Parents' Association Grants

Most businesses have research and development departments that allow them to improve or create new products. Schools must rely on their teachers doing research, attending workshops or returning to college in order to learn the latest information on how to improve their teaching.

At Greensboro Day School, we are fortunate in having a Parent's Association (PA) that understands the importance of this work for the school's students. Many years ago, our PA started an endowment fund to support our teachers in doing such work.

The Teacher Enrichment Endowment Fund is providing over $10,000 in grants to teachers who made requests this year. PA President, Allison Morisette, attended last week's faculty meeting and announced the recipients. These workshops, conferences and explorations will greatly broaden and deepen our teachers' understanding of their subject areas and provide improved learning opportunities for our students.

After you read them, I believe that you will be as excited as I am about what our teachers will be doing and learning.

This year's grants will provide teachers and counselors the following opportunities:

Learning & the Brain Conference
Exploring brain wiring & develop strategies to promote success & student achievement; Study learning and attention disorders

Visit to Yoho National Park
Canadian Rockies
Hike the Burgess Shale Fossil Beds – a component of US Biology curriculum
Explore glaciers & report evidence of climate change
Learn more about alpine ecosystems & effects of climate change on plants & animals

Conference on Differentiating Instruction
Salt Lake City, Utah
Hear from experts in the field & attend breakout sessions on lesson design, strategies for gifted & reluctant learners, using technology with differentiations etc.
Timing is ideal in order to incorporate techniques into the curriculum

Religious Diversity in America Conference
New York City
Increase knowledge of religions & cultures in modern America
Support a GDS culture which embraces diversity as part of its mission
Conference designed specifically for independent schools

California Field Study & Graduate Geo Science
Studies, Mississippi State University
Study Earth Science phenomenon in the field including volcanic, earthquake & glacially altered landscapes
Increase knowledge of and utilize skills in reading topographic maps, identifying rocks, minerals & fossils

Civilians, Soldiers & the Battle of Fredericksburg
Workshop
Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA
Attend lectures & discussions led by nationally recognized historians
Visit battle sites of Gettysburg & Fredericksburg
Network with educators to reexamine & improve instruction strategies

Course in Beadmaking & Precious Metal Clay
Penland School, Penland, NC
Receive historical overview & learn fundamental skills of soft glass beadmaking & precious metal clay techniques

USA Driving Tour of Missouri, Nebraska & Kansas
Follow parts of Lewis & Clark trail & the pioneer trails west from Independence, Missouri
Collect materials and photographs to share in classroom during 5th grade unit on USA (emphasis on geography, the pioneer movement and Civil War)