Foundation Grant Brings Author Mitali Perkins Back to Chenery Middle School (Spring 2010)

Chenery Middle School was pleased to welcome back award winning author Mitali Perkins as author-in-residence for a series of presentations and writing workshops students in grades 6-8. Mitali Perkins' novels include the 2008-09 Massachusetts Book Award winner, Rickshaw Girl. Her other fiction includes Monsoon Summer, The Not-So-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen, The Secret Keeper, and most recently, Bamboo People . Her books draw upon her life growing up between two cultures - Indian and American - and her protagonists are often strong female characters trying to bridge different cultures.

Over a period of several months, the students got to know Ms. Perkins on a very personal level, hearing firsthand about her experiences as a 13 year old arriving with her family in California from Calcutta, India. She shared how her family's cultural differences, including their dress, manners and accents, made it difficult for her to assimilate into American culture, particularly in school and with her peers. Her stories brought to light the cultural tensions that many immigrant children feel as they attempt to assimilate into the majority culture. Through individual writing workshops, she taught students how to incorporate their own personal experiences into a creative writing process where they applied descriptive writing techniques into personal narratives of their own childhood memories.

In an attempt to deepen the students' educational experience, Ms. Perkins' residency was strengthened by using social media, a technology medium that strongly resonates with today's youth. A blog was created for students to post their writings and students were treated to several Skype sessions with Ms. Perkins during their lunch period so that she could periodically check in to see how their writing was progressing and offer one-on-one feedback. Chenery Librarian, Karen Duff, who spearheaded the author-in-residency program commented, "This is our second year working with Mitali, and I love watching her positive energy, humor, and talent ripple through the children as they write during the workshops. I am always amazed at the depth and quality of the writing when she reads the pieces aloud. This year's addition of social media to the writing and revision process added a whole new dimension to the program. Your children's thoughtful comments and positive support of their peers was beautiful to see - and giving students an opportunity to Skype with Mitali added a Wow factor, making this an experience many of the students will never forget!"

Winn Brook Preschool Students Connect with Yoga (Spring 10)

Students at the Winn Brook Preschool program were recently treated to a six week yoga program, funded by the Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE) as a Learning Excellence Grant. The preschool, although housed at the Winn Brook School, is a town-wide integrated program that educates students with special needs as well as typically developing preschoolers. Alison Goulder, a retired Belmont preschool special education teacher and certified yoga instructor for children with special needs, taught the yoga program to seventy-five students once a week for thirty minutes each session.

Teaching yoga to preschoolers can be an educational program which combines an experiential exploration of the body, mind, and self to support the health, development, and learning of young children. Students can expand their awareness and self-control while nurturing self-esteem, as they learn to move gracefully, breathe smoothly and sustain their focus and concentration. The MA Curriculum Frameworks for preschoolers supports the role of physical activity in stimulating critical thinking and learning concepts for young students in the early stages of development.

According to Peg Hamilton, Early Childhood Liaison of the Winn Brook Preschool Program, "one of the skills the children learned was to use deep, slow breathing to relax and calm down. It was particularly gratifying to hear children even prompting each other to 'breathe.' This was an enormous benefit to the class dynamic, as the children learned to identify and own their emotions, and to take responsibility for the results. It was also wonderful to see some of our less able students participating totally in the body awareness and stretching exercises with such joy." Nancy Power-Underwood, an assistant teacher, said that "the children were always focused and engaged. They learned self control, and they always looked forward to doing yoga with Alison."

Families were equally pleased with the success of the program and the enthusiasm it generated for students. Elena Ruggiero, mother of twin boys at the Winn Brook preschool program, said, "My boys just loved their yoga class and looked forward to the energy it gave them every week. We are very pleased with their progress and happy that they found the program to be rewarding in so many different ways."

Over the years, The Foundation for Belmont Education has awarded more than $400,000 to the Belmont Public Schools in the form of Learning Excellence Grants, professional development, and large-scale special initiatives. These projects, which make a difference in the daily lives of our teachers and students, cannot always be funded through the school budget.

Foundation Grant Provides New Way to Assess Student Understanding (Fall '09)

Belmont High School Advanced Placement (AP) Economics teacher, Bryan Corrigan, is always looking for ways to increase student performance in his classroom to better prepare his students for the AP exam. Mr. Corrigan was first exposed to Interactive Responders, handheld devices that wirelessly transmit student answers directly to the teacher's computer, as a college student. As a teacher, Mr. Corrigan relies heavily on this performance measurement tool to gauge in real-time whether students are grasping material. If students are struggling, he can rapidly adjust his instruction to target the challenging concepts.

The Foundation recently purchased a set of 32 Senteo Interactive Responders for Mr. Corrigan's classroom. The devices, created by SMART Technologies, interface with the SMARTBoard technology that is already an integral part of his classroom instruction. On a daily basis, students use the Responders in their warm-up activities, on quick checks for understanding new concepts, and for quiz reviews. With the click of a button, a pie chart tabulation of the multiple choice questions displays what percentage of the students answered correctly, giving the teacher an in-the-moment assessment of what his students are grasping as well as not understanding. The technology is also used for anonymous surveys or polls in the classroom, which allows him to "hear" from every student rather than just a few.

