All of SERF's funds come from the community. Individuals, businesses and community organizations contribute principally through three vehicles: Our Annual Appeal in the winter, our ACE Award teacher recognition program, and our Annual Spring College Fair.
This year we are celebrating our 20th anniversary! We are extremely proud of our long history of funding grants to the Sudbury schools. Especially in these tight financial times, the support that SERF provides is more important than ever.
This year we will be holding our fourth annual Spring College Fair, a community event that helps the students while also raising funds.
We also welcome and receive donations from foundations, estates, gifts, and corporate matching programs.
Spring College Fair - March 24, 2012 - Stay Tuned...
Last year's college fair attracted about 1000 students and parents, and next year's promises to be just as successful!
Marty O'Connell of “Colleges That Change Lives” was the 2011keynoter. A dynamic, national speaker - she discussed how to make sure the college application process is the best for both student and parent. For full details click here. Last year's list of colleges that attended is also here.
SERF is proud to present this Spring College Fair as our premier annual community event. The proceeds of the fair fund grants for innovative curriculum enhancements, technologies and materials for grades K-12. Teachers and administrators rely on these grants to keep our schools moving forward. Thank you to our Event Sponsors!
Tips on how to get the most from a college fair.
"This fair was so helpful, I wish the fair was around when my first child was looking at schools."
Please Consider Making A Difference and Donate Now!
Thank you to everyone who has contributed generously thus far!
Last year, SERF received a record increase in grant applications from the schools to fund a number of diverse projects ranging from literacy curriculum materials, multi-media history materials and cutting-edge technology to music and arts enhancements. Our past grants span a wide range of students needs - curriculum enhancements targeted at the students that need more challenge and also those that have special learning needs. At a time when the school budget is stretched to the max, our educators continue to look for new ways to move the schools forward, and provide the best education for our children in Sudbury. Even when our kids are young, investing in our middle and high school now will soon benefit the elementary students of today.
SERF has funded nearly $270,000 to the classrooms of Sudbury over the past 3 years. Many materials and programs purchased initially through a SERF grant years ago have become deeply woven into the curricula of many classrooms. Read about the more than 40 grants SERF awarded last year, or browse our gallery of pictures to see grants in action in our classrooms.
Together we have made a difference, let's do it again this year!
Testimonials
SERF Fostering the Development of Great Ideas
Curriculum Specialist for Science and Social Studies, K-8
Sudbury teachers are full of great ideas. Some of the most effective curriculum developments and instructional materials and techniques have germinated from an individual teacher or a team's great ideas which become district-wide practices that enrich teaching and learning across the grades. The innovation might start with a class engaged in an exciting lesson, a teacher's trip to a local nature center, or two teachers sharing best practices in a meeting. Then that conversation travels down the path of “what if” and these great ideas percolate into a vision. To implement this vision, teachers and administrators apply for a grant which will positively impact student learning.
In the 2008-2009 school year, SERF funded a variety of exciting science related grants. One such project allowed teachers to investigate the development and implementation of “Science Notebooks” in the elementary classroom as a tool for enhancing scientific inquiry and literacy. One teacher from each of the elementary schools, a literacy specialist, and both the science and language arts curriculum coordinators attended a workshop to learn key understandings about science notebooks and how they maximize student learning. Daniel Garrigan - Byerly, a grade 3 teacher at Haynes, is putting his workshop experience to use in his classroom. He points out that “Scientist's notebooks get to the heart of why students need to learn science in school. The focus of teaching and learning can be the question, communication and connection to the science concept. I need to spend far less time 'teaching science' since the kids are actually being scientists. The notebooks provide a structure for focused questioning, written communication, and authentic academic discourse with peers! The science content and vocabulary are natural byproducts if these things are done well. I can't think of a better learning environment.” Science Notebooks are currently being piloted in six classrooms and the work will be shared through the district through these teacher leaders.
Figure-1
(Journal entries from a grade 3 student during set up of a compost experiment in the classroom.)