Elmbrook education supporters gathered around gaming tables this weekend, but the big winners were the school district's students.
The Elmbrook Education Foundation fundraiser, one of its two annual money-raising events, featured a silent auction, a reverse auction, dinner, casino-style games and a chance to see the newest technology being employed in math classrooms in the district, said Laura Schmidt, EEF executive director.
The EEF showed off the Smart Response System by pitting dinner guests against Elmbrook fourth-graders in a game of "Are You Smarter Than a Fourth-grader?"
The system includes remote controls for students - or in the case of the game, competitors - to use to log their answers to questions posed by the teacher, who is able to get a real-time assessment of how everyone is responding. It helps them know moment-by-moment if a particular concept needs more explanation, or whether it's time to move on to the next stage of the lesson.
Through its Super Grant program, the EEF is committed to buying a Smart Response System for every Elmbrook middle school math classroom. That'll take about $30,000, so fundraising is essential, Schmidt said.
This year's dinner offered opportunities for guests to make donations specifically to the Super Grant initiative, as well as opportunities to donate in a more general way to the EEF, which also provides student scholarships and Innovation grants for teachers who want to try a new way of boosting student performance.
The dinner goes a long way for Elmbrook; last year it brought in $25,000. And that wouldn't be possible without a lot of community support, Schmidt said. Carrabbas catered at a discounted price, Casino Party Specialists sponsored the games, Caribou Coffee provided java, Babboni Photography took pictures and the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts made their staff and facility available. Boldt Consulting, CG Schmidt and Plunkett Raysich Architects sponsored the event.
And dozens of individuals and businesses donated items for auctions or gave in other ways, she said. A partnership with the Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce proved invaluable, she added.
- Jennifer Pfaff
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