Parents' Guild Wish List 2016
Language Arts Lab (Lower School, Fourth Grade) – $1,743
I (Liz Crawford) feel passionate about meeting the needs of my students and helping them reach their potential. Research has proven that if we allow them to learn in a manner that is natural to them, then they are able to achieve greater things. After thoughtful research, I concluded that the best way to do this is to offer choices in their physical learning environment, ie: different seating and work space. I will provide seating that is tailored to different learning styles. I want to create a comfortable, calming environment that allows students to have the best chance at success.
Mini Knights: Outdoor Explore (Lower School, Pre-K3) – $730.75
Pre-K3 is in need of new toys, garden tools and storage for use during Outdoor Explore on the Frazer Playground and Garden. Every day, students in Pre-K3 spend much of their day on the Frazer Playground and Garden during “Outdoor Explore.” It is during this time that teachers notice the greatest social-emotional growth in the children. Through unstructured, outdoor play, the children learn to collaborate, share, negotiate, and resolve problems. This free, child-driven, creative play is an important and necessary component of social-emotional learning.
Sixth Grade Genius Hour Communication Tools (Middle School-Interdisciplinary) – $3,377
Sixth grade Genius Hour will help students personalize their learning, giving them time, space, and support to research, discover, create, and play in ways that relate to a self-selected topic and questions. In short, Genius Hour develops passions. The sixth grade team cannot imagine a more ambitious or apt beginning to middle school. We are asking for several creative tools students can use to communicate their knowledge, wonder, and excitement.
Knights at the Roundtable (Lower School, Pre-K4) – $3,900.09
As interest in Episcopal’s early childhood program builds, we are thrilled to be able to open a third section of Pre-K4. A newly restructured space will be created by joining two tutoring rooms in Frazer Hall. We wish to transform the space into a daily Pre-K4 literacy destination. Within the castle walls, students will learn to slay stories, conquer reading readiness, and mind their “manors.” The added space and materials will help us expand our program to serve more students to gain the critical pre-reading skills that will lay the foundation for them to become successful learners and foster a lifelong love of books.
Active Classroom (Social Studies, Middle School and Upper School) – $3,900
A resource for Middle School and Upper School social studies teachers, Active Classroom is a web-based curriculum supplement offered through Social Studies School Service (SSSS) and Nystrom Education, organizations that have offered quality supplemental materials to social studies teachers for over 50 years. Recently, SSSS and Nystrom converted many of their resources to electronic learning modules giving teachers access to a variety of content through an internet interface. The student experience is at the heart of Active Classroom. Active Classroom materials are designed so that students actively engage with rather than passively consume information. During our trial period with the resource, teachers have had students examine and analyze primary and secondary source materials, maps, and statistical data. As well, students have used Active Classroom's guided activities to debate the outcomes of historical situations. With full access to Active Classroom, teachers will have a portal through which they can assign activities, quizzes, or supplemental exercises to further student understanding of social studies concepts and processes.
Circuits (Lower School, Fourth Grade) – $1,352
The fourth graders study electricity in science. During this project based learning unit, students explore circuits. They learn concepts such as open and closed circuits, series and parallel circuits, and how to make light bulbs and fans turn on using switches. The students’ final project it to build a cardboard arcade game with an electrical component. This year we did not have enough supplies for students to add the necessary components to their games. These additional items would also allow students to work in small groups to learn about electricity, and applying what they learn to arcade games and inventions.
Sensing Science (Middle School, Science) – $1,045
The Middle School science teachers are requesting a class set of Go Wireless! links and sensors. Students will be able to collect data from experiments in small groups instead of just viewing teacher demonstrations. This equipment interfaces with our current Venier sensor equipment with the student iPads making them an extremely valuable tool in our classes. Having this equipment will allow for more accurate data collection and expand the opportunities our students have to participate in scientific investigation and inquiry.
STEAM Lab (Middle School) – $10,670
Imagine a space where our middle school teachers and students could make their projects and ideas come to life. The new Episcopal STEAM Lab would have everything our middle school students need to engineer, design, create, tinker, make, and experiment. Specialized equipment from big items such as a 3D design center complete with printer to small items such as the Arduino microprocessors and conductive thread combine science, technology, engineering, arts, and math in meaningful ways helping the students become more self-directed, passionate learners. Our students will develop their entrepreneurial and collaborative skills while learning perseverance and creativity.
Seventh Grade Classroom Library Project (English, Middle School) – $850
The seventh grade classroom library project hopes to continue to love of reading which students bring from 6th grade by having paperback books easily available within the classroom. Students enjoy the reading time we have daily. Building a library based on student recommendation will encourage the hesitant readers and enliven the avid readers, too.
27” Full Nativity Scene for Greer (Lower School, Religion) – $1,940.40
In the past, the Lower School has used an Advent wreath as part of its preparation for Christmas, and in some years, a small inexpensive nativity set. We are requesting of the Parents’ Guild funds to purchase a larger more beautiful set. This would allow us to recount the Christmas story in a more meaningful way and would become for Lower School students a permanent part of the Christmas experience, as year after year, the figures become an indelible part of our Christmas memories.
