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WREA Foundation Accepting Applications for 2010 Challenge Awards

2009 Award Winners

Five Wisconsin public elementary schools have been recognized by the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA) Foundation. Each has received $2,000 to reward programs that demonstrate innovation in student achievement or contribute to a better environment for students, schools or the communities they serve.

The following schools and the teachers responsible for the programs were honored during the week of October 19 at regional WREA meetings throughout the state.

• Marshfield Elementary School, Marshfield, and teachers Kathy Bittorf and Kim Ziembo for Project Jump Start, a special two-week program to prepare, motivate and excite students for a new school year.
• Jefferson Elementary School, Kenosha, and school social worker Jill Schwenzen for Girls and Boys Night Out, an inner city school project to help fourth graders form healthy relationships and friendships and to expose them to new activities.
• Head Start/Early Childhood Merrill Area Public Schools, Merill, and teacher Joan Krohn for The Secret Path, a Natural Playscape Project which develops a sense of wonder and an appreciation of nature.
• Chappell Elementary School, Green Bay, and teacher Marie A. Sauvey for the Gender Specific Multiage Classrooms Project which implements research of gender specific classrooms and demonstrates successful results by integrating gender specific teaching strategies into the district-adopted curriculum.
• Crestwood Elementary School, Madison, and teacher Linda Gourley for the CRICKET project, an innovative program that provides experiences to comprehend the beauty, diversity and importance of our natural world.

WREA President Elect Carol Lamp from Kimberly congratulated each of the winning schools and spoke highly of the 70 other schools that applied for the award. “Each submission showcased innovative and inspiring programs. We congratulate each one for the great work they do to engage students in learning, achieving and succeeding. We all benefit from the good things that are happening in Wisconsin’s public schools.”
 

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