HUNTINGTON – The Gateway Education Foundation approved $2,720 in awards to five Gateway teachers who submitted proposals through its Funds For Learning program. All five projects will take place in the 2013-14 school year.
Spanish teacher Jerilyn Beauregard received $200 toward a field trip of high school Spanish students to attend a performance of the Latin Rhythms and Viva Flamenco at the Berklee College of Music in November. Flamenco is the national dance of Spain and the performance includes singers, dancers and classical guitarists.
“It showcases the musical styles, history and cultural perspective of Latin American music and addresses the foreign language strand of participating in an authentic, professional community event,” Beauregard wrote in her proposal. The funding will defray the cost for students to attend.
Eighth grade history teacher Dawne Piers-Gamble and science/technology teacher Pat Diefendorf were granted $610 for an interdisciplinary project surrounding the keystone arches. The entire 8th grade will learn about the evolution of their home towns from their founding to 1860. In social studies, students will research their town, visit the keystone arch bridges and explore historical artifacts to learn more.
Local historians will visit and students will complete numerous assignments, including responding to a quote from Charles Dickens (which he wrote while riding the Boston Albany Railroad), “The train stops at stations in the woods, where the wild impossibility of anyone having the smallest reason to get out is only to be equaled by the apparently desperate hopelessness of there being anybody to get in.”
During this unit of study, students will also complete a civil engineering study of the keystone arch bridges and design and build a bridge that can weigh the least but support the most weight.
Littleville Elementary School teacher Jennifer Bak was granted $540 for an author visit to the first grade by Billy Steers, author and illustrator of the Tractor Mac series of children’s books. Steers will visit each first grade classroom and discuss his books, how and why he writes them, teach students how to create illustrations that match their stories, and help them record their stories.
High school English teacher Rod Kleber was granted $750 to bring Joseph Firecrow, Jr. —a Northern Cheyenne Fluteman, Grammy Award Winner and 6X Nammy (Native American Music) winner— to Gateway to bring Native American experience and cultural contributions to life for junior and senior high school students. His presentation includes singing, drumming, legends, stories, customs, wisdom, life-affirming values and humor. This post-civil war “vanishing frontier” unit of study will be tied to textbook reading of the folk tale, “The Indian and the Hundred Cows”, Chief Joseph’s speech, “I Will Fight No More Forever” plus other readings.
A fifth project was approved earlier in the month, to support the start-up of a fused glass unit for junior high art classes. Three generous community members donated $620 after an article appeared in local newspapers about art teacher Christine O’Malley taking a workshop in glass fusion, which she wanted to teach to her students. O’Malley has been able to purchase the consumable materials and tools she needs to begin teaching fused glass to students this year.
The foundation is also funding a visit from Mt. Everest mountaineer Ed Webster in October, from an application earlier in the year.
Principal Jason Finnie appreciates the increased opportunities for students that are now available through the foundation.
“We are grateful to the Foundation and hopeful that this sort of awareness and support will foster increasing collaboration between our schools and the hilltown communities,” Finnie said.
“The foundation is so pleased to be able to fund these wonderful programs, as envisioned by Gateway teachers,” said Shirley Winer, President of the Gateway Education Foundation. “We are able to do this thanks to the generous support of community members, staff, parents and local businesses. In particular, a $5,000 grant from United Bank has helped us provide more funding this year.”
Wendy Long, clerk of the Foundation, noted that the Foundation was not able to fully fund two of the projects, but that other sources of funding are being explored to bring those up.
“Last year, 25 donors took part in Valley Gives on December 12, 2012, raising nearly $4,000 for the foundation,” Long reported. “This year, we hope to have even more support on December 12, 2013”
Donations to the Gateway Education Foundation are tax deductible and are welcome at any time of the year. Checks may be mailed to the foundation at 12 Littleville Rd., Huntington, MA, 01050 or made online on the foundation’s website (http://gatewayeducationfoundation.yolasite.com)
