FY2023 Grant Distribution ($)
$234,000

New Approaches in the Classroom
Professional Development for Teachers
Programs Promoting Equity for All Students
FY2023 Grant Distribution (#)
60 Grants

New Approaches in the Classroom
Professional Development for Teachers
Programs Promoting Equity for All Students
NSF by the Numbers:
FY2023
- Made 60 grants totaling $234,000
- Affected 12,000+ students and faculty
- Reached all 23 schools in the NPS district (including NECP and Central HS)
- Received gifts from 900+ donors and endowment funds
- 800+ teachers recognized through NSF’s Honor Thy Teacher campaign
Programs We Fund
Since 1985, Newton Schools Foundation has granted the Newton Public Schools more than $4 million to support initiatives across the school system.
Newton Schools Foundation Grants Funded These Programs in the Newton Public Schools
Select a category:
New Approaches in the Classroom
3D STEAM Lab Innovation
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3D STEAM Lab Innovation
This grant provides funding to enhance my 3D art curriculum with tools that promote hands-on, student-centered learning. By incorporating this equipment, students will work alone or in teams to conceptualize, prototype, and build large-scale, three-dimensional projects. With the ability to cut out any cardboard shape they can imagine, students will no longer be limited by their lack of scissor skills or physical strength, leading to greater engagement and perseverance.
Applicant: Jennifer Sutherland
Schools: Lincoln-Eliot
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $432.98
Adaptive Art Program
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Adaptive Art Program
We seek to acquire specialized materials, tools, and equipment to support newly created adaptive art classes for students in the STRIDE (Cabot, Bowen, Zervas), Reflections (Williams) and SPARK (Countryside) programs. This request follows a SY24 award for adaptative art Professional Development for the art department at the schools with specialized programs.
Applicant: Christine Phillips
Schools: Cabot, Bowen, Williams, Zervas, and Countryside
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $2,500
Book Clubs
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Book Clubs new
The grant will provide funding for Book Clubs for 6th grade special education students. This includes headphones and splitters, an Audible membership, and books. The goal is to bolster reading engagement, strengthen comprehension, model fluent reading, and increase test scores. In addition, an Audible membership would allow us to purchase audiobooks and guarantee that popular titles would be available to students.
Applicant: Alyssa Cantwell
Schools: Brown Middle School
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $633.50
Building Fact Fluency in Multiplication
Building Fact Fluency in Multiplication new
Math coaches across 5 elementary schools will purchase Building Fact Fluency: A Toolkit for Multiplication and Division to use during grade 3 WIN block to improve multiplication fluency.
Applicant: Kelly Gartside
Schools: Memorial Spaulding and 4 others
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $3,272
Classroom Take a Break Spaces
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Classroom Take a Break Spaces
The project aims to obtain materials to update “Take a Break” spaces. The spaces help to promote emotional regulation in a developmentally appropriate way. In order for students to be highly engaged in academic content and instruction in their classrooms, self-regulation and a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are a small, designated area in classrooms that help to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This tier one classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes strong belonging and connectedness for all students in our elementary classrooms.
Applicant: Melissa Vigliotti
Schools: Williams
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,000
Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
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Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
We are piloting a program for co-teachers to improve practices. We aim to shift the culture to one that increases parity in co-teaching relationships and provides opportunities for collaboration, collective resources and professional development. While co-teaching is not a new model, approaching co-teaching holistically and collaboratively will give educators opportunities to approach their pedagogy differently. By piloting different models of co-teaching, teachers and Unit C staff will use their strengths in tandem, further developing professional skills. Refining the co-teaching dynamic will add to the educational experience for students. Effective collaboration will increase equity and accessibility for students.
Applicant: Emily Shire and Lillian Robinson
Schools: NSHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $9,247.08
Coding with Ozobots K-5
Coding with Ozobots K-5 new
Ozobots are robots used to teach coding. The students learn to program using color-coded patterns drawn on paper. Students will create simple programs to develop coding skills.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: District-wide K-5
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $11,250
Comprehensible Input Library for Middle School Spanish Learners – District Pilot
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Comprehensible Input Library for Middle School Spanish Learners – District Pilot
I would like to create a library of comprehensible books written for Spanish language learners so that all of my Spanish students will be able to select and read novels that interest them and are at their appropriate reading level. The world language department has been using methods of comprehensible input (CI) in order for our students to be able to acquire language. One very effective CI method, which has yet to be implemented in this district, is to have students select and read comprehensible books that interest them from a CI library (Innovations in the Classroom). Research shows that this helps every student in the class to be successful, not just the top learners (Programs that promote Equity for all).
Applicant: Laura Brady
Schools: Oak Hill
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $600
Cultivating Library Researchers: Fueling Research Skills with PearDeck for K-5 Library Teachers
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Cultivating Library Researchers: Fueling Research Skills with PearDeck for K-5 Library Teachers
This application requests funding for PearDeck access for four K-5 library teachers with the aim of enhancing students' research skills and facilitating data comparison across their four schools while implementing a new research curriculum. Integrating a digital tool like PearDeck offers added support, aiding library teachers in tracking student progress and making personalized adjustments. Implementing common assessments at specific points in research units will enable modifications. Furthermore, in our PLC meetings, we will analyze the data and develop RTI activities to ensure all students meet their objectives. Finally, we will share with our Department best practices and newly updated lessons for teaching research.
Applicant: Eileen Keane
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $600
Digi Blocks
Digi Blocks new
Digi blocks are a fantastic math manipulative. They allow students a tactile and visual way to understand regrouping. Using this tool will increase student understanding and independence in math.
Applicant: Shayna Packer
Schools: Countryside
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $705
Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
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Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
We request culturally diverse picture books to address digital citizenship/wellness & online safety. We will select 2 books/grade level & visit classes. We will create grade level digital citizenship conversation cards for teachers to use weekly. This project closely aligns with NSF's strategic goals of innovative classroom approaches and equitable education. By introducing digital citizenship concepts consistently across grade levels through discussion cards and engaging picture books, we are trying a new approach to empower teachers to confidently discuss these vital topics, contributing to the professional growth of Newton educators and the social emotional growth and digital wellness of all elementary students.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,000
Digital Tools for Targeted Speaking Practice
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Digital Tools for Targeted Speaking Practice
This is a continuation of a 2023-24 grant to purchase 300 licenses for a speaking program called Extempore. A second grant will allow for continued data collection and creation of engaging assignments for students' language learning. Extempore is used for 4 ACP/H and 5 ACP classes for more speaking practice in language learning. We target our students taking the Seal of Biliteracy with more practice as this is the area in which they struggle most. We are creating more innovative tasks for students, and they are enjoying the practice more.
Applicant: Denise Cremin
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $4,461.50
Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
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Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
A committee of MS ELA teachers, literacy specialists, library teachers, and a member of the DEI department, will revise and update the current 6th grade novel study unit to center around a text that is engaging, culturally responsive, and rigorous. Bringing a new novel study into 6th grade classrooms reflects innovation by incorporating a text that would be more engaging and culturally responsive. Creating curriculum as a grade level is excellent, job-embedded professional development, supporting collaboration and professional learning in a meaningful context. It also promotes equity in the sense of ensuring that all 6th grade students have a common reading experience and are held to common expectations across buildings.
Applicant: Joelle Pederson
Schools: Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $7,189.20
Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
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Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
Elementary schools with a citywide program will offer adaptive art in the 2024-25 school year. Visual Art teachers and Occupational Therapists require summer professional development and consultation to prepare for the launch of this initiative. The summer curriculum writing and professional development will include the Bowen art teacher sharing the work documented during the pilot and the adaptations created by the Cabot visual art teacher where no adaptive art experience occurred. Liz Loya is a consultant from CAST with expertise in Universal Design for Learning and adaptive art She will assist the art teachers and OTs design approaches for implementing an adaptive art program that will meet the needs of diverse learners.
Applicant: Richard King
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $5,650
Fine Arts for All
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Fine Arts for All
In 2021 we applied for and were approve for a grant that allowed us to expand our inventory of adapted musical equipment to be used at NECP. We want to expand on that project by acquiring accessible art materials to ensure access for all learners. In preschool, the bulk of curriculum is delivered through art and music. For students with limited motor movement, they often lack the ability to participate independently in curriculum activities because of the lack of adaptive equipment. By acquiring adapted art and music equipment, students with significant disabilities will have the opportunity to be able to participate independently with their peers, ensuring social-emotional wellbeing, educational equity, and academic excellence.
Applicant: Ashley Raven, Emily Nunes, and Kayla McAlister
Schools: NECP
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,487.40
FOCUS Executive Function Curriculum and Training
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FOCUS Executive Function Curriculum and Training new
Executive Function Curriculum and Training for Special Educators, Inclusion Teachers and Support Staff (35 staff) The curriculum includes pre and post assessments in the areas of Executive Function. Assessments will be used each trimester to measure progress. Adopting a new Executive Function curriculum in the Focus Program allows for direct instruction over 3 years for students on the Autism Spectrum who have deficits in Executive Function Skills.
Applicant: Renae Fulkerson-Keszycki
Schools: Brown Middle School
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,328.89
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Help All Hands have Ceramics Hand Building
Help All Hands have Ceramics Hand Building new
This grant will provide one banding wheel per student to use for hand Building. This is an invaluable professional tool for all skill levels working with clay in the round.
Applicant: Molly Baring-Gould
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $400
Igniting a Writing Revolution
Igniting a Writing Revolution
We will conduct a book-study on “The Writing Revolution 2.0,” with the aim of developing consistent writing scaffolds that can be explicitly taught in the special ed. classroom and generalized to the general ed. setting.
Applicant: Caitlin Irwin
Schools: Oak Hill & District Special Ed. Programs
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $245
Memorial-Spaulding Story Walk
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Memorial-Spaulding Story Walk new
A story walk is an outdoor literacy installation, where readers travel page by page through a book. We aim to support literacy and family involvement at Memorial-Spaulding by constructing a sustainable outdoor story walk on the school grounds.
Applicant: Rachael Lundquist
Schools: Memorial Spaulding
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $602.74
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
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National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
The NCTE Convention is an annual event for ELA and literacy educators held all over the country. This November it will be in Boston, providing an excellent opportunity for NPS literacy educators to attend a national conference without traveling.
- Literacy experts, researchers, & practitioners lead sessions in these strands:
- Early Literacy - situated in social, historical, & cultural contexts.
- Professional Development
- LGBTQIA - critical pedagogy, and democratic teaching practices. Sessions encourage a broad definition of diversity and creation of safer, more inclusive schools
- National Writing Project writing strand
- Strand on issues, strategies regarding teaching and affirming BIPOC & ELL students
- Research Strand - original research studies
Applicant: Deana Lew
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,250
Near Excellence with NearPod
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Near Excellence with NearPod new
This grant supports NPS' District Initiative of using StarMath Diagnostic to plan tiered interventions and use NearPod resources. NearPod is an opportunity to give teachers focus skills, videos, and resources to provide mathematics differentiation, particularly Tier 2 interventions aligned with the district StarMath Diagnostic. This grant will purchase district-wide access to this resource for the school year, not just for Bigelow Middle School. This will help support students performing below benchmark and provide focused skills practice and preview for each student based on diagnostic performances three times a year.
Applicant: Casey Dolan
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $1,000
Pollinator Garden
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Pollinator Garden new
Second graders will design and plant a pollinator garden to support bees and butterflies while learning about pollinators, native plants, and how to care for the environment. (3 classrooms) The grant will help purchase materials: soil, compost, mulch, Northeast pollinator seeds, and native pollinator plants.
Applicant: Beth Bernier
Schools: Zervas
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $225.00
Preschool LEGO Learning Library
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Preschool LEGO Learning Library new
We are asking for LEGO Education building sets to create a community library for all classrooms across NECP to share. This would allow all students to have access to high quality, multi-sensory, and accessible materials that enhance their learning. LEGO Education sets include a variety of engaging materials that will support a joyful learning environment and provide high quality instruction. These sets include lesson plans linked to learning standards, visual directions, diverse LEGO figures, alphabet blocks, and beginning STEM elements that are accessible for all students. This will give opportunities for students to increase fine motor skills, play collaboratively, and gain self-efficacy as they persevere through building projects (220 students – 14 classroom sets).
Applicant: Darcy Howell
Schools: NECP
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,400
Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
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Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
I would like to bring Keys to Literacy, a PD program, to the science department at NNHS. I have taken PD through them in my previous district and believe they would be helpful to teachers. The Keys to Literacy program is Professional Development that provide a framework for teaching comprehension strategies and vocabulary routines. I think these strategies would be particularly helpful for our multilevel teachers in the North science department. We have a wide range of skills in the ML classrooms, including ELs and students with disabilities. Many of the techniques shown in the PD show scaffolding that would help a teacher in the multilevel setting. achers in multilevel classes.
Applicant: Melanie Pennison
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,950
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
SEL Preschool Pals
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SEL Preschool Pals
For this project, I am asking for access to Al’s Pals SEL curriculum for use with my afternoon inclusion preschool students who are specifically working on social skills and emotion regulation. I plan to use Al’s Pals with my afternoon preschool students, who particularly struggle with emotion regulation and social conflicts. As a school, NECP has begun examining SEL curriculum with an anti-ableist lens. Al’s Pals is an innovative curriculum that directly addresses Adverse Childhood Experiences, student diversity, and aligns with neurodiversity affirming practices. These are the areas my students are struggling with the most and where many other curriculum fails to address.
Applicant: Darcy Howell
Schools: NECP
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,225.70
SEL Tools for Lincoln Eliot
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SEL Tools for Lincoln Eliot
This project aims to obtain materials to support “Take a Break” spaces and to provide students with sensory tools to help them self-regulate to better be able to attend to classroom lessons and work. Though many classroom teachers are open to implementing SEL tools, there has never been a budget for these materials. Many teachers have not been trained in tools that may help students exhibiting certain behaviors. Implementing tools to help students self-regulate is both a recent innovation in education, as well as an avenue to promote equity in that all students will have access to what they need to help them do their best learning.
Applicant: Jen Terrazzino
Schools: Lincoln Eliot
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $693
Story Starters
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Story Starters new
This program seeks to thoughtfully provide resources (books) and strategies to families to engage in conversations about race at home to support our collective work as a school community. Story Starters will offer its 8-week Family Conversations program to families at Ward and Mason-Rice. Families will receive books on topics of racial identity and parent discussion guides. The program includes on-site family events and online parent workshops. We will have participating families join together for this program. Each school will host one in-person family event for all participating families, and adults from both school communities will have online learning opportunities.
Applicant: Jake Bultema & Becca Brodadir
Schools: Mason Rice & Ward Elementary Schools
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,925.60
Strengthening Inclusion and SEL: In-class Break Spaces 2 (expansion)
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Strengthening Inclusion and SEL: In-class Break Spaces 2 (expansion)
The project aims to obtain additional materials to already successful “Calm Corner” spaces. The current project has been hugely successful and the team recognizes the need for additional materials. "Calm Corners" allow students to remain in their learning environment while they are regulating their bodies and emotions. Seeing other students using the same space and tools allows students to recognize feelings are universal--we all need a calm corner sometimes. This program is innovative in its approach and in the fact that these corners are available in every classroom as well as every special. No matter who you are or where you are, the tools are available to everyone.
Applicant: Emily Josephsohn
Schools: Burr
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $ 1501.54
Teachers As Scholars
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Teachers As Scholars
Teachers participate in small, 2 day seminars led by university staff in the arts, humanities, math, and science, and are thus reconnected to the world of scholarship. Participants will explore a niche area of content to progress their own learning.