But Mr. Corrigan's AP Economics students are his best critic. Lily commented, "Economics would be a lot more boring if Mr. Corrigan didn't use this kind of technology; he really knows how to use the technology well." Another student loves the way the Responders allow the teacher to check in and see how students are doing without having to give high pressure tests. "It's assessment but without the student stress," said Helen.

The use of the Responders in Mr. Corrigan's classroom will serve as a model for assessment across the district and hopefully be rolled out to other SMARTBoard-equipped classrooms, thereby furthering the goals of the Foundation's T³ = Technology Tools for Teaching Campaign, designed to meet the technology needs of the Belmont Public Schools over the next three years.

Follow this link to learn more about the T3 Campaign and how you can make a difference in the Belmont Public Schools.

Belmont Students Strive to Achieve (Summer '09)

Late last August, while most high school students were busy enjoying the end of summer vacation, six incoming Belmont High School students spread out in a math classroom to prepare themselves for Honors Geometry in September. Why give up the last precious days of summer? These students had been selected to participate in the second phase of the Belmont Honors Student Program (BHSP), an initiative led by Assistant Principal Layne Millington and METCO Coordinator Diane Wiltshire to battle the persistent achievement gap that exists between minority and white students at Belmont High School. Not simply a question of differences in overall GPAs, the achievement gap is evident in the relatively low numbers of students of color who participate in BHS honors and AP level courses. The goal of this second phase was to increase the number of students of color taking honors and AP math by identifying and teaching the skills that would be necessary to make the transition to honors classes successfully.

Mr. Millington approached the Foundation for Belmont Education in the spring of 2009 with a request to fund phase two of the BHSP as well as an SAT preparation course for students of color to assist in closing the gap that also exists in standardized test scores. The Foundation approved the request for $3,200 to cover instructor stipends. The math transition program ran as planned this summer, and in October the 36-hour SAT program began to prepare nearly twenty students to take the November SAT.

Both of this year's BHSP programs are part of a larger effort to close the achievement gap and provide greater academic opportunities for students of color in our community. During the summer of 2008, phase one of the BHSP gave students the chance to participate in a transitional English program designed to enable them to study at the honors and AP levels. While improving access to more rigorous courses is one piece of the overall plan, the BHSP also provides supplemental academic supports such as tutors, adult mentors, and focused college counseling. Mr. Millington hopes that this year the program will be able to target freshmen and help them begin to plan for college goals. This effort would include outreach to parents to increase education and involvement around the college process.

Measuring success in efforts to reduce an achievement gap is notoriously difficult. Nevertheless, Mr. Millington maintains that many students have successfully moved from the college prep to the honors level. Staring intently at a wealth of data on his computer screen, he pointed out several shining examples of rising student GPAs, particularly among students who had taken the transitional English course in 2008. Mr. Millington is grateful to the Foundation for providing this past round of funding: "Students of color were able to partake in the toughest courses and be successful. The Foundation allowed these students to make an important transition and reach that point. The SAT prep class will help to even the playing field and give our students of color better opportunities to apply to and be accepted at the same competitive, rigorous colleges as their peers."

A Visit with a 19th Century Lowell Mill Girl (11/09)

Winn Brook 4th graders spent an hour and a half with Mary Margaret O'Connell, a "fifteen-year-old Lowell textile mill worker," one day in late November in preparation for their upcoming field trip to Lowell. Mary Margaret, played by storyteller Sharon Kennedy, is a fictionalized character who represents the real-life immigrant girls who came to the United States and found themselves working 13-hour workdays in the weaving room of a Lowell textile mill.

The students heard about Mary Margaret's difficulties and losses: the family's journey on a "seed boat" from Ireland to Quebec, their arduous two month long walk to Boston, the death of her popular and quick-witted younger sister to fever, and prejudice against the Irish immigrants. Though her work in the mill was dangerous and tedious, Mary earned $4 a week, almost as much money as her father, a canal digger, and twice as much as her mother, a maid.

In truth, the fictionalized character of Mary Margaret O'Connell never existed. Nevertheless, the events of her life were lifted directly from the histories of other Irish-Americans immigrants and have been woven together seamlessly by Sharon Kennedy, who spent more than three months researching her character by wading through Lowell's historical archives. Kennedy, a graduate of New York University and the Berghoff Studio in New York, has made a career of spinning characters out of the experiences of ordinary women throughout history. Kennedy also entertains with children's folktales, a talent that earned her a Grammy nomination in 1998 for "The Patchwork Quilt," a collection of children's stories from across the globe. Her children's stories, many of which are set to music, have won her two Parents' Choice Gold Awards, and helped to land Kennedy in Yankee Magazine's annual listing of 60 people who give New England its flavor.

After the performance, the students had the opportunity to ask questions and learned to sing a traditional Irish folk song. The Winn Brook School was able to bring this program to its 4^th graders through a Learning Excellence Grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education. This program not only helped the students establish background knowledge for their hands-on trip to Lowell but also supports the 4^th grade social studies curriculum strand on immigration.

Thoreau Visits Belmont High School (10/09)

For 3 days in late October, Juniors at Belmont High School got to time-travel to the nineteenth century during English class and engage in conversation with Henry David Thoreau. As part of their American Literature curriculum, the students read Walden as well as other essays and writings by Thoreau. Through their conversation with Thoreau, students were able to connect with the author in a way that is more powerful than simply reading his essays.

