FEF Shares Community Support w/over $25,000 in Grants to Teachers
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 4, 2013)
The Ferndale Education Foundation announced the winners of teachers’ grants totaling over $25,000. The grants are used for in-class projects and supplies that are above and beyond what the school district is able to provide.
FEF began as an independent nonprofit in 1989 to help raise money to enhance educational opportunities for students in the Ferndale School District. Money is given in the form of teacher grants and other projects.
Barb Landry, President of FEF said “This is one-off the best committees I personally work on. It is all about fundraising and putting money into classrooms for innovative projects. We spend over $35, 000 a year giving back to our kids and schools. Fun things like Camp Skyline for FPS Students, mixing up 100+ kids where they learn team building and so much more. Tutoring for students during the year and then again extra help in the 
summer, Teacher Grants sub-project can be done in the classrooms that normally couldn’t, Trips to see Shakespeare for the 11th and 12th grade honor English classes, ACT prep for our kids time get into college, and so much more.”
Currently there are over 200 members, many of whom volunteer at fundraisers throughout the year. Popular fundraisers include the Fore Kids Golf Outing and the DIY Beer Tent, which this year brought in $1,100.
The biggest fundraiser is their annual dinner and raffle. This year the big party will be at Club Venetian and will have a Toga Party Theme. It will be held March 15 and the cost will be $40 for the dinner and $20 for raffle tickets. There is also a silent auction with items from many local businesses. More information on the Toga Party can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/304395006338787/?suggestsessionid=5132267961357288907.
FEF will also be selling coffee at the Ferndale Schools Extravaganza on Jan 26, which is a community 
wide celebration and showcasing of talent from all of the schools in the district.
Landry said that it’s recruiting time, and FEF is looking for volunteers, donors and businesses to get involved. “We would love our community to join EFF and support all the grants we give to our teachers and our kids. They can contact me at landryspbtd@Comcast.net or call me at 2483904457. Our community is the BEST!”
Here are the teachers whose classes will be benefiting from the FEF grants:
Grant Early Childhood: Rita Ray, Kathy Trout and Kristy Kuehn
Roosevelt Elementary: Jodi Cusmano, Amanda Miller/Shannon Piornack, Amanda Miller, Kathleen Hayden, Cynthia Krencicki, Nicole Mikolajewski, Sandra Bruner, Heather Brearly/Janet Monroe/Judy Smith, Donna Bierman and Judy Smith
Coolidge Intermediate: Elizabeth Madeleine, Mary Brown and Kelsey Witt
John F. Kennedy School: Elaine Zold, Mary Walters and Mary Brown
Coolidge Intermediate/JFK: Ben Moy
Ferndale Middle School: Kristine Hill, Jason Gillespie, Wendy Roelandt, Tony Warkoczeski and Matthew LaLone
Ferndale High School: Julia LoPiccolo, Paula Cardelli, Catherine Brady, Roger Smith, Marc Reosti, Elin Mathews, Heather McLaren and Stephanie McGowan.
University High School: Sosha Haynes, Elizabeth Gillespie, Beth Srigley, Elizabeth Watkins, Lauren McCatty, Susan Farrah and Johanna Mracna
Digital Learning Center: Terri Davis
Learn more about FEF or donate online at http://www.ferndaleschools.org/fef/support.html. You can also follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FerndaleEducationFoundation.
