Past years: 2010-2011 | 2009-2010 | 2008-2009 | 2007-2008 | 2006-2007 | 2005-2006

The grants awarded for the 2011-2012 school year totaled nearly $150,000:

The Marblehead Honors Symphony Orchestra
An innovative program begun by grades 3-12 Orchestra Director Kristy Foye and grades 4-6 Band Director Kate Ferris that enables select band and orchestra students to play ensemble arrangements. Begun as a pilot program at Village School in 2011, this grant will allow access to a variety of pieces and allow Marblehead to expand the development of an ensemble orchestra into the Veterans Middle School.

Rachel’s Challenge
This grant will allow students at Marblehead High School and their parents to participate in a day-long challenge honoring “Rachel,” the first victim in the Columbine shootings. This program celebrates Rachel’s kindness and the caring spirit she demonstrated in her short life. It promises to form powerful partnerships that can help replace bullying and aggressive behavior with kindness and compassion.

Architect in Residence
This grant will bring professional expertise to help High School students complete the final phase of designing the space for teens at the Abbot Public Library. A professional architect will work with students to create the actual construction documents, and they will experience a real-life project.

Mindfulness/Stress Management & Substance Abuse Prevention Outreach
A grant that will provide educational outreach on youth substance use and wellness issues through a series of workshops. The goal of the program is to improve student health and decrease youth substance abuse through mindfulness training, stress reduction workshops and youth substance use prevention education for faculty, parents, and students at Marblehead High School, Veterans Middle School, and Village School.

Middle School Science Olympiad
This funds a Science Olympiad team that will ultimately be composed of students from MCCPS, Veterans School, and Village School. These “inteletes” will enter science competitions, competing with other regional and national teams. This grant will encourage students to explore their interests and skills in areas of science, biology and engineering.

Seed to Table: Healthy and Organic Food from the Garden
This grant will permit MCCPS to purchase a “seed starter,” or incubator, so that students can start plants from seed for the school’s garden during the colder months. Many of the meals provided to MCCPS students include fruits and vegetables harvested from the school’s well-established organic garden. This grant will further advance the school kitchen’s self-sustainability and integrate those lessons into the Health and Wellness and Science Departments.

iPad Technology for Special Education Learners
This will supply two iPads to help special needs learners at the elementary school level to acquire knowledge in a way more appropriate for their learning styles. They learn better by “doing” than by listening or watching. The iPads will provide hands-on, interactive lessons daily, which will be practiced in a repetitive fashion in order to help the students learn and truly master new skills. In addition, it will allow flexibility to provide differentiated instruction to an entire group of learners, literally at the touch of a button.

Graphics Workstations – CADD Lab
A grant to replace old computers that are used by five High School classes each day. These computers — five or more years old — cannot run the current software. The new workstations will provide the power to run computer graphics and design software that is being used by 75 students and in more than 10 independent study projects.

Road Trip USA
This grant will purchase sets of 50 maps profiling each of the United States. Each fourth-grade classroom will receive a complete set of laminated maps for the students’ enrichment.

Smart Math Tools
This will provide the High School with mathematical software that works with existing SMART Boards in classrooms. The software provides an efficient way to display math formulas and graphs on the board during classroom presentations.

Project Zero Classroom Institute at Harvard Graduate School of Education
A grant that will allow four enterprising Veterans School teachers to dedicate part of their summer break to participate in the Project Zero Classroom, which details various frameworks to look at teaching analytically, develop new approaches to planning, and make informed decisions about instruction. To maximize the effectiveness of the program, they will blog about their experiences and run text-based study groups for colleagues.

Graphic Classics
This funds the purchase of graphic novels to enhance the 8th grade Social Studies and English curricula at MCCPS. Graphic novels of classic works, such as Huckleberry Finn, will allow students to enjoy traditional literature with the support of engaging visuals.

Plant Laboratory Systems
This will allow High School students to work with living plants that have a rapid life cycle. This will provide an environment in which students will be able to discover and observe the complex unfolding of a plant, a process that often provides unexpected results.

SMART Boards in the World Language Classroom
This provides two SMART Boards for the High School’s World Language classrooms. The SMART Boards will create a more dynamic and interactive environment for the students, as well as allowing the teachers to utilize interactive components in the foreign language textbooks.

Just Released! Books
This grant will make “hot” new titles in young adult fiction readily available to Veterans School students to encourage recreational reading among all students – reluctant, advanced, and everyone in between. Students who check out books from the “Just Released!” selections participate in book discussions with others who have read the book. This is a second-year grant building on a highly successful program that has made the MVMS library a hub of activity and excitement around reading!

Butterfly Garden: Sustaining Habitats with Native Plants
This coincides with the initiative of the Marblehead Conservancy and Abbot Public Library’s project, “The Year of the Butterfly.“ An After School Garden Club will be formed at Village School to create a garden with the assistance of a landscape architect. The garden will be full of native plant species that will be utilized for observations and learning.

Leadership Forums
A grant that will provide professional development throughout the year for forty-eight teacher leaders and administrators. Its focus is to build school-based teams working together and interfacing with leadership teams from other schools. Some topics to be addressed include: addressing facilitation issues, utilizing goal-setting to build community and district clarity, identifying what to look for when in classrooms, and considering markers of change.

“Understanding Our Differences” Disability Awareness Education Pilot Program
This is a highly respected educational program begun as a grassroots campaign to increase awareness of differing abilities in the school community. This nationally recognized education program will begin as a pilot program to help Marblehead Public Schools’ third grade students understand some of the differences their classmates live with every day. This program is expected to extend through fifth grade in subsequent years.

Final Cut Pro Video Editing
A grant that will provide television production students with the ability to use video editing software that is used in most colleges and operationally in the workplace. This will give students hands-on experience with a real world production tool.

Author Residency: Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
This grant will provide fourth grade students at Village School with a four-day author residency with an acclaimed children’s author noted for both her nonfiction and historical fiction. Author Natalie Kinsey-Warnock will conduct large-group presentations and in-classroom writing workshops.

Increase Interactivity & Targeted Feedback with “CPS-Spark”
This will provide interactive “clickers” for use in a High School science classroom. The hand-held student response system is linked to a classroom computer. Student responses are anonymously projected onto a screen and provide instant feedback on areas that require further explanation. The clickers improve student performance by involving them in the learning process by increasing discussion and facilitating classroom participation.