The Thoreau who visited Belmont High School was 38 years old and had already published Walden, or A Life in the Woods. He told the students that he had "walked from Concord" to Belmont, and that he would read from his work and then they could have a conversation. After listening to him read, the students were ready with questions - some prepared in advance and some that arose as a result of the reading and the subsequent dialogue. All of the answers that Thoreau gave were either exact words from the author's writings or paraphrases of his writing. He answered questions ranging from general questions about his life ("What do people think of you?") to more in depth questions about his philosophy and beliefs about Truth and Beauty, Love, Nature, and God. He also discussed some of his contemporaries - Emerson, and Walt Whitman.

After an hour, Thoreau asked the students to "close their eyes", and when they opened them, it was 2009 again. The students then entered into a discussion about Thoreau, with Richard Smith - an historian and Thoreau interpreter (or "impersonator") who has been involved in Living History for over 20 years. He wanted to know if the students liked Thoreau, and was adept at relating Thoreau's ideas about society to the current day.

Richard Smith has been studying the life of Henry David Thoreau for the past 10 years, since moving to Concord. He has appeared as Thoreau throughout New England, as well as on TV and DVD. He frequently appears at Walden Pond, as well as at other historic sites in Concord, as well as appearing regularly at schools in Massachusetts.

This program, "Ask Henry: Conversations with Thoreau" was funded by a Learning Excellence grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education.

Chenery Students Experience Life Between Cultures (4/09)

Chenery Middle School 7^th and 8^th graders learned about Life Between Cultures firsthand during an April presentation and writing workshop with award winning author Mitali Perkins whose novels include the 2008-09 Massachusetts Book Award winner, Rickshaw Girl. Her other fiction includes Monsoon Summer, The Not-So-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen, and her more recent work (due out in January), The Secret Keeper. Her books draw upon her life growing up between two cultures - Indian and American - and her protagonists are often strong female characters trying to bridge different cultures.

Ms. Perkins' visual presentation combined personal stories, artifacts and pictures of her growing-up experiences when at the age of 13 she arrived in California with her family Calcutta. She discussed how her family's cultural differences, including their dress, manners and accents, made it difficult for her to assimilate into American culture, particularly in school and with her peers. Her stories spoke more broadly to the cultural tensions that many immigrant children feel as they attempt to assimilate into the majority culture. Ms. Perkins led the students in a creative writing exercise that encouraged them to apply descriptive writing techniques to their own short stories.

This presentation is part of the Author Series Program, which is funded jointly by the Foundation for Belmont Education and the Chenery Middle School PTO.

Orchestra Students Fiddle the Afternoon Away (4/09)

Nearly 200 Belmont students fiddled away their Wednesday afternoon - literally. Under the tutelage of professional musicians Natalie Haas and Hanneke Cassel, middle and high school orchestra students learned to play their instruments in a new way. "I think it was initially a challenge for them," orchestra director Margot Reavey said. "They're used to playing with music, and when they got into the room and didn't see any music stands, I think they were a little nervous. But once they got into it, they realized they could do it."

Reavey divided the students by school, and then by instrument. In one room, middle school violinists and fiddled with Cassel, while across the hall the bassists, violists and cellists played with Haas, creating a sound remarkably similar to a Star Wars soundtrack. The hour-and-a-half seminars were sponsored by a Learning Excellence Grant. She wanted to further the string players' education after a residency with Darol Anger and the Republic of Strings early this year. "The kids had a great time" at the seminars, Reavey said. "It was a lot of fun, and I think the kids learned a lot."

Abigail Adams Helps Burbank Students Live Boston History (3/09)

On a dark and dreary Monday in late March, Abigail Adams brought learning to life for Burbank's 3^rd and 4^th graders. Adams, portrayed by professional historical performer Linda Myer, led the students in a journey through the American Revolution, helping them to act out and understand the Boston Massacre, the Tea Party, and the Declaration of Independence.

Myers portrayal of Abigail Adams, best known as the wife of American patriot and president John Adams, focused on the important role that Mrs. Adams played as a colonial woman patriot and mother. While her husband was helping to lead the affairs of the young country, Abigail successfully ran the Adams' farm and raised a large family. Although educated at home with no access to formal education, Mrs. Adams proved a worthy partner to her husband, sharing opinions on matters of state and politics.

According to one of Burbank's teachers, presentations like Mrs. Myer's actively engage student learning by bringing history to life and enrich the teaching around Belmont's social studies educational frameworks, particularly for the 3^rd grade in this instance. For the 4^th graders, this presentation provided a wonderful chance for students to tap their prior knowledge while asking questions to deepen their interpretation of the known events.

Abigail Adams, Revolutionary Mom was funded through a Learning Excellence Grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education.

Patricia Bade "the Owl Woman" visits Winn Brook 3rd grade (1/09)

All eyes were on Patricia Bade, "Keeper of the Spirit, the Owl Woman," as she passed around a soft, brown, cozy piece of fur and asked what animal it came from. She reminded the third graders that Native Americans used it to keep dry and warm, just as it did for its original owner. No, not a bear - a beaver! Ms. Bade, a storyteller of Native American (Penobscot) ancestry, is also a wildlife rehabilitator who was a teacher for many years. Thanks to a Learning Excellence grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education, each of Winn Brook School's four third grade classrooms was treated to her wonderful presentation.