Applicant: Dani Johnson
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $3,375
The L
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The L
The L is a system of subway lines, markers, and signage. Designed to be developmentally appropriate for students and ADA compliant, this UDL supports the science of wayfinding which increases independence, reduces anxiety, and improves library usage. As part of my professional goal, I’m to visit public and school libraries to learn about the impact of wayfinding. A design for The L has been made and supplies must be ordered. Collaboration with NNHS Ed Tech program and Graphics Department will result in signage that allows students to navigate their space, meeting the required library outcomes for research and reading for leisure in NPS. By March, the system should be in place and lessons K-5 will be taught to introduce their new environment.
Applicant: Liz Donovan
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,400
Tier 1 SEL Take a Break Spaces, SEL Reboot Part 2
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Tier 1 SEL Take a Break Spaces, SEL Reboot Part 2
The project aims to obtain materials to create “Take a Break” spaces. This structure provides students with a developmentally appropriate space in the classroom where they can learn to recognize and react to emotions in a healthy & productive way. In order for students to be engaged in learning, self-regulation, a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are designated areas in classrooms that help facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This Tier 1 classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes belonging and connectedness for all students. Having an organized binder and bin of materials & explicitly teaching how to use this calming, regulating space is key to its effectiveness.
Applicant: Lisa LaCava
Schools: Mason Rice
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $ 780.92
Tier 2 & 3 Intervention & Progress Monitoring for Students in the ACHIEVE program
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Tier 2 & 3 Intervention & Progress Monitoring for Students in the ACHIEVE program
We want to purchase 17 licenses for Freckle Math & Read Live so that students in our ACHIEVE program (students with dyslexia) have access to rigorous, research-based, scaffolded reading & math intervention that also provides actionable progress data. Read Naturally is used in NPS for reading assessment & fluency intervention. Read Live is the online extension of Read Naturally. Read Live is particularly helpful for students who have reading disabilities because it reads content to students and provides actionable progress data for teachers. Freckle Math provides scaffolded standards-based math intervention to students, with problems read aloud if needed for students with dyslexia, and provides actionable progress data to teachers.
Applicant: Suzanne Griffin & Orla Higgins Averill
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $760.75
Using a Trauma Informed and Culturally Responsive Approach for Behavioral Interventions
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Using a Trauma Informed and Culturally Responsive Approach for Behavioral Interventions
This project will extend training provided through a 2023 NSF grant to increase the knowledge and skills of staff in selecting and implementing behavior interventions that are Trauma Informed, Culturally Responsive, and Neurodivergent positive. Many practices used to address students’ behavioral challenges are no longer appropriate because they do not consider the cultural variables, cognitive variations, or potential trauma histories of students. This project will allow NPS to target professional training and support to specific staff (with a focus on Unit C staff) to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to select and implement interventions that are Trauma Informed, Culturally Responsive, and Neurodivergent positive.
Applicant: James Ellis
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,350
Using Bablingua to Bolster Spanish Language
Using Bablingua to Bolster Spanish Language
This grant will provide Bablingua, a portal that provides videos, audio tracks, printed materials and lesson tools, to support teachers in developing thematically-based curriculum for students across all levels of Spanish (from Novice to Advanced).
Applicant: Helena Alfonzo
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $750
WIN (What I Need) self-regulation spaces
WIN (What I Need) self-regulation spaces new
What I Need (WIN) spaces are a trauma-informed, Tier 1 classroom intervention that supports the development of self-regulation and emotional intelligence. This pilot study would include both general and special education classrooms.
Applicant: Sophia Brion-Meisels
Schools: FA Day Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $3,309.89
Writing with Charles Coe
Writing with Charles Coe
“Writing with Charles Coe” gives students a unique opportunity to write. Visiting six English classes, Charles provides meaningful prompts and makes everyone feel comfortable and brave, especially special needs and students of color.
Applicant: Amy McMahon
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $525
3D STEAM Lab Innovation
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3D STEAM Lab Innovation
This grant provides funding to enhance my 3D art curriculum with tools that promote hands-on, student-centered learning. By incorporating this equipment, students will work alone or in teams to conceptualize, prototype, and build large-scale, three-dimensional projects. With the ability to cut out any cardboard shape they can imagine, students will no longer be limited by their lack of scissor skills or physical strength, leading to greater engagement and perseverance.
Applicant: Jennifer Sutherland
Schools: Lincoln-Eliot
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $432.98
Adaptive Art Program
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Adaptive Art Program
We seek to acquire specialized materials, tools, and equipment to support newly created adaptive art classes for students in the STRIDE (Cabot, Bowen, Zervas), Reflections (Williams) and SPARK (Countryside) programs. This request follows a SY24 award for adaptative art Professional Development for the art department at the schools with specialized programs.
Applicant: Christine Phillips
Schools: Cabot, Bowen, Williams, Zervas, and Countryside
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $2,500
Building Fact Fluency in Multiplication
Building Fact Fluency in Multiplication new
Math coaches across 5 elementary schools will purchase Building Fact Fluency: A Toolkit for Multiplication and Division to use during grade 3 WIN block to improve multiplication fluency.
Applicant: Kelly Gartside
Schools: Memorial Spaulding and 4 others
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $3,272
Classroom Take a Break Spaces
READ MORE
Classroom Take a Break Spaces
The project aims to obtain materials to update “Take a Break” spaces. The spaces help to promote emotional regulation in a developmentally appropriate way. In order for students to be highly engaged in academic content and instruction in their classrooms, self-regulation and a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are a small, designated area in classrooms that help to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This tier one classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes strong belonging and connectedness for all students in our elementary classrooms.
Applicant: Melissa Vigliotti
Schools: Williams
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,000
Coding with Ozobots K-5
Coding with Ozobots K-5 new
Ozobots are robots used to teach coding. The students learn to program using color-coded patterns drawn on paper. Students will create simple programs to develop coding skills.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: District-wide K-5
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $11,250
Digi Blocks
Digi Blocks new
Digi blocks are a fantastic math manipulative. They allow students a tactile and visual way to understand regrouping. Using this tool will increase student understanding and independence in math.
Applicant: Shayna Packer
Schools: Countryside
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $705
Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
READ MORE
Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
We request culturally diverse picture books to address digital citizenship/wellness & online safety. We will select 2 books/grade level & visit classes. We will create grade level digital citizenship conversation cards for teachers to use weekly. This project closely aligns with NSF's strategic goals of innovative classroom approaches and equitable education. By introducing digital citizenship concepts consistently across grade levels through discussion cards and engaging picture books, we are trying a new approach to empower teachers to confidently discuss these vital topics, contributing to the professional growth of Newton educators and the social emotional growth and digital wellness of all elementary students.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,000
Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
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Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
Elementary schools with a citywide program will offer adaptive art in the 2024-25 school year. Visual Art teachers and Occupational Therapists require summer professional development and consultation to prepare for the launch of this initiative. The summer curriculum writing and professional development will include the Bowen art teacher sharing the work documented during the pilot and the adaptations created by the Cabot visual art teacher where no adaptive art experience occurred. Liz Loya is a consultant from CAST with expertise in Universal Design for Learning and adaptive art She will assist the art teachers and OTs design approaches for implementing an adaptive art program that will meet the needs of diverse learners.
Applicant: Richard King
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $5,650
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
READ MORE
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Memorial-Spaulding Story Walk
READ MORE
Memorial-Spaulding Story Walk new
A story walk is an outdoor literacy installation, where readers travel page by page through a book. We aim to support literacy and family involvement at Memorial-Spaulding by constructing a sustainable outdoor story walk on the school grounds.
Applicant: Rachael Lundquist
Schools: Memorial Spaulding
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $602.74
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
READ MORE
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
The NCTE Convention is an annual event for ELA and literacy educators held all over the country. This November it will be in Boston, providing an excellent opportunity for NPS literacy educators to attend a national conference without traveling.
- Literacy experts, researchers, & practitioners lead sessions in these strands:
- Early Literacy - situated in social, historical, & cultural contexts.
- Professional Development
- LGBTQIA - critical pedagogy, and democratic teaching practices. Sessions encourage a broad definition of diversity and creation of safer, more inclusive schools
- National Writing Project writing strand
- Strand on issues, strategies regarding teaching and affirming BIPOC & ELL students
- Research Strand - original research studies
Applicant: Deana Lew
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,250
Pollinator Garden
READ MORE
Pollinator Garden new
Second graders will design and plant a pollinator garden to support bees and butterflies while learning about pollinators, native plants, and how to care for the environment. (3 classrooms) The grant will help purchase materials: soil, compost, mulch, Northeast pollinator seeds, and native pollinator plants.
Applicant: Beth Bernier
Schools: Zervas
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $225.00
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
SEL Tools for Lincoln Eliot
READ MORE
SEL Tools for Lincoln Eliot
This project aims to obtain materials to support “Take a Break” spaces and to provide students with sensory tools to help them self-regulate to better be able to attend to classroom lessons and work. Though many classroom teachers are open to implementing SEL tools, there has never been a budget for these materials. Many teachers have not been trained in tools that may help students exhibiting certain behaviors. Implementing tools to help students self-regulate is both a recent innovation in education, as well as an avenue to promote equity in that all students will have access to what they need to help them do their best learning.
Applicant: Jen Terrazzino
Schools: Lincoln Eliot
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $693
Story Starters
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Story Starters new
This program seeks to thoughtfully provide resources (books) and strategies to families to engage in conversations about race at home to support our collective work as a school community. Story Starters will offer its 8-week Family Conversations program to families at Ward and Mason-Rice. Families will receive books on topics of racial identity and parent discussion guides. The program includes on-site family events and online parent workshops. We will have participating families join together for this program. Each school will host one in-person family event for all participating families, and adults from both school communities will have online learning opportunities.
Applicant: Jake Bultema & Becca Brodadir
Schools: Mason Rice & Ward Elementary Schools
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,925.60
Strengthening Inclusion and SEL: In-class Break Spaces 2 (expansion)
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Strengthening Inclusion and SEL: In-class Break Spaces 2 (expansion)
The project aims to obtain additional materials to already successful “Calm Corner” spaces. The current project has been hugely successful and the team recognizes the need for additional materials. "Calm Corners" allow students to remain in their learning environment while they are regulating their bodies and emotions. Seeing other students using the same space and tools allows students to recognize feelings are universal--we all need a calm corner sometimes. This program is innovative in its approach and in the fact that these corners are available in every classroom as well as every special. No matter who you are or where you are, the tools are available to everyone.
Applicant: Emily Josephsohn
Schools: Burr
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $ 1501.54
The L
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The L
The L is a system of subway lines, markers, and signage. Designed to be developmentally appropriate for students and ADA compliant, this UDL supports the science of wayfinding which increases independence, reduces anxiety, and improves library usage. As part of my professional goal, I’m to visit public and school libraries to learn about the impact of wayfinding. A design for The L has been made and supplies must be ordered. Collaboration with NNHS Ed Tech program and Graphics Department will result in signage that allows students to navigate their space, meeting the required library outcomes for research and reading for leisure in NPS. By March, the system should be in place and lessons K-5 will be taught to introduce their new environment.
Applicant: Liz Donovan
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,400
Tier 1 SEL Take a Break Spaces, SEL Reboot Part 2
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Tier 1 SEL Take a Break Spaces, SEL Reboot Part 2
The project aims to obtain materials to create “Take a Break” spaces. This structure provides students with a developmentally appropriate space in the classroom where they can learn to recognize and react to emotions in a healthy & productive way. In order for students to be engaged in learning, self-regulation, a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are designated areas in classrooms that help facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This Tier 1 classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes belonging and connectedness for all students. Having an organized binder and bin of materials & explicitly teaching how to use this calming, regulating space is key to its effectiveness.
Applicant: Lisa LaCava
Schools: Mason Rice
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $ 780.92
Tier 2 & 3 Intervention & Progress Monitoring for Students in the ACHIEVE program
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Tier 2 & 3 Intervention & Progress Monitoring for Students in the ACHIEVE program
We want to purchase 17 licenses for Freckle Math & Read Live so that students in our ACHIEVE program (students with dyslexia) have access to rigorous, research-based, scaffolded reading & math intervention that also provides actionable progress data. Read Naturally is used in NPS for reading assessment & fluency intervention. Read Live is the online extension of Read Naturally. Read Live is particularly helpful for students who have reading disabilities because it reads content to students and provides actionable progress data for teachers. Freckle Math provides scaffolded standards-based math intervention to students, with problems read aloud if needed for students with dyslexia, and provides actionable progress data to teachers.
Applicant: Suzanne Griffin & Orla Higgins Averill
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $760.75
Using a Trauma Informed and Culturally Responsive Approach for Behavioral Interventions
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Using a Trauma Informed and Culturally Responsive Approach for Behavioral Interventions
This project will extend training provided through a 2023 NSF grant to increase the knowledge and skills of staff in selecting and implementing behavior interventions that are Trauma Informed, Culturally Responsive, and Neurodivergent positive. Many practices used to address students’ behavioral challenges are no longer appropriate because they do not consider the cultural variables, cognitive variations, or potential trauma histories of students. This project will allow NPS to target professional training and support to specific staff (with a focus on Unit C staff) to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to select and implement interventions that are Trauma Informed, Culturally Responsive, and Neurodivergent positive.
Applicant: James Ellis
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,350
Book Clubs
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Book Clubs new
The grant will provide funding for Book Clubs for 6th grade special education students. This includes headphones and splitters, an Audible membership, and books. The goal is to bolster reading engagement, strengthen comprehension, model fluent reading, and increase test scores. In addition, an Audible membership would allow us to purchase audiobooks and guarantee that popular titles would be available to students.
Applicant: Alyssa Cantwell
Schools: Brown Middle School
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $633.50
Comprehensible Input Library for Middle School Spanish Learners – District Pilot
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Comprehensible Input Library for Middle School Spanish Learners – District Pilot
I would like to create a library of comprehensible books written for Spanish language learners so that all of my Spanish students will be able to select and read novels that interest them and are at their appropriate reading level. The world language department has been using methods of comprehensible input (CI) in order for our students to be able to acquire language. One very effective CI method, which has yet to be implemented in this district, is to have students select and read comprehensible books that interest them from a CI library (Innovations in the Classroom). Research shows that this helps every student in the class to be successful, not just the top learners (Programs that promote Equity for all).
Applicant: Laura Brady
Schools: Oak Hill
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $600
Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
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Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
A committee of MS ELA teachers, literacy specialists, library teachers, and a member of the DEI department, will revise and update the current 6th grade novel study unit to center around a text that is engaging, culturally responsive, and rigorous. Bringing a new novel study into 6th grade classrooms reflects innovation by incorporating a text that would be more engaging and culturally responsive. Creating curriculum as a grade level is excellent, job-embedded professional development, supporting collaboration and professional learning in a meaningful context. It also promotes equity in the sense of ensuring that all 6th grade students have a common reading experience and are held to common expectations across buildings.
Applicant: Joelle Pederson
Schools: Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $7,189.20
FOCUS Executive Function Curriculum and Training
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FOCUS Executive Function Curriculum and Training new
Executive Function Curriculum and Training for Special Educators, Inclusion Teachers and Support Staff (35 staff) The curriculum includes pre and post assessments in the areas of Executive Function. Assessments will be used each trimester to measure progress. Adopting a new Executive Function curriculum in the Focus Program allows for direct instruction over 3 years for students on the Autism Spectrum who have deficits in Executive Function Skills.