Times Tables the Fun Way
This grant will provide five classroom with kits of an interactive, multi-sensory program that enables all students to learn multiplication facts. Materials will be primarily used in all special education departments at Village School, but they will also be distributed and used across all three grade levels.

The Steps to Respect Bullying Prevention Program
Selected by the Marblehead Public Schools elementary guidance staff, will provide a multi-level program to parents, staff, and students with the goals of giving access to common language, building an attitude of respectfulness, and creating a community intolerant of bullying behavior.

SMART Board Training
This will provide two days of SMART Board training for faculty district-wide this summer. Training will include an introductory class for those new to SMART Boards and an intermediate/advanced class for those who want to maximize all that SMART Boards can bring to the classroom.

Responsive Classroom Level II
This is a continuation of The Responsive Classroom I training that many of the Marblehead Public Schools’ elementary teachers have received. Responsive Classroom has been adopted as the through-line standard of classroom management in our elementary schools. Using common language and logical consequences, students learn about appropriate behavior and development of community in the classroom.

Language Library Resource Expansion at MCCPS
This grant will fund Spanish and French reading materials and other resources that will enrich students’ world language experiences both within and beyond the core curriculum.

Our Butterfly Garden
A grant that will provide garden perennials that complement the life cycle of a butterfly. It will be an interactive learning tool for pre-k and kindergarten students.

Band in the Box
This is songwriting software that allows students to add any instrument and any type of music to their compositions. Students at Veterans School will be able to develop music by placing and layering pre-programmed sounds and loops into a composition they have created, thereby developing an understanding of how a song is assembled and produced.

Implementation of Massachusetts Frameworks-Based Science Assessment
This grant provides the science classes at Marblehead Veterans Middle School with a remote Classroom Response System (clickers) for each student to utilize with Study Island and curriculum. This will serve as an anchor to curriculum for teachers and provide learning extensions and remediation for students.

Speech to Text Software
This will enable the Charter School to purchase Dragon Read Naturally, which is text-to-speech software that allows students with specific language disabilities and fine-motor difficulties to compose more complex texts with increased fluency and confidence.

Kindles in the Classroom
This grant will provide 12 Kindles to the Charter School for the purpose of promoting fluency for reluctant readers, challenging advanced readers, and providing teachers with another means to differentiate instruction for readers across the curriculum.

Library Resources for Global Awareness
A grant that will allow Marblehead Veterans Middle School and Marblehead High School librarians to acquire library materials that support the integration and teaching of global awareness across the curriculum.

Interactive Book Clubs
This grant will provide fund two listening stations, 16 headphones, and an assortment of fourth-grade curriculum-based audio books to the Charter School. Research indicates that a student’s reading fluency is enhanced by listening to experienced readers read aloud. With this equipment, students will be able to be “read to” in small groups, ultimately improving their own reading skills.

Author –In-Residence with Julie Hahnke
This will allow a local author to work with MCCPS students and teachers in a five-day program teaching both fiction and fantasy writing. Julie’s lectures will present the elements of fiction in a hands-on workshop in which students will develop and revise their own writing. The program will culminate in a school-wide literacy festival that showcases sixth-grade writing.

SMART Board-Enhanced Instruction
A grant that will provide an interactive SMART Board for the Math Lab at the High School. While this lab is primarily utilized by the Math Department, it is also used on a daily basis by teachers in the Sciences, Arts, and Social Studies.

Discovery Science Jump Start
This allows for the purchase of Discovery Education Science, which is web-based software that will allow students at the Charter School to participate in virtual labs and simulations. Through the software, students will also have access to interactive glossaries and videos that will enhance their knowledge of scientific processes and content.

The grants awarded for the 2010-2011 school year totaled over $100,000:

Primary Source
This grant funds a one year membership for all teachers in the Marblehead School District in the organization “Primary Source”. This membership provides numerous workshops and conferences, during the school year and in the summer, which focus on the study of world cultures, especially those of the Far East, Middle East, and Latin America. In addition, it provides full access to a library of teacher designed units and lessons around world history and cultures, as well as extensive background materials in these study areas.

Infinite Math Problems
This grant will fund the purchase of software that will help teachers of Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry to create problem sets and tests in an efficient manner. It provides for a focused approach in helping students develop skills in specific areas. The purchase provides three years of access to the software.

Online Physics Homework
This grant will provide funds for an online web site that provides instant feedback for students as they do their homework. The web site also provides a space for class information to be posted, and it allows the teacher to monitor the effort of the students.

Visiting Photographers Day
This grant will provide a one-day workshop with visiting photographers and a photo equipment demonstration. Students will see portfolios of working photographers and will hear them talk about their profession. In addition, the photographers will provide feedback on the students’ work.

Road Trip Across America
This grant will fund the purchase of four sets of books; each set includes 52 books – one for each state and U.S. possession. The emphasis is on the geography of the U.S., but the subject material will encompass math skills, language arts, science, and non-fiction writing.

Bringing the Digital World to the Science Classroom
This grant will fund the purchase of 4 digital microscopes that will provide digital capture of images, allowing students to see enlarged pictures of micro-organisms and forensic evidence. Coupled with the hand-held units that were purchased with a FMPS grant two years ago, students will be able to do field work with the digital scopes, collecting data and seeing microscopic images in real time. Students in freshman Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, AP Biology, Forensics, and Chemistry classes could all benefit from these digital scopes.

Student Response Pad System
This grant will fund the purchase of two classroom sets (60 units) of electronic touch pad response systems to be used in high school Social Studies classes. This system allows students to demonstrate their knowledge and express their opinions and get a graph detailing how the class as a whole has responded. It encourages participation of all students and through pre- and post-lesson questioning, it enables teachers to quickly determine the level of understanding of a presented topic.

Wacom Intuos 4 Digitizers
This grant will fund the purchase of 16 Wacom tablets to be used in Industrial Technology classes. The tablets will replace mice on the computers and have more of the feel of regular pencils, allowing a more natural transition from hand drawing to digital image creation. The digitizers will be used with animation software previously purchased with a FMPS grant and they will also be used for AutoCAD projects.

