Sycamore Education Foundation Projects
2009
Portable Sound System—High School
Sound equipment allows our musical groups to do a better job of community outreach while promoting their good work.
Interactive Student Assessment—West Elementary
Assessment systems will be used to monitor, adapt, and enrich student progress using immediate feedback.
Connecting Literacy for All Learners—all elementary schools
Provided nearly $30,000 of leveled reading books to be used at all district elementary schools
Sycamore History Project—all 4th grade students
Fourth graders will learn about Sycamore’s agricultural history, apply that information while conducting an oral history, share their research with the Sycamore History Museum, and have their work included in an exhibit at the museum.
Woodshop Cabinet Saw Replacement and Upgrade—Sycamore Middle School
Replace existing table saw in the wood shop, with a new table saw that exceeds OSHA safety guidelines.
Bringing SMART technologies to Sycamore High School, Southeast, South Prairie, North, and West.
Provided over $36,000 of SMART board technology to the school district.
Graphic Novels—Sycamore Middle School
Young people today are growing up in a visual world because of television, computers, and the internet. Graphic novels are the gateway between our technical and print worlds.
Active Learning Remembered—South Prairie
Camcorder to document real learning as it happens and then be burnt on DVD to share with children’s families
Yoga Based Exercises for Children with Special Needs—North
A program called Yoga Calm. Yoga type breathing and exercise has a positive effect on students with ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s and Emotional Disorders.
PATHS (promoting alternate thinking strategies) Program—North
All-inclusive program for promoting emotional and social competencies and reducing aggression and behavior problems in elementary-aged students while enhancing the educational process.
2008
Student Book Club
Parents of at risk readers at the elementary school level will learn comprehension strategies to support learning. $849
Passport Data Collection System and Sensors
Allow high school level science students to collect more accurate data, spend more time analyzing their data and observations and make more accurate scientific conclusions. $3996
Sycamore History Project
The goal is to encourage elementary school students to become engaged in their community, local history, and expand their civic pride. $679
Individualizing and Communicating/Hand Held Technology
To give children the opportunity to listen to audio books, share classroom projects at home with families, review concepts with audio and visual presentations, enhance and reinforce interest specific and content area concepts. $1170
STARS (Students & Teachers Are Reading Successfully)
Includes small group discussion, the use of developmentally appropriate texts and repeated readings of them, a focus on word study and phonemic awareness, consistency between supplementary and classroom reading instruction, and a writing component. $7416
Wireless Listening Station
Allows students to become independent learners, enhances the curriculum with literacy across all academic area, enriches lessons, motivates students to be lifelong readers, enhance the learning experience for auditory learners. $3490
Team Read
This project provides stakeholders with materials that will enhance our current literacy programming. TEAM READ enables all students and staff to teach and learn from each other during one set time in the morning. $2600
2007
Infusing Technology in the Elementary Classroom with Multimedia Stations
Stations include a mounted LCD projector, laptop computer, Elmo digital presenter, wireless remote, speakers, cables, and all necessary hardware added to a variety of grade levels, K-5. $36,445
Character Counts
A powerful means to advance curricular and behavioral goals in character education. $3699
Wellness- 3rd grade Water Safety
Sycamore school district/YMCA 3rd grade swim program will provide six swim lessons at the YMCA $825
Classroom Digital Cameras
Acquire digital cameras for all elementary classrooms $11,400
Making Literacy Connections
Additional materials and resources for English language learners to make connections between school and home.
$3827
Fitnessgram/Activitygram Software
Computer software program that tracks student’ physical fitness levels and growth throughout their elementary school years. $1498
Team Read
Literacy initiative that will create teams of students and staff working together in small groups each morning during a set time $4191
Supporting All Stakeholders-Proactive Approach to Literacy
Increase resources that teach specific skills, concepts, and strategies to support third through fifth grade students in the Reading Improvement Program $4108
Meeting the Needs of the Ever-Increasing Visual Learner
ELMO Digital Presenters to be used in the classroom to present classroom concepts in a more visual presentation. $1950
Got Portfolios?
Binder/spiral portfolio that originates with 6th grade students; portfolios would travel with these students to 7th and 8th grades and serve as a valuable reference tool for teachers and students. $1053
Industrial Technology Equipment Lab Classrooms $10,480
Making Literacy Connections
Additional materials and resources for English language learners to make connections between school and home. $4077
Kids on the Block-Disability Awareness & Education
Disability awareness and education $4350
Early Intervention Kindergarten Bags
Benefits all incoming kindergartners by exposing them to pre-readiness skills. $3200
2006
Recorders
Different sizes of recorders will be added to our current 4th and 5th grade recorder curriculum. $1474
Sycamore History Program
Expose second grade students to their community’s history and expand upon their civic pride. $960
2005
Graphing Calculators $3160
Fermilab Project $1220
Recorders $800
Positive Parent Program $1309
Character Education Program $2800
Ag. and Industrial Technology Lab Equipment $3812
2004
Total Grants Awarded: $18,290
2003
Total Grants Awarded: $27,682