The children eagerly answered her engaging questions, listened to her stories and songs, and looked at the wonderful items she brought to show them. Within minutes, one student made a connection between the lovely deer skin dress and quill earrings Ms. Bade wore and the people the class met at Plimoth Plantation during their fall field trip. Indeed, over the course of the hour, many connections to the third grade curriculum were made: how Native Americans obtained food; their appreciation of animals and nature as "gifts from the Earth;" their practice of using everything from an animal that was hunted - meat, fur, antlers, the jaw (teeth for combs and tools) and not wasting anything; and their contact with colonials.

In addition to complimenting the Social Studies curriculum on colonial history, her presentation reinforced Winn Brook's themes of conservation, respect for our resources, and recycling. She emphasized the themes of the cycles of nature and the interconnectedness and harmony between people, animals, and their natural surroundings. Her engaging manner and her collection of furs, baskets, corn, antlers, jaws (from a moose and deer), corn, instruments and a game made of natural objects all had the children completely intrigued. The children had so many questions for her over the course of the hour that she invited them to give questions to their teacher who could in turn get responses from her via email.

As third grade teacher Mr.McCorkle reported, "Mrs. Bade's program fits our curriculum perfectly. It was one of the best presentations I've seen because of her skill and because she brought so many artifacts for the children to examine. My crew is pretty lively. She held their attention for over an hour--a remarkable feat!"Giles Laroche Visits Wellington 4th Grade (6/08)

Giles LaRoche Visits Wellington

On Wednesday June, 4^th, the entire Wellington fourth grade was riveted as artist and illustrator Giles Laroche showed them the original paper relief pictures that he created as illustrations for children's books, including most recently Bridges Are to Cross and Sacred Places.

In a program planned by art teacher Regina Kalajian and sponsored by the Foundation for Belmont Education, Giles, as he prefers to be called, spent the day at the school. He demonstrated to the students, with a simple piece of paper and a pair of scissors, his amazing ability to fold and cut paper, transforming it into a house, a bridge, a bicycle, or a cityscape. For the pieces he creates as book illustrations, he starts with white paper of different weights and textures, and after sketching the illustration, he cuts shapes with scissors or an exacto knife, and then uses paint and glue to assemble the pieces. Once assembled, the finished works are photographed with special lighting to cast shadows and show texture, and those photos become the book illustrations. Giles brought several of his framed works, as well as some of his preliminary sketches to show the students where he begins and ends the process.

As Giles showed pictures from his book Sacred Places, the students were fascinated by stories of his travels and research. He asked them what a sacred place was and led them into a discussion of the five major world religions, and various places that the students felt were sacred. The intricacy of his paper reliefs, particularly of Hindu temples, and Gothic cathedrals - including stained glass, had the students and teachers mesmerized.

After showing the students the "dummy" of his current book project, What's Inside? Fascinating Structures of the World, which he is both writing and illustrating, Giles spent an hour with each of the fourth grade art classes, helping them work on their own paper relief projects depicting various types of bridges. He demonstrated techniques for the first few minutes of each class, taking regular colored construction paper and folding and cutting it into shapes that eventually became the pieces of a bridge, and showing the students how they could do the same. He handed out a variety of sketches and photocopies of various types of bridges - from aqueducts, to covered bridges to suspensions bridges, and set the students to work as he sat at a table, modeling that same work. Students were encouraged to ask Giles for suggestions and help, and at the end of each class period, he walked around and looked at everyone's work. He also continued to answer questions about his own life and work.

The question, "Did you know as a kid that you wanted to be an artist?" echoed in class after class. And while Giles spoke of his strong desire to create art, beginning in second grade, he also explained that as a child, "he didn't know exactly what an artist did." He then went on to explain to the students that artists not only sit in a studio and paint, but they also create many of the things around us including packages for products, theater set designs, and fashion, as well as book illustrations and individual works of art for galleries and museums.

The students spent the last art classes of the year finishing their bridges, using Giles Laroche's teachings as inspiration. The Wellington community would like to thank the Foundation for Belmont Education for sponsoring this wonderful program, which will surely inspire future artists in years to come!

Chenery's Grade 7 Hosts Poet-in-Residence Julia Thacker (Spring 08)

Thanks to a grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education, Chenery 7^th graders were privileged to host experienced poet and educator Julia Thacker from February 17^th to April 17^th, 2008. Ms. Thacker met with 7^th grade English students, facilitating in-class writing workshops. The residence deepened students' understanding of the fundamentals of poetry and provided them with an exciting, engaging opportunity to strengthen reading comprehension, improve writing ability and compose and share original work.

In addition to her work with students, Ms. Thacker provided professional development for the 7^th grade teachers. True to FBE's mission, this provided a way for Ms. Thacker's contributions to "live on" beyond the actual residency period, as teachers will be able to implement her techniques in future lessons. Furthermore, this extended Ms. Thacker's influence beyond the three classes she met with twice a week. The three English teachers then brought an adapted version of that lesson to their other classes.

