The nonprofit Wellesley Education Foundation, whose mission is to invest in programs that help Wellesley Public Schools, has announced how it allotted nearly $125,000 in grants during the fall.
A sampling of programs and items funded:
Hunnewell Elementary got funding for sensory tools, such as weighted blankets/lap pads, to support student sensory breaks and integration/learning in classrooms, while Hardy got monies for alternative seating, such as Zuma rocking chairs. PAWS gets a set of books and dolls for its classrooms to promote diversity. Bates receives 6 drums and Sprague scores an ELMO document camera to provide interactive presentations.
Wellesley Middle School gets sponsorship for an all-school community book read by an author of color, including an author visit, plus underwriting for training for faculty on gender identity/awareness. WMS also gets a Littlebits Electronic Building Blocks set for math and mics for iPads to enhance recording capabilities.
Wellesley High got standing desks to explore the health and attention benefits of these systems. Bio classes got grants for a bunch of stuff, including light banks, DNA/RNA kits and a MiniONE system with fridge and incubator. An advanced survey package also provided students with tools to analyze findings from 2016 Election Day polling.
