Catalyst for creativity: Foundation grants encourage teachers to innovate in Menlo Park classrooms Catalyst for creativity: Foundation grants encourage teachers to innovate in Menlo Park classrooms (February 23, 2005)

To encourage Menlo Park teachers to be innovative in their classrooms, the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation has awarded 16 grants this year.

The Jeanie Ritchie grants are named in honor of the woman who was the catalyst in launching the education foundation, as well as its first president. The program was begun in 1984 to support creative teachers in the Menlo Park City School District. Teachers design, write and collaborate on proposals for projects they want to introduce to their students.

This year's grants, totaling about $30,000, now are at work in the district's four schools -- Laurel, Encinal, Oak Knoll and Hillview. Some 60 teachers are involved in the 12 new programs and the four that are back for an encore.

"These grants allow teachers to try something different and bring their innovations to the schools," said Terri Richards, chair of the foundation's Jeanie Ritchie Grants Committee.

Each year, the amount of funding requested seems to be going up, as teachers are using more sophisticated technology and innovation in their grant proposals, said Ms. Richards. Only five of the 16 grants were under $1,000.

Following are brief descriptions of the programs that won grants.
New grants

** Something New About You: Hillview's 225 seventh-graders will hone their writing and critical thinking skills by analyzing poetry and writing their own. This grant emphasizes the art of self-discovery, according to teachers Sharon Thompson, Melissa Lima, Kim Staff, Mike Rogers and Bruce Hicks.

** Discovering United States History through Art: Encinal teachers Susan Preston and Heidi Yamada have written six lessons using visual arts to teach and reinforce certain math and U.S. history concepts, integrating them into the fifth-grade core curriculum.

** The Million Page Challenge: This grant challenges the Encinal community -- all third-, fourth- and fifth-graders, their families and school staff -- to collectively read one million pages. Teachers Susan Blanco and librarian Gail Bradley developed the grant.

** Phun Physics II received the first Ingrid Smith Math & Science Award. Second-graders at Laurel will rotate through seven "hands on" science stations during the series of Phun Physics Days. Teachers Linda Creighton, Sue Booth, Jennifer Byrne, Jennifer Christensen, Steffany Cressey, Jeriann Hirsch, Barbara Porro, Priscilla Seely wrote the grant to enrich and support the science curriculum.

** Globe Trotters: First-graders at Laurel and their families will study a country of their ancestors or of other interest and learn about the traditional culture. During the culminating event, students will rotate through classrooms to visit each continent. The teachers are Stacie Satana, Kristen Gracia, Sue Peterson, Marilyn Wong, Courtney Shackleton, Joanie Woodard and Joan Posilippo.

** Wednesday Wizards: Laurel teachers Courtney Shackleton and Kristen Gracia will guide their first-graders in a weekly science experiment or in watching a demonstration as they actively participate in the scientific process.

** Let George Do It, the Musical: Fifth-graders at Oak Knoll will bring George Washington to life in musical form. They will use theatrical skills to dramatize events and concepts from other curriculum areas such as social studies. The teachers are Sara Kew, Joan von der Linden, Karen Clancy, Stacy Emmert and Noelle Gonsalves.

** Striking It Rich: Fourth-graders at Encinal will study the Gold Rush, and pretend to go back in time as prospectors and pan for gold. Teachers Lori Friedman, Charlene Mattos, Sheila Warren, Ruth Peterson and Lela Ward developed the project.

** The Story of My Life: All students at Encinal will develop their writing abilities as they complete a personal narrative. They will read biographies, talk with a biography author, and write the story of their lives. Teachers Susan Blanco and Heidi Yamada developed the project.

** The Button Factory: First-graders at Laurel will create a student-driven business, The Button Factory, in Kristen Gracia's class. They will make and supply buttons for teachers, parents and other students on campus.

** Mexico Celebrates: This grant is not just candy and costumes, say Laurel teachers Steffany Cressey and Jennifer Christensen. Their second-graders will see what people in other countries do to celebrate All Saints' Day. They will have simple Spanish language lessons and literature lessons using stories, poems, art and songs.

** Pen Pal Project: The second-grade classes of Steffany Cressey at Laurel and Wendy Gaspastione at Oak Knoll have written letters back and forth for three years. With this grant, students will assemble their saved pen pal letters and photographs in a bound book. They will interview their pen pal, write a simple biography, and meet in May at Holbrook-Palmer Park.
Encore projects

** A Kindergarten Picture is Worth A Thousand Words: Using digital cameras, the 125 kindergartners at Oak Knoll will learn from pictures about positive behaviors and social skills. The teachers are Juli van Tellingen, Trish Stella Alicia Bush, Robin Yardi andCarole Towle.

** Jazzin' It Up -- Swinging with the String Orchestra: Some 200 students, from fourth through eighth grades, will hear Bay Area jazz and rock violinist Joe Dupre in concert at school. Mr. Dupre will also give master classes at Hillview and work with string students in the jazz and lab bands. The grant, written by music specialist Richard Vaughan, also will fund the purchase of electric string instruments.

** Pioneer Living: Teachers Priscilla Seely, Steffany Cressey, Jeriann Hirsch , Jenn Byrne, Jen Christensen, Linda Creighton, Barbara Porro and Sue Booth will help second-graders at Laurel experience pioneer living through a variety of hands-on activities. They will make bread from wheat seeds, card wool and spin yarn, simulating a 19th century, one-room schoolhouse.

** Sharing Birds with Children: First-graders at Laurel will link their study of birds to digital and computer technology that lends itself to logging, record keeping and photo documentation. The teachers are Joan Posilippo, Marilyn Wong and Joan Woodard.
INFORMATION

To learn more about the Jeanie Ritchie grants, go to www.mpaef.org and click on "grants." Information for this report was supplied by the Jeanie Ritchie Grants Committee and edited by Almanac staff writer Marjorie Mader.

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