In the Fall of 2000 the Alliance funded the purchase of seven (7) of the very progressive, IMAC 350MHZ Blueberry and 1 IBOOK TG. These machines were very innovative at the time and gave our school the cutting edge technology that the community expects in our classrooms.
5th Graders Build Robots
Teams of 5th grade students worked together to build their LEGO Mindstorms robots before programming them with their laptops . The goal was to get the robots to move in precise measurements and angles, tying in with their lesson on motion and design. Students had to program everything and be accurate and specific. It gave students a chance to use their math and spatial reasoning skills. If they did not build it right, the programming won’t work. The experience taught students that engineers have rethink and retry.
Fiddles for All
Elementary School music teacher Susan Haugland was the recipient of a grant which enabled ALL 2009/2010 2nd graders to learn to play the violin and expand their musical horizons. This program will not only enhance the student experience but will further contribute to the award winning arts in our schools.
Testimonial from Mrs. Susan Haugland, K-2 Music Teacher: “We’re now in the fourth year of the “Fiddles for All” program where all second grade students learn to play violin as part of the general music curriculum. The beautiful instruments that the Alliance purchased for this program have enabled over five hundred children to experience the joy of learning to play a violin. Currently, fifteen students in grades 3-5 are enrolled in the after-school Horizons violin class and countless others have continued to study in private studios. This year, three Lake Bluff freshmen auditioned and were accepted into the symphonic orchestra at Lake Forest High School. I anticipate that those numbers will continue to increase as graduates of the “Fiddles for All” program make their way to the high school.”
Math Night at LBES
Mrs. Kregor, our LBES Math Enrichment teacher, put the first ever event together. Families not only learned new math games using dice but they were able to take them home for more practice.
Renzulli Online Learning
The Alliance funded initial teacher training and student subscriptions to the Renzulli online learning system. The Renzulli system allows teachers to quickly prepare student self-directed educational experiences which will provide pre-screened, educationally sound, age appropriate, engaging and ready to go content from original sources on the Internet.
Jennifer Harris Enrichment Fund
The Jennifer Harris Enrichment Fund, within the Alliance For Excellence, was established in memory of Jennifer Harris, the beloved daughter of Mrs. Cynthia Harris, a long-time teacher at East School in Lake Bluff. Donations to this fund are designated for use at both Lake Bluff Elementary School and Lake Bluff Middle School, and will be used to support programs and materials that meet one or more of the following criteria:
1. Enhance literacy through presentations and workshops with visiting authors, illustrators, or other literary professionals.
2. Engage students in reading and writing activities that fuel a life-long love of literature and reading.
3. Enrich existing reading and writing elements across all curriculum.