Applicant: Renae Fulkerson-Keszycki
Schools: Brown Middle School
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,328.89
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Igniting a Writing Revolution
Igniting a Writing Revolution
We will conduct a book-study on “The Writing Revolution 2.0,” with the aim of developing consistent writing scaffolds that can be explicitly taught in the special ed. classroom and generalized to the general ed. setting.
Applicant: Caitlin Irwin
Schools: Oak Hill & District Special Ed. Programs
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $245
Near Excellence with NearPod
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Near Excellence with NearPod new
This grant supports NPS' District Initiative of using StarMath Diagnostic to plan tiered interventions and use NearPod resources. NearPod is an opportunity to give teachers focus skills, videos, and resources to provide mathematics differentiation, particularly Tier 2 interventions aligned with the district StarMath Diagnostic. This grant will purchase district-wide access to this resource for the school year, not just for Bigelow Middle School. This will help support students performing below benchmark and provide focused skills practice and preview for each student based on diagnostic performances three times a year.
Applicant: Casey Dolan
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $1,000
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
Using a Trauma Informed and Culturally Responsive Approach for Behavioral Interventions
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Using a Trauma Informed and Culturally Responsive Approach for Behavioral Interventions
This project will extend training provided through a 2023 NSF grant to increase the knowledge and skills of staff in selecting and implementing behavior interventions that are Trauma Informed, Culturally Responsive, and Neurodivergent positive. Many practices used to address students’ behavioral challenges are no longer appropriate because they do not consider the cultural variables, cognitive variations, or potential trauma histories of students. This project will allow NPS to target professional training and support to specific staff (with a focus on Unit C staff) to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to select and implement interventions that are Trauma Informed, Culturally Responsive, and Neurodivergent positive.
Applicant: James Ellis
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,350
WIN (What I Need) self-regulation spaces
WIN (What I Need) self-regulation spaces new
What I Need (WIN) spaces are a trauma-informed, Tier 1 classroom intervention that supports the development of self-regulation and emotional intelligence. This pilot study would include both general and special education classrooms.
Applicant: Sophia Brion-Meisels
Schools: FA Day Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $3,309.89
Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
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Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
We are piloting a program for co-teachers to improve practices. We aim to shift the culture to one that increases parity in co-teaching relationships and provides opportunities for collaboration, collective resources and professional development. While co-teaching is not a new model, approaching co-teaching holistically and collaboratively will give educators opportunities to approach their pedagogy differently. By piloting different models of co-teaching, teachers and Unit C staff will use their strengths in tandem, further developing professional skills. Refining the co-teaching dynamic will add to the educational experience for students. Effective collaboration will increase equity and accessibility for students.
Applicant: Emily Shire and Lillian Robinson
Schools: NSHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $9,247.08
Digital Tools for Targeted Speaking Practice
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Digital Tools for Targeted Speaking Practice
This is a continuation of a 2023-24 grant to purchase 300 licenses for a speaking program called Extempore. A second grant will allow for continued data collection and creation of engaging assignments for students' language learning. Extempore is used for 4 ACP/H and 5 ACP classes for more speaking practice in language learning. We target our students taking the Seal of Biliteracy with more practice as this is the area in which they struggle most. We are creating more innovative tasks for students, and they are enjoying the practice more.
Applicant: Denise Cremin
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $4,461.50
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Help All Hands have Ceramics Hand Building
Help All Hands have Ceramics Hand Building new
This grant will provide one banding wheel per student to use for hand Building. This is an invaluable professional tool for all skill levels working with clay in the round.
Applicant: Molly Baring-Gould
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $400
Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
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Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
I would like to bring Keys to Literacy, a PD program, to the science department at NNHS. I have taken PD through them in my previous district and believe they would be helpful to teachers. The Keys to Literacy program is Professional Development that provide a framework for teaching comprehension strategies and vocabulary routines. I think these strategies would be particularly helpful for our multilevel teachers in the North science department. We have a wide range of skills in the ML classrooms, including ELs and students with disabilities. Many of the techniques shown in the PD show scaffolding that would help a teacher in the multilevel setting. achers in multilevel classes.
Applicant: Melanie Pennison
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,950
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
Teachers As Scholars
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Teachers As Scholars
Teachers participate in small, 2 day seminars led by university staff in the arts, humanities, math, and science, and are thus reconnected to the world of scholarship. Participants will explore a niche area of content to progress their own learning.
Applicant: Dani Johnson
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $3,375
Using a Trauma Informed and Culturally Responsive Approach for Behavioral Interventions
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Using a Trauma Informed and Culturally Responsive Approach for Behavioral Interventions
This project will extend training provided through a 2023 NSF grant to increase the knowledge and skills of staff in selecting and implementing behavior interventions that are Trauma Informed, Culturally Responsive, and Neurodivergent positive. Many practices used to address students’ behavioral challenges are no longer appropriate because they do not consider the cultural variables, cognitive variations, or potential trauma histories of students. This project will allow NPS to target professional training and support to specific staff (with a focus on Unit C staff) to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to select and implement interventions that are Trauma Informed, Culturally Responsive, and Neurodivergent positive.
Applicant: James Ellis
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,350
Using Bablingua to Bolster Spanish Language
Using Bablingua to Bolster Spanish Language
This grant will provide Bablingua, a portal that provides videos, audio tracks, printed materials and lesson tools, to support teachers in developing thematically-based curriculum for students across all levels of Spanish (from Novice to Advanced).
Applicant: Helena Alfonzo
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $750
Writing with Charles Coe
Writing with Charles Coe
“Writing with Charles Coe” gives students a unique opportunity to write. Visiting six English classes, Charles provides meaningful prompts and makes everyone feel comfortable and brave, especially special needs and students of color.
Applicant: Amy McMahon
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $525
Professional Development for Teachers
Assistive Technology Professional Development
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Assistive Technology Professional Development new
This grant will provide funding for professional development in assistive technology for an educator seeking to learn new tools and strategies. As the sole specialist in my district, I need to expand my knowledge to better support high-needs students in accessing the full curriculum. The proposed project aligns with the funding criteria for professional development by enhancing my knowledge and skills in AT, which will improve my ability to support students with complex needs. Through targeted training, I will gain expertise in the latest tools and strategies, allowing me to implement evidence-based solutions that promote student success.
Applicant: Kayla McAlister
Schools: Williams
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $849
Choose Your Own Adventure: Districtwide K-8 Literacy Professional Development Opportunities
Choose Your Own Adventure: Districtwide K-8 Literacy Professional Development Opportunities
Applicant: Deana Lew and Joelle Pedersen
Schools: K-8
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $17,726.98
Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
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Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
We are piloting a program for co-teachers to improve practices. We aim to shift the culture to one that increases parity in co-teaching relationships and provides opportunities for collaboration, collective resources and professional development. While co-teaching is not a new model, approaching co-teaching holistically and collaboratively will give educators opportunities to approach their pedagogy differently. By piloting different models of co-teaching, teachers and Unit C staff will use their strengths in tandem, further developing professional skills. Refining the co-teaching dynamic will add to the educational experience for students. Effective collaboration will increase equity and accessibility for students.
Applicant: Emily Shire and Lillian Robinson
Schools: NSHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $9,247.08
Coding with Ozobots K-5
Coding with Ozobots K-5 new
Ozobots are robots used to teach coding. The students learn to program using color-coded patterns drawn on paper. Students will create simple programs to develop coding skills.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: District-wide K-5
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $11,250
Curriculum Design at MAFLA Proficiency Academy
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Curriculum Design at MAFLA Proficiency Academy new
Four Teachers representing each Middle School and Language will attend a three-day long Proficiency Academy to work on curriculum at Westfield State University. Guided by the MA World Languages Framework, participants will design a unit of their choice that leads language learners to meeting or exceeding proficiency targets. Participants will analyze examples of proficiency-based units after which they will use the backward design principles to design their own unit of instruction. Attention will be paid to addressing social and emotional wellbeing, social justice, centering student diversity and differentiating for equity within the units.
Applicant: Alison Tarbell
Schools: Middle Schools and Education Center
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,680.00
Data-based Proficiency Targets & Assessment
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Data-based Proficiency Targets & Assessment
A day of professional development in August for 10 teachers to follow up on DESE grant funded Avant Advance proficiency training and make data based recommendations for proficiency targets based on the 8th grade STAMP 4-S assessment given in June. This is a new approach in that this will be the first time that we have given the STAMP 4S assessment to our 8th graders. It is part of a DESE grant that, among other goals, encourages us to adjust our programming to meet the needs of multilingual learners and to possibly expand our program options to meet the changing needs of the NPS community.
Applicant: Alison Tarbell
Schools: Middle Schools and Education Center
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $3,233.40
Deepening Teachers’ Math Content Knowledge
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Deepening Teachers’ Math Content Knowledge
Teachers will work on math activities and examine case studies. Teachers will develop skills to identify the next step for each student and be able to formulate effective questions to push students of all levels to a deeper understanding. This will provide a meaningful professional development opportunity for teachers. Engaging in math with other adults and deepening one’s understanding of math concepts helps teachers to be prepared to challenge the range of learners in their class.
Applicant: Kelly Gartside
Schools: Memorial-Spaulding
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,536.28
Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
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Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
We request culturally diverse picture books to address digital citizenship/wellness & online safety. We will select 2 books/grade level & visit classes. We will create grade level digital citizenship conversation cards for teachers to use weekly. This project closely aligns with NSF's strategic goals of innovative classroom approaches and equitable education. By introducing digital citizenship concepts consistently across grade levels through discussion cards and engaging picture books, we are trying a new approach to empower teachers to confidently discuss these vital topics, contributing to the professional growth of Newton educators and the social emotional growth and digital wellness of all elementary students.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,000
Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
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Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
A committee of MS ELA teachers, literacy specialists, library teachers, and a member of the DEI department, will revise and update the current 6th grade novel study unit to center around a text that is engaging, culturally responsive, and rigorous. Bringing a new novel study into 6th grade classrooms reflects innovation by incorporating a text that would be more engaging and culturally responsive. Creating curriculum as a grade level is excellent, job-embedded professional development, supporting collaboration and professional learning in a meaningful context. It also promotes equity in the sense of ensuring that all 6th grade students have a common reading experience and are held to common expectations across buildings.
Applicant: Joelle Pederson
Schools: Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $7,189.20
Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
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Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
Elementary schools with a citywide program will offer adaptive art in the 2024-25 school year. Visual Art teachers and Occupational Therapists require summer professional development and consultation to prepare for the launch of this initiative. The summer curriculum writing and professional development will include the Bowen art teacher sharing the work documented during the pilot and the adaptations created by the Cabot visual art teacher where no adaptive art experience occurred. Liz Loya is a consultant from CAST with expertise in Universal Design for Learning and adaptive art She will assist the art teachers and OTs design approaches for implementing an adaptive art program that will meet the needs of diverse learners.
Applicant: Richard King
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $5,650
Exploring Inclusive Counseling Curricula
Exploring Inclusive Counseling Curricula new
Purchasing several inclusive, neuro-affirming, anti-ableist counseling curricula for secondary use to explore as a group before deciding on which ones to use across the middle schools for counseling groups and individual meetings.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance
Schools: All Middle Schools
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $500
Facilitating Circles Training for Restorative Practices Early-Adopters
Facilitating Circles Training for Restorative Practices Early-Adopters
Pathways to Restorative Communities will provide a professional development training workshop to teachers who have already expressed interest in learning to facilitate classroom community circles, some of whom already practice facilitating circles.
Applicant: Alan Reinstein
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $3,900
FOCUS Executive Function Curriculum and Training
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FOCUS Executive Function Curriculum and Training new
Executive Function Curriculum and Training for Special Educators, Inclusion Teachers and Support Staff (35 staff) The curriculum includes pre and post assessments in the areas of Executive Function. Assessments will be used each trimester to measure progress. Adopting a new Executive Function curriculum in the Focus Program allows for direct instruction over 3 years for students on the Autism Spectrum who have deficits in Executive Function Skills.
Applicant: Renae Fulkerson-Keszycki
Schools: Brown Middle School
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,328.89
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Igniting a Writing Revolution
Igniting a Writing Revolution
We will conduct a book-study on “The Writing Revolution 2.0,” with the aim of developing consistent writing scaffolds that can be explicitly taught in the special ed. classroom and generalized to the general ed. setting.
Applicant: Caitlin Irwin
Schools: Oak Hill & District Special Ed. Programs
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $245
Instructional Coaching Impact Cycle Professional Development
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Instructional Coaching Impact Cycle Professional Development
The goal of the workshop is for our team to learn how to leverage Jim Knight’s “Impact Cycle” model to grow student achievement. It aligns with the NPS goal of Academic Excellence by impacting Tier 1 instruction, improving student learning for all students, aligning with Educational Equity. The coaching model is dialogical, emphasizing CRI moves, trauma-Informed practices, and SEI tools. This workshop will increase our ability to collaborate and create a culture of learning in a meaningful way.
Applicant: Jen Terrazzino
Schools: Lincoln Eliot
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,884
Instructional Strategies for Assisting Students with Language-Based Learning Disabilities
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Instructional Strategies for Assisting Students with Language-Based Learning Disabilities new
Registration for a 2-day summer workshop through the Landmark School for 7 teachers. Attendees will receive training in the following areas:
- Observations of teachers
- Data such as grades, iReady/STAR math benchmarks, informal reading screeners and progress monitoring tools, and progress toward IEP goals and objectives
- Observations of students in the general education setting
Applicant: Samantha Bracy
Schools: Brown Middle School
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $1,500.00
Keys to Literacy
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Keys to Literacy
Newton North will continue training teachers in Keys to Comprehension. Fourteen teachers in the science department will participate in this virtual course. The Keys to Comprehension Routine has strategies that provide frameworks for teaching comprehension in any subject area.
Applicant: Melanie Pennison
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,800.00
METCO Directors Association Educators’ Conference
METCO Directors Association Educators’ Conference new
Attendance at the 40th METCO Director's Association (MDA) Educators' Conference.
Applicant: Peter Goddard
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $450
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
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National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
The NCTE Convention is an annual event for ELA and literacy educators held all over the country. This November it will be in Boston, providing an excellent opportunity for NPS literacy educators to attend a national conference without traveling.
- Literacy experts, researchers, & practitioners lead sessions in these strands:
- Early Literacy - situated in social, historical, & cultural contexts.
- Professional Development
- LGBTQIA - critical pedagogy, and democratic teaching practices. Sessions encourage a broad definition of diversity and creation of safer, more inclusive schools
- National Writing Project writing strand
- Strand on issues, strategies regarding teaching and affirming BIPOC & ELL students
- Research Strand - original research studies
Applicant: Deana Lew
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,250
NPS Mental Health Summit
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NPS Mental Health Summit
We held a district-wide Summit on 10/17, which was well-received. Feedback was so strong that we are looking to provide another SEL Summit in Spring 2024 based upon the significant and consistent needs of both students and staff. During a particularly tough landscape with ongoing contract negotiations and work stoppage, over 100 (that’s almost 90%) mental health professionals attended the Summit. The feedback received was they wanted to come for their own development professionally but also their own emotional health. Post-pandemic support has been very hard on our providers.
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: Districtwide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $6,000
Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
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Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
Book study of Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, by Dr. Michael Russell, culminating in meeting with the author in the spring and application of what is learned in future years. Over the course of the spring of 2024 and the 2024-25 school year, the psychologists will read Dr. Russell’s book, participate in book groups designed to apply the learning to their own work, and will discuss as a department additional measures, statements, and methods to be added or changed in order to reduce the inherent systemic and build-in bias in assessment. The department will invite Dr. Russell to join for some part of the discussion.
