Programs Sponsored By the Dobbs Ferry Schools Foundation

Technology   
Since its inception, the Foundation has been a strong proponent of technology in education. Last year we helped sponsor the new Media Literacy Program (and better use of the TV studio).  we are pleased to support the District’s five-year Technology Initiative which will bring teachers critical resources to enhance the learning experience of Dobbs Ferry students

Teacher Incentive Grants 
Each year, the Foundation makes available to teachers a source of funds to help bring innovative teaching ideas to life. Teacher Incentive Grants have brought excellent resources to our students, from live performances by renowned artists to cutting –edge scientific tools typically not found in Public schools.

Scholarships
During each school year, the Foundation usually awards between $8,000 and $11,000 dollars to academic scholarships. The vast majority of scholarship funding goes toward academic achievement, with the remainder going toward a Personal Achievement Award for outstanding contribution to school and community life.  A portion of this money goes toward funding school trips for students that cannot afford it and would be left behind.

Past Programs Funded and Supported by the DFSF

• International Baccalaureate in the High School ... The Dobbs Ferry Schools Foundation committed $35,000 toward the prestigious International Baccalaureate (I.B.) program in the High School. The bulk of this amount  supported the faculty's training.,

• 21st Century Research for the High School... With this innovative program, the High School propelled the traditional research paper into the 21st century by teaching students how to use computers, interactive laser discs, CD-ROM's, software, modems, the Internet and audio-video technology. Students use these resources to search data bases and electronic encyclopedias, to produce multimedia presentations, and to communicate with students from around the world, as a way of researching topics and reporting them to their teachers and peers.

• Marsville: The Cosmic Village for the Middle School... The Middle School engaged its students in a creative project entitled "Marsville: The Cosmic Village." Students used innovative problem-solving techniques to plan and construct their own simulated human habitat to sustain life on Mars.

• Hudson River Enrichment Program for Springhurst Elementary School... Springhurst Elementary School received a grant to provide a Hudson River Enrichment Program, with various artists-in-residence and class excursions dealing with the River's influence on artists, storytellers, historians, and the growth of the nation.

• Concert grand piano donated... A new concert grand piano was donated to the school district, and is used for musical instruction and performances in the Middle & High School auditorium.

• Elementary Publishing Room (funds donated)

• Middle School Music Program (Yamaha omputer-assisted teaching stations)

• Rivertown Family Concert Series (partially funded by Grant)... With support from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Foundation launched the Rivertown Family Concert Series in 1997. This precedent-setting initiative was part of the Foundation's effort to extend the educational and cultural resources available to the larger "community of learners" that comprises the region. The 1997 Rivertown Family Concerts have featured the following performance groups: Lew Anderson Big Band, French National School of Music and Dance, Gregg Wall Klezmerfest, Mark Morganelli and the Jazz All-stars and Los Pleneros de la 21.

• Chess Program at Springhurst ... Springhurst was awarded a $5,200 grant to integrate its Chess Program into the regular school curriculum. For the past two years, Chess has been taught on an enrichment basis. But the program became so popular, and provided such important academic benefits, that it is being added to as a regular classroom activity.

• Science Expo for Middle School ... The middle school was awarded a $800 grant for a Science Expo that will involve seventh and eight grade students. Under the direction of science teachers Kate Mandry and Phil Jones, students will develop research projects independently with the emphasis on developing a sound research question, setting up a valid experimental method, and drawing logical conclusions. Grant money from the Foundation, which is supplemented by School District funds, will pay for teacher time after school and on Saturdays, as well as exhibition materials.

• Portfolio Exhibition Project at Middle School ... A grant of $1,800 funds a challenging new program for Dobbs Ferry eight graders, the portfolio Exhibition Project, or PEP. As part of their graduation requirements, eighth graders must produce individual portfolios of materials that reflect their accomplishments as middle school students. Items include pieces of work from every subject area and may include writing samples, research projects, music tapes, descriptions of community service activities and letters of recommendation from employers, community representatives, or teachers. The project is designed to teach students to self assess, as well as to prepare them for the more challenging academic atmosphere of high school and eventually college.

• Audio Recording Studio ... The Middle School was awarded $3,500 to establish an audio recording studio where students will create vocal and instrumental music using electronic keyboards, record their compositions, and learn the technical aspects of audio recording and sound engineering, in much the same way as the district's television studio operates.

• High School Writing Center ... The Dobbs Ferry High School was awarded a grant of $13,706 to establish an innovative Writing Center equipped with 30 laptop word processors. The purpose of the Writing Center is to provide a comfortable place for student writers to collaborate with teachers and trained peer facilitators. Ten students will attend an overnight training conference to learn how to facilitate the writing process as peer tutors. The portable laptops will also be made available to other classrooms throughout the high school for take-home use by students.

• Foreign Language Grant ... Both the Middle School and High School will benefit from a $900 grant awarded to the foreign language departments. Funds will be used to purchase a Telex Audiocassette Copier, so that students can extend their foreign language learning beyond the school day, in a manner different from the typical homework assignment involving reading and writing. Students will take home pre-recorded cassettes to listen to, with the capability of responding in the target language in both written and spoken formats. Taped assignments will include short stories, poems, songs and conversations. The objective, says the schools' teachers, is to have students speak foreign languages more comfortably and sharpen their listening skills.

• Odyssey to the Orient ... With this program third grade students at Springhurst Elementary School will compare and contrast their typical day with that of a day in the life of a Japanese student, both at home and at school. Students will learn about geography, culture, politics, history and economics.

• Children's Theater Ensemble ... This initiative for Springhurst, combines students with - and without - disabilities, in the making of a stage production in which they learn about one another while building a sense of community. All students will work together to make sets, props, costumes, and record their characters' voices.

• Computer-based Mathematics Lab ... In the Middle School, the Foundation's grant award with assistance from IBM, is for more than $8,000 in funds and equipment to provide a computer-based Mathematics lab. This will enable students to learn at their own individual pace. Advanced students can use the computers to move further along in a given mathematics unit, conversely, the lab can also provide additional learning opportunities for students needing more time or assistance with challenging subject matter.