About the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation
The Glen Ridge Educational Foundation enhances educational opportunities and promotes community involvement in the Glen Ridge public schools. The organization attracts private financial and other resources to help the Glen Ridge School District trial and implement programs that elevate student achievement in today’s competitive world. This not-for-profit group is endorsed by, though independent of, the Glen Ridge School District. Led by corporate and community leaders, the organization identifies, incubates and funds innovative teaching and learning programs that the school budget does not have the leeway to address. Over the last 25 years the Foundation has granted more than $2 million dollars to projects and programs in the Glen Ridge Public Schools.
In tough times, the people of Glen Ridge step up.
Neighbors help when the power goes out, huge trees topple, friends fall ill, pets are lost… from the major to the mundane, we look out for each other.
Six months ago there was no way to predict the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our school system. However, we knew the demands on teachers, students, and parents as well as administrators would be staggering.
While there have been disappointments and frustrations, and remote education has definite shortcomings, Glen Ridge is blessed by the dedication, hard work, and ingenuity of our teachers and administrators — all working diligently to provide the education students need and parents demand.
The Glen Ridge Educational Foundation supports those Herculean efforts with funding for several important new initiatives, and ask that you will join us — your friends and neighbors — by donating now.
It's what we do.
THE PROJECTS - Short Version
Help for Struggling Readers (Fall 2020)
Recognized as the gold standard of literacy teaching, nine teachers from RAS, LAS, FAS and the Middle School/High School are now being trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach. The two-year program administered by Fairleigh Dickinson University utilizes a broad, multisensory approach to teaching reading and spelling that can be modified for individual or group instruction at all reading levels with auditory, visual and kinesthetic elements reinforcing one another.
Pursuing Equity (Fall 2020)
GREF will underwrite Glen Ridge’s participation in the Central Jersey Consortium for Excellence and Equity (CJCEE) at Monmouth University. Comprised of administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, and students, the consortium shares ideas and strategies to help school districts enhance the well-being and academic success of all students by eliminating the disparities in achievement and school engagement.
https://www.monmouth.edu/school-of-education/centers-academies/cjcee/
Online Reading Assessment (Fall 2020)
To help educators more accurately assess K-8 students’ reading ability in an online environment, GREF is funding Literably — a powerful online tool that identifies A-Z reading levels, diagnoses skill gaps, screens students for reading difficulties, and monitors progress.
Emergent Needs (Spring & Fall 2020)
When schools turned on a dime to be 100% virtual in March, GREF offered to purchase whatever teachers needed to make the transition. The offer has been extended this fall with many more teachers making requests. We have been able to quickly supply extra monitors, document cameras/software, lap desks, a teacher tracking camera, and manipulatives that can be sanitized.
Virtual High School (Ongoing since 2011)
Our commitment to fund the GRHS Virtual High School through 2023 will be honored, providing students with opportunities to take courses offered beyond Glen Ridge. Since GREF first funded the program nearly a decade ago, hundreds of students have been able to study a wide range of topics of interest, and enhance their academic resume.
Support education in Glen Ridge for today and tomorrow.
DONATE HERE
The Glen Ridge Educational Foundation is pleased to announce the award of $18,000 to fund professional development for teachers, adding to the several tens of thousands of dollars devoted to this aspect of the Foundation’s interest areas over the last couple of years. This grant, for support and training in the development of the Language Arts curriculum, builds on a former grant which focused on implementation of various LA teaching techniques in the classroom. In the presentation requesting the grant, several teachers spoke to how they are currently utilizing the best practices techniques they learned and their goal of wrapping “what works best” into the formalized curriculum.
Like most professions, education is constantly changing and the Foundation is pleased to be able to help keep district teachers up-to-date thus enhancing the opportunities of our students.
Diversity in Science Literacy Paulette Cinotti, Gerald White
Scientist very in gender, ethnicity, and cultural background; embracing this diversity should be part of the learning experience in the science classroom. By using a variety of books written by and about non-dominant groups, we will celebrate cultural diversity and pave the way to inclusivity in science education. These books will be housed in the RAS media center and used as a resource for specific class projects, with the goal of nurturing cultural literacy in our sixth grade students.
