2018-2019 Mini-Grants

FMS/FHS Kickstarting a Manufacturing Lab with a
Laser Engraver


Pennsylvania's Department of Education has mandated that students at all grade levels must document career and work experiences.  The state's economic future depends on having a well-educated and skilled workforce.

One way the District decided to present different careers to the students was to create a small manufacturing environment in the Middle School's technology area.

The Foundation has agreed to purchase a laser engraver for the new Manufacturing Lab.   This machine has the capability to engrave and cut many different types of materials.  The teacher will be able to model some processes that the students would experience on the floor of a manufacturing facility.

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FHS Cricut Maker Machine

The Fairview High School's Librarian, Ms. Kim Crotty, was awarded a mini-grant for a Cricut Maker Machine and supplies.  This machine can be used by all students with endless possibilities.  The machine has the capability to connect with an I-Pad, further integrating the technology into our school.  Some of the ideas for the machine are using it to cut patterns for material for Mrs. Staab's clothing students; Mrs. Daley and Mrs. Wegner's students can use it to create interesting displays for their artwork; STEM students can use it to make parts for a 3D model; and innovation workshop students will be able to use it to cut precise parts for projects.  Besides the students, staff members will be able to use it to create visuals for classrooms and hallways.  The Foundation is pleased to be able to help the high school increase their creativity! 

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Sensory Friendly Inclusive Dance

On Friday, December 15th – the Fairview High School hosted a sensory-friendly inclusive dance for the high school Life Skills programs throughout Erie County.  The Foundation was proud to support this opportunity by providing the funding for the DJ.

This dance greatly benefited the Special Education population at Fairview High School.  The students were able to attend a dance at their own school, with their peers, in an environment where they could be successful.  The atmosphere was “sensory friendly” meaning the lights were less intense, the music didn’t have as much bass/background noise, and there was support in place for students who needed breaks throughout the experience (headphones, quiet space, etc.).

The program was a great success!  Congratulations to Ms. Abby Yatsko and her team for all of their hard work.

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FES Cycling for Success

The Foundation awarded a mini-grant to the Elementary School's physical education teacher, Mr. Daniel Skelton, for 5 stationary bikes.  Mr. Skelton saw an opportunity for these bikes to be used in several programs.

One use would be to assist our special needs population that utilizes the Elementary School for adapted physical education classes. Secondly, they would be used as a cardio station in regular physical education classes for grades 2-4.  And finally, they would be used to do a special morning program for grades 3 and 4 ADHD students.

Previously, a morning running club was started to help ADHD students burn off energy before the start of the academic school day.  Often, instead of burning off energy, the students gained excitement from running and listening to upbeat music.  In the Cycling for Success program, students could now use stationary bikes and listen to classical music - this will burn energy, have a more calming effect, and set the appropriate tone for the start of the academic day.

Congratulations to Mr. Skelton and FES!

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FES Author Visit - Derek Anderson

The Foundation was able to bring Author & Illustrator, Derek Anderson to FES on Thursday, March 21, 2019.  The excitement around the building for Mr. Anderson's visit was evident wherever you looked.  The staff and students created scenes from the Anderson books in many of the classroom windows.  They read and talked about his books frequently, and then the day finally came!  They got to meet him in person and hear him talk about how he came up with the stories for his books and how he draws the pictures.  The older students got to hear Mr. Anderson talk about how he never gave up even though he had been told many times that publishers were not interested in his work.  We love the positive energy and love of books that Mr. Anderson brought to FES!  The Foundation funded this project through EITC donations.

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FES - Kindergarten Readiness Kits

The Foundation is proud to be able to purchase Kindergarten readiness kits for all of our new “Tigers” that will starting school in the fall. These kits have great information and skill building tools that students and parents can work on together to ensure a successful start to their career at Fairview.  The kits include a usable draw-string bag, magnetic numbers and letters, scissors, a book about Kindergarten, crayons, book of construction paper, and useful information about the Kindergarten teachers and other staff, as well as policies, procedures and expectations at Fairview Elementary School.  The Foundation funded this project through EITC donations.

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FHS - Memory Project – Drawing and Painting

The Memory Project is a charity organization that allows art teachers and students to make portraits for youth around the world who may have been neglected, lost a parent, involved with violence, or lives in extreme poverty.  This project is a great way for some of Fairview High School’s best artists to use their talents to benefit others and to show kindness.  The organization will send the art teacher both a physical print and a digital image of a child.  The art student will draw or paint that child’s portrait.  It will then be sent back to the organization where they will hand deliver the finished portrait to the child.  The art student will receive a video record of the event.  This project is meant to help these impoverished children to feel valued and important – it also allows our students to become more empathetic and aware of what life can be like outside our small town.  The Foundation is proud and excited once again to participate in a small act of kindness that can bring a difference to a child in another part of the world.

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FES - Heggerty Phonics Teacher Guides
for Early Literacy Program


Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the sounds of the language.  It is important because it is the primary predictor of early reading and spelling skills in kindergarten through 2nd grade.  Based on Phonemic Awareness screenings we conducted with our Kindergarten students at the end of the 2017-18 school year, the staff saw a need to have more structured phonemic awareness curriculum implemented for our Kindergarten students.  During the 2018-19 school year, our Kindergarten staff was trained on the Heggerty system, a PDE endorsed phonemic awareness program.  The Foundation was proud to be able to fund the purchase of the curriculum binders for each teacher and a school set for the Reading Coach.  This purchase was made possible through our EITC donations.

FES / FMS Tiger Camp

Fairview School District's AmeriCorp members hosted a Tiger Leadership Camp. The camp was for students entering grades 4-5 and 6-8 over the course of two weeks in June.  The camp was funded by the Fairview School Foundation and free of charge for the students.

In addition to team building games and projects, the campers went on two field trips.  The activities and fields trips included meeting and working with the FHS robotics Team 156 RPM, engaging in STEM activities at Asbury Woods, an educational program at Yahn Planetarium at Penn State Behrend and a tour of PSB's engineering facility, as well maintaining and improving the Tiger Trail through basic upkeep.

The desired learning outcomes of the Tiger Leadership Camp include increased knowledge and use of STEM skills, an overall improved attitude toward STEM fields and careers, as well as providing a positive, nurturing, and enriching environment to students. 

In order to ascertain that learning outcomes are met and students are achieving the intended learning standards, there was a project  evaluation procedure for both camps.

The elementary school Tiger Leadership Camp evaluated students through an "Earning My Stripes" journal that students used to reflect on the day's activities and the valued stripes that they have "earned" for the day.  Students were encouraged to decorate the journal by depicting and describing the lessons that they learned during the activities and trips. This journal went home with them at the end of the three day camp.

The middle school Tiger Leadership Camp  evaluated students through a  computer-based reflection project. Students were given the choice of creating a video, podcast, website, or other medium  to portray their experience of the camp. Students worked in small groups to create these projects.

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