but valuable VHS footage will be preserved. Curriculum created around these clips will promote critical analysis and higher order thinking skills. Awarded to Luke Rakoczy.
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MABEE FARM HISTORIC SITE WEBQUEST - Seventh grade students eagerly anticipate their field trip to the Mabee Farm, the oldest home in the Mohawk Valley. There they participate at several learning stations that bring to life Colonial America. The Mabee Farm Webquest introduces and prepares seventh graders for their visits, making them better prepared for their Colonial experience. It also provides review and reinforcement after the field trip. Awarded to Dale Wade-Keszey.
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GREATEST GENERATION PROJECT - Eight Mohonasen High School students accompanied a local senior WW II veteran and other Rotterdam senior citizens on a trip to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Mohonasen students, who as juniors studied the critical period surrounding WW II , heard first-hand about sacrifices made by citizens and military from veterans who shared their knowledge and experience before and during the Washington visit. Upon their return, students shared with their classmates insights and impressions of their experience. Senior citizens and Mohonasen youths appreciated the opportunity to connect with the other generation. Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence and Rotterdam Senior Center contributed to funding this project. Awarded to Luke Rakoczy.
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SUMMER INSTITUTE ON READING - Their students were on vacation but three Bradt first grade teachers spent a portion of their summer acquiring new instructional strategies to enhance literacy instruction. The teachers participated in the Summer Institute on Reading where they worked with renowned specialists in reading instruction. They explored the role of phonics, management and organizational systems, and appropriate texts for beginning readers in an effort to prepare for differentiated instruction. With the start of the new school year, these teachers shared with their colleagues new strategies and resources learned from the institute. Awarded to Tami Kirker, Anna Dagostino and Susan Yates.
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IMPROVED IMAGES AT DRAPER OBSERVATORY - For decades students, and community members as well, have thrilled to the images viewed from the Draper Middle School observatory. New technology makes it possible to improve the observatory’s capabilities, provide real time study and record solar phenomena during school hours. Science students and Astronomy Club members now benefit from using video equipment and computer software that records the heavens through the telescope. Images are then employed in classrooms and observatory instruction. Awarded to Jeremy Lundy.
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COMMUNITY DAY - A selection of children’s learning activities in a casual setting distinguished this Foundation project from others. Exploratory activities to sharpen appetites for learning and encourage curiosity were offered throughout the afternoon during the first Community Day event. In addition to funding these activities, the Mohonasen Foundation acted as facilitator for the spirited event. Foundation directors welcomed visitors to its information table which included a display of Foundation goals and projects. Alumni found opportunity to register current data for the next Alumni Directory.
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NATURE AT OUR DOOR — AN EARTH DAY PROGRAM: First grade students compose songs reflecting their appreciation of nature by integrating language arts, science, library and art skills with music. This interdisciplinary project includes a song-writing residency that culminates in an Earth Day program for the entire school that showcases students' songs. The program received a matching grant from the Arts Center of the Capital Region's Creative Connections Arts in Education. Awarded to Jean Peck.
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HELPING PARENTS PREPARE CHILDREN FOR READING: Booklets filled with activities and practical advice were purchased for parents of all kindergarteners. "Helping Your Child Learn To Read," published by the U.S. Department of
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION and FITNESS: "Bigger, Faster, Stronger" (BFS), AND "Ultimate Mighty Warrior" are programs that improve the fitness and overall
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COMMUNICATIONS: The Foundation awarded a grant to support and expand
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WEB SITES: Eight Web sites integrating technology with several different curriculum areas were created at Bradt, Pinewood and Draper Middle Schools in
4Darcy Brem for Book Treasures;
4Tom DiAcetis for Developing DQB Questions;
4Jill Osinski for Go for Gold;
4Pat Rushby for A Visit to Canada;
4Fred Saccocio for Great Depression;
4Kathy Verzoni for Ribbit’s Math Adventures;
4Dale Wade-Keszey for Lewis and Clark Expedition; and 4Marilyn Wagschall for Western Expansion.
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AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM: This program provided after school academic support to struggling middle students -- as well supervised recreational activities. Many of the students who participated in this program saw noticeable academic gains on standardized tests. The program was supported by both the Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence and the United Way.
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GENETICS PROJECT: This project allowed students in Draper Middle School’s advanced microbiology unit to attend a day-long field trip to Wadsworth Laboratories and SUNY Albany. It also provided scientific texts and multimedia
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CAREERS PROJECT: School-to-Career project activities including a newsletter built upon Mohonasen’s success in placing its Senior High students in career internships and career pathways.
PURPOSE
The Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence has been awarding grants to Mohonasen teachers and administration since 1997.The purpose of the grant program is to increase student achievement by providing seed money for inventive, creative projects that
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support a rigorous curriculum
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encourage innovative learning activities
The Mohonasen Foundation provides grants to develop new initiatives that are not funded through the school budget.
Mohonasen faculty members and administrators, either as individuals or as collaborating partners, may apply for grants.
Applications are evaluated and grants are awarded according to the extent to which they
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Explain exactly what is to be done including the goal and outcome of the project
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Indicate how the proposed project fits into the curriculum and the New York State Standards
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Estimate the number of students directly benefiting from the project
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Submit documentation for costs of materials and equipment including shipping and handling
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Include a letter of support for the project from a principal, department head or superintendent. The letter should also explain why the project cannot be funded at this time through the regular school budget.
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Discuss a plan for sharing project outcomes with other faculty
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State how the Mohonasen Foundation will be recognized for its contribution.
Applicants may use matching funds or other sources of funding to implement the project. If other revenue sources are required or expected, a statement of support from the provider must be attached to the application.
APPLICATION PROCESS :
Complete the
cover sheet and attach it to the grant proposal. Include all the required information so the proposal can be processed quickly.
Applications are accepted at any time. Applications are reviewed by Foundation directors at their
monthly meetings. Expect a four to six week response time. Address applications to:
Mohonasen Foundation for Excellence, Inc.
P.O. Box 4207
Schenectady, NY 12304
APPLICATION TIMELINE :
When applications are received they are first reviewed by the grants chairperson. The chairperson contacts or visits applicants at school if additional information about the proposal is necessary. The chairperson then presents the proposal to Foundation directors who discuss the points listed under Application Criteria above. If questions arise, the grants chairperson contacts the applicant and the grant proposal is placed on the next meeting’s agenda for reconsideration. When proposals are accepted, the applicant is notified by the grants chairperson who then suggests options for paying the grant.
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Schenectady, New York 12304.