Ms. Thacker used lively means of inspiring creative student poems right from the start. As Ms. Thacker explained in the closing assembly, poetry is about two things: feelings and images we find to match our feelings. Poetry, she explained, is an appropriate and useful place for expressing and dealing with our true feelings. She talked about the importance of the careful use of language, and said that writing a poem is like creating a dream for the reader. She helped them understand the importance of interesting word choices, rhythm, rhyme and free verse in each poem. Ms. Thacker also introduced categories of poems, such as "Fury Poems," asking students to think about anything that made them angry and to choose an original topic to write about. Another category was bodies, in which she assigned each student a part to "be," such as freckles, eyebrows or a belly. The students then brainstormed similes or metaphors to describe the importance of the part, and eventually these were woven into class-wide collaborative body poems. Yet another technique was to have students randomly select words or phrases from a bowl and use them as the starting point for a poem that did not "have to make literal sense, just poetic sense." In other exercises, photographs or a box of everyday objects were used as springboards.

On April 17, students gathered in the auditorium to hear selected student readings. The quality and variety of poems were truly astonishing, and included poems in the categories Memory Poems, Fury Poems, Body Poems, Word Bowl Poems, Object Box Poems and Persona Poems. The event was open to Belmont community members. English classes also published an anthology of student work, and Mr. Fitzpatrick will publish a book of selected student poems.

MLK: Amazing Grace "Edutains" Belmont Elementary Students (Winter 2008)

MLK: Amazing Grace, an "edutainment" designed to promote peace and understanding, performed for Belmont's elementary school students this past winter, thanks to a Learning Excellence Grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education. Burbank principal, Christine Francis, had read about the production in her local newspaper last year, and thought that the performance's goals neatly fit our elementary schools' priorities of respecting diversity and promoting peaceful relations among all students. In collaboration with the other three elementary principals, Mrs. Francis approached the Foundation to sponsor this town-wide program, which brought Providence-based Azilee's Porch Productions to Belmont for four performances widely attended by over 350 students in grades 1-4. After viewing the performance, she said, "The students responded very enthusiastically to this production. The performers presented their message in an interactive way which definitely made an impression on the children. After the presentation, many students approached me with excitement as they made connections to the values we promote at Burbank."

MLK: Amazing Grace is a powerful dramatic work written and directed by Rochel Garner Coleman. Three storytellers, using minor props and costume changes, enact some of the famous scenes of the civil rights movement while retelling the story of Martin Luther King. Garner Coleman plays such key figures as Martin Luther King Sr., Jesse Jackson, and Andrew Young, while his counterparts bring such important figures as Rosa Parks to life.

Belmont students, well prepared in their knowledge of the civil rights movement, interacted with the three storytellers during the performance, answering questions and singing along. The simple stage setting, the personal relationship between the actors and their audience, and the informed, yet casual, way in which MLK's story was told combined to create an important connection for the students to the concepts of equality, tolerance, and cooperation. At the Burbank School, classroom teachers conducted follow-up activities in the days immediately following their performance. For example, in one classroom, the students read the picture book biographies of MLK and Rosa Parks by David Adler and had discussions about how one person can change the course of the country. Their teacher, Eileen Winslow, commented, "The children were moved by the Amazing Grace presentation and it is helpful to have other ways, such as drama, to teach about history".

The Foundation enthusiastically supported this grant when it came before the Program Committee last fall. Lynne Doblin, VP of Programs, noted that "the FBE is proud to support programs that help children make sense of history and value themselves and each other in new ways. MLK: Amazing Grace is a fine example of what a broadening, socially relevant and engaging enrichment experience can add to the standard curriculum." The Foundation is committed to enriching the academic experiences of Belmont's students through programs that "make a difference" in our schools. If you would like to help please visit our Donate page to make an online donation.

Techsplorations: Exploring Science and Technology (2/08)

Burbank School 4^th graders were treated to an engaging, informative, and hilarious presentation by Tom Wahle, the brain behind Techsplorations, on the "Science Behind Sound". Students explored concepts such as volume, pitch, and how sound travels by building simple instruments and playing with the variations of sound they produced.

Wahle, a certified technology education instructor, creates hands-on interactive science experiments using simple materials. Students at the Burbank helped him build a model eardrum using a spring-form pan, plastic wrap, a bowl of water, and a straw. He challenged the students to create a vibration, visible on the bowl of water by using a variety of sounds, including ear-splitting screams! They discussed various ways sound waves travel, and how that affects the sounds we hear.

Another popular experiment involved building a simple instrument using an expandable straw. After showing students how to cut and flatten their straws appropriately to create sound, Wahle challenged them to understand pitch by lengthening and shortening the straws. The straws produced a sound similar to the duck quacks heard on the Boston Duck tours. Needless to say, the children had a wonderful time exploring the variations of sound, including volume amplification and pitch while using the products of their "Simple Science Experiment."

The Foundation for Belmont Education has awarded $5,000 to the Belmont elementary schools to offer this exciting workshop to all 4^th grade students. Techsplorations will visit each school over the next few months to present the hands-on class as an integral piece of the 4^th grade science curriculum. The Foundation is committed to funding grants that enhance our students' learning in important curriculum areas. To make a donation in support of our ongoing work, please visit the Support page on this website. More information about Techsplorations can be found at www.techsplorations.com.

Foundation Grant Brings Music Therapy to Belmont Integrated Preschool (Fall 2007)

Students in the Integrated Preschool at the Winn Brook School were visited by a professional music therapist, Ken DoRosario, during the first three months of the 2007-08 school year. Alison Goulder and Peg Hamilton, educators at Belmont's Integrated Preschool Program, developed the program to expose preschool students to the benefits of music, movement, singing and instrumentals, which is not currently part of the preschool curriculum. Goulder and Hamilton turned to the Foundation for Belmont Education last spring in an effort to secure funding for this promising program.

