Schools in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties received $96,242 in grant funding through the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore’s 2018 Education Award Grants Program which will be distributed across thirty-three school-based programs.
“The educators creating these programs are inspiring the future leaders of our community,” said Erica Joseph, CFES President. “CFES believes education is vital to strengthening our communities. We are proud to have increased this year’s Education Awards Grant funding by over $24,000 from last year.”
Education Awards are made annually in conjunction with National Education Week through a competitive process to public and private grade schools on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. Grants are made to those schools that have developed innovative programs to enhance education and improve the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of their students and communities.
The following programs received Education Award Grants for 2018 during ceremonies held at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore:
Calcott Award of Excellence Celebrated
The Community Foundation honored Snow Hill Middle School’s Project LIT Book Club project with the Mary Gay Calcott Award of Excellence and a bonus grant from the Foundation’s Mary Gay Calcott Memorial Fund. The award is named for the late Mary Gay Calcott, a professor of English at Salisbury University whose life embodied her ideals of teaching students to think, to express themselves with clarity and to care about the world they live in.
Somerset County:
Carter G. Woodson Elementary School teachers Lisa Dize and Terra Taylor will pilot the “Kids in the Kitchen” after-school club, which teaches cooking skills to students in grades 3 through 5 and teaches life skills to students with disabilities.
Carter G. Woodson Elementary School will provide students with “Teddy Bear Buddies” to take home, along with writing journals and weekly books for a program that engages parents in nightly reading and journaling activities.
Carter G. Woodson Elementary School’s Vicky Whitehead will purchase iPads, therapeutic swings, and other sensory integration tools for children in pediatric occupational therapy.
Princess Anne Elementary School will grow young minds with blacktop gardens to engage Pre-K through first graders in farm to school programming, green initiatives, and healthy habits.
Princess Anne Elementary School will pilot “Taste the Rainbow”—a schoolwide initiative to educate and encourage Pre-K through first graders to eat their fruits and vegetables.
Wicomico County:
Bennett Middle School will purchase percussion instruments for the World Music Drumming multi-cultural music education program led by teacher Jamiliah Marshall.
Choices Academy will pilot a community focused middle school curriculum that combines Common Core with real life simulation.
East Salisbury and Prince Street Elementary Schools will form a Futsal league (like Soccer), organized by teacher Ron Bose, which will allow participation as a reward for good behavior in school.
North Salisbury Elementary School will engage gifted and talented students along with the Edward H. Nabb Research Center and local veterans in a veteran-focused research project.
Parkside High School teacher Lisa Nicholson-McKinnon will purchase computers for Teacher Academy of Maryland students to develop portfolios and prepare for college entrance exams.
Pinehurst Elementary School will create “calm down kits” to reduce behavior problems in the classroom.
Prince Street, Glen Avenue,, and East Salisbury Elementary Schools will expand their Nothin’ but Net basketball and cheerleading program led by Tana Ellis.
Prince Street Elementary School will provide at-risk students the opportunity to engage in regular visits to a therapeutic horse farm, where they will learn to ride and interact with horses (organized by Joe Raffa).
Salisbury Middle School will host Poet-in-Residence Jane Satterfield for Salisbury Poetry Week.
Salisbury Middle School’s Literacy Coach, Katherine West, will purchase 735 copies of Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover for a One County, One Book initiative.
Westside Intermediate School will purchase art supplies and host an artist-in-residence for an environmental arts integration project, organized by teacher Katie Fowlkes.
Wicomico High School’s Rebecca Mathews will lead field trips to provide access to QuestBridge partner schools for low-income, high achieving students.
Wicomico High School’s Jennifer Pitoniak will create an ice/snow sculpting class to engage students with intense disabilities in adaptive arts.
Willards Elementary School will host an artist in residence for a trans-disciplinary arts integration program for Pre-K and Kindergarten students, spearheaded by Nicole Rittling.
Worcester County:
Snow Hill and Pocomoke High Schools will participate in the Project LIT book club which empowers teachers and students to increase access to high-quality, culturally relevant books in and out of the classroom (organized by Cassidy Hamborsky).
Buckingham Elementary School’s April Eichelberger will create a Lending Library to enhance the use of their outdoor classroom and garden.
Buckingham Elementary School will host an artist in residence who will work with the students to create a clay mural to display in the school, coordinated by Melissa Reid.
Cedar Chapel Special School will create an interactive Lego wall to use as a fun hands-on tool for learning high level math concepts and creative communication.
Cedar Chapel Special School will create “Zones of Regulation” which use colors and other visuals to identify emotions and learn social skills.
Ocean City Elementary School will pilot the Kimochis social emotional curriculum which uses specially designed stuffed animals to teach students to identify emotions and express their feelings in a healthy way.
Pocomoke Elementary School will purchase virtual reality headsets for their “Explore, Discover and Engage through 21st Century Learning” initiative.
Pocomoke Middle School will purchase 500 copies of Jocko Willink’s The Way of the Warrior Kid for a One School, One Book initiative led by teacher Jennifer Beach.
Pocomoke Middle School will purchase new books to engage more students in their Project LIT book club, led by teacher Brian Cook.
Pocomoke Middle School’s new Surfrider Club, led by teacher Karen McCabe, will take a trip to Chincoteague Bay Field Station and lead the school in an Earth Day celebration.
Pocomoke Middle School’s Christina McQuaid will purchase restorative practice books to improve students’ behavior and decision making and reduce office referrals.
Snow Hill Elementary School will read Stuart Little as part of a new One School, One Book summer program led by Jennifer Spivey.
Snow Hill Middle School will host their own Project LIT book club and will engage students in meaningful service work in the community, coordinated by Beau Williams.
Stephen Decatur Middle School will purchase virtual reality headsets to take students on virtual field trips and bring history and science to life.
Award recipients from Somerset County with Somerset County Superintendent Dr. John Gaddis (center.)
Education Award recipients from Wicomico County schools with Wicomico County Superintendent Dr. Donna Hanlin (center back.)
Education Award recipients from Worcester County schools with Worcester County Superintendent Lou Taylor (center back.)