Date:  January 6, 2003
Contact: Irene Cromer
(703) 791-8720

 The Prince William County Public Schools Education Foundation is awarding six grants in its fall funding cycle.  The grant awards support educational initiatives at county schools. Dumfries Elementary School received $450 for “Author’s Night Celebrations.”  The program encourages the development of student writing skills.  Author’s Night will strengthen the bond between students, parents and the school through a celebration of writing and speaking accomplishments.  Kathleen Suddarth, library media specialist, wrote the grant proposal.  

Neabsco Elementary School received a $700 grant for “Resource Lending Library,” to provide developmentally appropriate activities and resources for families of preschool children with special needs.  Tammi Hopkins, preschool teacher, submitted the grant. 

 New Dominion Alternative School received $2,000 to create a school-to-business partnership between the school and Blue Ridge Assistance Dogs.  By taking responsibility for the care and training of assistance dogs, at-risk students will enhance their interpersonal skills and self-esteem while providing community service.  Susan Flores, a teacher at New Dominion, wrote the grant proposal.

Signal Hill Elementary School was awarded $411 for improving SOL scores for ESOL students. The money will also be used to educate parents to help their children gain greater academic success and help close the gap between minority and non-minority achievement. Josephine Selepak, Guidance Counselor, wrote the grant proposal. 

Springwoods Elementary School received $3,000 for “Making Connections,” providing additional remediation for at-risk students participating in an after-school tutorial program.  Paulette Popovich, Guidance Counselor, submitted the grant proposal. 

The Mathematics Department received $3,399 to maintain the “Mathematics 24 Challenge Program,” which provides students with ongoing opportunities to connect with the world of numbers and to build a foundation of computational fluency. Carol Knight, Mathematics Curriculum Supervisor, submitted the grant proposal.