Virtual Dissections with Froguts Software
This grant will fund the purchase of a one-year software license that will provide introductory Biology students who decline to participate in the dissection lab with an excellent alternative. In addition to providing a virtual dissection, the program can be used as a companion to the actual dissection by demonstrating well-preserved organs in detail and allowing for review both at school and at home.

TI-Smartview Emulator for the TI-84 Plus Family
This grant will fund software licenses for 10 SmartBoards in the Mathematics Department to allow demonstrations and presentations of the TI-84 calculator. This software enables teachers to more fully utilize the SmartBoard technology while getting students comfortable with the calculator that they are allowed to use on most standardized tests (MCAS, SAT, PSAT, ACT, and AP exam).

Listen to This!
This grant funds the purchase of an assortment of audio books in both CD format and a preloaded MP3 format as well as the purchase of a few MP3 players for the Village School Library. Titles, including core novels, short stories, and nonfiction selections, would be geared to students at all levels. These would be available to teachers, students, and parents.

Music Residency-Village Plays the Blues
This music residency will be an interactive, hands on approach to expose Village School band students to composition and improvisation through the music of the blues. Students will learn to play the 12 bar and 8 bar blues working in small and large group format workshops guided by a professional blues guitarist and perform in a public concert. Students will keep journals detailing their encounters in the workshops, their experiences with the performance process, and their creative expressions of these particular blues styles.

Author Residency at Village
This grant brings acclaimed author Natalie Kinsey-Warnock to grade four students at Village School. Known for her nonfiction and historical fiction work, the focus of her presentation will be to model and share specific experiences and research that are foundational in writing her stories; this will encourage and inspire students in their writing.

Orienteering 4 Schools
This grant brings to Village School an orienteering program specifically developed for schools. It will be implemented by the Physical Education Department, but it has tie-ins with all subject areas. Orienteering creates and improves communication, analytical, and decision-making skills. The students will also learn navigational skills, including map making and reading maps and compasses.

Teen Health Series
The Marblehead High School Library will add the Teen Health Series to the collection of useful Health Education resources housed at the library. Clearly written and well-formatted, the Teen Health series is expected to be a resource well-used by MHS students.

Las Vegas A Cappella
This grant will provide the conference registration for the Jewel Tones and Luminescence at the Las Vegas A Cappella Summit in the fall of 2010. The students will attend workshops and performances by nationally-renowned college and professional groups, and they will be exposed to the west coast a cappella culture, which is different from the style to which they are accustomed.

The Louise Nevelson Lockers
Wood Working and Art students will join together to build a wood mural that will be displayed permanently on the wall outside The Wood Shop at the high school. Sculptor artist, Louise Nevelson, is the inspiration behind this collaboration. Students will learn how to communicate their ideas in a “visual dialogue” as the project moves from design to fabrication and from composition and organization to actual construction.

Graphic Novel Pilot Program
A set of graphic novels will be purchased - MAUS: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Speigelman. This will provide a different type of learning material to explore a difficult subject: The Holocaust. This novel can be utilized at all levels and will provide a bridge between Literature, History, and Art.

Assignment Notebook
This grant will provide a new assignment notebook design for high school students. The new design will provide a larger organized daily page with preset subject blocks to track both nightly homework assignments and assessment contents and dates; a daily date and schedule system; and a series of full-page, lined monthly calendars to assist students with scheduling long term events, projects, and due dates.

Poet-in-Residence
Professional poet and educator Geof Hewitt will be invited to be the second Poet-in-Residence in the Marblehead schools. The week-long residency will provide a small-group-workshop based approach culminating in a community-wide poetry slam. Hewitt will work with students from the Village, Veterans, and High Schools.

Creative Classroom
This professional development program provides inquiry and training on how to embed creative and critical thinking into the classroom. This second year of the institute involves a leadership workshop to train lead teachers and administrators to work and team together so implementation of Creative Classroom happens in the schools.

Enhancing Literacy
This grant funds a one year subscription to The Compass Learning Program, an interactive computer program that assists students in improving reading comprehension and writing skills.

The Philosophy Shop
Gerry Kindergarten teacher Diane Babbitt will attend Little Big Minds author Marietta McCarty’s two-day philosophy curriculum workshop. Following the workshop, Babbitt will lead a series of professional development workshops and classroom philosophy circles for Marblehead K-6 teachers and students during the 2010-2011 school year.

Printmaking Residency
High School art studio students will participate in a series of workshops and conferences offered by two expert printmakers, Don Gorvett and Sean Hurley. They will lead the students through the woodcutting and etching processes. All high school art students and faculty will be invited to the lectures and final exhibition.

Design Lab
This provides funding for materials for the 7th and 8th grade After School Engineering Club. Under the direction of Science and Engineering Teacher, Ned Dawes, students will use critical thinking skills to design and build electrical inventions and motorized machines.

Math and Science Technology Initiative
All MCCPS students and teachers will benefit from Discovery Education’s Streaming Plus digital video-on-demand and on-line teaching resources. The program includes an up-to-date math and science video library and lesson plans. Students will have access from home to practice virtual science labs and complete interactive math lessons.

Literacy through Listening
This grant provides the Bell School Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms with 8 new CD/cassette listening stations. Each station is student driven and will also provide seed money to start a central CD library/collection.

MVMS Best Buddies Chapter
This grant provides the Veterans School with its first Best Buddies Chapter. It will enhance the MVMS community and increase friendship connections among peers with intellectual disabilities and social challenges with those of like interests. It is a highly regarded anti-bullying curriculum enhancement.

Cross Cultural Resources
This grant provides funding for updated and diverse fiction/non-fiction selections which reflect the changing cultural needs of the High School demographics. The books as chosen by the High School Librarian and Metco Director will become a part of the High School’s permanent library.

Read Naturally
This grant provides software as well as training for the Read Naturally program. This highly successful reading intervention program will be utilized primarily with at risk readers in a new ‘Read Naturally’ center at the Village School. Teachers will also be able to train and access the technology for level and advanced readers.

Marblehead Grade 4-12 Youth Leadership Project
Consultant Richard Cohen will work with school staff and student leaders from the Village, Veterans, and High Schools to combat bullying and cyber-bullying in our community.

