The Randolph Foundation for Education recently awarded its final 2018 educational grants, with Santa Claus presenting four awards to four different schools at its RFE board meeting.

The awards fulfill grant applications submitted by teachers over recent months, under the RFE’s “Competitive Grants Program.”

“We’re thrilled to complete our first full year of operations with grants to four different Randolph public schools,” said RFE co-director Judy Conway.

The RFE, founded late in 2017, presented their first grant in June 2018. The RFE’s program of mini-grants for classroom teachers funds projects up to $1,000.

Presentation of RFE grant for Donovan School second grade.
(from left): RFE board member Natacha Clerger; Donovan teacher Sarah O'Brien; Donovan teacher Faith Daly; Santa Claus played by RFE treasurer Ken Dunn; RFE co-director Judy Conway.

The grants funded include:
• Donovan Elementary – second grade: “STEM Materials for Creative Thinking and Team Building,” by Sarah O’Brien and Faith Daly, for monthly brainstorming on designing contraptions.
• Young Elementary – fourth grade: “Flexible Seating,” by Christine Letourneau and Nicole McEachern, for replacing traditional seating charts, plus a pilot study on how flexible seating affects student engagement.
• Lyons Elementary – K-5 special education: “Sensory Path to Learning,” by Samantha Peter, for tools to create a “sensory path” in the hallway leading to the Therapeutic Learning Center
• Randolph High School – “Marching Band Sound Equipment,” by Adam Shekleton, for a mobile megaphone system.

The RFE provides private funding for Randolph public schools, gathering donations from local businesses.

“We’d like to publicly thank our donors and we’re always looking for donors,” Conway said.

Presentation of RFE grant for Randolph High School Marching Band.
(from left): Bruce Pontbriand, RFE board member; Kit Hoffman, RFE board member; Ken Dunn, , RFE treasurer; Adam Shekleton, high school band director; Natacha Clerger, RFE board member; Judy Conway, , RFE co-director.

Donations are tax-deductible; the RFE’s non-profit status is “501(c)(3) pending.” Donations can be made at http://www.RandolphFoundation.org/Donations.htm.

“Now that our mini-grant program is established and operational, we’re initiating our second program, which we call ‘The Delroy Fund’, ” said Jesse Gordon, RFE board member. “The Delroy Fund fills in the gaps where the public schools must pay out of their budget for unreimbursed breakfast and lunch fees. We hope to fully fund this program during the spring semester.”

The fund is named in memorial to Delroy Gordon-Dunn, the recently late husband of school committee chair Ida Gordon. Gordon is also a board member of the Randolph Foundation for Education.

For more information, visit http://www.RandolphFoundationForEducation.com.