Grants totaling $22,935 fund SMART Boards, science programs, field trips, more
The Haldane School Foundation (HSF) announced that it will be providing more than $22,000 in educational enrichment grants to the Haldane Central School District. These Innovation Grants will fund the purchase of electronic SMART Boards for classrooms, updated nonfiction books for the middle/high-school library and hands-on science enrichment programs, in addition to many other initiatives.
The Foundation awards Innovation Grants twice per year, in the spring and fall. The grants are funded by donations from the community and through fund-raising events held by the HSF throughout the year. Teachers and administrators within the Haldane school system submit grant applications to the HSF to fund programs, speakers and equipment for the children that fall outside of what is available under the regular school budget. “We are so grateful to the individuals and businesses in our local community whose generous donations and attendance at HSF events makes these important grants possible,” says new Haldane School Foundation President Jennifer Marrinan.
Since its inception in 2000 the HSF has raised more than $450,000 for the Haldane School District, with over $250,000 raised in the past five years. Included in the grants are $3,200 for a character enrichment program proposed by Principal Brent Harrington; $1,500 to fund the popular Destination Imagination program; $1,300 for a new Constitution Marsh hands-on science education program; $4,071 for new nonfiction books for the middle and high-school library; and funding for many field trips including a trip to Woodstock Records recording studios, where high-school student songwriters get a chance to hear their own original material professionally recorded on CD.
“Grants from the Haldane School Foundation provide rich curricular experiences for our students that help provide opportunities that would not be possible otherwise,” says Harrington. “At a time when budgets are tight and getting tighter, this support is invaluable and speaks to the commitment of our community to ensure a high-quality education program.”
The HSF’s major fundraiser for the 2012-13 school year will be held on Friday, Oct. 12, 2012 from 7:30 to 11 p.m. in the Waterfall Room at The Roundhouse at Beacon Falls. It promises to be a fun evening out in support of education, so parents and community members are urged to save the date on their calendars now. For more information, visit the foundation’s website.
Photo courtesy of the HSF