Video Modeling
This grant will enable a group of students with severe disabilities to benefit from the teaching method of video modeling. Video modeling allows students to

Portfolio Files
This grant will allow for the purchase of durable wooden portfolio files for the Studio Art classes. These files will support students by providing a safe place to preserve their pieces, allowing them to document their growth as artists.

Book Bags for Book Clubs
This grant will allow for the purchase of multiple copies of high interest texts at the Veterans School. Students will have the opportunity to read the texts in Book Clubs that will meet throughout the year.

The Trouble-Free Playground
The Trouble–Free Playground grant will fund equipment and training by Dr. Curt Hinson for Village School faculty, staff, and students on how to engage in fun, inclusive games at recess. Designed to minimize bullying, the Trouble-Free Playground will add some creativity to the down-time in the students’ day.

The Outdoor Classroom at Bell School
The outdoor classroom is designed to be a thoughtful way to have nature meet learning at Bell School. Designed cooperatively with the High School woodworking staff and parents as well as the Town of Marblehead, the Outdoor Classroom will be used by all disciplines and grade-levels at the Malcolm Bell Elementary School.

Music Professional Development
The Marblehead Public Schools K-8 Music Education Staff has been funded to experience a two-day staff workshop by Dr. John Feierabend on incorporating Conversational Solvege into the music classroom as well as developing lesson plans and applying Folk Music in the classroom.

The grants awarded for the 2009-2010 school year totaled over $100,000:

Primary Source
This grant funds a one year membership for all teachers in the Marblehead School District in the organization “Primary Source”. This membership provides numerous workshops and conferences, during the school year and in the summer, which focus on the study of world cultures, especially those of the Far East, Middle East and Latin America. In addition, it provides full access to a library of teacher designed units and lessons around world history and cultures, as well as extensive background materials in these study areas.

Empowering Multicultural Initiatives
This project will continue to develop culturally-relevant, anti-racist teaching practices among MPS faculty and staff. Through the multi-cultural Initiatives course, teachers and staff will have the opportunity to analyze how issues of diversity, race, and differences impact the classroom and the academic achievement of all students.

The Creative Classroom Institute
This project is a three tier professional development model for Pre K -12 teachers and administrators that provides inquiry and training around how to embed creative and critical thinking into the classroom.

Meeting the Reading Needs of Diverse Learners in Grade 4 at Village School
This grant represents the addition of book copies at specific levels in the genres of realistic fiction, mystery, and fantasy to support guided reading groups (6 - 8 copies per title} in three to four classes at the same time.

Reading Comprehension in the Primary Grades
This grant will allow for the purchase of texts and DVDs detailing the work of Debbie Miller, a prominent teacher and staff developer who focuses on the area of reading comprehension. In their core groups, K-3 teachers will work together to learn from these resources, and to refine strategies related to comprehension instruction at the primary level.

Foodplay
This program uses the power of live theater to turn kids on to healthy eating and exercise habits. It will be presented to elementary students district wide and includes juggling, music, magic, and audience participation while conveying a message of good nutrition.

Amazing Americans
This program is currently bringing historical figures to life throughout our first grade, courtesy of Rachel Beckman, Bell School First Grade Teacher. Do you want to try on Daniel Boone’s coon cap? Try Braille like Helen Keller? This year nationally known Keith Michael Johnston will perform to our First and Second graders and give these famous characters a voice in Amazing Americans; the presentation is humorous, educational, and hugely entertaining for all budding historians.

The Firebird &”Till Eulensegel’s Merry Pranks” by Underground Railway
This grant supports the opportunity for the district’s entire first and second grade students to see the Underground Railway Theater’s (URT) productions of the “Firebird,” a shadow-puppet ballet set to Stravinsky’s 1919 suite and “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks,” a shadow-puppet performance inspired by Richard Strauss’ dramatic tone poem. Before observing these beautiful performances, the art, music, and classroom teachers will be asked to extend this enrichment opportunity by preparing students through listening and analyzing the music, by creating a shadow puppet, and by writing about their mythical bird.

Museum of Science Traveling Programs
This grant will provide the funds to bring the Museum of Science quality learning experiences to all of the students in the Village Middle School. Presentations will include Electromagnetism (4th Grade), Weather (5th Grade), and the Star-Lab Portable Planetarium (6th Grade). Each presentation will occur near the time the subject is being taught in the classroom.

Day of Respect
Submitted by the Veterans’ Middle School. This grant is a full school day program to promote a positive school climate teaching tolerance, acceptance and diversity.

Universal Design for Learning and Literacy
This grant will provide resources for teachers who work with students in grades 4 through 8 that have varied learning styles. The teachers will plan, create, and develop classroom materials and activities. This proactive approach will help teachers to be ready to work with each student in the way that best meets the student’s individual learning style.

Nutrition and Wellness Consultant
Initiated by the Marblehead Public Schools Wellness Committee, a professional chef consultant will work with the food service director and the cafeteria staff. This consultant will develop new menus, and provide staff training in product ordering and nutritional cooking to improve the dietary value of the food served to Marblehead Public School students and enhance the Health and Wellness curriculum.

Empowering Student Learning by Incorporating Principles of Universal Design for Learning, Multimedia and Multisensory Methods of Instruction and Learning
This grant will enable the 6th grade classroom to develop with robust active learning incorporating multisensory multimedia methods using new software, audio books, and projector.

8th Grade Student Exhibition
Using the existing 8th grade collaborative English-Social Studies research project, students will demonstrate an in-depth understanding of their topic through the creation of an art project. This grant will allow students to use mini flip video cameras or Chinese calligraphy supplies to create a short film or a Chinese calligraphy and brush painting related to their research topic.

The Galileoscope
In order to commemorate the International Year of Astronomy, High School senior science students will build their own telescopes and make the same observations as Galileo did 400 years ago. Students will make drawings and record observations of the Moon, the Moons of Jupiter, Venus and the Milky Way and compare them to Galileo’s observations.

Marine Technology Laptop Acquisition
This grant will enable the High School Marine Technology instructor to purchase ten laptop computers that are capable of handling diagnostic software. Students will be able to use these to plug into marine engines, retrieve error codes and perform diagnostic checks on a brand new $25, 000 in-board diesel engine that has been donated by the Caterpillar Corporation.

