Below is a sampling of the programs that received funding from the RPS Foundation within the past two years. Since 1998, the RPS Foundation has awarded more than $90,000 in grants for these and many other programs. Thanks to our donors and sponsors!
New for 2009, the RPS Foundation has established a scholarship for a student with a record of outstanding community service. Learn more.
Twenty-three Richfield DECA students participated in the 2008 DECA Districts Competition at the Radisson Hotel in Plymouth
In the Schools
PRESCHOOL
Kids Count Como Zoo Field Trip
This grant will be used toward the cost of busing to and from the annual Kids Count parentchild field trip to Como Zoo.
H.U.G.S. Science Program
Grant money used by the Kids Count Preschool to fund the H.U.G.S. Science program, which was presented on Parent/Child Activity Day. The program consisted of a presentation tailored to preschoolers, handouts, and a take-home project.
EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION
The grant will purchase a digital camera with printer dock for use in the Early Childhood Special Education program. Photos are used to help students with autism to organize their thoughts and improve communication with teachers and parents. ECSE will also use its camera to photograph students in their standers, wheelchairs, and other equipment that promotes independence.
Lending Library
Grant funds used to increase the number of books in the ECSE lending library as well as books for children to read in the classroom to support the units they are taught. Funds were also used to increase the number of books written in Spanish.
CENTENNIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
DVD Library
Funds used to purchase child-centered DVDs, playable in multiple languages, to be available for check-out to families. The school seeks to encourage age-appropriate choices in DVD selections for students and their families.
Super Science Event
Grant used to fund a Super Science event for students K-8th grade. The event consisted of one main session presentation from an invited speaker, followed by a number of age-specific group and individual activities that challenged students to apply scientific principles through completion of tasks and activities.
Kindergarten Home Reading Program
Grant money used to purchase English and Spanish books of the same title for families to read through the Home Reading Program, which allows students to take home books every day.
ESL Home Bag Project
Grant funds used to purchase books on tape, games, puzzles, and flash cards for students to borrow and use at home. The goal of this project is to provide ESL students and family members with practice in the English language, encourage quality family time, and foster a positive family/school connection.
Boardmaker Program and Laminator
The Boardmaker Program is shared among 5 special education teachers to make daily picture schedule books for many special education students, task lists for students with autism, and picture cards for communicating when a student’s behavior is escalated. All of these are proven strategies and have had positive impacts on students in special education. The small laminator will be used to laminate picture cards and schedule books that students use throughout each school day.
Puppet Theater
Grant money was used to buy a collapsible, lightweight puppet theater to be used by the students to perform puppet plays using their handmade puppets. The plays enforce learning in math, literacy, science, history and writing. There has been much research to document how the theater arts enhance learning. The objectives are to validate the making of art work (the puppets) by putting them to use as part of the learning process and to reinforce lessons being taught in the classrooms.
SHERIDAN HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Grant funds used to purchase literacy materials for first-grade classrooms.
"Snap Cubes"
Grant money used to purchase "snap cubes" to accompany the newly adopted math curriculum. These snap cubes provide concrete examples of visuals in the student workbooks, supplementing the text with a hands-on method for learning math concepts.
Read-Aloud Books to Enhance Math Curriculum
Grant used to purchase read-aloud books with math concepts to tie math concepts to literature. Deepens student understanding and allows students to apply what they have learned in math.
"Big Book" Library
Grant funds used to purchase "big books" (books with enlarged print) for six first-grade classrooms. The books are used during the "shared reading" portion of the literacy program, when children read with the teacher and learn about print concepts, reading strategies, high-frequency words, and so on.
Minnesota Fish Stamps
As an extension of the print-making unit, these funds would allow for the purchase of two complete sets of rubber fish stamps and rubber brayers in order to discuss the printing form of Gyotaku (Japanese form of printing) to the older grades. The fish stamps will be regional and specific to Minnesota. The stamps can be shared throughout the school.
Differentiated Reading Materials
Funds will be used to purchase six classroom subscriptions to Reading A-Z. Reading A-Z is an online program that offers downloadable books from Level A to Level Z – making differentiation easier. This website will be helpful when trying to find leveled books that match particular units of study.
RDLS/CENTENNIAL/SHERIDAN HILLS
Periodical Check-Out System
Funds will be used to begin a periodicals check out system for RDLS, Centennial, and Sheridan Hills 3rd – 5th graders. Currently these schools do not have subscriptions that are appropriate for students in those grades. Students will enhance their learning and practice non-fiction reading on current topics of their choice.
RICHFIELD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
Read-Along Audio Books
Grant helped purchase read-along audio books for the Special Education program at RIS. The books help build confidence in and improve vocabulary and pronunciation. The books also allow students with disabilities and other special needs to experience books too difficult for them to read independently.
Creativity Festival at the Science Museum of Minnesota
Students attended sessions with scientists, inventors, artists, and adventurers designed to give them hands-on experiences in the creative process.
ESL Take-Home Books on Tape
Grant funds used to purchase books on tape and tape players for students to borrow and use at home. The goal of this project is to provide ESL students and family members with practice in the English language, encourage quality family time, and foster a positive family/school connection.
Experiential Chemistry Unit for Enrichment Resource Classroom
Grant funds used to purchase classroom materials for a chemistry unit designed for high-potential fifth-grade students. The goal of this project is to stimulate students' experience with and interest in science, possibly as a future career option. The materials are reusable and will be incorporated in the ERC program on an ongoing basis.
Baile Folorica Mexicana
Grant funds used to bring in a group of traditional Hispanic dancers to perform for RIS students. The dances are rich with custom and tradition, providing students with a glimpse of Hispanic culture and honoring the traditions of Hispanic students.
