In keeping with its mission to fund innovative programs that promote excellence and enhance the educational experience of Suffield students, the Suffield Foundation for Excellent Schools (SFES) approved almost $12,000 for three exciting grants at its January 2024 meeting.
The largest grant of $7,500 goes to purchase equipment and training for Suffield’s first ever “Bioblitz” nature day at the McClean Outdoor Educational Preserve on Sheldon Street. On May 23, students in grades 2, 5, 7 and 10 will make their way through an immersive series of stations learning from experts about the diversity of life existing in their own backyard and how these ecosystems function with an emphasis on how they relate to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) content.
Students will wend their way through field, swamp, vernal pool, pond and forest sites all the while using binoculars, magnifying glasses, nets and other equipment to view, analyze and collect what they are seeing. Each site will have one science specialist and several volunteers to assist in the activities at the site.
Additionally, prior to the event Antarctic explorer and National Geographic educator, Daniel Kinzer will be training staff and students in how to build an Extended Reality (XR)/Augmented Reality (AR) platform that will be generated during the Bioblitz and added to subsequently with interviews, exhibits, data, photos and audio after the Bioblitz day.
It is an exciting and groundbreaking project proposed by K-12 Science coach Justin Kaput and just the type of innovation that the SFES is glad to support.
To learn more about the Bioblitz project, go to www.Inaturalist.org/project/mcleaneducational preserve-2024-bioblitz.
At the high school, Alexandra Casinghino received $3,500 to fund an author in residence in the spring of 2024.
Jarrett J. Krosoczka is the New York Times bestselling author/illustrator behind more than 40 books for young readers, including his wildly popular Lunch Lady graphic novels, select volumes of the Star Wars™: Jedi Academy series, and Hey, Kiddo, which was a National Book Award Finalist.
Krosoczka will lead creative writing and graphic novel workshops for students in English, Fine Arts, and Film and Video Production classes. The workshop will lead students through the analysis of the visual vocabulary of graphic novels (comic books to us old timers) and how to organize visual ideas to tell a story. Students will be guided in brainstorming activities to collaborate on story writing and plot development and will receive feedback on their work. Krosoczka will also provide teachers with strategies to improve student learning.
At the middle school, 6th grade teachers Lorie Hunt and Cynthia Pfaff were awarded a $787 grant to purchase two Lego globes and two Lego Egyptian pyramids to assist in the social studies program. Studies have shown that kinesthetic hands-on activities promote creativity, teamwork and perseverance in classroom settings.
Students will use the Lego globes to show an understanding of spatial awareness by constructing the globe with continents to represent spatial patterns and environmental characteristics of a region. The Lego sets will assist in the Maps and Globes unit and the Egyptian pyramids will fit into the unit on ancient Egypt.
Since its inception the SFES has donated over $750,000 in grants to the Suffield Public Schools. If you would like to read more about the SFES, volunteer or donate, please check out our website at www.sfes.org.