2019-2020 Approved Grants

Hugh Cole School

Literary Pen Pals: The Literary Pen pals project will have members of the Warren Senior Center and fourth grade students read the book, Walking With Miss Millie by Tamara Bundy independently. Through handwritten letters, the students and the seniors will correspond about the book.

Odyssey of the Mind: Odyssey of the Mind (OotM) is a trans-disciplinary program (Science, Technology, Math, Engineering, Art and Design) that develops creative problem solving skills in students of all ages. In this program, 4th grade and a 5th grade, under the guidance of an adult coach, work collaboratively to solve a long-term competitive problem over the course of the school year. Teams select one of five OotM problems when they join the program and create and develop their solutions throughout the year. In the spring, students have the opportunity to present / perform their solution at a regional organized competition.

One School One Book: One School, One Book is a family involvement initiative that has been growing and now exists in many schools throughout the United States. One School, One Book offers students, families, teachers and administrators the unifying experience of reading, discussing, and celebrating the same book.

Rockwell

Breathe for Change: Breathe for Change (B4C) provides Social-Emotional Learning opportunities for educators and leaders to bring back to their schools and classrooms. The aim of the two-day wellness training is to strengthen overall well-being in the community as well as within individuals and relationships with others.

Julia Cook: This project will bring writer, teacher, counselor Julia Cook to our school for one week. Mrs. Cook will demonstrate humorous and effective ways to use books on such subjects as tattling, bullying, personal space, video game addiction, digital citizenship, interrupting, divorce, anger, responsibility, and personal safety. Mrs. Cook will work with grades two through five on improving writing skills. In kindergarten and first grade, Mrs. Cook will work on social skills lessons. There will be a family night presentation as well.

Performing Arts Integration (Trinity Rep, A Christmas Carol): Using materials provided by Trinity Rep, students engage in investigating dramatic enactments using the dialogue from the play. The historical context of the story and the cultural values of the 1800s are compared and contrasted with present day. The students practice skills and strategies in reading and writing while studying Scrooge's motivation, as well as his character change and development. After extensive classroom activities, we travel to Trinity Rep to see the life performance. Upon our return, the parents have been busy creating a magical transformation of the classrooms into The Dickens Cafe.

Spanish Language Enrichment : This Spanish Language Enrichment Program provides opportunities in grade 1 - 5 that engage students in reaching higher levels of social, emotional, and academic achievement. Learning a second language can be an enriching experience for children, and create greater cultural sensitivity.

Art Docent Program : The art docent program uses works of art to promote interdisciplinary and multicultural connections through direct experiences in creative expression. Parents and members of the community bring their unique expertise and vision to this art appreciation experience.

Philharmonic Rocks: This project will allow the fourth grade music students to participate in the RI Philharmonic Link Up program, which is based on a curriculum developed at The Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall. This fantastic curriculum allows students to learn to play the recorder. Students will play and sing along to a program of diverse musical selections which will be performed at a culminating concert.

Colt Andrews

Sensory Pathways: A sensory path that will actively engage all students while integrating reading and math as well as addressing sensory needs. Sensory play assists with a multitude of educational, developmental, and social/emotional needs: attentional difficulties, students that are anxious or frustrated, students with medical profiles that require a rich sensory diet, and any student in the classroom who simply needs to 'get their wiggles out' in order to be available to learn within the classroom setting.

Parents as Literacy Partners: Multi-sensory manipulatives for kindergarten and first grade children receiving literacy support outside of core instruction, to be used at home under the guidance of parents.

Author in Residence: Over the course of 4 days, this New York Times bestselling author will teach self regulation through mindfulness and yoga, as well as the writing process. Assemblies and workshops for K-5, plus teacher training and an assembly for parents.

Go Noodle Plus: Go Noodle Plus is an online library of movement breaks that incorporate academic content, mindfulness, and sensory/motor skills practice. Go Noodle Plus provides opportunities to move and play while covering content from 100+ skills and topics and 17,000+ grade specific questions aligned with math, ELA, science, social studies, and health standards.

One School One Book with author visit: This project combines literacy, problem solving skills, STEAM principals, and a visit from local author Paul Reynolds. Every student in the school will receive a copy of 'Sydney and Simon: Full Steam Ahead. The kick off event will involve science experiments and math activities, and the STEAM focused reading week will offer students a daily STEAM challenge.

Colt Andrews Outdoor Classroom: In this collaboration with MHHS's environmental science class, and outdoor classroom will be designed and created, to be used as a student 'reset space', as well as a space for scientific exploration and writing-related plant studies.

