Foundation Names Kimberly Cunningham 'Teacher of the Year'

The Portsmouth School District held its annual teachers' orientation meeting Tuesday at Portsmouth High School.

As part of the annual tradition, the Portsmouth Public Education Foundation (PPEF) named Portsmouth High School teacher Kimberly Cunningham as the "Teacher of the Year."

This year's "Teacher of the Year" award was sponsored by NewportFed.

Nominations were accepted throughout the month of May from the Portsmouth community.

Cunningham recieved a $1,000 unrestricted grant reward from PPEF at the teachers' orientation meeting. 

The foundation also awarded its 2010-2011 Educational Excellence grants to the following. Thirteen grants were awarded that totaled $8,743. 

The grants were divided among Melville Elementary School, Portsmouth Middle School and Portsmouth High School.

Besides PPEF's own fundraising, PPEF received community support to help fund these grants. 

A donation came from the Dr. Robert A. Davidson Charitable Fund from proceeds earned in a public concert, which was held by the Dr. Robert A. Davidson Charitable Fund in January. 

A civic support grant, sponsored by Sen. Charles Levesque, and another grant by the Barton J. Carroll Foundation, also helped fund this year's grant awards. 

A new memorial grant, the William "Jay" Humphrey Jr. Memorial Grant, was also created in memory of former PPEF President Jay Humphrey, who passed away this year.

The foundation congratulates the following PPEF Educational Excellence Grant recipients:

Elaina Amaral (PHS): Whales – Up Close and Personal

Kimberly Hancock (PHS): Real World Reading

Leanne Gordon Perry (PHS): Anatomical Modeling

Diane Roth (Melville): Center Stage and Math

Kathleen Beebe (PHS): Enhancing Science Labs

Sandy Oxx (PHS): Using E-Readers in the Classroom

Rose Escobar (PHS): Tribute to My Hero

Donna Powell, Sue Roklan, Valerie Seveney, Bryn Weymouth (Melville): Lights Camera Action – Building Reading Fluency

Alison Ernest (PMS): Listen to This

Richard Price (PMS): Listen and See the Music of America

Carol Strakosh (PMS): Poetry in Performance

Sharon Raposo (PMS): Building the Skills of Autistic Children

Kimberly Hancock, Marilyn Thompson, Michelle Beaulieu (PHS): Reading SOS, Strategies for Older Children.

Grant recipients from the last school year will also get to showcase their projects in the upcoming fall social to be held on Oct. 21 at Green Valley Country Club in Portsmouth. This event is open to the general public and hosts a silent auction to raise additional funds for future grants.

PPEF also welcomes three new board members: Eileen LaCazette, Ellen Toner and Bruce Jones.
 
PPEF is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to improve, promote, sponsor and enhance the educational experiences for public school students.

PPEF awards grants directly to the teachers for events, activities and project that enhances the public school educational experience that are not financed by the school or town budget. The foundation has awarded 131 grants totaling more than $68,589 since 2001.