Master Piece Cast Replica Collection
This grant will allow the purchase of seven sculpture replicas originally created by Rodin including The Thinker which will be displayed in the library. The other six will serve as classroom models for the department’s sculpture classes.

Online Testing System
This grant will provide an in-house test generator that will provide a server that will host questions written by teachers which can be answered by students remotely via a web browser.

MHS Library Research Set
This grant will fund the purchase of the “The Reference Point Press Research Set”, 53 books which focus on critical American and Global contemporary issues. They contain well-analyzed, informed, objective, and thorough research on critical current issues. These resources will be used in Health, Science, and History classes at Marblehead High School.

MHS Library Drug Information Set
This grant will allow the purchase of the “Illicit and Misused Drug” 16-book series, a set that provides current information on a wide range of dangerous or misused chemical substances. These books will be used across the curriculum by debate, legal, health, psychology, and science classes, as well as provide requested personal resources for Marblehead High School Students. These books come recommended by The Senior High Core Collection.

Every 15 Minutes
This program, “Every Fifteen Minutes” is a dramatic school-based alcohol prevention program. It is a two day program that will be held at the High School, focusing on high school seniors and juniors. It will challenge them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety and the responsibility of making mature decisions. A live simulation of a car crash, caused by drinking and driving, will be viewed at the high school with the assistance of the Marblehead Police and Fire Departments, and with student participation. The name of the program is derived from the fact that a person in the US is killed by a drunken driver every fifteen minutes.

Team Harmony-A World of Difference Peer Leaders
The purpose of Team Harmony is to educate and train a group of students in grades 9-12 to lead workshops for their peers on diversity related issues. Onsite training through the Anti-Defamation League will be provided. The trained students will act as role models for their peers with the ultimate goal of spreading the use of positive methods for responding to prejudice and stereotypes in our community.

Senteo Classroom Response System
Giving Every Student a Voice This system, which consists of individual remote control devices, a wireless receiver that connects to the classroom computer and integrated software, will allow teachers in World Language classes to elicit responses and participation from all students. It will also provide teachers with data that will help inform them of the level of understanding of a topic as well as of any need for further instruction or practice.

Recharging Reading Scanners and Headphones
This grant allows optimal utilization of the Kurzweil Reading System (a program that allows MHS students with learning disabilities to fully access the curriculum) by providing scanners that will enable material to be easily entered into the system and headphones that will minimize distraction to users and their classmates.

Vibez Gospel Group
This grant will create a multi-school, multicultural gospel group for Marblehead Public Schools. Through this choir, all interested students between 5th and 12th grade (both commuting and resident) will have the opportunity to explore the history, development and influence of African-American music in the United States.

Taylor Mali Residency
This grant makes possible a first-ever opportunity for Marblehead High School students to work with Taylor Mali, a renowned poet, performer and teacher. This artist-in-residency will span over two months and culminate in a Poetry Slam, which will highlight student performances in poetry, song writing, visual arts graffiti, set design and a performance by Mali himself.

Landscape Woodcut and Etching Printmaking
Don Gorvett and Sean Hurley (artists in residence) will bring a studio program on landscape to the MHS on woodworking and etching.

Survey of Latin Dance
A professional Latin dance teacher will be contracted to work with students for 6 to 8 weeks. This program corresponds to the entertainment chapter in the Spanish textbook. Students will learn the dances and history of the dance and broaden their cultural diversity.

MCCPS Outdoor Experience Program
The MCCPS Outdoor Experience programs are designed to offer 7th and 8th grade students outdoor experiences that incorporate leadership activities and community service. This grant will fund camping equipment that will enable three weekend-long backpacking trips each academic year.

Embracing Diversity
This grant was submitted for Marblehead Charter Public Schools as an all school performance by Dr. Michael Fowler on “You don’t know me, until you know me” and a second program with Greg Cole teaching African and Latin dance, rhythm, art and culture.

The grants awarded for the 2008-2009 school year totaled over $100,000:

Primary Source District Partnership
This grant provides for a one-year membership in Primary Source, which is a professional development and curriculum development organization. It provides seminars, workshops, and educational materials for teachers in all grades in the content areas of Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and the U.S.

Symphony by the Sea Classroom Visits
This grant provides for the Symphony by the Sea quartet to come into the 3rd grade classrooms at the Bell, Glover and Coffin Schools and perform pieces as a quartet and interact with the children.

Software for Photography Classroom and Beyond
This grant provides funds for the purchase of computer software for the photography classroom in the High School. It will upgrade existing software, which is six years old, and add software that will assist in graphic design artwork.

Photo Collage/Montage, History, Practice
This grant provides funds to the photography teacher in the High School to obtain materials and attend a workshop on a new photography process, an Art and Craft Digital Montage, that she will then teach to her high school photo class.

Technology Enhanced Science Education
This grant provides funds for the purchase of spectrometers, drop counters, and hand held portable computers that will be used by students taking biology, forensics, marine science, as well as all levels of chemistry.

Village School Jazz Band
Funds for this extracurricular music program, which provides an opportunity for students to develop technical performance skills and to expand their knowledge and understanding of music. Music styles include jazz, popular rock, and Big Band swing.

Village School Chamber Music
Funds for this extracurricular music program that helps students develop critical and creative thinking skills through performing various classical and contemporary music pieces, and will help them understand the connections between social and formal music.

Empowering Multicultural Initiatives
Funds for 25 teachers in the Marblehead School District to enroll in a graduate course, the Empowering Multicultural Initiatives course, which will provide them the tools to develop anti-racist, culturally sensitive multicultural teaching practices to narrow the academic achievement gap.

Recharging Reading
Funds for the purchase of the Kurzweil 3000 color version software, which is to be used to help High School students who have difficulty accessing texts to develop the skills and independence they need to be successful in their classrooms, specifically by using technology that follows the precepts of Universal Design for learning.

Masterpiece Cast Replica Collection
Funds for the High School art department to purchase three-dimensional art piece replicas to be used as teaching tools in the study of the human body and face as well as for design and art history classes.

Technology Enhanced Instruction
Funds for the purchase of two Smart Boards for use by the High School mathematics department, specifically for use by the Integrated Mathematics I and II classes.