Applicant: Laurie Paul, Jordanna L’Esperance, Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $4,037
Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
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Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
I would like to bring Keys to Literacy, a PD program, to the science department at NNHS. I have taken PD through them in my previous district and believe they would be helpful to teachers. The Keys to Literacy program is Professional Development that provide a framework for teaching comprehension strategies and vocabulary routines. I think these strategies would be particularly helpful for our multilevel teachers in the North science department. We have a wide range of skills in the ML classrooms, including ELs and students with disabilities. Many of the techniques shown in the PD show scaffolding that would help a teacher in the multilevel setting. achers in multilevel classes.
Applicant: Melanie Pennison
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,950
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
PROMPT for Motor Speech Disorders
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PROMPT for Motor Speech Disorders new
This grant is for high quality professional development in the area of motor speech disorders, specifically Childhood Apraxia of Speech. The PROMPT model is a tactile-kinesthetic approach in conjunction with a holistic approach to therapy. The PROMPT approach would be a new therapeutic technique to use with students with motor speech disorders. It has been recommended in reports from outside speech and language pathologists for Newton students. Professional development in this area would help expand my practice and improve functional outcomes for students.
Applicant: Lori Franzella
Schools: Countryside
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $850
Psychology Department Book Study
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Psychology Department Book Study
Psychologists will continue our goal of reducing bias in assessment & counseling by reading over the summer and meeting in the fall to discuss and apply learnings in order to design more inclusive comprehensive evaluation and counseling processes. Earlier this year we read Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement: Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, and met with the author for discussion. This led to additional thoughtful departmental discussions about bias in psychological assessments, and allowed us to review our practices and to collaborate on best practices for inclusive, comprehensive assessment and counseling practices which creates more educational equity for all students. We want to continue this work.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance & Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: 1,000
Social Emotional Learning & Promoting Equity
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Social Emotional Learning & Promoting Equity
SEL implementation through teaching specific strategies and tools to facilitate equity of learning. Utilizing the different trainings I have received, I am developing new models to implement SEL. In 30 minute daily lessons, I will teach the Zones of Regulation paired with a book and a calming tool. Each student will develop an individual toolbox to identify their feelings and strategies that have been model in lessons/books. This will help maintain regulation and increase resilience. When all students persevere through academic challenges this creates equity among students.
Applicant: Jennifer Mead
Schools: Peirce
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $550
Spring Mental Health Summit
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Spring Mental Health Summit
The Mental Health Summit is in its 2nd year. Offered twice a year to the ~130 mental health professionals district-wide for a day of learning and community building. It's become a much-anticipated space and time for our folks! Our mental health professionals play an integral role in the culture and climate of our buildings and classrooms. The mental health summit, as reported overwhelmingly in feedback surveys afterwards, feeds their souls professionally, deepens their current practice, and provides space for professional improvement with like-roles. Staff who feel supported and joyful are better prepared to provide the same environment for students and their colleagues!
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $10,000
Supporting Students via Eye Gaze Technology
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Supporting Students via Eye Gaze Technology new
This professional development offering is an opportunity to learn more about utilizing eye gaze technology in the classroom to ensure high quality education for students with significant disabilities. It would help ensure that these students have access to tier 1 instruction and support ways for students to show their knowledge in more creative ways.
Applicant: Stacey Crocker
Schools: Williams
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $425
Supporting the Development of Executive Functioning Skills
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Supporting the Development of Executive Functioning Skills
We’d like to partner with Cognitive Connections to have a school-wide PD for all educators to learn about strategies to support executive functioning skill development, including Get Ready, Do, Done (GRDD). By receiving professional development around executive functioning strategies like Get Ready Do Done (GRDD), Angier educators will be able to expand their practice and better support ALL students, in particular those with executive functioning challenges and/or language-based learning disabilities
Applicant: Orla Higgins Averill
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,500
Teachers as Scholars
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Teachers as Scholars
Teachers participate in small, 2-day seminars led by university staff in the arts, humanities, math, and science, reconnecting them to the world of scholarship. Participants will explore a niche area of content to progress their own learning.
Applicant: Dani Johnson
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $3,475
Teachers As Scholars
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Teachers As Scholars
Teachers participate in small, 2 day seminars led by university staff in the arts, humanities, math, and science, and are thus reconnected to the world of scholarship. Participants will explore a niche area of content to progress their own learning.
Applicant: Dani Johnson
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $3,375
Williams School and Newton South Student Affinity Space
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Williams School and Newton South Student Affinity Space
Newton South students will work with Cierra Brown, a former Williams Student and Harvard student to run an affinity space / cultural activities for Black/African-American and Latinx students at Williams School. Led by Cierra Brown, and supervised by Monica Matrisciano and Katani Sumner, Legacy Scholars at South will go to Williams once a month and engage in cultural activities with Black/African-American and LatinX students at Williams Elementary School.
Applicant: Monica Matrisciano and Katani Sumner
Schools: Williams and South
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,900
Writing with Charles Coe
Writing with Charles Coe
“Writing with Charles Coe” gives students a unique opportunity to write. Visiting six English classes, Charles provides meaningful prompts and makes everyone feel comfortable and brave, especially special needs and students of color.
Applicant: Amy McMahon
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $525
Assistive Technology Professional Development
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Assistive Technology Professional Development new
This grant will provide funding for professional development in assistive technology for an educator seeking to learn new tools and strategies. As the sole specialist in my district, I need to expand my knowledge to better support high-needs students in accessing the full curriculum. The proposed project aligns with the funding criteria for professional development by enhancing my knowledge and skills in AT, which will improve my ability to support students with complex needs. Through targeted training, I will gain expertise in the latest tools and strategies, allowing me to implement evidence-based solutions that promote student success.
Applicant: Kayla McAlister
Schools: Williams
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $849
Choose Your Own Adventure: Districtwide K-8 Literacy Professional Development Opportunities
Choose Your Own Adventure: Districtwide K-8 Literacy Professional Development Opportunities
Applicant: Deana Lew and Joelle Pedersen
Schools: K-8
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $17,726.98
Coding with Ozobots K-5
Coding with Ozobots K-5 new
Ozobots are robots used to teach coding. The students learn to program using color-coded patterns drawn on paper. Students will create simple programs to develop coding skills.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: District-wide K-5
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $11,250
Deepening Teachers’ Math Content Knowledge
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Deepening Teachers’ Math Content Knowledge
Teachers will work on math activities and examine case studies. Teachers will develop skills to identify the next step for each student and be able to formulate effective questions to push students of all levels to a deeper understanding. This will provide a meaningful professional development opportunity for teachers. Engaging in math with other adults and deepening one’s understanding of math concepts helps teachers to be prepared to challenge the range of learners in their class.
Applicant: Kelly Gartside
Schools: Memorial-Spaulding
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,536.28
Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
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Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
We request culturally diverse picture books to address digital citizenship/wellness & online safety. We will select 2 books/grade level & visit classes. We will create grade level digital citizenship conversation cards for teachers to use weekly. This project closely aligns with NSF's strategic goals of innovative classroom approaches and equitable education. By introducing digital citizenship concepts consistently across grade levels through discussion cards and engaging picture books, we are trying a new approach to empower teachers to confidently discuss these vital topics, contributing to the professional growth of Newton educators and the social emotional growth and digital wellness of all elementary students.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,000
Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
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Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
Elementary schools with a citywide program will offer adaptive art in the 2024-25 school year. Visual Art teachers and Occupational Therapists require summer professional development and consultation to prepare for the launch of this initiative. The summer curriculum writing and professional development will include the Bowen art teacher sharing the work documented during the pilot and the adaptations created by the Cabot visual art teacher where no adaptive art experience occurred. Liz Loya is a consultant from CAST with expertise in Universal Design for Learning and adaptive art She will assist the art teachers and OTs design approaches for implementing an adaptive art program that will meet the needs of diverse learners.
Applicant: Richard King
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $5,650
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Instructional Coaching Impact Cycle Professional Development
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Instructional Coaching Impact Cycle Professional Development
The goal of the workshop is for our team to learn how to leverage Jim Knight’s “Impact Cycle” model to grow student achievement. It aligns with the NPS goal of Academic Excellence by impacting Tier 1 instruction, improving student learning for all students, aligning with Educational Equity. The coaching model is dialogical, emphasizing CRI moves, trauma-Informed practices, and SEI tools. This workshop will increase our ability to collaborate and create a culture of learning in a meaningful way.
Applicant: Jen Terrazzino
Schools: Lincoln Eliot
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,884
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
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National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
The NCTE Convention is an annual event for ELA and literacy educators held all over the country. This November it will be in Boston, providing an excellent opportunity for NPS literacy educators to attend a national conference without traveling.
- Literacy experts, researchers, & practitioners lead sessions in these strands:
- Early Literacy - situated in social, historical, & cultural contexts.
- Professional Development
- LGBTQIA - critical pedagogy, and democratic teaching practices. Sessions encourage a broad definition of diversity and creation of safer, more inclusive schools
- National Writing Project writing strand
- Strand on issues, strategies regarding teaching and affirming BIPOC & ELL students
- Research Strand - original research studies
Applicant: Deana Lew
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,250
NPS Mental Health Summit
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NPS Mental Health Summit
We held a district-wide Summit on 10/17, which was well-received. Feedback was so strong that we are looking to provide another SEL Summit in Spring 2024 based upon the significant and consistent needs of both students and staff. During a particularly tough landscape with ongoing contract negotiations and work stoppage, over 100 (that’s almost 90%) mental health professionals attended the Summit. The feedback received was they wanted to come for their own development professionally but also their own emotional health. Post-pandemic support has been very hard on our providers.
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: Districtwide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $6,000
Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
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Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
Book study of Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, by Dr. Michael Russell, culminating in meeting with the author in the spring and application of what is learned in future years. Over the course of the spring of 2024 and the 2024-25 school year, the psychologists will read Dr. Russell’s book, participate in book groups designed to apply the learning to their own work, and will discuss as a department additional measures, statements, and methods to be added or changed in order to reduce the inherent systemic and build-in bias in assessment. The department will invite Dr. Russell to join for some part of the discussion.
Applicant: Laurie Paul, Jordanna L’Esperance, Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $4,037
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
PROMPT for Motor Speech Disorders
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PROMPT for Motor Speech Disorders new
This grant is for high quality professional development in the area of motor speech disorders, specifically Childhood Apraxia of Speech. The PROMPT model is a tactile-kinesthetic approach in conjunction with a holistic approach to therapy. The PROMPT approach would be a new therapeutic technique to use with students with motor speech disorders. It has been recommended in reports from outside speech and language pathologists for Newton students. Professional development in this area would help expand my practice and improve functional outcomes for students.
Applicant: Lori Franzella
Schools: Countryside
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $850
Psychology Department Book Study
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Psychology Department Book Study
Psychologists will continue our goal of reducing bias in assessment & counseling by reading over the summer and meeting in the fall to discuss and apply learnings in order to design more inclusive comprehensive evaluation and counseling processes. Earlier this year we read Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement: Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, and met with the author for discussion. This led to additional thoughtful departmental discussions about bias in psychological assessments, and allowed us to review our practices and to collaborate on best practices for inclusive, comprehensive assessment and counseling practices which creates more educational equity for all students. We want to continue this work.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance & Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: 1,000
Social Emotional Learning & Promoting Equity
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Social Emotional Learning & Promoting Equity
SEL implementation through teaching specific strategies and tools to facilitate equity of learning. Utilizing the different trainings I have received, I am developing new models to implement SEL. In 30 minute daily lessons, I will teach the Zones of Regulation paired with a book and a calming tool. Each student will develop an individual toolbox to identify their feelings and strategies that have been model in lessons/books. This will help maintain regulation and increase resilience. When all students persevere through academic challenges this creates equity among students.
Applicant: Jennifer Mead
Schools: Peirce
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $550
Spring Mental Health Summit
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Spring Mental Health Summit
The Mental Health Summit is in its 2nd year. Offered twice a year to the ~130 mental health professionals district-wide for a day of learning and community building. It's become a much-anticipated space and time for our folks! Our mental health professionals play an integral role in the culture and climate of our buildings and classrooms. The mental health summit, as reported overwhelmingly in feedback surveys afterwards, feeds their souls professionally, deepens their current practice, and provides space for professional improvement with like-roles. Staff who feel supported and joyful are better prepared to provide the same environment for students and their colleagues!
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $10,000
Supporting Students via Eye Gaze Technology
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Supporting Students via Eye Gaze Technology new
This professional development offering is an opportunity to learn more about utilizing eye gaze technology in the classroom to ensure high quality education for students with significant disabilities. It would help ensure that these students have access to tier 1 instruction and support ways for students to show their knowledge in more creative ways.
Applicant: Stacey Crocker
Schools: Williams
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $425
Supporting the Development of Executive Functioning Skills
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Supporting the Development of Executive Functioning Skills
We’d like to partner with Cognitive Connections to have a school-wide PD for all educators to learn about strategies to support executive functioning skill development, including Get Ready, Do, Done (GRDD). By receiving professional development around executive functioning strategies like Get Ready Do Done (GRDD), Angier educators will be able to expand their practice and better support ALL students, in particular those with executive functioning challenges and/or language-based learning disabilities
Applicant: Orla Higgins Averill
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,500
Williams School and Newton South Student Affinity Space
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Williams School and Newton South Student Affinity Space
Newton South students will work with Cierra Brown, a former Williams Student and Harvard student to run an affinity space / cultural activities for Black/African-American and Latinx students at Williams School. Led by Cierra Brown, and supervised by Monica Matrisciano and Katani Sumner, Legacy Scholars at South will go to Williams once a month and engage in cultural activities with Black/African-American and LatinX students at Williams Elementary School.
Applicant: Monica Matrisciano and Katani Sumner
Schools: Williams and South
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,900
Choose Your Own Adventure: Districtwide K-8 Literacy Professional Development Opportunities
Choose Your Own Adventure: Districtwide K-8 Literacy Professional Development Opportunities
Applicant: Deana Lew and Joelle Pedersen
Schools: K-8
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $17,726.98
Curriculum Design at MAFLA Proficiency Academy
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Curriculum Design at MAFLA Proficiency Academy new
Four Teachers representing each Middle School and Language will attend a three-day long Proficiency Academy to work on curriculum at Westfield State University. Guided by the MA World Languages Framework, participants will design a unit of their choice that leads language learners to meeting or exceeding proficiency targets. Participants will analyze examples of proficiency-based units after which they will use the backward design principles to design their own unit of instruction. Attention will be paid to addressing social and emotional wellbeing, social justice, centering student diversity and differentiating for equity within the units.
Applicant: Alison Tarbell
Schools: Middle Schools and Education Center
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,680.00
Data-based Proficiency Targets & Assessment
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Data-based Proficiency Targets & Assessment
A day of professional development in August for 10 teachers to follow up on DESE grant funded Avant Advance proficiency training and make data based recommendations for proficiency targets based on the 8th grade STAMP 4-S assessment given in June. This is a new approach in that this will be the first time that we have given the STAMP 4S assessment to our 8th graders. It is part of a DESE grant that, among other goals, encourages us to adjust our programming to meet the needs of multilingual learners and to possibly expand our program options to meet the changing needs of the NPS community.
