Foundation gives 9 educational grants

Projects to help children read, stay healthy and play are included in $23,500 worth of grants from the Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence this semester.

The foundation announced nine grants from its biannual program this week.

Each school in the Batavia School District will get 10 MP3 players for the "Read-Aloud Companion Program." Teachers can download audio books for students with difficulty reading to follow along with in print.

"We see a lot of readers who struggle, and sometimes they're embarrassed to be singled out," said Diane Kispert, H.C. Storm learning resource center director.

The program will allow them to learn quietly and to enjoy books they might not be able to otherwise understand, she said.

Rotolo Middle School will get funding for its Science Olympiad club. Seventh-grade science teacher Nicol Christianson started the club this year and took the team to Regionals, which she calls "kind of like an academic track meet."

Even though it was the team's first year and they didn't enter all the events, the 17-member team was only three points shy of qualifying for the state competition, she said.

"The passion these kids have for science and their dedication is just amazing," she said.

The funds will go toward competition registration fees and materials for the different science events.

Alice Gustafson and Hoover-Wood elementary schools will have a visit from children's author Patricia Polacco. She will also hold a workshop for teachers on family heritage and multiculturalism.

Students at Rotolo Middle School will get wellness stations as part of their health curriculum to learn about and check aspects of their own health. Alice Gustafson students will get to learn about exercise using pedometers and heart monitors.

Also at Alice Gustafson, the early childhood center's outdoor area will get extra playground equipment designed for disabled and special needs students.

The nonprofit Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence awards small grants in the fall and large grants in the spring.

Anyone in the community can apply for a grant that would benefit Batavia students.