Working Together to Keep Our Planet Green
Funds for the purchase by the Bell preschool of a rain barrel and books, posters, and games that focus on recycling and helping to keep our planet green.

Bash the Trash
Funds for an enrichment program for grades K-3 at the Bell, Glover, Eveleth, Coffin, and Gerry Schools. It is an assembly program and hands-on workshops for the children, using everyday trash to form musical instruments, which teaches about the environment.

Food Play
Funds for grades K-3 at the Bell School to attend a presentation of Food Play, which teaches health, wellness and nutrition, provides related materials, and will be closely monitored by the Bell School nurses.

Amazing American Project
Funds for the purchase of books and historical artifacts that will be used for a new social studies program for grade one on the lives of Amazing Americans ranging from Helen Keller to Rosa Parks.

Practical Steps for Student Achievement: Study Group
Supports text-based materials for three professional development study groups focusing on Educator Series topics: Executive Function, Action Research and Universal Design. K-1 teachers will reflect upon their teaching and share best practices, improving instruction for all Marblehead students.

Smart Boards for Village
Supports interactive whiteboard system for Village School classroom. Images from a laptop computer, DVD player or digital camera may be projected onto the Smart Board to enhance student learning.

We Not Me: Curriculum Support Materials
Provides materials, supplies and equipment for “We Not Me” character development program at the Village School. Resource binders for teachers, bookmarks and signs reinforce this important social skills program.

Grade 5 Historical Fiction Grant
Provides historical fiction novels for literature discussion groups during the study of the American Revolution. The books accurately depict the historical settings, culture, and themes of the era and also represent varied reading levels and boy and girl protagonists.

Outdoor Recreation
Supports MVMS Physical Education Department’s purchase of outdoor recreation equipment including tents and outdoor cooking equipment to teach lifelong recreational skills including outdoor living, orienteering and basic first aid. Through classroom and field experiences, students will practice skills and learn to problem-solve in an activity other than competitive team sports.

Multicultural Theater Production
Students of the MVMS and the Ford Community School in Lynn will jointly perform a musical theater production to increase cultural awareness and racial harmony through music, dance and drama. Under the direction of a professional team of musicians and artistic directors, the show will be performed in Marblehead and Lynn for students, families and their communities.

TV5 Monde
Provides a subscription to TV5 Monde, the international French-language television station. MVMS French students will improve their listening comprehension and fine-tune their accents by watching sports, weather and cooking shows in an enjoyable format.

Boston’s Museum of Science Traveling Program
The Village School will host Boston’s Museum of Science and their three distinct interactive programs, designed to add depth to each grade’s specific math and science curriculum. Mothin: Forces & Work (4th grade), Weather: Wind, Water, and Temperature (5th grade), StarLab Portable Planetarium (6th grade).

Handel & Haydn Society Quartet Visit
Through their lively program, “Voices of the Stage,” the Handel & Haydn Society Quartet introduces Village School students (all grades) to storytelling through a variety of musical styles, including opera, oratio and musical theater. The goal of this program is to broaden our students’ musical repertoire to include classical and operatic music.

Interactive Technology to Enhance Learning: Voice Thread
A one-year subscription to Ed. Voice Thread, a technology tool that students can use to create media, write, illustrate and narrate stories, and then share with each other for feedback in a safe, secure environment. In addition to engaging students and supplementing the curriculum, Voice Thread will give students experience using a variety of media and technology resources.

MVMS Rock Bank PA System
The purchase of a PA system will provide students at MVMS the ability to play concerts outside of the PAC for the community. The system will include speakers, microphones, powered mixer, etc.

Costumes in the English Classroom
The High School English classrooms will have funding to purchase costumes to be used by all teachers as a visual aid to assist in lifting the dialogue off the pages of the major plays studied.

Writing Across the Curriculum
MCCPS intends to purchase Teaching Writing in the Content Areas by V. UrQuhart, M. Mciver to be used by all teachers to improve and enhance writing instruction across the curriculum.

Sound of Music
MCCPS will use these funds to perform their very first musical performance. The money will go toward play scripts and materials for the performance.

Meeting the Challenge: Refocusing Science Education
This grant provided funds for grades 4 and 5 teachers at the Village School to redesign the current science and technology program which has been in place for the past 1 years. This program is not aligned with the current Massachusetts state framework in science and technology and these funds will provide the educational materials, workshops for teachers, and activities for children to make this Science and Technology program current.

Technology Education: Meeting the Expectations of the Massachusetts State Frameworks in Science, Technology, Engineering and the Marblehead High School Science Curriculum
Funds that will support a re-implementation of the Technology Education Program for 7th and 8th grade teachers and students at the Veterans School. This grant will also fund a 10-week technology program intended to be an investigative experience and will address the need that currently exists in the technology/engineering area.

Inspiring Learning for Marblehead High School Teachers
Funds for five English teachers from the Marblehead High School to attend the National Council of Teachers of English Conference in November of 2008. The goal of this conference attendance is to provide a rich array of professional development options to the teachers to better prepare students in reading, literary analysis, and writing.

High School Woodshop
Funds to purchase materials necessary for the High School Woodshop to build an 8′ by 10′ storage shed. The goal of this project is to learn the technique and the process of building a miniature house.

Marblehead High School US History Document Workbook
This grant will allow two members of the High School Social Studies Department to design a unique workbook of historical documents for the High School. These documents will consist of the 35 documents listed in the Massachusetts Department of Education US History framework and 15 documents related to local and regional history.

The grants awarded for the 2007-2008 school year totaled over $85,000:

Technology: Integration Across the Curriculum
Workshops for teachers to explore the inter-relationship between Science, Technology and Engineering. Funding for pilot programs of three new courses at MHS on Robotics, Forensics, and Marine Biology.

Harnessing the Power of the Internet: Summer Institute
A week-long training course providing teachers with tools to decipher the Internet and bring the power of the technology to the students.

Responsive Classroom Training
Intensive one-day training for 15 elementary school teachers focused on practical classroom strategies to reach every learning style, and a series of related books for each elementary library.

Puppeteer Cooperative: Summer Arts Institute
A summer arts program for teachers designed to integrate the use of puppetry into day-to-day teaching methods to enhance the learning environment for all students.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Reflection & Practice
Purchase of materials required to create a text-based study group on the topic of culturally responsive teaching. Teachers will develop an awareness of cultural issues that impact learning and will create practical strategies for addressing these issues in their classrooms.