Applicant: Alison Tarbell
Schools: Middle Schools and Education Center
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $3,233.40
Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
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Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
A committee of MS ELA teachers, literacy specialists, library teachers, and a member of the DEI department, will revise and update the current 6th grade novel study unit to center around a text that is engaging, culturally responsive, and rigorous. Bringing a new novel study into 6th grade classrooms reflects innovation by incorporating a text that would be more engaging and culturally responsive. Creating curriculum as a grade level is excellent, job-embedded professional development, supporting collaboration and professional learning in a meaningful context. It also promotes equity in the sense of ensuring that all 6th grade students have a common reading experience and are held to common expectations across buildings.
Applicant: Joelle Pederson
Schools: Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $7,189.20
Exploring Inclusive Counseling Curricula
Exploring Inclusive Counseling Curricula new
Purchasing several inclusive, neuro-affirming, anti-ableist counseling curricula for secondary use to explore as a group before deciding on which ones to use across the middle schools for counseling groups and individual meetings.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance
Schools: All Middle Schools
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $500
FOCUS Executive Function Curriculum and Training
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FOCUS Executive Function Curriculum and Training new
Executive Function Curriculum and Training for Special Educators, Inclusion Teachers and Support Staff (35 staff) The curriculum includes pre and post assessments in the areas of Executive Function. Assessments will be used each trimester to measure progress. Adopting a new Executive Function curriculum in the Focus Program allows for direct instruction over 3 years for students on the Autism Spectrum who have deficits in Executive Function Skills.
Applicant: Renae Fulkerson-Keszycki
Schools: Brown Middle School
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,328.89
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Igniting a Writing Revolution
Igniting a Writing Revolution
We will conduct a book-study on “The Writing Revolution 2.0,” with the aim of developing consistent writing scaffolds that can be explicitly taught in the special ed. classroom and generalized to the general ed. setting.
Applicant: Caitlin Irwin
Schools: Oak Hill & District Special Ed. Programs
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $245
Instructional Strategies for Assisting Students with Language-Based Learning Disabilities
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Instructional Strategies for Assisting Students with Language-Based Learning Disabilities new
Registration for a 2-day summer workshop through the Landmark School for 7 teachers. Attendees will receive training in the following areas:
- Observations of teachers
- Data such as grades, iReady/STAR math benchmarks, informal reading screeners and progress monitoring tools, and progress toward IEP goals and objectives
- Observations of students in the general education setting
Applicant: Samantha Bracy
Schools: Brown Middle School
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $1,500.00
NPS Mental Health Summit
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NPS Mental Health Summit
We held a district-wide Summit on 10/17, which was well-received. Feedback was so strong that we are looking to provide another SEL Summit in Spring 2024 based upon the significant and consistent needs of both students and staff. During a particularly tough landscape with ongoing contract negotiations and work stoppage, over 100 (that’s almost 90%) mental health professionals attended the Summit. The feedback received was they wanted to come for their own development professionally but also their own emotional health. Post-pandemic support has been very hard on our providers.
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: Districtwide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $6,000
Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
READ MORE
Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
Book study of Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, by Dr. Michael Russell, culminating in meeting with the author in the spring and application of what is learned in future years. Over the course of the spring of 2024 and the 2024-25 school year, the psychologists will read Dr. Russell’s book, participate in book groups designed to apply the learning to their own work, and will discuss as a department additional measures, statements, and methods to be added or changed in order to reduce the inherent systemic and build-in bias in assessment. The department will invite Dr. Russell to join for some part of the discussion.
Applicant: Laurie Paul, Jordanna L’Esperance, Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $4,037
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
Psychology Department Book Study
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Psychology Department Book Study
Psychologists will continue our goal of reducing bias in assessment & counseling by reading over the summer and meeting in the fall to discuss and apply learnings in order to design more inclusive comprehensive evaluation and counseling processes. Earlier this year we read Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement: Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, and met with the author for discussion. This led to additional thoughtful departmental discussions about bias in psychological assessments, and allowed us to review our practices and to collaborate on best practices for inclusive, comprehensive assessment and counseling practices which creates more educational equity for all students. We want to continue this work.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance & Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: 1,000
Spring Mental Health Summit
READ MORE
Spring Mental Health Summit
The Mental Health Summit is in its 2nd year. Offered twice a year to the ~130 mental health professionals district-wide for a day of learning and community building. It's become a much-anticipated space and time for our folks! Our mental health professionals play an integral role in the culture and climate of our buildings and classrooms. The mental health summit, as reported overwhelmingly in feedback surveys afterwards, feeds their souls professionally, deepens their current practice, and provides space for professional improvement with like-roles. Staff who feel supported and joyful are better prepared to provide the same environment for students and their colleagues!
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $10,000
Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
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Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
We are piloting a program for co-teachers to improve practices. We aim to shift the culture to one that increases parity in co-teaching relationships and provides opportunities for collaboration, collective resources and professional development. While co-teaching is not a new model, approaching co-teaching holistically and collaboratively will give educators opportunities to approach their pedagogy differently. By piloting different models of co-teaching, teachers and Unit C staff will use their strengths in tandem, further developing professional skills. Refining the co-teaching dynamic will add to the educational experience for students. Effective collaboration will increase equity and accessibility for students.
Applicant: Emily Shire and Lillian Robinson
Schools: NSHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $9,247.08
Facilitating Circles Training for Restorative Practices Early-Adopters
Facilitating Circles Training for Restorative Practices Early-Adopters
Pathways to Restorative Communities will provide a professional development training workshop to teachers who have already expressed interest in learning to facilitate classroom community circles, some of whom already practice facilitating circles.
Applicant: Alan Reinstein
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $3,900
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Keys to Literacy
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Keys to Literacy
Newton North will continue training teachers in Keys to Comprehension. Fourteen teachers in the science department will participate in this virtual course. The Keys to Comprehension Routine has strategies that provide frameworks for teaching comprehension in any subject area.
Applicant: Melanie Pennison
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,800.00
METCO Directors Association Educators’ Conference
METCO Directors Association Educators’ Conference new
Attendance at the 40th METCO Director's Association (MDA) Educators' Conference.
Applicant: Peter Goddard
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $450
NPS Mental Health Summit
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NPS Mental Health Summit
We held a district-wide Summit on 10/17, which was well-received. Feedback was so strong that we are looking to provide another SEL Summit in Spring 2024 based upon the significant and consistent needs of both students and staff. During a particularly tough landscape with ongoing contract negotiations and work stoppage, over 100 (that’s almost 90%) mental health professionals attended the Summit. The feedback received was they wanted to come for their own development professionally but also their own emotional health. Post-pandemic support has been very hard on our providers.
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: Districtwide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $6,000
Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
READ MORE
Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
Book study of Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, by Dr. Michael Russell, culminating in meeting with the author in the spring and application of what is learned in future years. Over the course of the spring of 2024 and the 2024-25 school year, the psychologists will read Dr. Russell’s book, participate in book groups designed to apply the learning to their own work, and will discuss as a department additional measures, statements, and methods to be added or changed in order to reduce the inherent systemic and build-in bias in assessment. The department will invite Dr. Russell to join for some part of the discussion.
Applicant: Laurie Paul, Jordanna L’Esperance, Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $4,037
Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
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Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
I would like to bring Keys to Literacy, a PD program, to the science department at NNHS. I have taken PD through them in my previous district and believe they would be helpful to teachers. The Keys to Literacy program is Professional Development that provide a framework for teaching comprehension strategies and vocabulary routines. I think these strategies would be particularly helpful for our multilevel teachers in the North science department. We have a wide range of skills in the ML classrooms, including ELs and students with disabilities. Many of the techniques shown in the PD show scaffolding that would help a teacher in the multilevel setting. achers in multilevel classes.
Applicant: Melanie Pennison
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,950
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
Psychology Department Book Study
READ MORE
Psychology Department Book Study
Psychologists will continue our goal of reducing bias in assessment & counseling by reading over the summer and meeting in the fall to discuss and apply learnings in order to design more inclusive comprehensive evaluation and counseling processes. Earlier this year we read Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement: Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, and met with the author for discussion. This led to additional thoughtful departmental discussions about bias in psychological assessments, and allowed us to review our practices and to collaborate on best practices for inclusive, comprehensive assessment and counseling practices which creates more educational equity for all students. We want to continue this work.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance & Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: 1,000
Spring Mental Health Summit
READ MORE
Spring Mental Health Summit
The Mental Health Summit is in its 2nd year. Offered twice a year to the ~130 mental health professionals district-wide for a day of learning and community building. It's become a much-anticipated space and time for our folks! Our mental health professionals play an integral role in the culture and climate of our buildings and classrooms. The mental health summit, as reported overwhelmingly in feedback surveys afterwards, feeds their souls professionally, deepens their current practice, and provides space for professional improvement with like-roles. Staff who feel supported and joyful are better prepared to provide the same environment for students and their colleagues!
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $10,000
Teachers as Scholars
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Teachers as Scholars
Teachers participate in small, 2-day seminars led by university staff in the arts, humanities, math, and science, reconnecting them to the world of scholarship. Participants will explore a niche area of content to progress their own learning.
Applicant: Dani Johnson
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $3,475
Teachers As Scholars
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Teachers As Scholars
Teachers participate in small, 2 day seminars led by university staff in the arts, humanities, math, and science, and are thus reconnected to the world of scholarship. Participants will explore a niche area of content to progress their own learning.
Applicant: Dani Johnson
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $3,375
Williams School and Newton South Student Affinity Space
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Williams School and Newton South Student Affinity Space
Newton South students will work with Cierra Brown, a former Williams Student and Harvard student to run an affinity space / cultural activities for Black/African-American and Latinx students at Williams School. Led by Cierra Brown, and supervised by Monica Matrisciano and Katani Sumner, Legacy Scholars at South will go to Williams once a month and engage in cultural activities with Black/African-American and LatinX students at Williams Elementary School.
Applicant: Monica Matrisciano and Katani Sumner
Schools: Williams and South
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,900
Writing with Charles Coe
Writing with Charles Coe
“Writing with Charles Coe” gives students a unique opportunity to write. Visiting six English classes, Charles provides meaningful prompts and makes everyone feel comfortable and brave, especially special needs and students of color.
Applicant: Amy McMahon
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $525
Programs that Promote Equity for all Students
Adaptive Art Program
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Adaptive Art Program
We seek to acquire specialized materials, tools, and equipment to support newly created adaptive art classes for students in the STRIDE (Cabot, Bowen, Zervas), Reflections (Williams) and SPARK (Countryside) programs. This request follows a SY24 award for adaptative art Professional Development for the art department at the schools with specialized programs.
Applicant: Christine Phillips
Schools: Cabot, Bowen, Williams, Zervas, and Countryside
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $2,500
Building Therapeutic Milieu
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Building Therapeutic Milieu new
NPS will partner with Brookline Center to pilot therapeutic milieu programming. BRYT programming supports students who are not yet ready to access supportive, joyful learning environments or high-quality instruction due to mental health, medical, or life challenges. By providing intensive transition support, therapeutic care, and academic coordination, BRYT helps students stabilize, rebuild skills, and re-engage with learning, ensuring they can fully access rigorous instruction when ready.
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: Newton North & Newton South High Schools
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $15,000
Career Day
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Career Day
This is a preventive mental health and community engagement event. Community members volunteer to speak about their career field. Students are surveyed about their fields of interest and then scheduled to hear from the most relevant speakers. This is a preventive mental health program designed to give students a hopeful and an optimistic outlook of their own futures, which has been identified as one of the 40 Developmental Assets. By ensuring a diverse range of speaker backgrounds, we are aiming to have professional mentors that represent the diversity of our student body. This is also a community engagement opportunity for middle school students to connect in a meaningful way with positive role models.
Applicant: Jackie Mann
Schools: Day MS
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,000
Classroom Take a Break Space
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Classroom Take a Break Space
To obtain materials to create "take a break" spaces. This structure provides students with developmentally appropriate space within their classroom where they can learn to recognize and react to emotions in a healthy and productive way. In order for students to be highly engaged in academic content and instruction in their classrooms, self-regulation and a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are a small, designated area in classrooms that help to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This tier one classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes strong belonging and connectedness for all students in our elementary classrooms
Applicant: Suzanne Rothenberg
Schools: Underwood
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $500
Classroom Take a Break Spaces
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Classroom Take a Break Spaces
The project aims to obtain materials to update “Take a Break” spaces. The spaces help to promote emotional regulation in a developmentally appropriate way. In order for students to be highly engaged in academic content and instruction in their classrooms, self-regulation and a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are a small, designated area in classrooms that help to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This tier one classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes strong belonging and connectedness for all students in our elementary classrooms.
Applicant: Melissa Vigliotti
Schools: Williams
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,000
Classroom Take a Break Spaces
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Classroom Take a Break Spaces
The project aims to obtain materials to create “Take a Break” spaces. This structure provides students w/ a developmentally appropriate space w/in their classroom where they can learn to recognize/react to emotions in a healthy and productive way. In order for students to be highly engaged in academic content and instruction in their classrooms, self-regulation and a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are a small, designated area in classrooms that help to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This tier one classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes strong belonging and connectedness for all students in our elementary classrooms.
Applicant: Michelle Ellis
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $293
Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
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Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
We are piloting a program for co-teachers to improve practices. We aim to shift the culture to one that increases parity in co-teaching relationships and provides opportunities for collaboration, collective resources and professional development. While co-teaching is not a new model, approaching co-teaching holistically and collaboratively will give educators opportunities to approach their pedagogy differently. By piloting different models of co-teaching, teachers and Unit C staff will use their strengths in tandem, further developing professional skills. Refining the co-teaching dynamic will add to the educational experience for students. Effective collaboration will increase equity and accessibility for students.
Applicant: Emily Shire and Lillian Robinson
Schools: NSHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $9,247.08
Coding with Ozobots K-5
Coding with Ozobots K-5 new
Ozobots are robots used to teach coding. The students learn to program using color-coded patterns drawn on paper. Students will create simple programs to develop coding skills.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: District-wide K-5
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $11,250
Comprehensible Input Library for Middle School Spanish Learners – District Pilot
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Comprehensible Input Library for Middle School Spanish Learners – District Pilot
I would like to create a library of comprehensible books written for Spanish language learners so that all of my Spanish students will be able to select and read novels that interest them and are at their appropriate reading level. The world language department has been using methods of comprehensible input (CI) in order for our students to be able to acquire language. One very effective CI method, which has yet to be implemented in this district, is to have students select and read comprehensible books that interest them from a CI library (Innovations in the Classroom). Research shows that this helps every student in the class to be successful, not just the top learners (Programs that promote Equity for all).
Applicant: Laura Brady
Schools: Oak Hill
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $600
Consultant on Anti-Ableism Work
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Consultant on Anti-Ableism Work
Bring on regional expert to support w. engagement w. the district to leverage work of developing anti-ableist lens across district. Betsy Johnson would engage with the district in developing a critical lens through which to examine our current practices for evidence of ableism. Once we can root ableism, we can work to dismantle it so we eliminate/minimize impact of unintended discrimination caused by implicit biases. This would lead to more equitable educational experiences for all students.
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,170
Cultivating Library Researchers: Fueling Research Skills with PearDeck for K-5 Library Teachers
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Cultivating Library Researchers: Fueling Research Skills with PearDeck for K-5 Library Teachers
This application requests funding for PearDeck access for four K-5 library teachers with the aim of enhancing students' research skills and facilitating data comparison across their four schools while implementing a new research curriculum. Integrating a digital tool like PearDeck offers added support, aiding library teachers in tracking student progress and making personalized adjustments. Implementing common assessments at specific points in research units will enable modifications. Furthermore, in our PLC meetings, we will analyze the data and develop RTI activities to ensure all students meet their objectives. Finally, we will share with our Department best practices and newly updated lessons for teaching research.
