Bay Village Education Foundation grants $13,000 to teachers and students

This year's BVEF grant awardees:
Cathy Bogart, Stacey Evans, Jen Szelesta, Anne-Marie Young, Beth Drinan, Nicholl Bing, Laura Godfray, Rick Manderine, Aaron Ereditario, Kelley Mitchell, Dan Sebring. Not pictured: Martha Fisher, Danielle Harkins, Devon Gess.

BVEF President Scott Best, Grants Co-Chair Ellie Bricmont, Rhonda Schneider and Jacquie Mayer from the foundation awarded and celebrated over $10,000 in grants to several Bay Village Schools educators at the Nov. 25 Board of Education meeting. The generous number and total of 11 grants combined was awarded in partnership with Bay Village Kiwanis.

Each year, educators have the opportunity to submit requests for instructional support and enrichment materials that intend to have a significant impact in students learning for years to come. The foundation annually contributes to these requests, from contributions and fundraisers, awarding these educators the opportunity to strengthen and add innovative ideas into students’ daily learning experiences.

 This year, the following educators were awarded grants from various schools in the district:

Normandy

• Teachers Cathy Bogart, Stacey Evans and Jen Szelesta received $532 for classroom incubators to help support their yearly Science Lab Literacy program, where science concepts are blended with literacy skills for students.
• Beth Drinan and Nicholl Bing were awarded $1,809 for special Hokki stools that will help support student learning in special education at Normandy with learning through movement.
• Teacher Laura Godfray was granted $385 to purchase multiple CD players to fostering reading fluency with her students to support their reading goals by creating engaging literacy centers in the classroom.
• Dan Sebring, first-year principal, was awarded two grants this year. He and the Normandy History Committee were awarded $1,400 to help kick off a Presidents Day celebration this year, geared towards making “History Alive!” for all of the Normandy students. This involves informational reading and a variety of president impersonators/actors coming into the school to bring life to the day for the students. In addition, Mr. Sebring and the Normandy Literacy Committee received $2,500 to apply to the “One School One Book” program for Normandy students. This program is planned to foster a collaborative and shared literary environment in the school, with all students reading the same book and completing activities with each other to strengthen literacy skills as a community.     

Bay High School

• Rick Manderine received $400 to help fund the Bay High School program PAL, which partners with other local Westside schools to help unite and make meaningful connections between special needs high school students with other students from their schools and those surrounding in the area.
• Aaron Ereditario, assistant principal, received $1,000 of support in funding WINGS, a program that assists at-risk high school girls to achieve success in their lives and education throughout their school experience.                   
• Devon Gess, choir music director, was granted $1,200 to aid in funding the start of a Choral Commission in Treble Choir in which a local composer will help students to learn how to compose and perform an original choral piece of music in the spring.

Bay Middle School

• Kelley Mitchell and Danielle Harkins, fifth-grade teachers, were granted $865 and $615 to aid their students in supporting one of the district’s goals of focusing on informational text in the classroom. Kelley Mitchell intends to support Common Core informational literacy by purchasing skill builder sets and leveled readers for her science classes, while Danielle Harkins will invest in high interest and motivating Scholastic magazines for students to use to enrich their reading experiences.



Westerly

• Martha Fisher received $554 to dedicate towards the Westerly Outdoor Science Lab to hold an Environmental Fair at Westerly, celebrating its exciting 20-year birthday. Several different science related activities and celebration materials will be included in the day’s fair.

The Kiwanis funded three grants totaling $2,050. The PAL program was provided with additional funding and Anne-Marie Young’s Global Arts Project at Bay Middle School was given support to recruit guest speaker representatives of local arts groups and cultural clubs to connect with classes to be liaisons to a variety of different countries. Also, funding for “Musher” at Westerly Elementary School, was given to Kristen Thomas to cover costs of a school cyber visit with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. With Kiwanis support annually in helping the BVEF, many educators see their instructional dreams come alive.

The community can support the BVEF in their efforts to provide enrichment and support creativity in Bay Village schools by participating in the Ten Campaign (forms available at school offices, the Board Office or online at BayEdFoundation.org) and by attending the organization’s annual fundraising event, “Creating Opportunities” on Sunday, Jan. 26, at Arrabiata’s in Bay Village.
 This event features a silent auction, raffle, door prizes, dining and a night filled with fun with various members of the community and those surrounding. Visit BayEdFoundation.org for more details.