CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENT: MESTRACT Minigrant Winners

(January, 2008--Riverhead, NY) The Riverhead Central School District would like to recognize and celebrate the achievement of Marion Dorman and Jill Kruger, Linda Condon, Lisa Marie Bohleber, Brenda Tuttle, Renee Panos and Cynthia Acritelli, and Janis Ellis-Smith for bringing $9,000 worth of MESTRACT Minigrants to their schools.

The MESTRACT (Mid East Suffolk Teacher Center Supporting Learning Communities) Center funds new and innovative ideas in teaching through Terri Peters minigrants of $1,500. (Terri Peters was a principal at the Phillips Avenue School.)

“C is for China,” a minigrant won by Riley Avenue teachers, Mrs. Marion Dorman and Mrs. Jill Krueger, has to be one of the longest running, award-winning minigrants funded by MESTRACT. This grant idea has won funding for over ten years in a row and was awarded top honors during one of MESTRACT’s minigrant fairs. It helps finance workshops, educational materials, computer software, decorations, backdrops, food and more to help students learn about the country of China, its exports, customs, songs, dances, people, and climaxes with a Chinese New Year Celebration, display of posters, parade of the dragons, stage presentation and meal for over 200 people in Riley's beautifully decorated school cafeteria.

The other minigrants awarded to the District were won by six Phillips Avenue teachers. Their grants were:

• Reading Detectives - Linda Condon

• Super Sleuths - Lisa Marie Bohleber

• Poetry Commotion - Brenda Tuttle

• Journey Across the Globe - Renee Panos and Cynthia Acritelli

• Absolute Liberty - Janis Ellis-Smith

The Phillips teachers (pictured at right), who won these grants, wanted special recognition to go to fellow teacher Kim Benkert, who conducted a minigrant writing workshop for Phillips teachers.

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