Applicant: Eileen Keane
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $600
Cultural Kaleidoscope: Researching, Designing, and Promoting the District’s Monthly Heritage Celebration Resource
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Cultural Kaleidoscope: Researching, Designing, and Promoting the District’s Monthly Heritage Celebration Resource
A few years ago, DEI began the Monthly Heritage Celebration document, and going forward, I'll expand it for the District. This resource helps educators, students, and families as they look for ways to celebrate and learn about different heritages. Activities I will engage in include: evaluating needs assessment, setting a timeline, researching and curating resources, evaluating for quality and inclusivity, organizing the document, managing copyrights, designing layout, gathering feedback, promoting awareness, evaluating impact, and planning for long-term sustainability and growth.
Applicant: Eileen Keane
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,600
Deepening Teachers’ Math Content Knowledge
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Deepening Teachers’ Math Content Knowledge
Teachers will work on math activities and examine case studies. Teachers will develop skills to identify the next step for each student and be able to formulate effective questions to push students of all levels to a deeper understanding. This will provide a meaningful professional development opportunity for teachers. Engaging in math with other adults and deepening one’s understanding of math concepts helps teachers to be prepared to challenge the range of learners in their class.
Applicant: Kelly Gartside
Schools: Memorial-Spaulding
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,536.28
Digi Blocks
Digi Blocks new
Digi blocks are a fantastic math manipulative. They allow students a tactile and visual way to understand regrouping. Using this tool will increase student understanding and independence in math.
Applicant: Shayna Packer
Schools: Countryside
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $705
Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
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Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
We request culturally diverse picture books to address digital citizenship/wellness & online safety. We will select 2 books/grade level & visit classes. We will create grade level digital citizenship conversation cards for teachers to use weekly. This project closely aligns with NSF's strategic goals of innovative classroom approaches and equitable education. By introducing digital citizenship concepts consistently across grade levels through discussion cards and engaging picture books, we are trying a new approach to empower teachers to confidently discuss these vital topics, contributing to the professional growth of Newton educators and the social emotional growth and digital wellness of all elementary students.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,000
Digital Tools for Targeted Speaking Practice
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Digital Tools for Targeted Speaking Practice
This is a continuation of a 2023-24 grant to purchase 300 licenses for a speaking program called Extempore. A second grant will allow for continued data collection and creation of engaging assignments for students' language learning. Extempore is used for 4 ACP/H and 5 ACP classes for more speaking practice in language learning. We target our students taking the Seal of Biliteracy with more practice as this is the area in which they struggle most. We are creating more innovative tasks for students, and they are enjoying the practice more.
Applicant: Denise Cremin
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $4,461.50
Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
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Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
A committee of MS ELA teachers, literacy specialists, library teachers, and a member of the DEI department, will revise and update the current 6th grade novel study unit to center around a text that is engaging, culturally responsive, and rigorous. Bringing a new novel study into 6th grade classrooms reflects innovation by incorporating a text that would be more engaging and culturally responsive. Creating curriculum as a grade level is excellent, job-embedded professional development, supporting collaboration and professional learning in a meaningful context. It also promotes equity in the sense of ensuring that all 6th grade students have a common reading experience and are held to common expectations across buildings.
Applicant: Joelle Pederson
Schools: Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $7,189.20
Dreamfar
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Dreamfar
NSF’s grant will fund uniforms and race fees for Dreamfar’s NNHS/NSHS students and program leaders.To promote accessibility for all, Dreamfar is provided at no cost to participants, and students of diverse backgrounds and abilities are welcome.
Applicant: Ethan Peritz / Holly Kee
Schools: Newton North & Newton South High Schools
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $5,000
Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
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Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
Elementary schools with a citywide program will offer adaptive art in the 2024-25 school year. Visual Art teachers and Occupational Therapists require summer professional development and consultation to prepare for the launch of this initiative. The summer curriculum writing and professional development will include the Bowen art teacher sharing the work documented during the pilot and the adaptations created by the Cabot visual art teacher where no adaptive art experience occurred. Liz Loya is a consultant from CAST with expertise in Universal Design for Learning and adaptive art She will assist the art teachers and OTs design approaches for implementing an adaptive art program that will meet the needs of diverse learners.
Applicant: Richard King
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $5,650
Exploring Inclusive Counseling Curricula
Exploring Inclusive Counseling Curricula new
Purchasing several inclusive, neuro-affirming, anti-ableist counseling curricula for secondary use to explore as a group before deciding on which ones to use across the middle schools for counseling groups and individual meetings.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance
Schools: All Middle Schools
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $500
Family Conversations: A Home and School Partnership
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Family Conversations: A Home and School Partnership
Countryside and Burr Elementary Schools and Newton South Preschool will host site-based racial literacy programming for students ages 3-8 years old and their caregivers in Fall 2024 in partnership with Story Starters Research shows that educational equity in younger ages is most likely to be successful when parents are involved and community norms are strong. This project would target the critical developmental window -- ages 3-8 -- when parents have a significant impact on their children's beliefs about race. All children benefit from belonging to anti-racist communities, since they acquire racial knowledge from community standards and conventions. (Hirschfeld, 2012). , a Newton nonprofit.
Applicant: Mindy Johal & Beth Herlihy
Schools: Burr & Countryside & Preschool
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,350.80
Fine Arts for All
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Fine Arts for All
In 2021 we applied for and were approve for a grant that allowed us to expand our inventory of adapted musical equipment to be used at NECP. We want to expand on that project by acquiring accessible art materials to ensure access for all learners. In preschool, the bulk of curriculum is delivered through art and music. For students with limited motor movement, they often lack the ability to participate independently in curriculum activities because of the lack of adaptive equipment. By acquiring adapted art and music equipment, students with significant disabilities will have the opportunity to be able to participate independently with their peers, ensuring social-emotional wellbeing, educational equity, and academic excellence.
Applicant: Ashley Raven, Emily Nunes, and Kayla McAlister
Schools: NECP
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,487.40
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Help All Hands have Ceramics Hand Building
Help All Hands have Ceramics Hand Building new
This grant will provide one banding wheel per student to use for hand Building. This is an invaluable professional tool for all skill levels working with clay in the round.
Applicant: Molly Baring-Gould
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $400
Igniting a Writing Revolution
Igniting a Writing Revolution
We will conduct a book-study on “The Writing Revolution 2.0,” with the aim of developing consistent writing scaffolds that can be explicitly taught in the special ed. classroom and generalized to the general ed. setting.
Applicant: Caitlin Irwin
Schools: Oak Hill & District Special Ed. Programs
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $245
Including Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Middle School General Music
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Including Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Middle School General Music
DHH students in the general music classroom pose a unique challenge. All activities related to listening need to have additional visual and tactile components. We want to provide more percussion activities and instruction. We are bringing music education- a historically hearing based activity- to deaf and hard of hearing students through visualization, vibration, and physicality. Like all adaptive lessons, these adaptations will also benefit hearing students by being more multisensory and multimodal learning activities.
Applicant: Jaime Alberts
Schools: Bigelow
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,225
Interactive SEL Games for Small Group Intervention
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Interactive SEL Games for Small Group Intervention
Building stronger relationships & increasing peer engagement during small group targeted SEL skill intervention groups through the use of hands-on, interactive and fun SEL focused games. Working to strengthen small group intervention in ways that make it more accessible, engaging, fun, and focused for students in need will really help students further their peer and teacher connections and gain essential SEL skills needed to be successful in their general education classrooms and throughout the school day with peers. Opportunities to learn and gain these skills in a focused small group setting has potential to really beneficially impacts students across their entire school day.
Applicant: Anna Coly
Schools: Franklin
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $347.43
Middle School Students MakeMusic
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Middle School Students MakeMusic
Supporting student subscriptions to MakeMusic, a web-based instructional technology that fosters the musical growth of students enrolled in middle school choral & instrumental ensembles and aids teachers in leading more efficient ensemble rehearsals. Beyond the original NSF grant in 2019-20, MakeMusic was funded by the district, cut from the FY24 budget due to budget cuts. The current subscriptions end on November 9th. This request is intended as a stopgap measure to maintain access to the student subscriptions for all students enrolled in music ensembles at each middle school. The timeline would mean a temporary pause in student subscriptions until NSF funding decisions are made in December. No other funding sources have been identified.
Applicant: Richard King
Schools: Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $14,578
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
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National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
The NCTE Convention is an annual event for ELA and literacy educators held all over the country. This November it will be in Boston, providing an excellent opportunity for NPS literacy educators to attend a national conference without traveling.
- Literacy experts, researchers, & practitioners lead sessions in these strands:
- Early Literacy - situated in social, historical, & cultural contexts.
- Professional Development
- LGBTQIA - critical pedagogy, and democratic teaching practices. Sessions encourage a broad definition of diversity and creation of safer, more inclusive schools
- National Writing Project writing strand
- Strand on issues, strategies regarding teaching and affirming BIPOC & ELL students
- Research Strand - original research studies
Applicant: Deana Lew
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,250
Near Excellence with NearPod
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Near Excellence with NearPod new
This grant supports NPS' District Initiative of using StarMath Diagnostic to plan tiered interventions and use NearPod resources. NearPod is an opportunity to give teachers focus skills, videos, and resources to provide mathematics differentiation, particularly Tier 2 interventions aligned with the district StarMath Diagnostic. This grant will purchase district-wide access to this resource for the school year, not just for Bigelow Middle School. This will help support students performing below benchmark and provide focused skills practice and preview for each student based on diagnostic performances three times a year.
Applicant: Casey Dolan
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $1,000
No Red Ink: Personalized Grammar Instruction
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No Red Ink: Personalized Grammar Instruction
No Red Ink is an engaging and pedagogically valuable tool for Grade 8 grammar instruction. It allows for differentiated grammar instruction and evaluation. We have seen its utility first hand for the past six months, and want to renew the license. Students' English grammar skills are widely varied, and with historically large class sizes in this year's 8th grade, providing targeted instruction for all students is quite a challenge, even for our veteran ELA team. Some families afford tutors to boost skills, and/or have native English family members at home, while others rely solely upon our instruction. No Red Ink allows us to tailor grammar instruction, which helps with engagement and skills growth overall.
Applicant: Becky Cohen
Schools: Brown
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $3,500
Preschool LEGO Learning Library
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Preschool LEGO Learning Library new
We are asking for LEGO Education building sets to create a community library for all classrooms across NECP to share. This would allow all students to have access to high quality, multi-sensory, and accessible materials that enhance their learning. LEGO Education sets include a variety of engaging materials that will support a joyful learning environment and provide high quality instruction. These sets include lesson plans linked to learning standards, visual directions, diverse LEGO figures, alphabet blocks, and beginning STEM elements that are accessible for all students. This will give opportunities for students to increase fine motor skills, play collaboratively, and gain self-efficacy as they persevere through building projects (220 students – 14 classroom sets).
Applicant: Darcy Howell
Schools: NECP
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,400
Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
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Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
Book study of Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, by Dr. Michael Russell, culminating in meeting with the author in the spring and application of what is learned in future years. Over the course of the spring of 2024 and the 2024-25 school year, the psychologists will read Dr. Russell’s book, participate in book groups designed to apply the learning to their own work, and will discuss as a department additional measures, statements, and methods to be added or changed in order to reduce the inherent systemic and build-in bias in assessment. The department will invite Dr. Russell to join for some part of the discussion.
Applicant: Laurie Paul, Jordanna L’Esperance, Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $4,037
Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
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Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
I would like to bring Keys to Literacy, a PD program, to the science department at NNHS. I have taken PD through them in my previous district and believe they would be helpful to teachers. The Keys to Literacy program is Professional Development that provide a framework for teaching comprehension strategies and vocabulary routines. I think these strategies would be particularly helpful for our multilevel teachers in the North science department. We have a wide range of skills in the ML classrooms, including ELs and students with disabilities. Many of the techniques shown in the PD show scaffolding that would help a teacher in the multilevel setting. achers in multilevel classes.
Applicant: Melanie Pennison
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,950
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
Psychology Department Book Study
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Psychology Department Book Study
Psychologists will continue our goal of reducing bias in assessment & counseling by reading over the summer and meeting in the fall to discuss and apply learnings in order to design more inclusive comprehensive evaluation and counseling processes. Earlier this year we read Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement: Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, and met with the author for discussion. This led to additional thoughtful departmental discussions about bias in psychological assessments, and allowed us to review our practices and to collaborate on best practices for inclusive, comprehensive assessment and counseling practices which creates more educational equity for all students. We want to continue this work.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance & Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: 1,000
SEL Tools for Lincoln Eliot
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SEL Tools for Lincoln Eliot
This project aims to obtain materials to support “Take a Break” spaces and to provide students with sensory tools to help them self-regulate to better be able to attend to classroom lessons and work. Though many classroom teachers are open to implementing SEL tools, there has never been a budget for these materials. Many teachers have not been trained in tools that may help students exhibiting certain behaviors. Implementing tools to help students self-regulate is both a recent innovation in education, as well as an avenue to promote equity in that all students will have access to what they need to help them do their best learning.
Applicant: Jen Terrazzino
Schools: Lincoln Eliot
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $693
Social Emotional Learning & Promoting Equity
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Social Emotional Learning & Promoting Equity
SEL implementation through teaching specific strategies and tools to facilitate equity of learning. Utilizing the different trainings I have received, I am developing new models to implement SEL. In 30 minute daily lessons, I will teach the Zones of Regulation paired with a book and a calming tool. Each student will develop an individual toolbox to identify their feelings and strategies that have been model in lessons/books. This will help maintain regulation and increase resilience. When all students persevere through academic challenges this creates equity among students.
Applicant: Jennifer Mead
Schools: Peirce
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $550
Story Starters
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Story Starters new
This program seeks to thoughtfully provide resources (books) and strategies to families to engage in conversations about race at home to support our collective work as a school community. Story Starters will offer its 8-week Family Conversations program to families at Ward and Mason-Rice. Families will receive books on topics of racial identity and parent discussion guides. The program includes on-site family events and online parent workshops. We will have participating families join together for this program. Each school will host one in-person family event for all participating families, and adults from both school communities will have online learning opportunities.
Applicant: Jake Bultema & Becca Brodadir
Schools: Mason Rice & Ward Elementary Schools
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,925.60
Strengthening Inclusion and SEL: In-class Break Spaces 2 (expansion)
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Strengthening Inclusion and SEL: In-class Break Spaces 2 (expansion)
The project aims to obtain additional materials to already successful “Calm Corner” spaces. The current project has been hugely successful and the team recognizes the need for additional materials. "Calm Corners" allow students to remain in their learning environment while they are regulating their bodies and emotions. Seeing other students using the same space and tools allows students to recognize feelings are universal--we all need a calm corner sometimes. This program is innovative in its approach and in the fact that these corners are available in every classroom as well as every special. No matter who you are or where you are, the tools are available to everyone.
Applicant: Emily Josephsohn
Schools: Burr
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $ 1501.54
Teachers As Scholars
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Teachers As Scholars
Teachers participate in small, 2 day seminars led by university staff in the arts, humanities, math, and science, and are thus reconnected to the world of scholarship. Participants will explore a niche area of content to progress their own learning.
Applicant: Dani Johnson
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $3,375
The L
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The L
The L is a system of subway lines, markers, and signage. Designed to be developmentally appropriate for students and ADA compliant, this UDL supports the science of wayfinding which increases independence, reduces anxiety, and improves library usage. As part of my professional goal, I’m to visit public and school libraries to learn about the impact of wayfinding. A design for The L has been made and supplies must be ordered. Collaboration with NNHS Ed Tech program and Graphics Department will result in signage that allows students to navigate their space, meeting the required library outcomes for research and reading for leisure in NPS. By March, the system should be in place and lessons K-5 will be taught to introduce their new environment.
