Due to the continued support of our donors and community members, the Foundation was able to award nearly $40,000 to Westhill educators throughout the academic year, benefiting student learning and supplementing the curriculum in new and interesting ways. Recent grants have included:
Chicks Experience, Jen Stanton
All classrooms at Walberta Park School were provided with eggs, incubators, and other supplies to watch chicks hatch. Teachers connected this experience to students’ EL lessons on birds as well as their science unit on how to care for living things.
Westhill Day of Jazz, Liz Buell
The Straub Jazz Collective visited OHMS and put on three student performances, held workshops for band students, and performed a free public concert at the high school in the evening.
P.S. I Love You Day, Tracy Derrenbacher
Students at OHMS were able to participate in activities centered around equity, inclusion, team building, and mental wellness, with a presentation from Casey Rogers.
Angie Thomas Author Visit, Penny Feeney and Jessica Regitano
Forty-five 8th grade students and five chaperones went to see a talk by best-selling young adult author Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give).
HOSA, Lindsay Johnson
Thirty-three students and three chaperones traveled to the HOSA Leadership Conference. HOSA is a new club at the high school that focuses on medical-related topics and building leadership skills.
Crazy Daisies Field Trip, Kristie Kisselburgh
Second graders went to Crazy Daisies to enhance the Plants and Pollinators module. They had a chance to rotate through different stations and bring home a plant that they potted.
Chess Open, Erik Samhammer
In partnership with Central NY Chess, Inc., the district hosted the first annual Westhill Scholastic Chess Open tournament.
Sixth Extinction Capstone, Tracy Derrenbacher
This grant funded the acquisition of a class set of “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History” by Elizabeth Kolbert, for use in the 8th-grade Capstone project.
Beaver Lake Plants and Pollinators, Kristie Kisselburgh
As a follow-up to the second grade Plants and Pollinators unit, the classes visited Beaver Lake for a hands-on learning experience about habitats.
Studio Album, Brendan Van Epps
High school students in the modern band program had the opportunity to record a high-quality album of original songs in a professional recording studio.
Broadcasting and Podcasting, Corey Riley
This grant funded the purchase of four student production kits, along with additional supporting equipment, for a new English elective centered around broadcasting and podcasting.