We awarded the following grants to Hopkins Schools during the 2007-2008 school year:
ActivBoard Interactive Whiteboard
Our 2008 Special Appeal funds provided an ActivBoardTM Interactive Whiteboard for each of the nine schools in the District. Read the MinnPost article.
Activotes for Promethean Interactive Whiteboards
ActivotesTM integrated personal response systems are used with interactive whiteboards. They are designed to encourage student participation and enhance learning.
AVID Middle School Curriculum
AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and strives to improve the performance of all junior high kids in the academic middle. The AVID program includes both an elective course and a building–wide approach with the goal of improving students’ academic skills, their ability to “do school” and become college-ready.
Books for Reluctant and Struggling Readers
This program is designed to help readers who have varying levels of proficiency learn to develop a love a reading.
Challenge Enrichment Opportunities
This grant provides funds for students to attend the Young Authors Workshop and Student Creativity Festival.
Classroom Stability Balls
Stability balls promote physical fitness as well as encouraging better focus on instruction.
Classroom Stability Balls
Stability balls promote physical fitness as well as encouraging better focus on instruction.
Collaboration Time for High Critical Thinking Science / Social Studies
Students acquire the knowledge, concepts and skills needed to engage in a higher level of learning, combining curricula from science and social studies.
College and Career Center Expansion
With more staff time, students are able to explore post-secondary options including colleges, technical schools, military options and jobs.
DVD Resources for Parent Education
These informational DVD’s for parent education classes provide a cost-efficient way to increase parent education and involvement.
Diversity Resource Center
Teachers now use relevant, culturally diverse materials to increase learning effectiveness.
ELMO Digital Cameras
Students and teachers’ discussions are enriched with ELMO digital cameras that project books, papers, original documents and other items onto classroom screens.
ELMO Digital Cameras and Activotes Personal Response Systems
This grant funds 1) three ELMOTM digital cameras to be used with the carts in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade and 2) two sets of ActivotesTM, integrated personal response systems used with interactive whiteboards. They are designed to encourage student participation and enhance learning.
Enhancing Learning: Revolutions and Cross-Sectional Areas of Solids
12 three-dimensional models enable teachers to more effectively teach the revolution of solids
and cross-sectional area units offered in calculus and AP calculus curricula.
Expanding Pathways for All Students
What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a question we all ponder. And while students may not have the answer to that yet, this grant helps them find their path. It is focused on educating students and their parents on planning for high school coursework and post-secondary training or education. Well-defined graduation plans will be developed for sixth grade students as they begin their transition into middle school.
Future Cities Competition
Students use computer software to design a city, build a scale model, write an essay and present a speech.
Language Learning Through Laptops
This pilot program further enriches the 4th grade One-to-One Laptop Program. Using an online world language program, Rosetta StoneTM, students learn Spanish at their own pace and can take their laptops home at night to complete activities with their families.
Math Academy
This before-school program provides math support for students in an effort to increase their success on MCA and MAP testing.
Math Intervention Technology
Using the nationally recognized Larson’s Math program teachers create a totally individualized
approach for students who struggle with math. The interactive and engaging software program
uses diagnostic assessments to show where each student’s skills are lacking, then teaches each skill to the student before providing formative and summation assessments and any necessary help or instruction.
Men’s Choir Repertoire
This project builds a library of quality repertoire specifically written for men’s voices.
Modeling Constructive Responses Using Student Work
This program gives students the courage to try new problems and improves the quality of their written responses.
Music Technology Lab
This grant is part of a larger project to add a Music Technology Lab at Hopkins High School. The music technology lab builds upon the current instrumental and vocal music offerings to include skills necessary for success in today’s digital music industry. While utilizing GarageBandTM, students will create compositions, learn the art of recording, develop mix down techniques, and create end products such as original CDs and Podcasts.
Nature’s Corner
This program gives students the opportunity to increase their knowledge of plants and animals in their local environment.
North Junior High Players
Over the course of the school year, the NJH Players can now produce one play, one musical, and one night of student-written and directed one-act plays. This program is open to all students.
Online Newspaper
This project creates an online presence for the HHS newspaper. It also allows student journalists to provide a more immediate publishing service to the school. It integrates photography, video and graphics. It more closely aligns the journalism program with what professional and scholastic journalists are doing around the country.
Opening Doors to Post-Secondary Education
Students with limited resources now have the opportunity to explore educational options available to them upon graduation.
Putting Responsive Classroom Strategies Into Place
Daily charts and stands build predictability and a positive starting routine for students.
Resident Video Curriculum Development Specialist
This technology pilot project at WJH increases curricular engagement with students through the medium of video. The Resident Video Specialist will work with classroom teachers to illustrate classroom topics through the use of video, many times featuring Hopkins students. Through writing and participating in the videos, students will have the opportunity to become teachers of their peers.
Scanner and Software for Modifying Curriculum for Special Education
Teachers can now modify worksheets and projects for Special Education students, more quickly and easily. They are able to post these worksheets on their Moodle sites, providing easy access for students and parents.
Second Grade Reading Support
This grant provides more cartridges for the Leap PadTM system, an instructional technology that offers interactive, multi-sensory instruction to struggling young readers.
Steps to Respect and Second Steps Violence and Bullying Prevention Curriculum
Developed by the Committee for Children, this program teaches all students skills to address bullying. Additionally, students gain skills for making friends, handling emotions and problem solving. These skills help students to excel academically as well.
Teaching Pre-AP Writing Skills
Students will build confidence as writers, peer editors and collaborators while gaining a sharp eye for detail.
Teaching Social Thinking for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Students with ASD gain knowledge to better interact with their peers and adults as well as be more independent in the adult world upon graduation.
Technical Education: Web Design and Business Marketing
This project creates an opportunity for Hopkins High School students to design, create, and maintain an actual web-site for a spirit wear embroidery business. In addition, students will learn how to manage all aspects of a small business. Funds raised by the business will be returned to the students through Spirit Shop grants and sponsorships.
TI-Navigator System
The TI-NavigatorTM system provides a wireless communication between the student’s calculator and the teacher’s computer. Students work results can be displayed anonymously and simultaneously on one screen to view. This system improves the quantity and quality
of responses, classroom interaction and time on task.
Whisper to Learn
Whisperphones improve students’ focus, reduce classroom noise, and increase phonemic awareness.