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  • February 7, 2024

In 2nd grade, students started to read chapter books, and it became important for them to read frequently to develop stamina and fluency. The best way to encourage this was to introduce them to series books, which captivated them to the extent that as soon as they finished one book, they immediately wanted to read the next in the series. This grant provided a cart and 24 new series books to PR 2nd Grade. It included the procurement of 3 copies of the first four books in each series.

The grant allowed students to access new stories and characters, thereby enhancing the learning and reading activities they were engaged in within the classroom. It expanded learning opportunities by offering more mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors for students to learn from, enriching their educational experience.

  • February 7, 2024

The Woodland Meadows’ Art Gallery featured 3 to 4 portraits/paintings/projects per year that other Art students saw as “mentor” projects that they were able to aspire to. Furthermore, it enhanced Woodland Meadows by giving the art hallway a “gallery” look.

Within the Michigan Standards for Visual Arts, there were standards where students looking at the art needed to explore and discuss art. By having the art in the hallways, and with guided conversation by the teacher, the students were able to do this easily. Moreover, because these pieces were “exemplary” pieces, students had an example of what the art pieces could look like.

  • February 7, 2024

The grant facilitated the P.A.L.S. (“Peers Assisting Language and Speech”) program, which provided additional iPads to peers in classrooms with students who have severe communication deficits and use AAC devices (iPads with picture-icon programs for communication). These iPads were utilized by peers during recess, playtimes, and partner-reading sessions to engage with the target student in conversation, identify sight words/core vocabulary, and practice interactive reading comprehension.

The initiative offered general education students the social-emotional benefit of forming friendships and interacting with students with disabilities and diverse needs. It also allowed target students to learn age-appropriate language, sentence structure, and social language skills from typically developing peers using the same AAC devices. The program aimed to promote inclusion and acceptance of students with disabilities and severe communication deficits. Both target students and their general education peers gained additional practice with Core Vocabulary/Dolch sight words, constructing grammatical sentences, and responding to WH questions during paired book-reading activities.

  • February 7, 2024

The grant supported Saline Area Schools, including Woodland Meadows, in their ongoing efforts to create inclusive and welcoming learning environments for all students. The grant was used to transform the entrance of Woodland Meadows with a large decal or sign that reflected the school’s mission of inclusivity. The “Welcome to Woodland Meadows” decal was designed to include representations of the diverse learners from Woodland Meadows and the broader Saline Community, setting a tone of inclusiveness for students and community members alike.

The project related to the core curriculum by providing “windows and mirrors” for students, ensuring that everyone felt represented and welcomed at Woodland Meadows. This visual representation aimed to foster a robust learning environment that would positively impact all areas of the core curriculum and enhance learning experiences in a creative and innovative manner.