Thanks to very generous donations from alumni who received The Nottingham Connection in 2006, we are able to cover the costs of mailing this newsletter and offer $3,389 to teachers who submitted grant requests. We received 18 requests, a huge increase over last year.

Grant requests will be available for your review on the Nottingham High School web site, http://weblink.scsd.us/~nottingham/home.html

In reviewing the requests, several thoughts struck us.  First, today's educational environment with its classes on Web design, child development, digital photography and diversity seems worlds away from our high school education years ago. Secondly, in spite of the amount of technology provided by its funding sources, an urban school still falls short in its resources.  Third, teachers are responding with enthusiasm and creativity and rising to the challenges of meeting the needs of an extraordinary mix of students, who come from professional - often Syracuse University connected - families, from families living on minimum wage or below and from many immigrant and refugee families with little English.  Fourth, we admired the initiatives of the teachers and wished we could grant all the requests. However, that would require almost $4,000 more than we had to offer. We made partial grants to many teachers and said No to the request from the aquatics supervisor for a kayak and paddles even though we admired her goals. Perhaps alums will see ways to help with this request and to complete some of the other requests. Please feel free to email individual teachers and learn more about their projects. We are also aware that the school PTSO has an ambitious wish list of items it would love to obtain for the school.  See the web site http://weblink.scsd.us/~nottingham/home.html or e-mail Molly Voohees at mcvoorhe@mailbox.syr.edu

Grant requests from teachers:

1) Head sets for ESL users of computer programs that enhance their grasp of English.
Zoe Kinney 428-0218 zkinney@hotmail.com

Request $113 Grant: $113.00

2) Elizabeth Unislawski EUnislawski@scsd.us, Science Dept., requests a DVD/VCR Combo player to enhance student learning by illustrating real world connections to material being covered.
Request $175.99 Grant: $176.00

3) Spanish Language teacher, Lisa Orlando, 345-9806 LOrlando@scsd.us requests Spanish Video Karaoke to enhance foreign language learning.
Request: $450  Grant: $250.00

4) Lynette Planette 435-4474 lplanck@scsd.us, Business department, has students fundraising to buy exciting software that will give them virtual business experience in running a sports stadium. The total cost will be $894.
Request: any part of $894 we can fund. Grant:  $250

5) Jenniffer Banker-Benedetto  JBenedetto@scsd.us requests support for transportation and other costs involving teaching issues of class and race in the American culture, a cooperative effort between Nottingham High School, Fayetteville Manlius High School, and Syracuse University.
Request: $500 Grant: $250

6) Lorrie Paratore LParatore@scsd.us gives vivid descriptions of how 3D arts students will benefit from purchase of mosaic supplies to benefit 3D arts students. Request: $300 Grant: $150

7) Lucia D Ashley, a new health teacher at Nottingham, 315-435-4380, LAshley@scsd.us requests videos and other materials for her Child Development classes.
Request: $452.90 Grant: $250

8) Randy Weatherby, technology teacher, RWeatherby@scsd.us requests new cameras for digital photography learning.
Request: $500 Grant: $200

9) Jilene M Rotolo, Aquatics Supervisor, JRotolo@scsd.us requests a kayak and 2 paddles to enable more students to participate in activities which expand physical skills and awareness of opportunities beyond their normal horizons.
Request: $361.57 Grant $0

10) Katie Gang, Business teacher, MGang@scsd.us requests installation of Desktop Publisher on 28 computers to assist students and Nottingham staff in a variety of ways including creation of a newsletter and enhancing current relationship between Nottingham and SU’s Whitman School of Management. Request: $439.88  Grant: $250

11) Myriam Ibarra MIbarra@scsd.us Science teacher, requests funding of a bus to transport two teams of students to the Regional Envirothon Competition in Sherbourne NY.
Request: $400 Grant: $300

12) Shannon Rowe SRowe@scsd.us requests replacement of 20 old and ragged Spanish dictionaries.
Request: $283.36 ($12.88 per book)  Grant: $150

13) Sara Zizzi SZizzi@scsd.us, English department, requests an itemized list of resources to aid teaching of literature, composition and grammar.
Request: $479.33 Grant: $200

14) Lori DiFlorio, LDiflorio@scsd.us, art teacher, requests studio lights for use in Art and Photography classes (details available)
Request: $405.45  Grant: $200

 15) Ray Sturge, Music Dept., RSturge@scsd.us, requests Microphones and Phantom Power Supply to enhance music recording technology.
Request: $355.97 Grant: $200

16) Julie Sherman, Biology Dept., JSherman@scsd.us, submitted a plea from Crush and Sqirt, the Red Eared Sliders (turtles), the class mascots, for a larger fish tank (70 Gallon long) and various fixtures.
Request: $482.94  Grant: $200

17) Thomas Procopio, Physics teacher, TProcopio@scsd.us, requests 20 stop watches.
Request: $243.40 Grant: $150

18) Jodi Rowe, Business teacher, JRowe@scsd.us, requests a color printer for the yearbook and other programs outside the Business department.
Request: $340 Grant: $160

Total Requests approx: $7,178               Total recommended: $3,449

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Updated: August 27, 2009