$15K Awarded To Fund Two Long Valley Public School Educators

LONG VALLEY, NJ — The New Jersey Education Association recently announced the awarding of two grants to support creative projects by Washington Township public school educators.

Amanda Miranda, Stacy Davies, Susan Ort and Kellianne Zuzuro of the Washington Township School District in Morris County were awarded a $7,650 grant to carry out a project to instill a love of writing and storytelling in students.

According to the project website, Igniting Imagination: Read, Write, Discover will enable approximately 100 students in grades PreK-5 to become published nonfiction authors, with their books remaining in the school library indefinitely.

Students will be taught how to research and write a nonfiction book, which they will then learn how to preserve by bookbinding. Following publication, students will attend an author's circle to discuss their work and answer questions, officials said.

The second district project to be funded includes a $7,960 grant to carry out a project that will engage approximately 150 students in grades PreK-5 in bi-monthly trips to a local working farm to help them with their social-emotional learning.

According to the Project Coordinator, Susan Ort, the project will teach children to work more collaboratively with their classmates while also developing critical skills such as self-esteem, empathy, emotional regulation, and responsibility.

Kids will also learn the value of animals, plants and nature not only for our survival but also for their emotional well-being.

The grants are part of the NJEA Frederick L. Hipp Foundation for Excellence in Education, which was founded in 1993 to support projects that enhance and improve the learning environment in local schools.

Since its inception, the foundation has given over $2.3 million to 443 innovative educational projects that represent a bold, new approach by public school employees.