Innovation Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Newton Schools Foundation

Near Excellence with NearPod

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 …

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

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.

Writing with Charles Coe

Applicant: Amy McMahon

Schools: Newton North

Date Approved: Fall 2024

Amount: $525

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

Help All Hands have Ceramics Hand Building

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.

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

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

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.

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

Digi Blocks

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.

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

Coding with Ozobots K-5

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.

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

Professional Learning Communities – Creating the Foundation For Personalized Student Support

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.

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: $34,832

Story Starters

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

FOCUS Executive Function Curriculum and Training

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

Preschool LEGO Learning Library

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