Symphony-by-the-Sea Classroom Visits
A quartet will perform for 3rd graders and facilitate discussion on the different instruments, with participation by the Village School instrumental teachers as well. The professional musicians will also play recorders with the students and demonstrate what the recorders can do at a higher level.

Allies in Action Curriculum-Building Healthy Relationships Between Girls
Training of school counselors to provide girls with the tools to nurture healthy interpersonal relationships and promote positive conflict resolution. Funded in response to primary challenges in the classroom identified by teachers at this grade level.

Elementary All Town Chorus
Providing new musical reference materials to continue the support of this initiative. The All Town Chorus brings together the children of Marblehead with opportunities to sing and perform all together, as soloists, and/or in small ensembles, under the chorale direction of Valerie S. Peterson.

The Study of Marblehead: Assistance in Standards-Based Curriculum Implementation
Funding for the creation of accurate, standards-based, and age-appropriate materials to teach the history of Marblehead at the new core curriculum level of Grade 3, replacing Grade 4 instruction on this topic.

Rob Surette’s Amazing Hero Art “Be Somebody”
Internationally renowned portrait artist Rob Surette will perform an hour long multi-media presentation, creating ten 6’x6’ murals of famous people and inspiring K-3 children to use their talents to make the world a better place.

Power of Research Process in Elementary Nonfiction Writing
Award winning authors, Laurence Pringle, Natalie Kinsey Warnock, and Cheryl Harness, will present to the students and share their nonfiction writing and research process.

We, Not Me
Purchase of “character education books and videos,” which will reinforce the guidance curriculum and support the central theme of this school’s culture. Resources will be available to both teachers and parents.

World Languages at the Village School
Two foreign language courses will be offered, adding a global dimension to language learning at an earlier age than currently available.

Bob@EDU
Books will be purchased in order to implement “Battle of the Books”, a highly successful national program enhanced by a game show format.

Let’s Celebrate
Multicultural books about holidays and traditions will be purchased to fulfill demand for literature on these topics.

From Sea to Shining Sea
Purchase of a new and updated reference set, which includes a volume on each State in the United States, to improve research materials available in the library for projects and reports.

Are You Ready, My Sister
A memorable theatrical presentation about Harriet Tubman will enhance the history curriculum by telling the story of this dynamic conductor of the Underground Railroad and the Quaker women who helped her bring 300 fugitives to freedom

Global Simulation Workshop
Continuation of a pilot program commencing in June 2007. A three to four hour hands-on interactive experience designed to build critical thinking skills while teaching about global issues and the interdependence of our world.

Bamidele Dancers and Drummers
Performance and workshop to enhance the world cultures curriculum by familiarizing students with the cultures of Africa, South America and the Caribbean through colorful costumes and engaging choreography.

Hydroponics in the Classroom
Purchase of specialized lighting equipment to enrich the existing hydroponics element of the science curriculum, originally funded in 1997 by a FMPS grant.

Contemporary World Issues Series for Library
Purchase of current, relevant, and cross-curriculum reference materials to provide detailed, objective resources for students in the process of developing critical thinking skills.

Science & Math Reference Collections for Library
Updating the Science and Math reference collections in order to enable students/teachers to stay current in these rapidly changing areas of study.

Marketing Course
Purchase of materials required to offer a “Marketing Course,” which will encourage students to understand promotional strategies and tactics and the necessary steps needed to develop and implement a comprehensive marketing plan.

Marblehead Model Yachts
Hands-on pre-engineering class involving theory, practice and a final product. Students design, build and demonstrate racing model yachts. Curriculum connects existing sailing knowledge to that of Marblehead history. Model yachts will be sold upon completion to raise funds to perpetuate program.

Technology Enhanced Instruction
Purchase of two “Smart Boards” to provide advanced technology in the math classes to enhance learning opportunities and support effective instructional methods.

Alternative Processes Program in Photography
The funding of this finer alternative process equipment and training will expand the opportunities available to print and image making in the arts curriculum.

Studying Skillful Teaching
Professional Development program will enable 30 teachers to participate in a 37.5 hours course on understanding the capabilities of all students and the tools to help all students effectively learn to the best extent possible.

The grants awarded for the 2006-2007 school year totaled over $80,000:

Educator’s Series
Professional development program for all teachers and the community, consisting of three lectures by well-known educators and authors in the field of education.

Harnessing the Power of the Internet Summer Institute
A week-long course for Marblehead teachers to learn and experience the educational power of the Internet.

The Power of We: A Community Wide Approach to Addressing Social Cruelty
Educational initiative created in partnership with Teamup and the Marblehead School District to address the impact of social issues.

Responsive Classroom Training
Intensive one-day introductory training for fifteen teachers focused on practical classroom strategies, and a series of related books for each elementary library.

Keith Michael Johnson: “Wild About Weather”
Highly interactive and entertaining presentation to enhance students’ awareness of their surroundings as they explore the “why” and “how” of weather.

A Stitch in Time
An outreach program from the American Textile History Museum, which uses role-playing and primary sources to give students a thorough appreciation for the 19th century immigration experience.

Nantucket Historical Association/Marblehead First Grade Whale Unit Collaboration
A comprehensive whale study program presented by the Nantucket Historical Association Education Department to supplement the first grade science unit on whales while also addressing history, world cultures and music standards.

Finding One’s Voice: From Authors to Students
Three nationally known authors will speak to students about the writing process, how writers find their voices, and how to commit ideas to writing.

Historical Perspectives for Children
Programs which bring biographical, historical figures to life, providing strong character role models which tie into specific areas of the curriculum frameworks.

Elementary All Town Chorus
A program designed to bring together the children of Marblehead in a positive musical and educational setting, fulfilling a desire to sing and fostering new friendships between the lower elementary and Village schools.

Responsive Classroom Training
Training for five teachers during a week-long summer seminar at either the initial or advanced level focusing on techniques which provide concrete methods for promoting effective classroom management, a sense of community and increased social and academic growth.

Bamidele Dancers and Drummers
Performance and workshop to enhance the world cultures curriculum by familiarizing students with the cultures of Africa, South America and the Caribbean.

