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Mr. Robinson moved, seconded by Mrs. Webb,to accept a donation from the <br /> Reading Education Foundation in the amount of$49,269.64 as part of the grant <br /> program. <br /> Ms. Chris Kelley, Reading Education Foundation Chair, introduced the members <br /> accompanying her this evening and provided a brief overview of the Reading <br /> Education Foundation's work. This year, through the fundraising efforts of the <br /> group, REF is able to fund $49,269.64 in requested grants for this cycle. She also <br /> shared that the next fundraiser is this weekend. The Imagination Celebration and <br /> Silent Auction will be on Saturday night. <br /> Ms. Nancy Dieselman, Co-Chair of the Grants Committee reviewed the requested and <br /> awarded grants. She shared that there were 17 applications this year and included <br /> representation from every school. Several of the grant proposals were collaborative <br /> efforts between teachers and/or schools. REF was able to fund 12 grant proposals <br /> this cycle and hope to be able to fund more next year. Ms. Dieselman said the Grants <br /> Committee was impressed by the range of proposals. <br /> Dr. Snow Dockser thanked the group for providing this opportunity for our staff. <br /> Mrs. Borawski echoed the sentiments saying that our teachers are given an important <br /> opportunity to experiment in the classroom and many times branch out and share with <br /> the district. <br /> Mrs. Webb appreciated the tremendous amount of time and work the Board of REF <br /> puts into the fundraising efforts. <br /> Mrs. Kelley shared information on another upcoming Teacher Tribute fundraiser. It <br /> is a great opportunity to recognize teachers and staff in the district. <br /> The vote on the original motion was 5-0. <br /> The School Committee took a brief recess at 7:24 p.m. for the check presentation <br /> photo opportunity. <br /> The meeting was called back to order at 7:25 p.m. <br /> New Business (out of order) <br /> Killam Presentation <br /> Killam Principal Cathy Giles and Killam Teacher Nina Balfe presented the GRIT <br /> initiative happening at Killam this year. The Killam staff is focused on teaching all <br /> students about the importance of having grit and a growth mindset. This initiative is a <br /> collaborative all school effort instilling the benefits of perseverance. <br /> As part of the Educator Evaluation process Killam teachers and Mrs. Giles have <br /> developed a school-wide SMART goal to guide this initiative. They have developed <br /> school-wide strategies to teach the students to venture out of their comfort zones and <br /> not be afraid of failing. They have developed the use of positive reinforcement to <br /> encourage students to persevere. <br /> Page 12 <br />