Applicant: Liz Donovan
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,400
Tier 1 SEL Take a Break Spaces, SEL Reboot Part 2
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Tier 1 SEL Take a Break Spaces, SEL Reboot Part 2
The project aims to obtain materials to create “Take a Break” spaces. This structure provides students with a developmentally appropriate space in the classroom where they can learn to recognize and react to emotions in a healthy & productive way. In order for students to be engaged in learning, self-regulation, a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are designated areas in classrooms that help facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This Tier 1 classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes belonging and connectedness for all students. Having an organized binder and bin of materials & explicitly teaching how to use this calming, regulating space is key to its effectiveness.
Applicant: Lisa LaCava
Schools: Mason Rice
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $ 780.92
Tier 2 & 3 Intervention & Progress Monitoring for Students in the ACHIEVE program
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Tier 2 & 3 Intervention & Progress Monitoring for Students in the ACHIEVE program
We want to purchase 17 licenses for Freckle Math & Read Live so that students in our ACHIEVE program (students with dyslexia) have access to rigorous, research-based, scaffolded reading & math intervention that also provides actionable progress data. Read Naturally is used in NPS for reading assessment & fluency intervention. Read Live is the online extension of Read Naturally. Read Live is particularly helpful for students who have reading disabilities because it reads content to students and provides actionable progress data for teachers. Freckle Math provides scaffolded standards-based math intervention to students, with problems read aloud if needed for students with dyslexia, and provides actionable progress data to teachers.
Applicant: Suzanne Griffin & Orla Higgins Averill
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $760.75
Using Bablingua to Bolster Spanish Language
Using Bablingua to Bolster Spanish Language
This grant will provide Bablingua, a portal that provides videos, audio tracks, printed materials and lesson tools, to support teachers in developing thematically-based curriculum for students across all levels of Spanish (from Novice to Advanced).
Applicant: Helena Alfonzo
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $750
WIN (What I Need) self-regulation spaces
WIN (What I Need) self-regulation spaces new
What I Need (WIN) spaces are a trauma-informed, Tier 1 classroom intervention that supports the development of self-regulation and emotional intelligence. This pilot study would include both general and special education classrooms.
Applicant: Sophia Brion-Meisels
Schools: FA Day Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $3,309.89
Writing with Charles Coe
Writing with Charles Coe
“Writing with Charles Coe” gives students a unique opportunity to write. Visiting six English classes, Charles provides meaningful prompts and makes everyone feel comfortable and brave, especially special needs and students of color.
Applicant: Amy McMahon
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $525
Adaptive Art Program
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Adaptive Art Program
We seek to acquire specialized materials, tools, and equipment to support newly created adaptive art classes for students in the STRIDE (Cabot, Bowen, Zervas), Reflections (Williams) and SPARK (Countryside) programs. This request follows a SY24 award for adaptative art Professional Development for the art department at the schools with specialized programs.
Applicant: Christine Phillips
Schools: Cabot, Bowen, Williams, Zervas, and Countryside
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $2,500
Classroom Take a Break Space
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Classroom Take a Break Space
To obtain materials to create "take a break" spaces. This structure provides students with developmentally appropriate space within their classroom where they can learn to recognize and react to emotions in a healthy and productive way. In order for students to be highly engaged in academic content and instruction in their classrooms, self-regulation and a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are a small, designated area in classrooms that help to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This tier one classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes strong belonging and connectedness for all students in our elementary classrooms
Applicant: Suzanne Rothenberg
Schools: Underwood
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $500
Classroom Take a Break Spaces
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Classroom Take a Break Spaces
The project aims to obtain materials to update “Take a Break” spaces. The spaces help to promote emotional regulation in a developmentally appropriate way. In order for students to be highly engaged in academic content and instruction in their classrooms, self-regulation and a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are a small, designated area in classrooms that help to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This tier one classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes strong belonging and connectedness for all students in our elementary classrooms.
Applicant: Melissa Vigliotti
Schools: Williams
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,000
Classroom Take a Break Spaces
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Classroom Take a Break Spaces
The project aims to obtain materials to create “Take a Break” spaces. This structure provides students w/ a developmentally appropriate space w/in their classroom where they can learn to recognize/react to emotions in a healthy and productive way. In order for students to be highly engaged in academic content and instruction in their classrooms, self-regulation and a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are a small, designated area in classrooms that help to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This tier one classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes strong belonging and connectedness for all students in our elementary classrooms.
Applicant: Michelle Ellis
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $293
Coding with Ozobots K-5
Coding with Ozobots K-5 new
Ozobots are robots used to teach coding. The students learn to program using color-coded patterns drawn on paper. Students will create simple programs to develop coding skills.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: District-wide K-5
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $11,250
Consultant on Anti-Ableism Work
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Consultant on Anti-Ableism Work
Bring on regional expert to support w. engagement w. the district to leverage work of developing anti-ableist lens across district. Betsy Johnson would engage with the district in developing a critical lens through which to examine our current practices for evidence of ableism. Once we can root ableism, we can work to dismantle it so we eliminate/minimize impact of unintended discrimination caused by implicit biases. This would lead to more equitable educational experiences for all students.
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,170
Cultural Kaleidoscope: Researching, Designing, and Promoting the District’s Monthly Heritage Celebration Resource
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Cultural Kaleidoscope: Researching, Designing, and Promoting the District’s Monthly Heritage Celebration Resource
A few years ago, DEI began the Monthly Heritage Celebration document, and going forward, I'll expand it for the District. This resource helps educators, students, and families as they look for ways to celebrate and learn about different heritages. Activities I will engage in include: evaluating needs assessment, setting a timeline, researching and curating resources, evaluating for quality and inclusivity, organizing the document, managing copyrights, designing layout, gathering feedback, promoting awareness, evaluating impact, and planning for long-term sustainability and growth.
Applicant: Eileen Keane
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,600
Deepening Teachers’ Math Content Knowledge
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Deepening Teachers’ Math Content Knowledge
Teachers will work on math activities and examine case studies. Teachers will develop skills to identify the next step for each student and be able to formulate effective questions to push students of all levels to a deeper understanding. This will provide a meaningful professional development opportunity for teachers. Engaging in math with other adults and deepening one’s understanding of math concepts helps teachers to be prepared to challenge the range of learners in their class.
Applicant: Kelly Gartside
Schools: Memorial-Spaulding
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,536.28
Digi Blocks
Digi Blocks new
Digi blocks are a fantastic math manipulative. They allow students a tactile and visual way to understand regrouping. Using this tool will increase student understanding and independence in math.
Applicant: Shayna Packer
Schools: Countryside
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $705
Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
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Digital Citizenship Tech Cards and Literature
We request culturally diverse picture books to address digital citizenship/wellness & online safety. We will select 2 books/grade level & visit classes. We will create grade level digital citizenship conversation cards for teachers to use weekly. This project closely aligns with NSF's strategic goals of innovative classroom approaches and equitable education. By introducing digital citizenship concepts consistently across grade levels through discussion cards and engaging picture books, we are trying a new approach to empower teachers to confidently discuss these vital topics, contributing to the professional growth of Newton educators and the social emotional growth and digital wellness of all elementary students.
Applicant: Donna Busa
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,000
Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
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Elementary Adaptive Art Planning and Professional Development
Elementary schools with a citywide program will offer adaptive art in the 2024-25 school year. Visual Art teachers and Occupational Therapists require summer professional development and consultation to prepare for the launch of this initiative. The summer curriculum writing and professional development will include the Bowen art teacher sharing the work documented during the pilot and the adaptations created by the Cabot visual art teacher where no adaptive art experience occurred. Liz Loya is a consultant from CAST with expertise in Universal Design for Learning and adaptive art She will assist the art teachers and OTs design approaches for implementing an adaptive art program that will meet the needs of diverse learners.
Applicant: Richard King
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $5,650
Family Conversations: A Home and School Partnership
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Family Conversations: A Home and School Partnership
Countryside and Burr Elementary Schools and Newton South Preschool will host site-based racial literacy programming for students ages 3-8 years old and their caregivers in Fall 2024 in partnership with Story Starters Research shows that educational equity in younger ages is most likely to be successful when parents are involved and community norms are strong. This project would target the critical developmental window -- ages 3-8 -- when parents have a significant impact on their children's beliefs about race. All children benefit from belonging to anti-racist communities, since they acquire racial knowledge from community standards and conventions. (Hirschfeld, 2012). , a Newton nonprofit.
Applicant: Mindy Johal & Beth Herlihy
Schools: Burr & Countryside & Preschool
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $4,350.80
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Interactive SEL Games for Small Group Intervention
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Interactive SEL Games for Small Group Intervention
Building stronger relationships & increasing peer engagement during small group targeted SEL skill intervention groups through the use of hands-on, interactive and fun SEL focused games. Working to strengthen small group intervention in ways that make it more accessible, engaging, fun, and focused for students in need will really help students further their peer and teacher connections and gain essential SEL skills needed to be successful in their general education classrooms and throughout the school day with peers. Opportunities to learn and gain these skills in a focused small group setting has potential to really beneficially impacts students across their entire school day.
Applicant: Anna Coly
Schools: Franklin
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $347.43
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
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National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
The NCTE Convention is an annual event for ELA and literacy educators held all over the country. This November it will be in Boston, providing an excellent opportunity for NPS literacy educators to attend a national conference without traveling.
- Literacy experts, researchers, & practitioners lead sessions in these strands:
- Early Literacy - situated in social, historical, & cultural contexts.
- Professional Development
- LGBTQIA - critical pedagogy, and democratic teaching practices. Sessions encourage a broad definition of diversity and creation of safer, more inclusive schools
- National Writing Project writing strand
- Strand on issues, strategies regarding teaching and affirming BIPOC & ELL students
- Research Strand - original research studies
Applicant: Deana Lew
Schools: Elementary
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $8,250
Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
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Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
Book study of Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, by Dr. Michael Russell, culminating in meeting with the author in the spring and application of what is learned in future years. Over the course of the spring of 2024 and the 2024-25 school year, the psychologists will read Dr. Russell’s book, participate in book groups designed to apply the learning to their own work, and will discuss as a department additional measures, statements, and methods to be added or changed in order to reduce the inherent systemic and build-in bias in assessment. The department will invite Dr. Russell to join for some part of the discussion.
Applicant: Laurie Paul, Jordanna L’Esperance, Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $4,037
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
Psychology Department Book Study
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Psychology Department Book Study
Psychologists will continue our goal of reducing bias in assessment & counseling by reading over the summer and meeting in the fall to discuss and apply learnings in order to design more inclusive comprehensive evaluation and counseling processes. Earlier this year we read Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement: Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, and met with the author for discussion. This led to additional thoughtful departmental discussions about bias in psychological assessments, and allowed us to review our practices and to collaborate on best practices for inclusive, comprehensive assessment and counseling practices which creates more educational equity for all students. We want to continue this work.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance & Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: 1,000
SEL Tools for Lincoln Eliot
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SEL Tools for Lincoln Eliot
This project aims to obtain materials to support “Take a Break” spaces and to provide students with sensory tools to help them self-regulate to better be able to attend to classroom lessons and work. Though many classroom teachers are open to implementing SEL tools, there has never been a budget for these materials. Many teachers have not been trained in tools that may help students exhibiting certain behaviors. Implementing tools to help students self-regulate is both a recent innovation in education, as well as an avenue to promote equity in that all students will have access to what they need to help them do their best learning.
Applicant: Jen Terrazzino
Schools: Lincoln Eliot
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $693
Social Emotional Learning & Promoting Equity
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Social Emotional Learning & Promoting Equity
SEL implementation through teaching specific strategies and tools to facilitate equity of learning. Utilizing the different trainings I have received, I am developing new models to implement SEL. In 30 minute daily lessons, I will teach the Zones of Regulation paired with a book and a calming tool. Each student will develop an individual toolbox to identify their feelings and strategies that have been model in lessons/books. This will help maintain regulation and increase resilience. When all students persevere through academic challenges this creates equity among students.
Applicant: Jennifer Mead
Schools: Peirce
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $550
Story Starters
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Story Starters new
This program seeks to thoughtfully provide resources (books) and strategies to families to engage in conversations about race at home to support our collective work as a school community. Story Starters will offer its 8-week Family Conversations program to families at Ward and Mason-Rice. Families will receive books on topics of racial identity and parent discussion guides. The program includes on-site family events and online parent workshops. We will have participating families join together for this program. Each school will host one in-person family event for all participating families, and adults from both school communities will have online learning opportunities.
Applicant: Jake Bultema & Becca Brodadir
Schools: Mason Rice & Ward Elementary Schools
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $2,925.60
Strengthening Inclusion and SEL: In-class Break Spaces 2 (expansion)
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Strengthening Inclusion and SEL: In-class Break Spaces 2 (expansion)
The project aims to obtain additional materials to already successful “Calm Corner” spaces. The current project has been hugely successful and the team recognizes the need for additional materials. "Calm Corners" allow students to remain in their learning environment while they are regulating their bodies and emotions. Seeing other students using the same space and tools allows students to recognize feelings are universal--we all need a calm corner sometimes. This program is innovative in its approach and in the fact that these corners are available in every classroom as well as every special. No matter who you are or where you are, the tools are available to everyone.
Applicant: Emily Josephsohn
Schools: Burr
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $ 1501.54
The L
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The L
The L is a system of subway lines, markers, and signage. Designed to be developmentally appropriate for students and ADA compliant, this UDL supports the science of wayfinding which increases independence, reduces anxiety, and improves library usage. As part of my professional goal, I’m to visit public and school libraries to learn about the impact of wayfinding. A design for The L has been made and supplies must be ordered. Collaboration with NNHS Ed Tech program and Graphics Department will result in signage that allows students to navigate their space, meeting the required library outcomes for research and reading for leisure in NPS. By March, the system should be in place and lessons K-5 will be taught to introduce their new environment.
Applicant: Liz Donovan
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,400
Tier 1 SEL Take a Break Spaces, SEL Reboot Part 2
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Tier 1 SEL Take a Break Spaces, SEL Reboot Part 2
The project aims to obtain materials to create “Take a Break” spaces. This structure provides students with a developmentally appropriate space in the classroom where they can learn to recognize and react to emotions in a healthy & productive way. In order for students to be engaged in learning, self-regulation, a sense of belonging and safety is crucial. “Take a Break” spaces are designated areas in classrooms that help facilitate a safe learning environment for all students. This Tier 1 classroom structure is part of the puzzle that promotes belonging and connectedness for all students. Having an organized binder and bin of materials & explicitly teaching how to use this calming, regulating space is key to its effectiveness.
Applicant: Lisa LaCava
Schools: Mason Rice
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $ 780.92
Tier 2 & 3 Intervention & Progress Monitoring for Students in the ACHIEVE program
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Tier 2 & 3 Intervention & Progress Monitoring for Students in the ACHIEVE program
We want to purchase 17 licenses for Freckle Math & Read Live so that students in our ACHIEVE program (students with dyslexia) have access to rigorous, research-based, scaffolded reading & math intervention that also provides actionable progress data. Read Naturally is used in NPS for reading assessment & fluency intervention. Read Live is the online extension of Read Naturally. Read Live is particularly helpful for students who have reading disabilities because it reads content to students and provides actionable progress data for teachers. Freckle Math provides scaffolded standards-based math intervention to students, with problems read aloud if needed for students with dyslexia, and provides actionable progress data to teachers.
