Here's what you've helped to fund in 2018 - 2019

​

Each academic year the PTO provides a total of $5,000 to Chickering School in the form of Teacher Grants. The PTO Teacher Grants are designed to fund classroom enhancements that are connected to the Common Core and School Improvement Plan. We encourage teachers to be thoughtful and and creative in considering their needs, and every year they come up with innovative ideas to help enhance their classrooms and curriculum. Teachers submit grant applications to the PTO Board in October. Together with Mrs. Dayal and Dr. Reinemann, the Dover PTO Board reviews and approves applications in November. Below is a list of grants we awarded this year. 

 

Grant Requestor: Leslie Hughes
Recipient: The Center
Grant Funded: BoardMaker Online

This grant will allow teachers in The Center to provide a framework and consistent instruction that will accommodate students’ unique needs while also addressing educational standards and requirements. Boardmaker Online allows you to create engaging and interactive materials such as communication boards, behavior supports, sequences and visual schedules. This software program will also allow students to enhance their ability to self-monitor with the tools that it offers.

 

Grant Requestor: Classroom Teachers; grades 2, 3, 4 and 5

Recipient: 2-5

Grant Funded: Culturally Authentic and Responsive Texts

Culturally Authentic and Responsive Texts are a collection of culturally authentic literature and informational texts. These texts have been selected for their cultural authenticity. The lesson plans incorporate culturally and linguistically responsive teaching strategies and protocols, making implementation, instruction, and assessment easy and efficient. Kits will be used in small groups and as read-alouds in grades 2-5. These texts will continue to expand our collection to better represent a broader world to our Chickering students. The lesson plans will help teachers learn to employ the strategies in their pedagogy and apply them to any text, highlighting listening and speaking objectives. Each collection includes a Teacher Guide, Digital resources, five culturally authentic titles and five informational text titles (6 copies each).

 

Grant Requestor:  Classroom Teachers grade K and 1

Recipient K and 1

Grant Funded: Culturally Authentic and Responsive Texts

Similar to the request for grade 2-5. Purchase of a commercially produced (Teacher Created Materials) kit of text to be used in small groups, this grant request equals funds to be allotted for the Kindergarten and grade 1 teachers to purchase culturally responsive text for their classrooms. Kindergarten and grade 1 teachers will research and identify appropriate text for use in classroom libraries and as read alouds within their class.

 

Grant Requestor:: Kathy Gillis, Kara Jewett
Recipient: 4 & 5
Grant Funded: QuickReads Reading Program for RTI Instruction

Quick Reads is a supplementary reading program that is designed to support struggling readers in grades two through six. The Quick Reads Print Intervention kits for each reading level include 12 copies each of Books 1, 2, and 3 at that level; these books are comprised of short text passages that are meant to be read efficiently, with the goal of increasing automaticity while also strengthening background knowledge, vocabulary, and comprehension. The author of the program performed extensive research in order to find “high leverage words,” meaning high-frequency words and words with common syllable patterns that appear so often in text that practicing them makes subsequent text readings easier to decode and understand. Quick Reads Print Intervention kits also include a teacher’s resource manual, a professional development DVD, a card detailing the prescribed instructional routine, and a guide for placing students.

 

Grant Requestor: Laura Driscoll, Jodi Emerson, Nisha Hochman, Laura O’Garr, Jenn Sellman, Keri Windsor

Recipient: Pre K - Early Intervention

Grant Funded: Preschool Family Engagement

Welcome gift bags to prospective preschool families transitioning from Early Intervention. Gift bags will be decorated by current preschoolers and filled with a board book, putty and stickers. Gift bags will be given to prospective students when staff participate in an Early Intervention transition meeting, usually conducted at the home of the family. Gift bags will be used as a way to build/develop community engagement and home/school connection.

​