Chamber of Commerce awards mini-grants
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Region - Seventeen projects totaling more than $6,500 have been funded by the Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce's Mini-Grant Program, all the recipients being schools in Northborough, Southborough, Westborough and Shrewsbury.

The mini-grants were announced at the chamber's membership breakfast Nov. 15 at the Doubletree Hotel in Westborough, where the featured speaker was Suzanne Bump, the Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development. The Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce issues the mini-grants annually.

Northborough

Nine of the mini-grants were awarded to Northborough schools.

Joseph Nystrom, a teacher at Algonquin Regional High School, received a grant that will be used to run the program "At Home Algebra."

Two mini-grants were awarded to teachers at the St. Bernadette School, one to Susan Hamilton for the program "School Newspaper - Connecting Our Students" and one to the teaching trio of Julie Shaw, Karen Samson and Lisa Reade, for the program "Planting for Our Community and Beyond."

Teachers at the Proctor Elementary School also received a pair of mini-grants. Laurie McCabe and Kelly Strout received one for "Versa Titles: Taking the Puzzle out of Math!" Joanne Giancola, Chris Hall and Judy Scally were granted one for the program "A Celebration of Cultures."

Two mini-grants will be put to use at Melican Middle School. Diane Porter will use one for a program "Lights! Camera! Green Screen!" The quartet of teachers Jennifer Mannion, Susan Dupre, Reina O'Connor and Rebecca Gagne received a mini-grant that will be used for "Keeping Poetry Alive!"

The program "A Healthy Me is the Way to Be" will be run using a mini-grant by Finn School teacher Alysun Stephens-Kenney and registered nurse Dale Burgess. "Encouraging a Sense of Wonder," is a program that will be jointly run at the Zeh and Finn schools and will be conducted by Diane Burris Dunham.

Shrewsbury

Four mini-grants will be used for programs at schools in Shrewsbury, including two at the Parker Road Preschool. The program "Grow With Me: A Social Skills Curriculum" will be administered by teachers Patricia Quinn and Maria Reardon, while Jenna Roxo, Anne Pullman and Arlena Boyle with present the program "Destination Station."

Annemarie Hurley at Calvin Coolidge Elementary will use a mini-grant to run the program "TPR for Trees," while Shrewsbury High teachers Claire Donovan and Dawn Vigliatura will oversee what is sure to be a popular program in this day and age "Beyond Google."

Westborough

Two mini-grants will be used in Westborough schools.

At the Mill Pond School, teacher Anne DiBona will run "Let's Look Under the Scope Together," while at Hastings Elementary teachers Eileen Harvey and Kerry White will sponsor the program "The Best of Bugs."

Southborough

At Neary Elementary School in Southborough, teachers Kristin Theve and Amy Brewis will administer the program "Listen to Literarure, Foster Fluency!"