Join us for a fun evening of simulated horse racing, hors d’oeuvres, mint juleps and a hat contest to support the Westport Education Foundation. Go to the Night at the Races page to learn more!
Kentucky Derby is coming to Westport!
Walk for Westport
The first annual Walk for Westport was a resounding success! Read the account by WEF Board Member Selena Howard and view photos by Jennifer Lima Photography.Thank you to everyone who participated, and especially the Friends of the Council on Aging who partnered with us for the event. We hope you can join us again next year!
Congratulations to our Elementary School Essay Contest Participants!
Eighteen students in grades 1-4 wrote thoughtful and creative essays for the topic: Growing up near the beautiful Westport River creates a very special childhood. Describe one or more special experiences you have had because of the Westport River. The winning essay writers were awarded a one-week summer science program with the Westport River Watershed Alliance (WRWA). Winners in Grades 1 and 2 will experience the Coastal Explorers Program, during which they will use a seine net to catch critters, complete scavenger hunts, hike through the dunes, play some nature games on the beach, and create crafts from natural objects. The winners for Grades 3 and 4 will attend River Edventures, during which they will head out on WRWA’s Skiff Water Watcher to explore the Westport River by boat. They will tow a plankton net, pull up crab pots, observe osprey nests, and have the chance to look inside a skate to find out how they survive this marine habitat. Essays were judged by Karen Antonelli of the Westport Community Schools, Shelli Costa of the WRWA, and Jan Hall at Partner’s Village Store. All three judges commented that all the entrants wrote thoughtful and creative essays, and their decisions were very difficult. The WRWA awarded every entrant with a free membership and a Kids Guide to Coastal Westport, and all the essays are on display at Partner’s Village Store.
No Strings Marionette Artists in Residence
Two puppeteers will spend three days at the Macomber School. Puppetry stimulates the students’ imagination and creativity and appeals to students of any age and learning ability. The first two days they will work with the Kindergarten students to create their own sock puppet and teach them how to give their puppet a voice and bring it to life. Day Three will feature two different marionette performances, “Handsome and Gretel” and “Nick of Time.” Each class will also be treated to a behind-the-scenes activity where they will be invited to view the marionettes and puppet theatre up close on the Macomber stage. The evening performance, “Nick of Time,” will be open to the general public including students and families from both the Macomber and Westport Elementary Schools.
Elementary School Musical Grant
The Westport Education Foundation joined the Westport Music Boosters to award a grant to WES music teacher Marlo Dennis, who is working with two other teachers to direct The Granny Awards. One hundred third and fourth graders will perform in this musical, which follows a series of fairy tales. This project will give students an opportunity to gain knowledge in the choral arts, drama, and dance. Students attending the performance will feel a sense of pride for fellow students and have something to look forward to in the third and fourth grade.
Art Club Mural Grant Awarded
The Blue Waves at Westport Middle School will soon be enjoying a better view in the cafeteria. WMS art teacher Alicia McGuire has been awarded an Education Foundation grant to work with the art club to conceptualize, design and create a new mural. The students will consider what defines their school and broader community and integrate those ideas into the mural design.
Destination ImagiNation Grant
The Westport Education Foundation has awarded a grant to the Middle School for students to participate in the Destination ImagiNation® program. This program builds students’ skills in creativity, problem solving, and teamwork. Students work in teams to tackle a DI Challenge and will compete in a regional tournament in Carver, MA in March. The categories of the 2010-2011 Destination ImagiNation® challenges are technical, scientific, fine arts, improvisational, structural and project OUTREACH. You can learn about the challenges at their website: http://www.idodi.org/index.php/2010-11-season/2010-11-challenges.
Next WEF Board Meeting
Our Board meetings are open to the public. Check back for our next meeting date at 6pm in the Community Room at the Westport Public Library. All are welcome, and we will invite input from the audience at the end of the meeting.
Imagine…
- A group of twelve-year old students working on a creative problem-solving project to compete in the international Odyssey of the Mind program
- High school students learning from a cutting edge marine sciences program in partnership with MIT
- Second graders building a monarch butterfly garden/habitat to increase their understanding of life cycles and to create a resource for the community
- First graders engaged in an incubator project that exposes students to science enrichment activities including hatching, observing and journaling
These are among the many projects being funded by education foundations across Massachusetts. Please help us to bring programs like these to Westport.
AP Calculus Grant Approved
Our first grant has been awarded to the Westport High School to fund teacher training for AP Calculus. The high school will be able to offer AP Calculus as part of its curriculum next year!
When she applied for the grant, Cheryl Tutalo, Principal of Westport High School, wrote that “AP enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school and provides students with the opportunity to earn college credit. Taking AP courses also demonstrates to college admission officers that students have sought out the most rigorous curriculum available to them. AP courses help students develop and apply the skills, abilities and content knowledge they will need for college. Each AP course concludes with a college-level exam which allows students to demonstrate their mastery of college-level course work. Research consistently shows that students who score 3 or higher typically experience greater academic success in college and have higher graduation rates then their non-AP peers. Having an AP Calculus class at WHS will allow our students, especially those interested in the more competitive colleges and programs, to demonstrate their ability in math. Training two teachers would give us a “vertical team” to focus on instructional strategies and curriculum alignment to strengthen the pre AP program in preparing students for college level course work.”
The grant funds two teachers to attend a training course in Norwood, Massachusetts on October 21 – 22. Congratulations to Westport High School for receiving our first grant!
