GRANT RECIPIENTS

GRANT RECIPIENTS: Roaring Brook School

Year	Grant Type	Program Name	Director, Organization	Age Group	Subject Area(s)	Description
2009	Program Grant	"Unplugged Learning" Project	Larry Sparks, Assistant Principal, RBS	Grades K-4 and the community	Natural Science	Build an amphitheater stage and seating, develop a nature trail and remove invasive poison ivy (including ADA accessibility compliance). The space, designed by the Unplugged Learning Project team, will be used for "place-based education." That is, hands-on, experiential learning and exploration within immediate natural surroundings.
2009	Duffy Family Grant	Hartford Stage Arts and Literacy Connections	Mike DeRitis, TBS with grade level team leads at TBS and RBS	Grades K - 6	Reading	The Connections Program is being expanded after last year’s well-received 4th grade pilot program at RBS funded by an AEF Mini Grant. Over the course of five days, visiting artists in each classroom explore a grade-appropriate core-curriculum book. Designed to enhance reading comprehension skills and to instill a love of reading, students are engaged in a literary text through the use of dramatic techniques. (Additional funding from the PTOs and in-school field trip fees.)
2008	Avon Junior Women's Club Mini Grant	Leaping into Learning	Lisa Fenn, RBS with Erin Dorsey, PGS and Laura McDonnell, RBS	Grade 1	Science	Scientific inquiry that investigates the life cycle of the frog culminating in a "Swap and Hop Day" when all 1st graders will gather to share results and release their former tadpoles. Collaboration between the schools will be enhanced by a web blog of frog progress.
2008	Mini Grant in honor of Larry Sparks	Fluency in Motion	Laura McDonnell, RBS	Grade 1	Reading	This program will assess and encourage reading fluency in first graders through the use of Reader’s Theatre audiobooks.
2007	Mini Grant	Connections Literacy Program	Wendy Zacchera and 4th Grade Teachers, RBS	Grade 4	Reading, History	This in-school residency program by the Hartford Stage is designed to enhance reading comprehension skills and to instill a love of reading by engaging students in a literary text through the use of dramatic techniques. A master teaching artist will lead literacy and drama activities based on Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.
2005	Avon United Fund Mini Grant	China: Through the Eyes of a Child	Nancy Usich & Michele Lemis, RBS	Grade 2	History, Geography	Make the history and culture of Chinese Americans come alive through a multi-disciplinary approach. Students explore Chinese legends, folktales, customs, food, music and origami, interact with guest speakers and Chinese dance performers, and participate in a school-wide Lion Dance parade.
2005	Shopis Family Mini Grant	The RBS Current	Alexa Pariano, RBS	Grade 3 & 4	Writing, Journalism	Software to enable students to develop a student-run newspaper. Avon High School students mentor and advise elementary students on the editing and publishing process.
2004	Avon Junior Women’s Mini Grant	Music and the Underground Railroad	Nancy Usich, RBS	Grade 2	History, Multi-Disciplinary	Explore the history and culture of the Underground Railroad through music as a communication tool. A resident artist and musician visits classrooms and students keep slave journals and make “quilts” all culminating in a performance to parents and the community.
2004	Mini	Literacy-Based Phonic Enrichment	Kerry Lurate and 1^st Grade Teachers, RBS	Grade 1	Reading	Books to enrich the current phonics program with authentic children’s literature.
2004	Mini	Multicultural Instruments	Paul Johnson, RBS	Grade 1 – 4	General Music, Geography	Acquire multicultural music instruments to implement study units devoted to world music. Grade level teachers will receive cultural support for geography units on other countries