$23K In Grants Presented To Educators By Freehold Foundation

December 19, 2022 By

The Freehold Borough Educational Foundation awarded $23,815 in grants to teachers, counselors in the school district for special programs.

Pat McDaniel, Patch Staff
Posted Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 2:28 pm ET | Updated Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 5:03 pm ET

Freehold NJ | $23K In Grants Presented To Educators By Freehold Foundation

Freehold Learning Center teachers Christine Digeronomo (second from left) and Danielle Sanchez (third from left) were granted $1,000 to support a duckling hatching station for their Pre-K students. They are pictured with Jean Holtz (left) and Lynn Reich. (Photo courtesy of the Freehold Borough Educational Foundation)

FREEHOLD, NJ — Nine innovative educational programs in the school district will get a boost this year from awards by the Freehold Borough Educational Foundation.

The private nonprofit organization announced that it has distributed $23,815 in grants to fund the special projects within each of Freehold Borough District schools, including Freehold Learning Center, Park Avenue Elementary School and Freehold Intermediate School.

The grants are for the January-June 2023 term, said Jean Holtz, foundation chairperson.

The grants committee, chaired by Foundation Trustee Lynn Reich, made surprise visits to the classrooms of each of the teachers and counselors awarded grants to share the good news in person.

The winning educators were presented with balloons, a box of chocolates, and a large commemorative check detailing the amount of their grant and its purpose, Holtz said.

“Students were thrilled to learn of their teachers’ successes and showered them with applause and lots of ‘wows!'” said Holtz.

“Through our grants program, the (foundation) provides programs and opportunities for our children that they would not ordinarily receive. We are so proud of our teachers and staff in Freehold Borough for the extraordinary effort they make to advance our students’ education,” Reich said.

Holtz added words of praise for the community, too:

“We are so fortunate to have the financial support of local businesses, numerous foundations and organizations, as well as generous individuals passionate about providing quality public education for all,” she said.

“Because of them, we can fulfill our mission to privately raise funds to underwrite these grants to teachers as well as offer other special programs to facilitate student development, encourage excellence through creative learning and teaching, and, promote partnerships between the school and our community,” she added.

The grants approved for 2023 are as follows, according to a news release from Holtz:

Freehold Learning Center (Pre-K to Second Grade):

  • Kari Schmidt, Suzanne Kalin for the Kindness Rock Garden to promote random acts of kindness as students will paint and share inspirational rocks. $1,805.
  • Danielle Sanchez, Christine Digeronomo, Sally Flannery: Sped-tacular VB MAPP Assessment Kit; Duckling Hatch and VB MAPP Assessment Tool to help teachers identify special needs students and enable Pre K students to watch duck eggs hatch. $1,000.

Park Avenue Elementary School (Third Grade to Fifth Grade):

  • Lauren Abramson: Dan Gutman Visits third grade; popular children’s author interacts with students to teach them story writing. $3,000.
  • Allison Havemann: Eagle’s Path, a sensory experience in a hallway outside her special education classroom that will give her students a sensory break and a chance to refresh after experiencing overwhelming feelings, so they can return to class ready to learn. $1,605.
  • Jaclyn Lewandoski: Flexible Learners, to provide alternative seating options for her fifth-graders to make them “Flexible Learners” in an enhanced learning environment. $1,000
  • Jaclyn Lewandoski, Tracy Nagy: Short Circuits that will put Snap Circuit kits in the hands of the fifth-grade students who will experience the creativity and critical thinking in STEM education. $2,580.

Freehold Intermediate School (Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade):

  • Jeremy Mercer: PLT4M Comprehensive Fitness Plan, a Comprehensive Educational Fitness app program to promote individual fitness for students. $5,000.
  • Jennifer Michal: Sixth-grade Sandy Hook Field Trip about marsh and ocean environments in which the sixth-graders will travel to Sandy Hook to view a sea marsh, an estuary and native species, while learning about climate change, ocean pollution and preserving ecosystems. $5,750.
  • Nancy Miles, Nikki Harker, Donna Johnson, Shannon Keeley, Jean Pistone: Movement Opportunities to help their special education students “Shake the Wiggles Out” through movement opportunities. Wiggle seats are among the tools needed to help students stay focused and release stress and anxiety. $2,075.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Joe Howe expressed his appreciation to the foundation that helps support “innovative ideas from our faculty.”

“The hard work and generosity of the Freehold Borough Educational Foundation continues to provide programming to enrich the educational experience of our students,” he said Monday.