Lego League Training
Funds would be used to pay the honorarium and mileage for four training sessions with an outside expert. The objective is to develop the expertise of three RIS coaches and a group of fourth grade students in robot design, use of sensors, implementing a 3rd motor to construct a robot with a working arm, and NXT programming so they can construct a robot that has a moveable and programmable attachment. Students and coaches will apply this training during the fall 2010 First Lego League season.
RICHFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL
Latino Parents Support Group
Grant funds to pay for instructors from La Oportunidad, a Latino organization that provides parenting workshops. The support group is being organized as a forum for parents to express concerns, to invite parents to become more involved in the schools, and to offer parenting information.
Youth Frontiers Courage Retreat
Grant supplemented the cost of a full-day retreat for seventh-grade students and their teachers. The objective of the retreat was to build unity within the student body, and to give students a strong sense of self-worth in order to make good decisions.
Super Science Event
Grant used to fund a Super Science event for students K-8th grade. The event consisted of one main session presentation from an invited speaker, followed by a number of age-specific group and individual activities that challenged students to apply scientific principles through completion of tasks and activities.
Connected Math Project Solutions Manual
Funds were used to duplicate a solutions manual developed by RMS teachers as a guide for parents to assist their children with Connected Math Project assignments.
Jazz Band "Jam Sessions" with Professional Jazz Musicians
Grant funds used to hire four professional jazz musicians (saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and rhythm), each of whom conduct an evening "jam session" for the combined RMS and RHS jazz bands. Topics include improvisation, styles, articulation, and listening.
RICHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Asian New Year's Celebration
Grant money has been used to fund an Asian New Year's celebration at RHS every year in January since 2006. This event, designed to provide a fun forum for learning about and celebrating Asian cultures, has been free and open to the community, and largely planned by RHS students.
MindSong Literary Journal
Funds used to improve the production quality of the student-written, student-published literary magazine at RHS.
StrengthQuest Web Survey
Grant funds were used to defray the cost of a web-based leadership development tool produced by the Gallop Organization. Members of RHS Student Government take the survey and then use the results in a one-day leadership seminar to discover how best to their personal strengths in academics, leadership, career selection, and relationships.
Theatre @ Three Program
Grant funds help support Theatre @ Three, a series of after-school theater arts performance classes and workshops open to all students, regardless of experience, talent, or financial need. The grant funds help bring in five theater specialists (one per week), and fund a five-session technical theater workshop.
"Smart Music" computerized Accompaniment Program
Grand funds used to purchase "Smart Music" software and licenses and to increase the memory on three computers. The software will be used by students as an accompaniment program when rehearsing solos and ensembles. The software will also be incorporated into classroom instruction, in conjunction with students' work on a graduation standard in the area of creative expression. The materials will be used on an ongoing basis.
Senior Party
Funds will be used to provide a safe, controlled, alcohol-free environment for Seniors to celebrate graduation. A parent group will decorate to a theme, which will be revealed the night of the party. Community members are invited to an Open House to view the decorated space. The grant will help defray the cost of admission and help students requiring financial assistance to attend the party.
RCEP
Garden Project
RCEP is working with the RPS Garden Project to build a garden on-site at Central School. The objective is to promote learning by giving students a hands-on, outdoor setting to study biology and the environment. Students will also be able to contribute to the community by beautifying their school ground and working in partnership with other organizations, such as the RPS Garden Project and local master gardeners. Durable tools and other equipment will ensure that gardening is an accessible activity for the students and a sustainable part of the school’s programming.
RPS ALC Summer School Program
Nutritional Education Program
The Richfield Elementary Summer School serves at-risk students who need extra support in reading, math, and social skills. During the Summer School, a Nutrition program is taught by staff from the University of Minnesota that teaches good nutrition and allows students the opportunity to make a nutritious snack and sample what they have made. The program is very engaging and students learn helpful information that will empower them to make better food choices in their daily life.
In the Community
Companies to Classrooms is a non-profit organization that supports students and teachers by providing educational supplies free of charge through the operation of a store staffed by volunteers and stocked with recycled or excess supplies and inventories donated by local businesses. Through our partners at C2C we have helped over 500 Richfield Middle School students acquire school supplies, in addition to helping numerous other students and classrooms throughout the district.
TRANSITIONS PLUS AND CONNECTIONS PROGRAM
Community Social Skills
Grant funds used to bring in outside resource person through the Learning Exchange to provide hands-on training in the area of community social skills and how to access recreational and leisure activities in the community. Students with varying levels of disabilities will benefit from this experience, which is designed to help them to take classroom skills and apply them to their lives within the community.
Job Olympics
The Job Olympics is a friendly competition between the Transistions Plus program and RHS's Work Development program. Students compete in categories including resume writing, interviewing skills, and dressing for success. Community members and business partners help administer and judge the event.
RICHFIELD COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Participation Scholarships
Grant funds used to provide scholarships to enable youths with demonstrated financial need to participate in after-school and summer enrichment or sports programs offered through Richfield Community Education. From 30 to 50 students will receive assistance, depending on the classes selected.
Participation Scholarships
Funding for the program continued in 2004-05. The scholarships were offered to 41 students to participate in activities at RMS, RIS, Centennial, and Sheridan schools. Activities include before- and after-school programs, basketball camps, swimming lessons, Sunsational Summer, and more.
RICHFIELD YOUTH ACTION CREW
Face 2 Face Event
The Joint Community Police Partnership, Richfield Police, and the Richfield Youth Action Crew are planning a Face 2 Face event inclusive of dinner, entertainment, music, and role play scenarios. The event will provide students with an opportunity to see police beyond the uniform by engaging in role plays and a Q&A session with officers. In turn, this is an opportunity for police to interact with youth in a positive setting and hear what they have to say.