SEPTA Announces Grant Awards
The Huntington Special Education PTA has announced grant awards totaling more than $3,700 for a variety of materials, supplies and programs. Huntington School Board members accepted the funds “with much appreciation” at their meeting last Monday night.
SEPTA has been tireless in its support of the district’s special education program and in its advocacy for students and teachers. “We have always appreciated SEPTA’s generosity and its strong presence in our district,” Superintendent John J. Finello said. “It has always put our students first.”
“We are quite proud to have launched for the very first time a grant proposal process and to know that we can have a positive impact on the educational lives of our students throughout the district,” said Nancy Levine, who along with Madeline London, serves as co-president of SEPTA.
The grants will cover several innovative programs. For example, there will be additional yoga training sessions in April and May for regular and adaptive physical education teachers to learn yoga techniques and tools for eventual incorporation into daily classes. Grants funds will also help to defray the cost of ten copies of a related “Tools for Teachers” manual. SEPTA had earlier committed funds for teacher training in yoga instruction, so the new monies will expand the reach of that initiative.
Another grant will underwrite a proposal submitted by Washington Primary School kindergarten teachers titled “No More Cryin’ When You’re Writing.” Monies will be used to purchase several wood piece capital letter sets, laminated capital letter cards, slate chalkboards and mats for the wood pieces. The same materials are also being provided to two teachers at Southdown and Jefferson primary schools for use in classrooms there.
Also at Jefferson and Southdown primary schools, SEPTA agreed to fund a grant titled “Touch Money” A Multi-Sensory Approach to Counting Coins. Materials will be used by three teachers at the schools.
At Jack Abrams Intermediate School, SEPTA will cover the speaking fee of Dr. Brian Quinn, who will address parents and staff members on “clinically proven methods of dealing with explosive kids who may be diagnosed with a variety of disorders.”
At Woodhull Intermediate School, Dr. Leonard Mendola’s grant proposal on “The Use of LEGO’s as a Medium for Improving Children’s Social Competence and Promoting Problem-Solving Abilities,” was given the green light for funding. SEPTA will underwrite the purchase of various LEGO sets. Huntington High School teacher Allison Russo’s grant request for a Dell 2400 MP multi-media projector was also approved.
In addition to the grants, which totaled $3,731, SEPTA committed an additional $2,000 to funding two senior scholarships. Checks will be made payable to the colleges of the scholarship winners.
Mrs. Levine thanked district administrators Dr. Vicki Mingin and Nancy Wilson for their “input and participation” in the grant process, as well as members of the grant committee and her fellow SEPTA officers. “Only with their participation, commitment and dedication have we accomplished so much and positively contributed the enhancement of our children's educational experiences,” Mrs. Levine said.
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