Mr. DoRosario, who has a master's degree in expressive therapies from Lesley University and a music therapy practice at the All Newton Music School, brought the preschoolers and their teachers to their feet with a variety of interactive songs, dances, and movements. Students who ordinarily have difficulty focusing attention were thoroughly engaged with their peers by the shared musical experiences. Child development research has shown that exposure to music at a young age will improve balance, coordination and sequential motor skills in all preschoolers. Musical activities also improve expressive language, communication, and speech articulation skills in students who are experiencing language delays or autism spectrum disorders. Many of the skills presented in DoRosario's music sessions are being incorporated by occupational, physical, and language specialists at the preschool in a variety of follow-through activities planned for the students.

Since 1993, the Foundation for Belmont Education has awarded over $1.2 million in grants to finance more than 375 projects initiated and organized by the Belmont Public School's principals, teachers and staff. To learn more about the Foundation and how you can help maintain the excellence of the Belmont Public Schools with your tax-deductible donation, please visit www.fbe-belmont.org.

Project Adventure Debuts at Chenery

Walk into the small gymnasium at the Chenery Middle School these days and you are likely to see the students climbing the walls-literally! Through a grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education, Ryan Schmitt, Chenery gym teacher, spent all of last year working with Project Adventure to design and install an adventure course that includes a low climbing traverse wall, a ropes course, and a series of swinging tires. Project Adventure, based in Beverly, MA, is a non-profit organization dedicated to making adventure and physical education accessible to people of all abilities.

Mr. Schmitt feels it vital to incorporate elements of adventure programming into the physical education curriculum today in order to provide hands-on activities for students of all abilities while promoting the importance of teamwork, problem-solving, and individual challenge. He described his philosophy in this way: "Gym class is moving away from a focus on traditional sports so that all students feel welcome. All students have a role to play, and the new focus is on problem-solving rather than winning." With its focus on teamwork, the adventure course offers many opportunities to even the playing field between athletes and non-athletes and between boys and girls at a time when middle school students often gravitate to exclusive peer groupings. In the future, Mr. Schmitt hopes to incorporate the equipment for use with the LABBB program, Belmont's special needs collaborative, and even has thoughts of developing an event for teachers on system professional days to encourage professional friendships within the school.

Chenery students were highly enthusiastic about their experience on the traverse wall. Two sixth-grade girls partnered during one trial run, and both felt that the adventure course helped to inspire self-confidence and trust in a partner. A pair of boys, who moved rapidly across the course, explained that they had done similar work during a summer camp program in New Hampshire. Their key to success: "Think ahead and look it over." All agreed that the Project Adventure equipment made gym more fun.

The Foundation for Belmont Education is proud to support the enrichment of Belmont's students through grants such as this one that differentiate instruction for many learners and stimulate the professional growth and development of Belmont's teachers and staff.

The Petticoat Patriot Visits Wellington (4/07)

On Wednesday, April 11th, the Wellington 3rd Graders were treated to a visit by Deborah Sampson, the "Petticoat Patriot." Joan Gatturna, costumed and playing the role of Deborah, arrived straight from the 1760s to tell the story of a remarkable American heroine who fought with George Washington's army during the Revolutionary War at a time when women were not allowed to be soldiers. The students, who have been studying Colonial America as part of their social studies curriculum, were enthralled by Deborah's story and participated actively in trying to imagine what life would have been like for a young woman living at that time.

Deborah told of the hardships of life for a young girl - one of seven children born to a poor farming family south of Boston. After losing their father at sea, some of Deborah's siblings were sent to live with relatives, but at age eight, Deborah was sent to live with another farming family that had ten boys! As the only girl, she bore the burden of most of the chores - spinning, weaving, sewing, cleaning, and feeding the animals. Deborah was extremely jealous of the boys, who got to go to school after their morning work was finished while she was forced to stay at home and do chores all day!

Deborah was free to leave this family when she turned eighteen. After seeing a poster in a tavern asking for soldiers to join George Washington's army, she disguised herself as a boy and ran away to join. She managed to fool everyone and stay in the army for quite a while, even after being shot. For fear of having her secret discovered, Deborah actually cut the musket ball out of her leg herself. It wasn't until 3 months later, when she got sick with a fever and a doctor examined her, that her secret was discovered. Deborah was immediately removed from the army, but because she had been such a good soldier, she was given an honorable discharge. She was so celebrated, that here in Massachusetts, May 23rd is recognized as Deborah Sampson Day.

How did Deborah manage to fool so many people? Joan brought with her clothing from the 18th century so the Wellington students could see for themselves how people dressed at the time. Underscoring the students' fascination with the realistic Deborah Sampson performance, one curious child asked "How are you still alive?" It was only at this point, after a full forty minute presentation, that "Deborah" confessed that she was an actress!

This program was funded by the Foundation for Belmont Education through a Learning Excellence Grant. The Foundation, at work in Belmont's schools since 1993, strives to enrich the education of our children by bringing history and learning alive in the classroom. Please consider making a gift to the Foundation in support of this kind of programming by visiting the Donate section of our website.

