Griswold Elementary School makes it to the Follett Challenge FINAL ROUND!! We need YOUR VOTE to win!!!

Griswold School has made it to the Follett Challenge FINAL ROUND!! We are 1 out of only 36 schools competing for $60,000! We need YOUR VOTE to win! The top 10 schools with the most votes win $8000, and 20% of our application score (which determines the $30,000 winners) is determined by votes as well! Help us prove to everyone that CT is the little State that could!

Vote once a day, everyday, this week - Monday, Feb. 8th - Friday, Feb, 12th, at follettchallenge.com/videos/613

Kensington, CT (January 31, 2016) – Mary E. Griswold Elementary School has entered a $200,000 national education contest hoping for a chance at one of the 14 prizes that will be awarded to recognize the best in K-12 innovation. In addition to completing an online application for the fifth annual Follett Challenge, Griswold School also submitted a short video to promote its innovative programs that teach students the 21st century skills they need to be prepared for life.

Griswold’s application and video highlights the implementation of eBooks into the classroom curriculum. This year, Griswold school challenged their grade 3-5 students to build upon their 21st century learning skills while immersed in medieval period roles and costuming. They unleashed a six-week ebrary Quest, which consisted of enticing literature via eBooks, partnered with an engaging Follett Shelf online platform, and packaged in a motivational medieval theme. In just those short 6 weeks, Griswold students surpassed our goal, with over 2000 eBook checkouts in just four weeks!

Ten of the prizes, valued at $8,000 each, to be given away are from the People’s Choice category and will solely be based on how many votes applicants have received for their videos from the public. Video voting begins February 8, 2016. On Monday, February 8th, Griswold’s video will be posted on the Follett Challenge website (www.follettchallenge.com) at the following link: http://follettchallenge.com/videos/613

After registering, users can cast one vote per day through February 12, 2016, when voting ends. Not only are the public’s votes significant in the video-voting portion of the contest, but they also will play a role in the overall rubric as 20 percent of each school’s final score is based on the number of votes generated for their video.

“We know our community will support us by viewing our online video and voting for Griswold every day, for five days,” said Danielle Salina, the school librarian. Principal Laurie Gjerpen added - “Our educators do a great job everyday, working with the resources they are allotted. We love that by participating in the Follett Challenge, we can share what we do, and, should we win, reward our teachers and students with resources to do even more. It’s very exciting to be a part of a platform that shares 21st century innovative teaching and learning with other schools across the country and throughout the world.”

With a total prize value of $200,000 in products and services from Follett, the overall winner will earn a $60,000 prize, plus a celebration at the school, while each of the other three semi-finalists will earn $30,000 prizes. The 10 People’s Choice awards are worth $8,000 each in products and services and will be announced March 7, 2016, along with the semi-finalists.

For more on the Follett Challenge, visit www.follettchallenge.com. And remember, vote for Griswold School!!