We awarded the following grants to Hopkins Schools during the 2006-2007 school year:
ActivBoard — Interactive Whiteboards
This grant expands the inventory of interactive whiteboards to all the 8th grade science classrooms at West Junior High. Read more.
Best Practices Teachers’ Fair
During the 2007 Gala, attendees contributed $12,000 for staff development and the popular Best Practices Teachers’ Fair. At the Fair, District teachers present instructional strategies and best practices to their colleagues in order to share knowledge and enhance staff development.
Boys and Writing
Gatewood Elementary received a grant from the Hopkins Education Foundation to focus on strategies for increasing writing motivation and achievement for boys. Read more.
Chinese Immersion — Staff Development for a World-Class Program
To provide a solid staff development and curricular foundation for the new Chinese immersion magnet program this grant provides for external guidance on curriculum development and staff development for the first year immersion kindergarten teachers.
Classroom Performance System
With the Classroom Performance System, every student in the classroom will hold a clicker to answer questions. The system immediately identifies who answered correctly and who responded incorrectly or not at all. This technology enables the instructor to adapt her teaching to the classes’ needs and identify students needing more challenge or help. Read more.
Geography in the 21st Century
Seventh grade social studies students are learning about geography through using GPS units. This technology provides an engaging way for grant writer Anne Sateren and her colleagues to teach map reading skills as well as introduce all their students to a useful tool.
Guidance Counselor Resource Grant
With this grant, Hopkins High School was able to add a fifth guidance counselor, reducing the student-counselor ratio to 420 to 1 from a previous 525 to 1. Read more.
Harley Hopkins Children’s Library
To promote early formation of literacy skills, this grant provides books and listening activities for the 700 children and their families in the early childhood classrooms at Harley Hopkins including the Hopkins Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) Program, the Hopkins Kaleidoscope Program, and the Hopkins Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Program.
Peer Insights
Helps students with and without disabilities to learn about one another, how to function in the community, how to interact with one another and how to make friends. The students go on social outings to focus on teamwork and to foster skills of independence.
Pre AP Vertical Teaming
To increase the number and diversity of students who participate in and succeed in advanced coursework, all junior high and high schoolteachers will be equipped with the strategies and tools they need to engage their students in active high level learning. Teachers will work in subject area teams across grades 6-10 to design lessons that vertically articulate the vocabulary, critical thinking skills and the concepts necessary to enable students to build the skills and confidence required for AP coursework.
Primary Art Specialist Resource Grant
This HEF grant allows the continuation of the award-winning elementary school art program that was nearly eliminated due to resource cuts. Read more.
Responsive Classroom Training
Trains teachers to use the Responsive Classroom approach which brings together social and academic learning throughout the day. The strategies used create a sense of community, promote positive relationships and teach Hopkins expectations.
Supplementary Skills Curriculum
Curriculum development to teach 16 good habits of the mind that engage students in higher level thinking and can be applied in all disciplines. Pilot will benefit students in the Alternative Learning Center with plans for school-wide implementation in 2007-08.
Underground Railroad Simulation
An equity-related student empowerment pilot focused on developing strong anti-racist student leadership for Dare to Be Real mentor leaders and for enhancing the educational experience of Advanced Placement U.S. History students at Hopkins High School.
West Writers’ Group
Provides an after-school creative writing program utilizing digital cameras and visual arts to deepen the writing experience for students.
Young Authors’ Writing Enrichment
Provides 30 fifth and sixth grade Eisenhower students the opportunity to learn from professional writers at the Young Authors Conference at Bethel College. Student writers attend a keynote with a published author as well as participate in small group workshops.