Chenery Students Reach for the Stars (3/07)

Even record breaking cold temperatures did not stop more than one hundred 6th graders and their families from enjoying an evening of stargazing on Friday, March 9th. Astronomers from ATMoB (Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston) came to give our students a closer look at the night sky and to answer astronomical questions. Belmont parent Stefan Frank also brought out his own telescopes to share. Astronomers set up their telescopes on the playground and showed students views of Saturn, Venus, the Orion Nebula (in the sword of the Orion Constellation), the Pleiades and a double cluster of stars. Sixth grader Kara Smith remarked, "I've never seen the stars so clearly before."

Students also enjoyed a planetarium show by Michael Marks of "The Sky Connection" Portable Planetariums. Marks was able to use the Star Lab, Belmont's own mobile planetarium which was funded through a grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education. Using the Star Lab, Marks showed students how the Greeks viewed the sky and compared that to surprisingly similar Native American constellations. For example, "Long Sash" of the Tewa tribe is the same constellation as the Greek "Orion". "Revolving Male" (in Ursa Major at the Big Dipper) and "Revolving Woman" (in Cassiopeia) are Navajo. The Dog Star (Sirius in Canis Major) is Cherokee. Ajay Pathak, father of 6^th graders Vijay and Ravi, commented, "I just loved going in the big dome and learning about the constellations. And later I saw Saturn's rings for the first time!"

Jessica Garrett (Silver Team math and science teacher) and Peggy Eysenbach (6^th grade parent) organized the PTO-sponsored event. They would like to extend their appreciation to Chenery teachers, high school astronomy students, and Belmont parents for the successful evening. Thanks go as well to the Foundation for Belmont Education, which collectively has awarded more than $1.2 million to the Belmont schools since 1993. There's no doubt the night inspired the next generation of astronomers from Belmont!

New Soundproof Modular Practice Rooms at Chenery Help Students Achieve Musical Excellence (3/07)

At three o'clock on a school day afternoon, you can stand in the Chenery Middle School Auditorium within 15 feet of three students simultaneously practicing their musical instruments and not hear a thing. No, you won't have lost your hearing -- the students are each in one of three soundproof modular practice rooms recently purchased for Chenery's music program through a Special Initiative grant funded by the Foundation for Belmont Education. Looking like the mini version of a sleek, hi-tech music recording booth, the practice modules were installed in the backstage area of the Chenery Auditorium this fall. John McLellan and Sharon Phipps, instrumental teachers at Chenery, feel that in many ways the use of the practice modules, along with the SmartMusic computer programs installed in each unit, has multiplied their after-school teaching efficiency by a factor of 12. By offering a distraction-free environment in which to practice targeted material, the teachers have seen a new level of commitment from instrumental music students from grades 5-8.

Instrumental students can sign up to use the practice modules at half-hour intervals every day after school and for a few slots before the school day begins. Once inside the module, they use the SmartMusic program to select the right program for their own instrument and playing level, choose the musical piece or exercise they want to practice, and start playing. The program will record their efforts and let them see where they have hit a wrong note or played at an incorrect tempo. Students can record multiple times until they feel they have it right, at which point they can save the recording to play for their teacher. The options for adjusting the program are nearly infinite: students can play the music with or without a metronome or accompaniment; they can change the tempo of the piece as they work; or transpose it to a different key. Play-by-ear exercises let students try to match a piece of music played for them. For advanced students, jazz improvisation exercises play a pattern that students can practice improvising over. After practicing, students record their work and e-mail it to their instructor, who can monitor their progress and see where any difficulties lie. Students can even e-mail recordings to relatives across the world to share their accomplishments.

McLellan and Phipps feel the modules have been particularly helpful for students who are uncomfortable playing in front of teachers or peers. Using the modules gives them a dedicated space and time where they can work on their music without being overheard until they feel comfortable with it. But the modules have been a boon to the motivation to practice for all students. "Nobody ever leaves the modules early" stated Phipps; rather, they come out asking if they can stay longer.

The music teachers have also been able to use the SmartMusic program to achieve a greater level of differentiated instruction. They can, for instance, rewrite a piece for classroom use, increasing the difficulty of a given piece of music so that more advanced students are presented with a more challenging level. This has been done for most of the classroom music used for 6^th grade band students and much of this has been converted for used with SmartMusic in the modular practice rooms.

Foundation Grant Welcomes Happy Hands

Students in Belmont's Integrated Preschool and in Winn Brook's third grade were visited by Happy Hands, an American Sign Language (ASL) program, in a series of three, 30-minute visits from December through March 2007. The ASL program, developed by Nicole Crossman, provides workshops for pre-K through upper elementary level children in order to promote the acquisition of ASL.

Preschool students learned basic sign language vocabulary to improve their communicative vocabulary, develop their social interaction skills, and increase their knowledge in targeted curriculum areas. The program for Grade 3 students entitled "Understanding Our Differences," introduced the older students to a second language by teaching them basic interactive and communicative words and phrases - thereby opening up communication with their non-verbal peers and fostering a respect for diversity.

Ms. Crossman has developed several workshops for preschool through upper elementary level children in order to promote the acquisition of ASL in local schools. She currently offers workshops to children through the Newton Public Schools and Creative Start in Watertown, and works in private practice as a sign interpreter and sign language tutor.

