Investing in Community Education
The Elmbrook Education Foundation supports the students at all 11 of the District's public schools through its Continuing Education Scholarship, Innovation Grant and Super Grant Programs. In addition, the Foundation has established an endowment held by the Waukesha County Community Foundation to provide a source of permanent support for Foundation programs. For more information, please refer to the Foundation's web site.
Foundation Awards $17,000 in Latest Round of Innovation Grants
The Elmbrook Education Foundation strives to fund projects that show creativity and innovation in instruction with a potential to provide a District-wide impact in the future. The EEF would like to congratulate the following applicants who will be receiving funding through the EEF's Innovation Grant Program to help bring their ideas to life!
Patricia Pelzel (Assistive Technology Integrator, Dixon Elementary) will receive a grant award of $5424 to measure the benefits of using SOLO literacy software in the regular elementary classroom to determine if it should become universally accessible (available to any student at any time that can benefit from its use). This software was previously reserved for students in the special education classrooms due to its ability to provide adaptations to support students with special needs as they develop their writing skills. Studies have since proven benefits for struggling and average writing students in regular classrooms as well. Providing access to the SOLO Literacy Software in the regular classroom would not only support the District’s objective to allow special education students to spend more time with their peers, it would provide additional support to other students who could benefit from its use. This 'pilot' will be conducted with a select group of elementary students in the 2nd semester of the 2010-11 school year. Results will be measured against other control groups to determine its success. This project will determine scalability of this type of product along with its recommended role in supporting the ELA curriculum for different student groups. Similar software (Kurzweil) is universally accessible at the secondary level. Results from the Elementary ‘SOLO pilot’ could have an impact on how Kurzweil is leveraged at the secondary level as well. The Foundation applauds Ms. Pelzel’s desire to leverage proven technologies to benefit other student groups.
In memory of Landis F. Knutson .....
Landis F. Knutson passed away on November 17, 2010 at the age of 80. Services were held at the Community United Methodist Church in Elm Grove on November 21, 2010. Memorials were directed to the Elmbrook Education Foundation because of Landis’s passion for education and his impact within the Elmbrook School District as both a teacher and administrator.
Landis began his career with the newly formed Elmbrook School District in 1955. Landis later served as an Assistant Principal at Pilgrim Park Middle School alongside Irv Hoesly who served as Principal from 1966-1985. Landis and Irv were close friends during their tenure with Elmbrook. Irv recently passed away as well (please see related story).
SMART Response Campaign Complete! THANK YOU!!!!
In the fall of 2009, the Elmbrook Education Foundation embarked on a campaign to deliver SMART Response Assessment Units to all middle school math classrooms at both Wisconsin Hills and Pilgrim Park Middle Schools. Thanks to community support, the last 3 units are now on order which means all math classrooms will have the benefit of this technology to kick off the 2nd semester of the 2010-11 school year.
The Middle School SMART Response Grant represents the 2nd cycle of the Foundation's District-wide Super Grant Program. The first Super Grant cycle was directed towards technology initiatives at BEHS and BCHS back in 2008. Please refer to the related link on this project later in this post for details.