Brain Food-A New Afternoon Snack
Encourage students to read for pleasure by providing books for after school library time and book talks in a relaxed environment being created by the school.

Robotics and Discrete Math Program
Expand current challenging math enrichment program designed for students with high math abilities using Lego Robotics.

Differentiated Instruction-Success for All Students
Four-day course for 20-35 teachers during the summer, which will focus on the preparation and integration of a significant curriculum unit that incorporates differentiated instructional strategies.

Global Simulation Workshop
A three- to four-hour, hands-on interactive experience designed to build critical thinking skills while teaching about global issues and the interdependence of our world.

Portable Audio Recording Cart
Provide the school with high performance recording equipment to be used to catalogue a variety of events including student concerts, classroom projects and other works.

Raft Building and Race Competition
Pilot program involving groups of students designing, constructing and racing rafts utilizing critical thinking, applied leadership, creativity and collegial working relationships.

Quia.com Online Differentiated Study Tool
Assessment, tracking and reporting tools for teachers and web-based exercises, activities, and learning games to enhance student learning.

Reading, Reflecting and Reforming
Provide materials for professional development study groups written by experts in education, both practical and theoretical.

Shakespeare in Residence
Three-day, in-residence workshop to explore the language, themes and interpretations involving the use of various activities and culminating in a Shakespeare performance.

Video Communications in the Classroom (Phase Two
Provide professional quality studio lighting, lavaliere microphones and film stock to supplement purchases from last year’s grant, which will be used to document student performances and work.

The Africana Encyclopedia
Purchase an excellent reference source for students and teachers to increase their knowledge of the African American culture.

Animation Software
Pilot program for a hands-on, illustration, cartooning and animation class allowing cross curriculum connections between the arts, technology and the English language.

Marblehead Model Yachts
Hands-on pre-engineering class involving theory, practice and a final product by designing, building and racing model yachts.

MHS Student Health
Programs designed to increase student awareness and encourage less risky behavior.

Adapting an Integrated Humanities Curriculum for ALP, Incentives to Learn, Clicking the Gaps
Three grants supporting the enhancement of the educational experience for students in the Alternative Learning Program, providing means for a tailored curriculum, reinforcement for the achievement of behavioral and academic goals, and educational software to strengthen knowledge in core academic subjects.

Photography Program Studio Equipment
Provide studio set-up equipment to enable the expansion of studio assignments for Darkroom and Digital Photography classes.

The grants awarded for the 2005-2006 school year totaled over $80,000:

Educator’s Series
Professional development program for all teachers and the community, consisting of four lectures by well-known educators and authors focusing on literacy, assessment, community and the arts.

Finding One’s Voice-Authors to Students
Three nationally known authors will speak to students about the writing process, how writers find their voices and how to commit ideas to writing.

Student Book Publishing
Provides funding for each student to write and illustrate a sixteen-page full color manuscript, professionally printed and bound by a children’s book publisher.

Responsive Classroom Training
One-day introductory training for ten teachers and a week-long intensive training sessions for six teachers at the Northeast Foundation for Children, focused on practical classroom strategies.

Project Adventure
Students participate in team/community building to help build confidence and trust.

Senior Project/Internship
Provides funding for materials and expenses to support seniors’ personal design of independent studies and internships that take place for four weeks during the spring school quarter.

Lester Laminack Literary Workshop
Professional development program featuring renowned writer, teacher and presenter, Lester Laminack.

Disc Golf Across Districts
Six chain basket holes will be purchased to promote the fun, social activity of Frisbee Golf. The equipment will be shared by MCCPS with any Marblehead public school that would like to play.

Historical Perspectives for Children
Professional actors will bring history alive by portraying historical figures such as Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Mastering the Art of Teaching Reading and Writing
First and Second Grade teachers and literacy specialists will have professional development textbooks to support their monthly study groups.

Safe Routes to School
Teaches K-6 students the benefits of walking to and from school safely using the “Safe Routes to School” model offered by WalkBoston.

Infinities Chamber Ensemble
An introduction to the individual instruments that make up a woodwind quartet. Elements of classical music will be explored using Prokokiev’s “Peter and the Wolf.”

What are you READing
A program for students and their parents that will promote reading for pleasure using selected books in “book bags” complete with discussion questions and examples of how to run a book night.

Reading to Learn Across Curriculum
An online professional development reading course for all teachers to promote reading strategies/practices across curriculum.

Modeling Six Traits Writing Skills with Picture Books
Picture books will be purchased through the library for teachers to model examples of Six Traits writing skills.

Marblehead Literacy Volunteers
A volunteer-based literacy program will be developed by training volunteers to help students who are struggling in the classroom.

Challenging Enrichment Math
This program offers challenging math enrichment to students with high math abilities using Lego Robotics.

Storytelling in the Classroom by Kacy Pierce
Kacy Pierce will engage students through participation in storytelling as both listeners and tellers.

Charging into Piano Lessons
Augments ongoing keyboard class by providing keyboards, headphones and adapters and power chords.

Growing a Community Vegetable Garden
Promotes a greater appreciation for food, farming, hunger issues, seed-to-table cycle and the environmental impact of organic farming. Vegetables are donated to local shelters.

4th Grade Science by Experiment
Provides necessary materials to support bridge building activities, which are part of the fourth grade science curriculum.

Video Technologies in the Classroom
Provides students and teachers with professional grade television media equipment to augment learning in the classroom.

Memorial Gardens and Outdoor Learning Environment
Will engage students by using math and science skills in an outdoor learning environment. Various gardens around the MVMS campus will be planned and cultivated.

Mixed Media, Digitally Enhanced Self-Portraiture
Students will create four self-portraits using the latest digital photography and software.

A Cappella Instruction
A second A Cappella Group will be created by music teacher Amanda Roeder so that more students can become involved.

Graduation Follow-up for Special Education
Information retrieved by a survey to graduates of the Special Education program will yield important information for current teachers and students.

Marblehead High School Remembrance Garden
A teaching area for fine arts, biology and special education will be created by cultivating a garden. Planning is collaborative between students, parents, faculty and community groups.

Marblehead Model
Combining math, science and applied and fine arts, model yachts will be designed and built. The project culminates in a race to see which design is most sea-worthy.