March 17, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Ridgewood At the March 8 Ridgewood Board of Education meeting, the Ridgewood Education Foundation presented a variety of classroom mini-grants totaling $6,530. For this grant cycle, REF made awards to seven different applicants covering a variety of disciplines at six different schools. Summaries of the successful applications follow. The Last Full Measure was written by Ridgewood High School teacher Michael Yannone for funds to take AHLISA stu- Education Foundation awards spring 2010 grants dents to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to tour the Gettysburg National Battlefield, the Virginia Memorial, the National Cemetery, then Gettysburg College, where the students will hear a classroom lecture by a professor and acclaimed historian from Gettysburg College. The grant was awarded in the amount of $850. Teaching Chemistry through Properties of Matter was written by Rui Dionisio, who is assistant principal and science supervisor at Benjamin Franklin Middle School. Using funds from a recent grant made by the Bristol-Myers Squibb Grants for Teaching Excellence Funds, BFMS purchased a fiveclass unit kit that supports inquiry-based science instruction. Funds from REF will be used to purchase two additional refurbishment sets, thus enabling all sixth grade students at BFMS to experience learning chemistry through hands-on inquiry-based instruction. REF awarded $920 for the purchase of these additional kits for use at BFMS. Motion, Forces and Energy Illustrated with K’nex was written by BFMS teachers Trella Dolgin and Lauren Salvani. This grant will provide funds for the purchase of K’nex pieces to be used by sixth grade students at BFMS in the study of physics concepts. Students will work collaboratively to create a mousetrap car and a rollercoaster, enabling them to discover and identify the motion associated with balanced and unbalanced forces. They will calculate velocity and acceleration, and explore the energy transformations that occur within a moving object. This grant was awarded in the amount of $375. Orchard Community Garden, a project designed to establish an “outdoor classroom” for interdisciplinary education, was written in collaboration by Orchard School Principal Margaret Loonam, Orchard Art Specialist Judy Malhotra, School Nurse Kathleen McCullough, and parents Jennifer Dresner and Lori Weil. The garden will serve as a classroom and outdoor art gallery, and will contain a community garden where the students will grow herbs, fruits, and vegetables. REF awarded a grant of $1,000 in “seed money” to begin work on this garden. Growing Readers: Planting the Seeds of a Guided Reading Room at Somerville School was written by District Staff Developers Beth Fischetti and Penny Fisher, and the First Grade Team at Somerville --Colleen Gieniec, Nancy Kaplan, Mia Sarnella, and Lynne Witham -- for funds to purchase books for the guided reading program at Somerville School. The guided reading program is an adaptation of RPS “Reading Recovery” model for the most at-risk readers. REF awarded this grant in the amount of $1,410. Travell Reading Garden was written by Susan Merrick, a Travell parent, and Principal Margy Leininger to request fund for developing a currently unused outdoor space at Travell into a place to read and to observe nature. REF awarded a grant in the amount of $1,000, contingent upon Travell receiving resolution of drainage issues. Willard School Math & Science Theme Day 2010 was written by Don Friel, second (continued on page 6) 3-17-10 janine FashionDesignWorkshop3x3Color(3-17-10) 3 x 3” The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce congratulates Van Dyk Manor of Ridgewood, for being named one of America’s Best Nursing Homes by U.S. News & World Report ' See the complete list at www.usnews.com/nursinghomes ������������������������������ ������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������� ������������������������� Van Dyk Manor ' 304 S. Van Dien Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-8200 ' www.vandykhealthcare.com Family caring for family, since 1953 ����������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������