Guiteras

Guiteras Library Storywalk: 'StoryWalk® is an innovative and delightful way for children and adults to enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same time. Laminated pages from a children's book are attached to wooden stakes, which are installed along an outdoor path. As students stroll down the trail, they are directed to the next page in the story. Students will participate in 3 storywalks for the following stories: 'Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep', 'Bird, Bird, Bird' and 'Thank you, Earth!'

The Orchestra Rocks and the Statehouse Does Too: This project will allow the fourth grade music students to participate in the RI Philharmonic Link Up program, which is based on a curriculum developed at The Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall. This fantastic curriculum allows students to learn to play the recorder. Students will play and sing along to a program of diverse musical selections which will be performed at a culminating concert. Students will also experience a mini-workshop taught by a Philharmonic musician. Includes a visit to the State House.

Kickemuit Middle School

Shakespeare to Hip Hop: This performance combines live instruments, hip hop music, dialogue from the play (Romeo and Juliet), storytelling and poetry. By embracing the traditions and the foundations of the past and the best of the present, Shakespeare to Hip Hop connects students of all ages in ways that are literary, lively and fun.

Power Up Interactive Reading Practice: These activity kits provide high interest, leveled, non-fiction and fiction reading comprehension passages all aligned to Common Core state standards. Each kit includes content and questions that reinforce strategies such as: using new words in context, identifying main ideas and details, understanding sequence, making inferences and predictions, analyzing and comparing information, and understanding the author's purpose. Active learning through power pens and interactive reading pens.

Author in Residence: In this proposal designed to strengthen the writing process and reinforce writing Common Core standards, encourage creativity, and promote reading, students will receive visits from several local authors. Tina Crane (RI Poet Laureate), Michelle Cusolito (author and presenter), Katie Bayerl (author, teacher and presenter), are some of the authors who will work with the 6th and 7th graders. Some virtual visits with other authors will take place as well.

Beginning Band: Professional musicians will provide small group/individualized instruction to sixth grade band students to ensure that every child has the support needed to succeed. This program will assess the individual needs of students and will provide small group and specific instruction to allow for better student learning and success.

Nature's Classroom: Nature's Classroom is a unique and amazing environmental residential education program designed to support and supplement traditional classroom learning by teaching creative and practical applications for subjects such as math, social studies, and science. Over several days, seventh graders engage in activities promoting science, math, social studies, nature, teamwork, and self-awareness, throughout this bonding experience away from home.

Generation Citizen: Generation Citizen uses action civics education to help young people recognize their critical role in our democracy. The program trains school teachers to lead an in-school action civics course using an innovative student-centered, project-based approach. The lessons in the curriculum provide students with the civic knowledge, skills, and disposition to promote long-term civic engagement.

Coding Club: Under the guidance of a professional software engineer, students use Raspberry Pi devices, as well as chromebooks with Linux application support to learn: programming concepts using python, networking, databases, command-line tools, and source control.

Science Olympiad: The goal of the Science Olympiad club/team at KMS is to increase interest in science and engineering. The objective is to involve students in active, hands-on learning and develop problem solving, time management, and study skills. The cognitive skills learned in this team exercise can be applied to many other areas of a student's life.

Mount Hope High School

Mt. Hope and KMS Student Enterprise Collaboration: With MHHS DECA students as mentors, KMS 'Junior DECA' students manage the school store, design merchandise, purchase their designs, and make decisions on pricing. KMS students receive early exposure to business as a career pathway while learning about community service while promoting Husky Pride. Students will aim to generate interest in business with the goal of adding it as a possible course of study at KMS.

Mt. Hope Multimedia Summer Program: A five week, multimedia summer camp to be held at Mt. Hope school, where students will learn about creative writing for film/stage, film making, directing, acting, music production, film/music composing/editing, and public speaking.

Freshman Summer Bridge Program: This collaborative vision between KMS and MHHS provides social and emotional support to incoming ninth graders in need of extra guidance. Students will develop organizational skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging, allowing a successful transition from middle to high school.

RISD Museum Trip: This project will take students in French 3 and AP Art Portfolio students to the RISD museum to gain greater insight into the Impressionist school of painting, giving them background in art history, as well as an opportunity to see actual works and to interact with them. Students will be studying French vocabulary and expressions related to art; the historical context of the 19th Century and Romanticism; and aspects of analyzing and evaluating works of art, to culminate in presentations on various of the works housed at the museum.

Whaling Museum/Portuguese Marketplace: This project will take students in Portuguese III and IV to the Whaling Museum to experience to go aboard a replica of a Portuguese Whaling ship and to listen and watch first person accounts of the Whaling Industry of New Bedford in relationship to the Azores and Cape Verde. Students will then visit Portugalia Marketplace and will order lunch in Portuguese at authentic cafe Portugalia.