Royal Reading and Writing Center (Lower School, First Grade) – $1,035.24
A Chinese proverb states: Tell me, I’ll forget. Show me, I’ll remember. Involve me, I’ll understand. A moving easel would be used during morning meetings, read-alouds, math fluency practice, mini writing workshops lessons, and project-based learning. Teachers will use it to display, teach, and review. The students will use the white MAGNETIC dry erase board during work stations, writing mini lessons and then they can roll it around for building poems and spelling review. Our students are eager and curious learners who benefit from a lot of modeling and discovery.
Google Cardboard Expeditions Kit (Academic Technology) – $6,500
Google Expeditions allows teachers and student to direct up to 25 people on a virtual field trip. Students experience an immersive environment while being led by an instructor. The students will hear the instructor speaking and will also notice on screen information about what they are seeing. Some places they can already visit are: Egypt, Roman Ruins, Palace of Versailles, Macchu Pichu, the Moon, Antarctica, CERN supercollider, etc.
Natural Reader Software (LSS/Counseling) – $1,000
Natural Reader is software that easily converts text to speech into and from various formats. It can turn any printed documents or EBooks into speech and audio files. It works with Microsoft Word, EBooks, PDF, text, rtf files, and webpages. For those students with learning/reading challenges or vision challenges, this software allows for increased comprehension by both hearing the material, and simultaneously seeing the highlighted print on the screen. It also allows for immediate corrective feedback as it can read aloud while the user types to catch errors. This is an affordable leading edge software package that can help those with reading and spelling difficulties to more efficiently complete their work. The cost of the software is $200 per computer. It would be added to five computers (one counselor, the MS testing room, the LSS laptops (2) area for campus-wide use and the LS area).
Aldrich Library Creative Space – Quiet Reading Room (Library, Middle School/Upper School) – $4,750
This space will include a quiet reading/study room with comfortable seating in the current conference room downstairs in the Aldrich library. It will also allow for presentations to be displayed from student devices to the TV located in that room through Apple TV or Mirracast. An additional TV will be purchased and installed in the open area of the library with cable connection to show world events on the news. This TV could also serve as a device for presentations in the library.
Aldrich Library Creative Space – Innovative Learning Space (Library, Middle School/Upper School) – $4,420
The innovative learning space will have multiple uses that will grow over time. It will be located downstairs behind the staircase. To create this space, furniture for a stand up laptop bar is needed with a large power strip. Students can plug in devices and work from this location. In addition a 3D printer & Silhouette printer will be installed in this location for faculty and student use to create and innovate.
I (Liz Crawford) feel passionate about meeting the needs of my students and helping them reach their potential. Research has proven that if we allow them to learn in a manner that is natural to them, then they are able to achieve greater things. After thoughtful research, I concluded that the best way to do this is to offer choices in their physical learning environment, ie: different seating and work space. I will provide seating that is tailored to different learning styles. I want to create a comfortable, calming environment that allows students to have the best chance at success.
Mini Knights: Outdoor Explore (Lower School, Pre-K3) – $730.75
Pre-K3 is in need of new toys, garden tools and storage for use during Outdoor Explore on the Frazer Playground and Garden. Every day, students in Pre-K3 spend much of their day on the Frazer Playground and Garden during “Outdoor Explore.” It is during this time that teachers notice the greatest social-emotional growth in the children. Through unstructured, outdoor play, the children learn to collaborate, share, negotiate, and resolve problems. This free, child-driven, creative play is an important and necessary component of social-emotional learning.
Sixth Grade Genius Hour Communication Tools (Middle School-Interdisciplinary) – $3,377
Sixth grade Genius Hour will help students personalize their learning, giving them time, space, and support to research, discover, create, and play in ways that relate to a self-selected topic and questions. In short, Genius Hour develops passions. The sixth grade team cannot imagine a more ambitious or apt beginning to middle school. We are asking for several creative tools students can use to communicate their knowledge, wonder, and excitement.
Knights at the Roundtable (Lower School, Pre-K4) – $3,900.09
As interest in Episcopal’s early childhood program builds, we are thrilled to be able to open a third section of Pre-K4. A newly restructured space will be created by joining two tutoring rooms in Frazer Hall. We wish to transform the space into a daily Pre-K4 literacy destination. Within the castle walls, students will learn to slay stories, conquer reading readiness, and mind their “manors.” The added space and materials will help us expand our program to serve more students to gain the critical pre-reading skills that will lay the foundation for them to become successful learners and foster a lifelong love of books.
Active Classroom (Social Studies, Middle School and Upper School) – $3,900
A resource for Middle School and Upper School social studies teachers, Active Classroom is a web-based curriculum supplement offered through Social Studies School Service (SSSS) and Nystrom Education, organizations that have offered quality supplemental materials to social studies teachers for over 50 years. Recently, SSSS and Nystrom converted many of their resources to electronic learning modules giving teachers access to a variety of content through an internet interface. The student experience is at the heart of Active Classroom. Active Classroom materials are designed so that students actively engage with rather than passively consume information. During our trial period with the resource, teachers have had students examine and analyze primary and secondary source materials, maps, and statistical data. As well, students have used Active Classroom's guided activities to debate the outcomes of historical situations. With full access to Active Classroom, teachers will have a portal through which they can assign activities, quizzes, or supplemental exercises to further student understanding of social studies concepts and processes.