To join the Foundation for Belmont Education in its efforts to help maintain the excellence of the Belmont Public Schools by continuing to fund curriculum-enhancing programs such as Happy Hands, please consider a tax-deductible donation. Visit our Support Page for more information.

R.E.A.D. Kits Promote Student Understanding of World Diversity and Cultures at Winn Brook (3/07)

Reading and Educational Activities for Diversity Kits (R.E.A.D) are just one way that the Winn Brook Elementary School students are learning about people and families from different races, ethnicities and cultures. The program, funded through a Learning Excellence Grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education, gives all students who choose to participate in the program the opportunity to celebrate diversity at home with their families. Each kit contains age appropriate books, games, recipes, a journal, music and crafts. Students can enjoy the contents with their families for one week at home, and then write a response about their experiences in a journal that is then shared with the class. The kit encourages family interaction with book discussion questions, recipes, cd's featuring music from around the world, and games from different cultures. Parents are encouraged to carefully review the contents of the R.E.A.D. kits and to give their feedback through a parent survey form used to evaluate their family's experience. One parent commented, "The collection of books was wonderful. We spent so much time talking about different family's heritage and customs, and it was very mind-opening for our children."

Leila Joseffer, Language Arts Specialist, continues to work with Winn Brook classroom teachers to monitor the implementation of the R.E.A.D. kits within the classroom. The program complements the school's Open Circle Social Competency Program which fosters understanding, appreciation, and tolerance for diversity.

Since 1993, the Foundation for Belmont Education has awarded over $1 million in grants to finance more than 300 projects initiated and organized by the Belmont Public School's principals, teachers and staff. To learn more about the Foundation and how you can help maintain the excellence of the Belmont Public Schools with your tax-deductible donation, please visit the Support page on this website. Wellington Students Have Fun with Foodplay (11/06)

Winn Brook Students Enjoy FoodPlay

Wellington Elementary School students were treated to a pre-Thanksgiving performance of Foodplay, a national award-winning nutrition theater show, funded by a grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education. During the 45 minute assembly, Toby, the coach of the "National Junior Juggling Team", taught "Janey Junkfood" (and all the kids) how to juggle food choices and exercise in order to wind up with a balanced diet. Through a series of fun-filled skits, students were offered a variety of practical skills to improve their eating and exercise habits. With the message that "not all foods are created equal", Toby and Janey demonstrated, with humor, gymnastics, juggling, and student participation, how to see through TV commercials, how to decipher food labels ('Read it before you eat it!"), how to cut down on sugar and fat, and how to make healthy choices at home, school, and on the run.

Foodplay participants provided Wellington teachers and staff with a School Resource Kit containing hands-on activities to extend the experience in the classroom, and students took home snack cards to share with their families. School nurse, Terry Grimm, noted that the resource kit offered a section on how to create a healthy school environment by promoting healthy eating and increased exercise. Belmont Public School food service directors received information on innovative ways to improve school lunch programs. After the assembly, Principal Amy Wagner wished students a Happy Thanksgiving, and reminded them to think about what they had learned while making their food choices for the holiday.

Since 1993, the Foundation for Belmont Education has awarded over $1.2 million in grants to finance more than 360 projects initiated and organized by the Belmont Public School's principals, teachers, and staff. To learn more about the Foundation and how you can help maintain the excellence of the Belmont Public Schools with your tax-deductible contribution, please click on Support.

Winn Brook Students Enjoy Rhythm and Rhyme (Spring 06)

The month of February was dedicated to Poetry at the Winn Brook Elementary School. Funded by the Foundation for Belmont Education's Learning Excellence Grants program, the comprehensive program, Rhythm and Rhyme: Partners in Poetry, focused on the use of poetry to teach literature, enrich vocabulary lessons, and add an imaginative spark to daily language arts classes. Poetry has proven to be a powerful tool for raising standards in literacy and developing language skills.

The well-regarded performance company, Poetry Alive!, visited Winn Brook to deliver a high-energy poetry presentation as the focal event of this grant. Students in grades K-4 enjoyed an assembly tailored to fit the ages and interest of the audiences. Following the performances, Poetry Alive! performers visited the classrooms to work directly with smaller groups of students. Using the assembly show as a springboard, the performers demonstrated how the students could use performance techniques to experience poetry more fully in the classroom. The Foundation grant also supported the development of a resource library, giving teachers access to resources for integrating poetry into their existing curriculum, and financed a Teachers' Literacy Roundtable meeting focusing on poetry and rhythm in preparation for the Poetry Alive! performance.

Smart Art: Technology in Art (Fall 06)

Fourth grade students at the Wellington Elementary School learn about Mexican Amate painting in Ms. Kalajian's Fine Arts studio. With the help of the latest technology, the Amate paintings come to life through the help of the SmartBoard, bringing artwork, music and words together to create the lesson plan. Using Smart Art's Notebook software, the essential elements of the 4-week lesson plan are introduced and reviewed weekly. Lessons include sample artwork, ethnic music, cultural history and artistic terminology. This new technology allows the development of grade appropriate lesson plans that brings new texture to the Fine Arts curriculum. "The technology creates a more time-efficient and effective way to teach, allowing more class time for hands on creativity", says Fine Arts teacher Regina Kalajian. Samples of students' artwork can be evaluated and showcased, and future artists will be able to demonstrate their talents using the technology. Smart Art was funded by a grant from the Foundation for Belmont Education.