Applicant: Suzanne Griffin & Orla Higgins Averill
Schools: Angier
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $760.75
Career Day
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Career Day
This is a preventive mental health and community engagement event. Community members volunteer to speak about their career field. Students are surveyed about their fields of interest and then scheduled to hear from the most relevant speakers. This is a preventive mental health program designed to give students a hopeful and an optimistic outlook of their own futures, which has been identified as one of the 40 Developmental Assets. By ensuring a diverse range of speaker backgrounds, we are aiming to have professional mentors that represent the diversity of our student body. This is also a community engagement opportunity for middle school students to connect in a meaningful way with positive role models.
Applicant: Jackie Mann
Schools: Day MS
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $2,000
Comprehensible Input Library for Middle School Spanish Learners – District Pilot
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Comprehensible Input Library for Middle School Spanish Learners – District Pilot
I would like to create a library of comprehensible books written for Spanish language learners so that all of my Spanish students will be able to select and read novels that interest them and are at their appropriate reading level. The world language department has been using methods of comprehensible input (CI) in order for our students to be able to acquire language. One very effective CI method, which has yet to be implemented in this district, is to have students select and read comprehensible books that interest them from a CI library (Innovations in the Classroom). Research shows that this helps every student in the class to be successful, not just the top learners (Programs that promote Equity for all).
Applicant: Laura Brady
Schools: Oak Hill
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $600
Consultant on Anti-Ableism Work
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Consultant on Anti-Ableism Work
Bring on regional expert to support w. engagement w. the district to leverage work of developing anti-ableist lens across district. Betsy Johnson would engage with the district in developing a critical lens through which to examine our current practices for evidence of ableism. Once we can root ableism, we can work to dismantle it so we eliminate/minimize impact of unintended discrimination caused by implicit biases. This would lead to more equitable educational experiences for all students.
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,170
Cultural Kaleidoscope: Researching, Designing, and Promoting the District’s Monthly Heritage Celebration Resource
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Cultural Kaleidoscope: Researching, Designing, and Promoting the District’s Monthly Heritage Celebration Resource
A few years ago, DEI began the Monthly Heritage Celebration document, and going forward, I'll expand it for the District. This resource helps educators, students, and families as they look for ways to celebrate and learn about different heritages. Activities I will engage in include: evaluating needs assessment, setting a timeline, researching and curating resources, evaluating for quality and inclusivity, organizing the document, managing copyrights, designing layout, gathering feedback, promoting awareness, evaluating impact, and planning for long-term sustainability and growth.
Applicant: Eileen Keane
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,600
Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
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Diversifying the 6th Grade Novel Study Unit
A committee of MS ELA teachers, literacy specialists, library teachers, and a member of the DEI department, will revise and update the current 6th grade novel study unit to center around a text that is engaging, culturally responsive, and rigorous. Bringing a new novel study into 6th grade classrooms reflects innovation by incorporating a text that would be more engaging and culturally responsive. Creating curriculum as a grade level is excellent, job-embedded professional development, supporting collaboration and professional learning in a meaningful context. It also promotes equity in the sense of ensuring that all 6th grade students have a common reading experience and are held to common expectations across buildings.
Applicant: Joelle Pederson
Schools: Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $7,189.20
Exploring Inclusive Counseling Curricula
Exploring Inclusive Counseling Curricula new
Purchasing several inclusive, neuro-affirming, anti-ableist counseling curricula for secondary use to explore as a group before deciding on which ones to use across the middle schools for counseling groups and individual meetings.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance
Schools: All Middle Schools
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $500
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Igniting a Writing Revolution
Igniting a Writing Revolution
We will conduct a book-study on “The Writing Revolution 2.0,” with the aim of developing consistent writing scaffolds that can be explicitly taught in the special ed. classroom and generalized to the general ed. setting.
Applicant: Caitlin Irwin
Schools: Oak Hill & District Special Ed. Programs
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $245
Including Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Middle School General Music
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Including Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Middle School General Music
DHH students in the general music classroom pose a unique challenge. All activities related to listening need to have additional visual and tactile components. We want to provide more percussion activities and instruction. We are bringing music education- a historically hearing based activity- to deaf and hard of hearing students through visualization, vibration, and physicality. Like all adaptive lessons, these adaptations will also benefit hearing students by being more multisensory and multimodal learning activities.
Applicant: Jaime Alberts
Schools: Bigelow
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,225
Middle School Students MakeMusic
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Middle School Students MakeMusic
Supporting student subscriptions to MakeMusic, a web-based instructional technology that fosters the musical growth of students enrolled in middle school choral & instrumental ensembles and aids teachers in leading more efficient ensemble rehearsals. Beyond the original NSF grant in 2019-20, MakeMusic was funded by the district, cut from the FY24 budget due to budget cuts. The current subscriptions end on November 9th. This request is intended as a stopgap measure to maintain access to the student subscriptions for all students enrolled in music ensembles at each middle school. The timeline would mean a temporary pause in student subscriptions until NSF funding decisions are made in December. No other funding sources have been identified.
Applicant: Richard King
Schools: Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $14,578
Near Excellence with NearPod
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Near Excellence with NearPod new
This grant supports NPS' District Initiative of using StarMath Diagnostic to plan tiered interventions and use NearPod resources. NearPod is an opportunity to give teachers focus skills, videos, and resources to provide mathematics differentiation, particularly Tier 2 interventions aligned with the district StarMath Diagnostic. This grant will purchase district-wide access to this resource for the school year, not just for Bigelow Middle School. This will help support students performing below benchmark and provide focused skills practice and preview for each student based on diagnostic performances three times a year.
Applicant: Casey Dolan
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $1,000
No Red Ink: Personalized Grammar Instruction
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No Red Ink: Personalized Grammar Instruction
No Red Ink is an engaging and pedagogically valuable tool for Grade 8 grammar instruction. It allows for differentiated grammar instruction and evaluation. We have seen its utility first hand for the past six months, and want to renew the license. Students' English grammar skills are widely varied, and with historically large class sizes in this year's 8th grade, providing targeted instruction for all students is quite a challenge, even for our veteran ELA team. Some families afford tutors to boost skills, and/or have native English family members at home, while others rely solely upon our instruction. No Red Ink allows us to tailor grammar instruction, which helps with engagement and skills growth overall.
Applicant: Becky Cohen
Schools: Brown
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $3,500
Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
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Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
Book study of Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, by Dr. Michael Russell, culminating in meeting with the author in the spring and application of what is learned in future years. Over the course of the spring of 2024 and the 2024-25 school year, the psychologists will read Dr. Russell’s book, participate in book groups designed to apply the learning to their own work, and will discuss as a department additional measures, statements, and methods to be added or changed in order to reduce the inherent systemic and build-in bias in assessment. The department will invite Dr. Russell to join for some part of the discussion.
Applicant: Laurie Paul, Jordanna L’Esperance, Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $4,037
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
Psychology Department Book Study
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Psychology Department Book Study
Psychologists will continue our goal of reducing bias in assessment & counseling by reading over the summer and meeting in the fall to discuss and apply learnings in order to design more inclusive comprehensive evaluation and counseling processes. Earlier this year we read Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement: Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, and met with the author for discussion. This led to additional thoughtful departmental discussions about bias in psychological assessments, and allowed us to review our practices and to collaborate on best practices for inclusive, comprehensive assessment and counseling practices which creates more educational equity for all students. We want to continue this work.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance & Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: 1,000
WIN (What I Need) self-regulation spaces
WIN (What I Need) self-regulation spaces new
What I Need (WIN) spaces are a trauma-informed, Tier 1 classroom intervention that supports the development of self-regulation and emotional intelligence. This pilot study would include both general and special education classrooms.
Applicant: Sophia Brion-Meisels
Schools: FA Day Middle School
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $3,309.89
Building Therapeutic Milieu
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Building Therapeutic Milieu new
NPS will partner with Brookline Center to pilot therapeutic milieu programming. BRYT programming supports students who are not yet ready to access supportive, joyful learning environments or high-quality instruction due to mental health, medical, or life challenges. By providing intensive transition support, therapeutic care, and academic coordination, BRYT helps students stabilize, rebuild skills, and re-engage with learning, ensuring they can fully access rigorous instruction when ready.
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: Newton North & Newton South High Schools
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $15,000
Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
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Co-Teacher Development Pilot Program
We are piloting a program for co-teachers to improve practices. We aim to shift the culture to one that increases parity in co-teaching relationships and provides opportunities for collaboration, collective resources and professional development. While co-teaching is not a new model, approaching co-teaching holistically and collaboratively will give educators opportunities to approach their pedagogy differently. By piloting different models of co-teaching, teachers and Unit C staff will use their strengths in tandem, further developing professional skills. Refining the co-teaching dynamic will add to the educational experience for students. Effective collaboration will increase equity and accessibility for students.
Applicant: Emily Shire and Lillian Robinson
Schools: NSHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $9,247.08
Consultant on Anti-Ableism Work
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Consultant on Anti-Ableism Work
Bring on regional expert to support w. engagement w. the district to leverage work of developing anti-ableist lens across district. Betsy Johnson would engage with the district in developing a critical lens through which to examine our current practices for evidence of ableism. Once we can root ableism, we can work to dismantle it so we eliminate/minimize impact of unintended discrimination caused by implicit biases. This would lead to more equitable educational experiences for all students.
Applicant: Casey Ngo-Miller
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,170
Cultural Kaleidoscope: Researching, Designing, and Promoting the District’s Monthly Heritage Celebration Resource
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Cultural Kaleidoscope: Researching, Designing, and Promoting the District’s Monthly Heritage Celebration Resource
A few years ago, DEI began the Monthly Heritage Celebration document, and going forward, I'll expand it for the District. This resource helps educators, students, and families as they look for ways to celebrate and learn about different heritages. Activities I will engage in include: evaluating needs assessment, setting a timeline, researching and curating resources, evaluating for quality and inclusivity, organizing the document, managing copyrights, designing layout, gathering feedback, promoting awareness, evaluating impact, and planning for long-term sustainability and growth.
Applicant: Eileen Keane
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $1,600
Digital Tools for Targeted Speaking Practice
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Digital Tools for Targeted Speaking Practice
This is a continuation of a 2023-24 grant to purchase 300 licenses for a speaking program called Extempore. A second grant will allow for continued data collection and creation of engaging assignments for students' language learning. Extempore is used for 4 ACP/H and 5 ACP classes for more speaking practice in language learning. We target our students taking the Seal of Biliteracy with more practice as this is the area in which they struggle most. We are creating more innovative tasks for students, and they are enjoying the practice more.
Applicant: Denise Cremin
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $4,461.50
Dreamfar
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Dreamfar
NSF’s grant will fund uniforms and race fees for Dreamfar’s NNHS/NSHS students and program leaders.To promote accessibility for all, Dreamfar is provided at no cost to participants, and students of diverse backgrounds and abilities are welcome.
Applicant: Ethan Peritz / Holly Kee
Schools: Newton North & Newton South High Schools
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $5,000
Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
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Futuring: Developing the Next Strategic Plan for the Newton Public Schools
After a 4-part session to develop a Profile of a Newton Graduate, the district and stakeholder groups will work to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the district. The entire school community would be affected and enhanced by a new strategic plan, but we aspire to 50 community members participating in the stakenolder engagement part of strategic planning.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $16,800
Help All Hands have Ceramics Hand Building
Help All Hands have Ceramics Hand Building new
This grant will provide one banding wheel per student to use for hand Building. This is an invaluable professional tool for all skill levels working with clay in the round.
Applicant: Molly Baring-Gould
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $400
Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
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Professional Development and Alignment in Anti-Biased, Culturally Responsive Assessment for Psychologists
Book study of Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, by Dr. Michael Russell, culminating in meeting with the author in the spring and application of what is learned in future years. Over the course of the spring of 2024 and the 2024-25 school year, the psychologists will read Dr. Russell’s book, participate in book groups designed to apply the learning to their own work, and will discuss as a department additional measures, statements, and methods to be added or changed in order to reduce the inherent systemic and build-in bias in assessment. The department will invite Dr. Russell to join for some part of the discussion.
Applicant: Laurie Paul, Jordanna L’Esperance, Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $4,037
Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
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Professional Development- Keys to Literacy
I would like to bring Keys to Literacy, a PD program, to the science department at NNHS. I have taken PD through them in my previous district and believe they would be helpful to teachers. The Keys to Literacy program is Professional Development that provide a framework for teaching comprehension strategies and vocabulary routines. I think these strategies would be particularly helpful for our multilevel teachers in the North science department. We have a wide range of skills in the ML classrooms, including ELs and students with disabilities. Many of the techniques shown in the PD show scaffolding that would help a teacher in the multilevel setting. achers in multilevel classes.
Applicant: Melanie Pennison
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: $1,950
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support
Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support new
Train principals to then train teacher teams in their buildings on the expectations for robust Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work and outcomes.
Applicant: Anna Nolin
Schools: District-wide
Date Approved: Spring 2025
Amount: $50,000
Psychology Department Book Study
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Psychology Department Book Study
Psychologists will continue our goal of reducing bias in assessment & counseling by reading over the summer and meeting in the fall to discuss and apply learnings in order to design more inclusive comprehensive evaluation and counseling processes. Earlier this year we read Systemic Racism and Educational Measurement: Confronting Injustice in Testing, Assessment, and Beyond, and met with the author for discussion. This led to additional thoughtful departmental discussions about bias in psychological assessments, and allowed us to review our practices and to collaborate on best practices for inclusive, comprehensive assessment and counseling practices which creates more educational equity for all students. We want to continue this work.
Applicant: Jordanna L'Esperance & Toni-Marie Kelly
Schools: District Wide
Date Approved: Spring 2024
Amount: 1,000
Teachers As Scholars
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Teachers As Scholars
Teachers participate in small, 2 day seminars led by university staff in the arts, humanities, math, and science, and are thus reconnected to the world of scholarship. Participants will explore a niche area of content to progress their own learning.
Applicant: Dani Johnson
Schools: NNHS
Date Approved: Fall 2023
Amount: $3,375
Using Bablingua to Bolster Spanish Language
Using Bablingua to Bolster Spanish Language
This grant will provide Bablingua, a portal that provides videos, audio tracks, printed materials and lesson tools, to support teachers in developing thematically-based curriculum for students across all levels of Spanish (from Novice to Advanced).
Applicant: Helena Alfonzo
Schools: Newton South
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $750
Writing with Charles Coe
Writing with Charles Coe
“Writing with Charles Coe” gives students a unique opportunity to write. Visiting six English classes, Charles provides meaningful prompts and makes everyone feel comfortable and brave, especially special needs and students of color.
Applicant: Amy McMahon
Schools: Newton North
Date Approved: Fall 2024
Amount: $525
Other Programs NSF Supports
Ligerbots
Ligerbots is a robotics club that includes students, teacher coaches and parent mentors from both Newton North and Newton South High Schools. In 2008 NSF provided financial support to help build the program in Newton. The following year, NSF assumed financial oversight of the program, allowing for a more flexible use of funds than the Newton Public Schools can provide.
Beijing Jingshan Exchange Program
Each spring, the Newton-Beijing Jingshan School Exchange Program sends Newton teachers and high school students to the Jingshan School, Newton Public Schools’ sister school in Beijing. Newton hosts a similar group from the Jingshan School every fall. While in Beijing, teachers teach English and continue their own study of Chinese (Mandarin). Students attend classes in Chinese language, history, art, music, math, science, and martial arts — all in Chinese.