Circuits (Lower School, Fourth Grade) – $1,352
The fourth graders study electricity in science. During this project based learning unit, students explore circuits. They learn concepts such as open and closed circuits, series and parallel circuits, and how to make light bulbs and fans turn on using switches. The students’ final project it to build a cardboard arcade game with an electrical component. This year we did not have enough supplies for students to add the necessary components to their games. These additional items would also allow students to work in small groups to learn about electricity, and applying what they learn to arcade games and inventions.
Sensing Science (Middle School, Science) – $1,045
The Middle School science teachers are requesting a class set of Go Wireless! links and sensors. Students will be able to collect data from experiments in small groups instead of just viewing teacher demonstrations. This equipment interfaces with our current Venier sensor equipment with the student iPads making them an extremely valuable tool in our classes. Having this equipment will allow for more accurate data collection and expand the opportunities our students have to participate in scientific investigation and inquiry.
STEAM Lab (Middle School) – $10,670
Imagine a space where our middle school teachers and students could make their projects and ideas come to life. The new Episcopal STEAM Lab would have everything our middle school students need to engineer, design, create, tinker, make, and experiment. Specialized equipment from big items such as a 3D design center complete with printer to small items such as the Arduino microprocessors and conductive thread combine science, technology, engineering, arts, and math in meaningful ways helping the students become more self-directed, passionate learners. Our students will develop their entrepreneurial and collaborative skills while learning perseverance and creativity.
Seventh Grade Classroom Library Project (English, Middle School) – $850
The seventh grade classroom library project hopes to continue to love of reading which students bring from 6th grade by having paperback books easily available within the classroom. Students enjoy the reading time we have daily. Building a library based on student recommendation will encourage the hesitant readers and enliven the avid readers, too.
27” Full Nativity Scene for Greer (Lower School, Religion) – $1,940.40
In the past, the Lower School has used an Advent wreath as part of its preparation for Christmas, and in some years, a small inexpensive nativity set. We are requesting of the Parents’ Guild funds to purchase a larger more beautiful set. This would allow us to recount the Christmas story in a more meaningful way and would become for Lower School students a permanent part of the Christmas experience, as year after year, the figures become an indelible part of our Christmas memories.
Royal Reading and Writing Center (Lower School, First Grade) – $1,035.24
A Chinese proverb states: Tell me, I’ll forget. Show me, I’ll remember. Involve me, I’ll understand. A moving easel would be used during morning meetings, read-alouds, math fluency practice, mini writing workshops lessons, and project-based learning. Teachers will use it to display, teach, and review. The students will use the white MAGNETIC dry erase board during work stations, writing mini lessons and then they can roll it around for building poems and spelling review. Our students are eager and curious learners who benefit from a lot of modeling and discovery.
Google Cardboard Expeditions Kit (Academic Technology) – $6,500
Google Expeditions allows teachers and student to direct up to 25 people on a virtual field trip. Students experience an immersive environment while being led by an instructor. The students will hear the instructor speaking and will also notice on screen information about what they are seeing. Some places they can already visit are: Egypt, Roman Ruins, Palace of Versailles, Macchu Pichu, the Moon, Antarctica, CERN supercollider, etc.
Natural Reader Software (LSS/Counseling) – $1,000
Natural Reader is software that easily converts text to speech into and from various formats. It can turn any printed documents or EBooks into speech and audio files. It works with Microsoft Word, EBooks, PDF, text, rtf files, and webpages. For those students with learning/reading challenges or vision challenges, this software allows for increased comprehension by both hearing the material, and simultaneously seeing the highlighted print on the screen. It also allows for immediate corrective feedback as it can read aloud while the user types to catch errors. This is an affordable leading edge software package that can help those with reading and spelling difficulties to more efficiently complete their work. The cost of the software is $200 per computer. It would be added to five computers (one counselor, the MS testing room, the LSS laptops (2) area for campus-wide use and the LS area).
Aldrich Library Creative Space – Quiet Reading Room (Library, Middle School/Upper School) – $4,750
This space will include a quiet reading/study room with comfortable seating in the current conference room downstairs in the Aldrich library. It will also allow for presentations to be displayed from student devices to the TV located in that room through Apple TV or Mirracast. An additional TV will be purchased and installed in the open area of the library with cable connection to show world events on the news. This TV could also serve as a device for presentations in the library.
Aldrich Library Creative Space – Innovative Learning Space (Library, Middle School/Upper School) – $4,420
The innovative learning space will have multiple uses that will grow over time. It will be located downstairs behind the staircase. To create this space, furniture for a stand up laptop bar is needed with a large power strip. Students can plug in devices and work from this location. In addition a 3D printer & Silhouette printer will be installed in this location for faculty and student use to create and innovate.
