|
Gifts from generous donors have made it possible for the Emerald Foundation to provide more than $150,000 in grants to support Hamilton Central students
Fit body, healthy mind
Fitness is important to developing both a healthy body and sharp mind. The “snowshoeing across the curriculum” project uses Hamilton winter weather to the students’ advantage. This new project received $3,000 in support from the Emerald Foundation to purchase multiple sets of snowshoes to use with elementary, middle, and high school students during Physical Education classes in the winter. In addition to PE, they will be used by students for cross-curricular projects, such as field trips for biology.
Taking to the stage
The Emerald Foundation provided $500 which was used to purchase additional props and costumes for the elementary school musical theatre production of Willy Wonka Junior. This production was an invaluable experience for a large number of children both on stage and behind the scenes. The play’s director said, “having these extra props and costumes made the children feel like a part of something special. It was obvious from the smiles on the children’s faces after our performance that they felt valued, proud and important!”
Engaging young readers
Good readers in class begin as good readers at home. Unfortunately, many students don’t have the resources they need to to get that important time with books outside of school. The TIME program seeks to create a better connection to the school with at risk families and by giving the parents and caregivers the resources and knowledge to support reading at home. $3,500 in Foundation funds have been used to purchase books to share with at risk preschool and elementary families as part of the team’s effort to visit over 25 families within the school district.
Giving the collection a boost
A library collection needs regular updating to ensure students have access to the books they need. $3,600 in Emerald Foundation funding was used to purchase 330 books to shore up the school’s collections which had not seen significant upgrades in a few years. The reports from the school librarian are great. She says, “The kids are so excited to have these new books in the collection!”
Macs for the Think Tank
An Emerald Foundation grant of $9,940 supported the purchase of ten MacBook Pro laptops to be used for all students at HCS via the innovative and unique Think Tank. Students have and will continue to use these laptops to research and create projects that showcase critical thinking in collaboration with their peers locally and globally. Students are excited to use the computers and are coming up with new ways to push themselves and their learning to new heights.
| 