Under current board membership, Lynnfield Educational Trust has funded the following grants:
Spring 2024
1. HHS - Audubon Coastal Habitats Residency
This hands-on school residency gives second graders the opportunity to explore coastal habitats and discuss the factors that organisms that live in rocky shores and tide pool habitats need to survive. Over three sessions, students will be introduced to live intertidal organisms and be given the opportunity to observe their forms, behaviors and the ways in which they adapt to harsh environmental conditions.
Primary contact: Colleen Mehigan
2. LHS - Art in the Hallways
This project is a continuation of “hallway beautification” that was started in 2018. By framing student art, it raises awareness for the art program and draws attention to the amazing talent within LHS. The artwork in the hallways also serves as a “hall of fame” or graduation legacy for those students who have recently matriculated from LHS.
Primary contact: Elizabeth Hayden
3. LHS - Weight Room Update
This project includes the purchase of additional equipment for the weight room in order to utilize space more effectively and allow for greater student use. This equipment will be used during strength training classes as well as summer strength and conditioning programs.
Primary contact: Mia Muzio
4. LMS - Geography Game Show
With Geography Game Show presenter, Neal Nichols Jr., the fifth grade students will engage in an interactive and fun learning experience connected to their Social Studies curriculum. They will participate in the drawing of a map and identify important events and locations in the United States.
Primary contact: Robin Doherty
5. SSS - Achieve 3000 Online Literacy Program (Pending District Technology Department Approval)
Achieve 3000 will be piloted in one grade 3 classroom during the 2024-2025 school year to supplement literacy instruction during WIN block. This supplemental material focuses on building reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills as well as phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency.
Primary contact: Janelle Hardee
Fall 2023
1. HHS - Mural Residency with Bren Bataclan
Bren Bataclan’s “pay-it-forward” themed presentation teaches kids the power of kindness. Through his whimsical and happy characters, Bren takes students on a journey around the globe, demonstrating how a smile is universally understood and appreciated. What makes his murals special is that he incorporates students’ ideas and characters in the compositions to make each mural unique and tailored to each school. Bren’s project is about the positive power of art and how the simple gesture of leaving a painting for free can spread joy and laughter. Bren created a beautiful mural at HHS entryway!
Primary Contact: Colleen Mehigan
2. HHS and SSS - Elementary Media Production Studios
These studios will promote a flexible and inclusive learning environment. Visual learners can excel in creating dynamic videos or vlogs, while auditory learners may thrive in podcast production. The green screen wall will allow for creative expression and diverse representation within projects and use of various hardware and software on Chromebooks and iPads.
Primary contact: Rochelle Cooper
3. LMS - Freedom Trail Grade 5
This 3 day field trip to Boston greatly enhances student understanding of the Revolutionary War. It provides hands on learning and engaging activities that allow history to come alive! They visit many sites along the Freedom Trail including: Paul Revere’s House, Tea Party Ship Museum, Granary Burying Ground, Bunker Hill Monument and Museum, Old State House, Old North Church, and USS Constitution Museum and Ship.
Primary Contact: Mark Vermont
4. LMS - Therapy Dog (mini grant)
Numerous research studies have demonstrated how therapy dogs can help address school-age students’ social and emotional learning needs. This Grant helps maintain Finn’s fees for Liability Insurance and Therapy Dog status. He is a very loved part of LMS.
Primary Contact: Marisa Botta
5. LHS - Music Department Production of Mean Girls
This Grant helps support the enormous efforts that go into the execution of a musical production. Some aspects include auditions, extensive practice, set and costume design, and performing a full scale musical production with a live orchestra!
Primary Contact: Douglas Hodgkins
Spring 2023
1. SSS - A Path to Comprehensive SEL
PATHS is a curriculum resource that provides instruction to students in Social Emotional Learning. This curriculum works to develop strategies for self-control and emotional regulation as well as strengthen problem solving techniques.
Primary Contact: Karen Cronin
2. Preschool at SSS - Center Time for Everyone
This supplementation adds to read aloud and center time by provided books that are rich in illustration, diversity, and meet the news of children that are just learning to come to school. This Grant also allows for hands-on learning opportunities for students to explore and discover at their own level.
Primary Contact: Karen Cronin
3. LMS - Chair Yoga (mini grant)
This technique works to improve social emotional and physical health for staff and students at LMS. It provides students and staff an opportunity to reduce stress and anxiety, increase flexibility, balance and mental focus.
Primary Contacts: Chris Sheila and Elisabeth Jones
4. LHS - Mental Health Space
The creation of a mental health space allows students a spot to go decompress and relax. The space will have comfortable furniture and relaxing tools such as coloring,
fidgets, and books. This space gives students quick escape during a stressful day. Primary Contacts: Mrs. Goguen
5. HHS - Additional Second Step SEL Material
This program gives teachers an easy-to-implement, engaging way to teach social-emotional skills and concepts. Second Step programs are designed to help children thrive and be more successful in school—ultimately setting them up to be thoughtful and productive adults. A single kit per grade was provided through this grant.
Primary contact: Melissa Wyland
Fall 2022
1. HHS - Positive Spin Speaker
This 60 minute performance empowered every student to put a “positive spin” on the frustrating aspects of daily life through the use of fun and easy to remember tips and techniques.
Primary contact: Debra Tracy
2. SSS -Writing Workshop with Marty Kelley
This inspiring program gave students insight on generating ideas for writing, as well as showing different formats of writing including graphic novels and picture books. Writing workshops were provided for each second, third and fourth grade class and the lower grades met with author/illustrator Marty Kelley for a general author presentation.
Primary Contact: Alexandra Caram
3. LMS - Freedom Trail Grade 5
This 3 day field trip to Boston greatly enhanced student understanding of the Revolutionary War. It provided hands on learning and engaging activities that allow history to come alive! They visit many sites along the Freedom Trail including: Paul Revere’s House, Tea Party Ship Museum, Granary Burying Ground, Bunker Hill Monument and Museum, Old State House, Old North Church, and USS Constitution Museum and Ship.
Primary Contact: Mark Vermont
4. LHS - Art In the Hallways
This project allowed for purchasing of the supplies needed to continue student artwork displays framed in the hallways. This raises awareness for the art program and makes hallways more visually beautiful.
Primary Contacts: Laura Johnson and Liz Hayden
5. LHS - Additional Water Filtration Station
High School students are studying the dangers of plastic water bottles and are working to eliminate them from Lynnfield High School. This filtration station created a more sustainable environment and now students and staff have access to estrogen-free, lead- free water in the Science Wing on the bottom level of the school where no water stations yet exist.
Primary Contact: Scott Gordon
6. LHS - Redesign of the LHS Makerspace by The FMG Robotics Foundation
This project focuses on redesigning the current makerspace so that technology would be more seamlessly integrated and allow for greater collaboration. The initial steps in the new set-up will have furniture designed with chargers and outlets built-in.
Primary contact: Kim Dell Isola