Pretend Play for Real Learning Megan Connolly
This project will allow for children to experience additional dramatic play scenarios beyond the traditional “housekeeping”. Children will be able to engage in the added worlds of a grocery store, doctor’s office, ice cream parlor, restaurant, and veterinarian’s office. These varied settings will create new opportunities to develop vocabulary, cooperate with peers, and practice problem-solving skills. Frequently changing materials, such as games, puzzles and art projects will spark excitement in the children. This project will allow for that excitement to extend to the dramatic play area as well.
Expanded Innovation Grants
The DBQ Project Eric Dimeck, Carol Svetik, John Lawlor
The goal of this initiative is to improve critical thinking skills by providing teachers with the teaching tools, and students with strategies for writing document document-based question (DBQ) essays and further develop essential analytical skills. Two professional development workshops with a trainer from the DBQ project will be provided to Middle School and High School Social Studies and English teachers, and online and print resources will be purchased. These resources will help students break down the process for answering essential questions from ancient history to modern times by analyzing sources, constructing a thesis, and supporting claims with evidence. Examples of questions students will explore taking on the role of historians as they learn to critically read primary and secondary sources and construct claims supported by evidence are:
Collaboration Café Lindsay Coral, Jessica Gill
Third and fourth grade students will join forces and have the opportunity to improve their language arts abilities. Two classes of students will read books of their choice in a café environment. Comfortable
seating, special amenities, and books will be provided during each meeting setting the stage. Fourth grade students will act as mentors and develop a sense of leadership during this time. Third grade students will look to mentors for help to increase their Daily 5 language arts skills. Both groups will seek to build reading stamina, fluency, comprehension, and writing skills through this collaboration.
Reimagining Recess Megan Connolly
Recess is an important time within the elementary student’s day. Often what comes to mind when one thinks of recess are visions of children running, climbing on equipment and bouncing balls. However, if one reimagines recess, a much fuller picture can emerge. A picture of children engaged in teambuilding using large blocks, taking turns playing games, practicing eye-hand coordination with a beanbag toss, balancing on alphabet stepping stones, and role-playing with construction vehicles. Reimagining recess will provide Central School students with more varied opportunities during outside recess time but more importantly also during inclement weather when the playground equipment is unavailable.
Over the last couple of years the Foundation has contributed roughly $250,000 to fund projects and programs in each and every of the town's schools. Part of those monies were for Innovation Mini-Grants and Expanded Innovation Grants. Below is a list of those that were funded during the 2018-2019 school year. Please join us in congratulating all of the staff members who have brought their ideas for improving the delivery of the curriculum to the students. For more information about these projects please go HERE.
Paula Horton: March Book Madness
Paula Ely: Hygge-The Cozy Nook
Lisa Petruzzi, Jody Walsh: "Forest Flies" Around the World
Diane Blazier, Alyssa Roqueni, Michelle Klein: Reading Comes Alive with Daily Five
Katie Stapp, Trish Fagan, Danielle Chesney, Rob Stomber, Elaina Frissel, Pamela Barton, Theresa Messineo, Cindy Barrington, Joe Caravela: UNICEF Kid Power
Monica Nieves, Christina Rodriguez: Technology in the Spanish Classroom
Jerry White: "We Need Diverse Books":A Celebration of Our Differences
Francoise Spano: Creation Station
Theresa Messineo, Megan Connolly: Many Cultures, One School
Andrew Shohan: Robotics Team
Jessica Gill: Soft Starts for School Success
Erin Goldstein: Literacy Circles for the Curious Kindergartner
Andrew Shohan: Engineering and Programming with Arduino Quadcopter
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Improving the situation was critical for our STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) program, especially given the implementation of the new N.J. Core Curriculum Content Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards developed by the National Research Council. The new curriculum places a greater emphasis on hands-on learning, including personal observation, analysis, experimentation and communication. More labs are required and the course demands a higher level of understanding to draft lab reports that are aligned with the Middle School program.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Two and a Half Decades of Funding Projects for All Glen Ridge Students
Board of Trustees
Arthur Dawson PhD • Duval Graham • David Lefkovits, CFA • Ann Marie Linke. • James Lisovicz, Esq.• Mary Louise Malyska PhD
John McCusker, Esq • Maureen Mycka • Marcia Horton O'Grady • Dirk Phillips • Bill Potter • Karima Ravenell
Benjamin Ringe • Gwen Schoenfeld, Esq.• Linda Seyffarth • Tracey St. Auburn • Anthony Turiano • Fran Wong • Tom Wright
¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾¾
STIMULATE·INNOVATE·FACILITATE