The Suffield Foundation for Excellent Schools (SFES) is pleased to announce its selections for the fourth Hall of Honor class. The Hall of Honor was established in 2003 primarily to recognize and celebrate Suffield High School graduates who have achieved noteworthy success in their chosen fields, but also to inspire and motivate current students. In addition, an “Excellence in Education” award is simultaneously given to a retired educator who has taught for at least 10 years in the Suffield Public Schools and has had a profound impact on students. An assembly will be held at SHS on Friday, May 27, 2016 to present the awards and give the recipients an opportunity to address the student body. A luncheon, which is open to the public, will be held after the ceremony at the Sunset Tavern at Suffield Country Club at 12:30 p.m. Tickets for the luncheon are $23 and can be purchased using our online order form or by contacting Johanne Presser at 860-668-5521. Reservations and payment for the luncheon must be made by May 20.
An ad hoc committee of community members and SFES Board members made the selections from the nominations received. Since the award is given only once every four years, the decision making process is difficult given the number of successful graduates, but the committee felt that these awardees have indeed hit a high mark in their respective careers. Go to the Hall of Honor page to learn more about the 2016 selections.

Lauren Low, Kera Pixton, Carolyn O’Connell, Kelli Young and Kelly Hazlet

A student group SFES helped fund was recently profiled in the Journal Inquirer. Students Working to Advance Technology was awarded $2,035 by SFES in 2014 to promote student leadership, address technology competencies, provide outreach to the community through parent involvement, corporate support, and student community service. Read the complete article here.

Think you have a great idea for educational programming in Suffield Schools? Submit a Grant. You never know until you try.

During the past ten years, SFES has handed out thousands of dollars in funding to new and innovative educational initiatives.

Click here to find more information and access applications.

Grants should have clearly defined and realistic goals, as well as a specific and detailed method of implementation. When evaluating a grant proposal, the Foundation will consider whether a project meets the following criteria:

Is It Innovative?
Is Its Value Significant?
Is Its Impact Broad?
Is It Sustainable?

By Wendy Pierman Mitzel

Many new and exciting plans for the upcoming Suffield Foundation for Excellent Schools season will be previewed at the organization’s booth during Suffield on the Green this year.

Children can participate in the SFES candy mural creation which celebrates Suffield Schools and ties into a Mural Artist in Residence at McAlister Intermediate School funded by SFES. Parents can stop into see a technology inspired presentation on just how the organization supports innovative learning in Suffield.

Foundation president Christine Mercadante said the booth will showcase new ideas for fundraising and community participation. The SFES annual auction and dinner will be pushed back a year.

“Just as SFES celebrates an educator’s ability to reinvent ideas, SFES will be shifting our focus from our traditional auction gala to pursue an exciting new opportunity to bring the community together in support of SFES and Suffield Public Schools,” she said.

Visitors can check out updates on the recently awarded $27,167 in grants for school programs this Fall. In addition, monies raised during the Raise the Paddle event at the annual auction dinner held in March will fund $7,500 of upcoming mini grants.

The foundation’s grant chair is excited to show off the programs granted funding.

“I am pleased by the wide variety of grants which included innovative projects to enrich the study of math, science and the arts,” she said. “The teachers are committed to continuous improvement and I am proud to have the chance to be a part of enabling their visions. “

Andrade recently presented the grant awards to the Board of Education.

“Our annual 2013 auction, combined with United Way and other donations, and a donation by the Suffield Knights of Columbus (targeted to special education), allowed us to grant funds in the amount of $27,167.  In addition, our Raise the Paddle will fund $7,500 of mini grants next school year,” she explained.

The traditional grants awarded for this year include: storytelling and folklore, heart monitor and mural programs at McAlister and technology and programming for trigonometry and 3-D manufacturing at Suffield High School.

Superintendent Karen Baldwin said she and the Board of Education “are deeply appreciative of the work of the SFES and the impact that the financial resources donated have on our instructional program and teaching and learning across the district.”

It also helps support the shift in teaching methods and standards related to the new Common Core Curriculum.

“The Grant process provides the opportunity to extend learning and acquire unique resources, tools, or even experts such as authors in residence to drive the learning for children and foster innovative classroom practices,” she explained.

The Suffield Foundation for Excellent Schools is an educational foundation that provides support for innovative and exceptional educational programs and opportunities beyond the tax-supported School budget for the benefit of Suffield students. Each year, the SFES Board raises money awards grants designed to achieve this mission.