FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE N.R. #122, 1/21/98

Date: January 21, 1998

Contact: Irene Cromer

703/791-8720

SCHOOLS EARN WASHINGTON POST GRANTS

The Washington Post has awarded grants to nine Prince William County schools through its Grants in Education Program. The grants are designed to encourage creativity and initiatives which enrich the standard curriculum in the classroom. A total of $2,100 was awarded in grants of up to $280 each. Dumfries Elementary School, C.D. Hylton High School, Neabsco Elementary School, Pattie Elementary School, Rippon Middle School, Springwoods Elementary School, Stonewall Middle School, West Gate Elementary School, and Yorkshire Elementary School will be recognized at a School Board meeting on Wednesday, February 4, 1998. Summaries of the grant projects are attached.

Washington Post Grants Attachment, Page One

Dumfries Elementary School

"What's in the News," a project submitted by Dumfries Elementary School second grade teachers Angela Atwater, Michelle Banas, Marcia Brugger and Arlene Leo, will expose students to world events through Scholastic's Weekly Reader. The information in this newsletter is geared toward the average second grade reader and its use is expected to improve reading fluency, comprehension, word skills and the development of oral language. Students will cooperatively read the Weekly Reader and discuss its content in groups and will follow up with reports on the newsletter's contents. The grant of $270 will be used to purchase Weekly Readers.

C.D. Hylton High School and Pattie Elementary School.

In a project entitled "Les Lyceen Comme Professeurs Aux Ecoliers," members of the National French Honor Society at Hylton will present lessons developed by their teachers to second grade START (pre-gifted) students at Pattie Elementary School. These lessons will take place once a month and will be reinforced by centers set up at Pattie that will give the students the opportunity for hands-on reinforcing activities. The grant was submitted by Doreen Raymond, foreign language teacher at Hylton, and Amy Jordan, assistant principal at Pattie. The $250 awarded will be used to purchase educational materials to support the project.

Neabsco Elementary School

Second grade students at Neabsco Elementary School will benefit from a $300 grant awarded to the project "Researching and Exploring Ancient Cultures with Hands-on Activities in Literature and Learning (REACH ALL)." The grant funds will be used to purchase fiction and non-fiction literature for use with the second grade social studies curriculum. The books will enable the students to compare and contrast ancient cultures with regard to government, culture, economics, technology and foreign policy. The grant was submitted by Terry Bell, teacher of

learning disabled students at Neabsco.

Washington Post Grants Attachment, Page Two

Rippon Middle School

Rippon Middle School has been awarded a grant of $275 to support a project entitled "Scientific Inquiry: An Introduction to the Research Process." The grant funds will be used to purchase a set of eleven New True Experiment books, science research texts appropriate to the sixth grade students' reading level. This will allow the students to work independently while researching material for their science projects. Supporting materials to be used in conducting experiments will also be purchased. The grant was submitted by Edward Fruhwirth, sixth grade science teacher.

Springwoods Elementary School

A grant of $280 to Springwoods Elementary School will finance the creation of a "Springwoods Student Newspaper." The goals of the project are to improve students' writing and editorial skills and their ability to use technology. All students will be encouraged to submit articles for publication and will receive quarterly issues of the newspaper. The newspaper staff will be composed of sixteen fourth and fifth grade students. The grant funds will be used to purchase software, paper, film, a camera and reproduction materials. The grant was submitted by kindergarten teachers Katheryne Malinowski and Elizabeth Schadlich, and Cynthia Merli, fifth grade teacher.

Stonewall Middle School

"Past, Present, and Future: The Creation of Paw Prints" earned a grant of $275 for Stonewall Middle School. This project will allow students of diverse backgrounds and abilities to become familiar with a variety of ways to express ideas. Through a field trip to the Newseum and a visit from a reporter, students will learn about journalism and the media and will then put

that knowledge to work in the creation of a class newspaper, Paw Prints, a student Video News program. The grant funds will be used to provide transportation for the field trip and provide an

Washington Post Grants Attachment, Page Three

honorarium for the guest speaker. The grant was submitted by Jennifer Intihar, special education

teacher, and Heather Cox, sixth grade language arts teacher.

West Gate Elementary School

Each first and second grade student at West Gate Elementary School has been provided with a "book box" to house a collection of books that he or she can practice reading independently at designated times during the school day. The $300 awarded to "Books for Independent Reading" will partially fund the purchase of 2,000 books for young readers available from Ohio State University at a cost of $.25 each. The remaining $200 will be provided by West Gate's Reading Fund. Each first and second grade student will independently read at least ten of these books during the spring semester of 1998. The grant was submitted by Virginia Melicher, Title I reading teacher.

Yorkshire Elementary School

A grant for $250 has been awarded to Yorkshire Elementary School to support the "Book Beginnings" project. Book Beginnings will offer literacy training, support and books to daycare providers whose charges will someday be Yorkshire Elementary School students. The project's goal is to increase the number of opportunities that the students have to participate in age-appropriate literacy activities. The project will begin with one daycare center, Happy House Child Care, and will be expanded to other area child care providers as funds become available. The grant funds will be used to purchase children's paper back books, Big Books and book and puppet sets, as well as staff development videotapes such as "Reading and Young Children: A Practical Approach for Child Care Providers." The grant was submitted by Elana Hallett, Pre-Kindergarten teacher, and Marcia Hoenle, Reading Specialist.

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