The DSEF awarded more than $165,000 to Dover Sherborn schools for the 2019 – 2020 school year. “We are grateful for the generous support of our community, which allows us to continue to fund initiatives that enhance the educational experience of all Dover Sherborn students,” said Kristina Grace.
The Dover Sherborn Educational Fund has awarded more than $165,000 in grants to the public schools of Dover and Sherborn for the 2019-2020 school year.
Each of the four schools in the system, the high school, middle school, Pine Hill and Chickering, received funds to support grants authored by educators. Funded grants include art and music, science, and technology initiatives; health and wellness and cultural enrichment; as well as core academic curricula.
Specific programs funded this academic year include the launch of martial arts programs at Chickering and Pine Hill; the World of Difference Peer Training program at DSHS; speakers and traveling museum exhibits for social studies; and an in-school Day of Poetry. Also funded are World Cultures Week and French cultural programming at DSMS, as well as the creation of a Sensory Path at Pine Hill.
DSEF grants will also enable the development of flexible classroom learning spaces across the district; the expansion of professional knowledge in college counseling; teacher training in project-based learning leadership and in literacy instruction; as well as additional equipment for the DSHS Raiders Pep Band, and many other programs and initiatives.
Grants by DSEF will continue to support the innovative Challenge Success program as it enters its sixth year in all D-S schools, the district-wide Culturally Responsive Awareness and Practices program, as well as the successful Seminar Day at DSHS.
“We are grateful for the generous support of our community which allows us to continue to fund initiatives that enhance the educational experience of all Dover-Sherborn students and teach them the skills they need to thrive,” said Kristina Grace, DSEF co-president.
For more than 30 years DSEF, a private, volunteer, nonprofit organization, has raised nearly $4 million for Dover-Sherborn schools. Funds have been used to enhance art, science and technology programs, athletics and cultural enrichment, as well as core academic curriculum.
“Plans are already under way for our annual gala, set for Saturday, Nov. 2, at Gillette Stadium. Make sure to mark your calendars for this fun night out with friends and neighbors in support of our schools,” said Dan Cook, DSEF co-president.
DSEF conducts two major fundraisers annually — the Fall Gala and the February phonathon. For more information or to contribute, visit www.dsef.com.
On Wednesday, May 22, the English Department at Dover-Sherborn High School, with the support of the Dover Sherborn Education Fund and in conjunction with Mass Poetry, welcomed 12 poets to a day of readings and poetry workshops.
The junior class chose from a menu of workshops such as “Imitation Poems,” led by Casey Roland, “Anatomy of a Name” led by Kofi Dadzie, and “Spoken Word and Youth Poetry Slam 101” led by Alex Charalambides, and “Inspiration” led by former National Slam Poet Regie Gibson.
The day culminated in an Open Mic where students were invited to share their work with their peers, poets and teachers.
Superintendent Andy Keough noted that Student Day of Poetry was “another example of the innovative teaching that takes place in this district on a regular basis. Our students are incredibly fortunate to have opportunities like these to learn about creativity and writing from experts in the field,” and he recognized “Gretchen Donohue as well as the faculty and building leadership for embracing such powerful and extraordinary learning experiences.”
The English Department will apply for another DSEF grant for the 2019-2020 school year, and they hope Student Day of Poetry will become an annual or biennial event at the high school.
The DSEF Board extends our sincere thanks to everyone who gave during the DSEF Phonathon. Every contribution counts and your generosity supports wonderful, additive programs in all four of our schools. Thank you for your partnership and your support. Please remember to fulfill your pledges!
The program enables educators to provide more dynamic learning experiences for K-8 students using Google Expeditions kits that allow teachers to take students on virtual field trips without leaving the classroom. The technology brings people, places and artifacts from around the world to students via more than 100 augmented reality expeditions and more than 900 virtual reality expeditions in History, Science, Nature, Technology, Engineering and the Arts. The kits are being integrated into the existing curriculum and shared among the schools.
DSMS Instructional Technology teacher, Sandra Sammarco, has been implementing the expeditions and tools to sixth and seventh graders in her Technology classes, as well as training other staff to build their proficiency using the tools in their classrooms. DSMS teachers in Science, History, Technology/Engineering, Foreign Language, and Math classrooms are getting their feet wet by exploring the variety of expeditions offered and testing how these tools work.
The technology is active in the elementary schools as well. “Our second grade class used the Augmented Reality devices to gain a stronger understanding of the states of matter,” said Rebecca Mealey, second grade teacher at Pine Hill. “For each state, the children had to access the 3D image and determine what it was showing. The exclamations and engagement as they realized what they were seeing were wonderful, and putting these somewhat abstract ideas into a more tangible format really helped the new learning stay with them. We’re looking forward to exploring the tide pool through virtual reality this winter.”
In a related program, WGBH recently visited Sandra Sammarco’s Technology Literacy classroom at DSMS to field test their instructional virtual reality platform. Students collaborated directly with the PBS Kids team on this project to help refine the usability and scalability of this instructional technology equipment and software. Students provided feedback on the Water on Other Worlds lesson plan that will be made available on the PBS LearningMedia platform. On their virtual mission, students explored the availability and accessibility of water in the solar system and traveled from Mars to distant Pluto investigating various planets and moons, collecting and comparing data about various other solar system objects they encountered.
The augmented reality program is just one of the more than $150,000 in DSEF grants awarded for the 2018-2019 academic year. DSEF supports all four schools and funds art and music, science, and technology initiatives; health and wellness and cultural enrichment; as well as core academic curricula.
The DSEF Phonathon is the Dover Sherborn Education Fund’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Please consider donating when our parent volunteers call on either Monday, February 4th or Tuesday, February 5th.
Many thanks to Dover Sherborn parents, community members, and friends who give generously to enable DSEF to fund grants for all four of our schools. To those who attended our Fall Gala, we acknowledge and THANK YOU for the support you’ve already contributed this year!
Please send checks payable to Dover Sherborn Education Fund, P.O. Box 421, Dover, MA 02030. If you would prefer, you can make your donation online by clicking here to donate before Feb 1st.
Be part of DSEF’s largest fundraiser of the year, benefiting students and faculty at all four schools in our district! Harvest Gala will take place on Saturday, October 20th at Silverwood Farm in Sherborn.
Get special thanks as well as a half page ad in the gala program with logo included (if corporate). Also thanked after the event in email to parents of kids in all four schools. 2 tickets to the event included.
Get thanked in the gala program with logo included (if corporate). Also thanked after the event in email to parents of kids in all four schools.
Be everyone’s best friend — round of drinks sponsor will be thanked by everyone at the event.
Friends of DSEF sponsor will be recognized and thanked in the gala program. Logo (if corporate) will be included in our logo page.
Thank you for considering sponsorship this year! Should you decide to contribute, please contact Lorelei Randa or Melissa Messier with your chosen level of sponsorship, as well as how you’d like to be listed in the program.
The DSEF Annual Gala will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2018, at Silverwood Farm in Sherborn.
Boston magazine just released its annual ranking of the Best Public High Schools in Boston 2018, which takes a look at public high schools in towns or districts within, or partially within, I-495. At the top of the list is Dover-Sherborn Regional High School.
Thank you to our wonderful and dedicated teachers and staff, as well as our supportive community.
Dover Sherborn Education Fund 