Foundation Announces Barrington School's Helping Hands Grants

 The District 220 Education Foundation announced the recipients of its Spring 2012 “Helping Hands” grants. The Foundation awards Helping Hands grants (up to $500 each) to provide teachers and staff within the Barrington 220 schools with practical supplies and instructional pieces when no other funding source is available. Grants are awarded once each semester. This semester’s grants total over $8,200.

Grant recipients are as follows:

• Visual Support for Classroom at North Barrington -- Video camera and two digital cameras to show students a visual connection to information for various grades.
• Sound Fields at Hough-- Microphone for new classroom at Hough to support auditory attention in grades K-3.
• A Peaceful Playground at Hough-- Stencils for new playground at Hough for grades K-5.
• HGtV Classroom at Sunny Hill-- Furniture and surroundings for a cozy classroom reading area for grades 3-4.
• Multimedia Project at Countryside—Flip video cameras for classroom projects.
• Bookmark Times at Countryside-- Brightly colored plastic bookmarks that record the amount of time a student has spent reading for grades K-5.
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• High to Low Interest Level Books at Grove--Thirty specialty books‐‐one side is a graphic novel and the other side of the page has the written text.
• Book Room Titles at Grove-- Additional levels for school’s leveled literacy library.
• eReaders for Classroom at Grove-- Test pilot for E‐readers in fifth grade.
• Using Shared Inquiry with Literacy -- Forty volumes for students requiring a more challenging reading experience for grades 3-5.
• Fit for Life at Roslyn/Countryside—Jump ropes, hula hoops and two cds for grades K-5.
• Integrating Tech in to the Classroom at North Barrington – Flip cameras for classroom projects in grades K-5
• WHO Club at BMS-Prairie—Materials for social-emotional learning program for grades 6-8.
• Impressionism at BMS-Prairie, BMS-Station—Money for an art professor to speak to French students about impressionism.
• Summer for Reading Buddies at BMS-Prairie—Mail books back and forth for students participating in extra summer reading program.
• Friends and Co. at BMS-Prairie—Materials for club that fosters relationships between special needs students and other students.
• Literary Magazine at BHS—Two sets of Nuance literary magazine for students to use in the classroom. . This magazine will illustrate student's work in class (as opposed to published authors.)
• SLR Camera Lens for Corral Yearbook at BHS—Purchase lens for sports photography for yearbook.
• Youth Art Month Panels at BHS—Traveling panels from three artists to provie discussion for both Art and English students. Jackson Pollack, Kokusia and Harlem Renaissance to be featured.

The District 220 Educational Foundation, established in 1999, is a not‐for‐profit, volunteer organization that has donated over $1.5 million to District 220 schools. The Foundation raises private funds for initiatives that enhance learning, but are not otherwise supported by tax revenues.

Congratulations to the 2012 Spring Semester grant recipients. The Foundation also thanks the community’s generous donors who help “bring more to the classroom.”