The Millstone Township Foundation for Educational Excellence (MTFEE) awarded one grant this cycle, for middle school librarian Francine Kamen’s application for the project “Curriculum Enhancement through Multi-Disciplinary Databases.”
At the Jan. 12 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent of Schools Mary Anne Donahue said there were only four applications this year for the foundation’s grants, and all were looked at very carefully. The awarded $7,081 would be used to purchase a three-year subscription to the Marshall Cavendish Digital Library.
While Kamen’s original application had been for a one-year subscription, there was a cost-savings for a three-year subscription and the MTFEE asked her to resubmit the proposal for three years, Donahue said.
According to Kamen, the database is a reliable and authoritative resource of encyclopedias and nonfiction books that will be online by late January. The database consists of 41 reference titles covering subject categories such as the sciences, animals and plants, biographies, geography, health, world cultures and social studies.
All middle school students will have access to the resources both at school and at home. Students will be able to create and maintain their own online folders for research and will be able to perform quick and advanced searches for articles, images, diagrams, and maps.
Kamen said she is very excited that the MTFEE is able to fund this grant for three years. She believes that MC Digital will be a great addition to the library resources and will enhance the learning process.
“It will be like students having their own personal library of these 41 reference works,” Kamen said.
Donahue said all of the grant applications were good, but some were for additional technology while the MTFEE is looking for projects dealing with curriculum issues. She said that the MTFEE will now entertain applications from the administration, not just teachers, and that an administration team is currently trying to identify a large item that the school buildings need.
“MTFEE will focus some of their fundraising on that specific item,” she said. “It will be something big that would take years if we had to do it through the budget.”
The board also accepted a rebate check for $1,907 from Lifetouch National School Studios to be used toward the purchase of playground equipment for the elementary school. Another rebate check from Lifetouch National School Studios for $1,817 would be used to purchase technology equipment for the primary school.
A donation of 144 used books valued at $360 from The Millstone Township Fire Department Women’s Auxiliary will be used in the elementary school library. The Millstone Township Middle School PTSA also donated 134 used books, valued at $396, for the elementary school library, and 133 used books, valued at $322, for the middle school library. The Millstone Township Elementary School PTO donated 67 new books, valued at $318, to the elementary school library and classroom teachers.
Donations of books from the Marciano, Storey, Urban, Rizzo, Cunningham and Lux families were also accepted.