Mini-Grants
PTA Mini-Grants are open to any teaching staff member, social worker and psychologist at all of the TUFSD schools.
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Every year, the PTA sets aside funds to fill grants for items or experiecnces to help our children. Some recent grants we have funded include: iPads, PE equipment, books, assemblies, subscriptions to educational sites for teachers, sensory paths, flexible seating, animal adoptions, speech materials and more!
Mini-Grants Recipients
2024-2025
John Paulding
Play Kitchens
(Arielle Schneeweiss, Jessica Briante, Angela Esposito)
New kitchen play sets for three Kindergarten / Pre-Kindergarten classrooms, replacing aged and damaged sets. The kitchens will promote purposeful and imaginary play, social skills development and fine motor skills for years of current and future students.
Amount granted: $2,100
Electric Keyboard
(Jeffrey Mizen)
A replacement for the John Paulding school keyboard, which had stopped working.
Amount granted: $490
Bluetooth Speaker with Mic
(Ryan O’Rourke)
A new sound system for JP to be utilized during PE classes, assemblies, and musical performances.
Amount granted: $600
W. L. Morse
Recess Equipment
(Ray Farell)
New recess equipment for all students to use at Morse School to replace damaged supplies and broaden the selection of equipment available to students to drive engagement and activity during recess time.
Amount granted: $1,224
Multicultural Illustrator Visit
(Benita Afonso)
A full-day visit from a local multicultural illustrator to visit second grade students at Morse school.
Amount granted: $1,000
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Class sets of Keyboard Headphones
(Jeffrey Mizen)
Two classroom sets of 25 Califone 2924AVPS Deluxe Stereo Headphones, rigorous headphones that can withstand the rigorous travel between classrooms throughout the school day for use specifically with the keyboard music program.
Amount granted: $1,000
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Washington Irving
Clay Pots
(Amanda Falcone)
Coil pot and sculpture clay kits for all Washington Irving students, improving fine motor skills, sensory development, creativity, and problem solving skills.
Amount granted: $319
Just Ask Garden
(Maria Murolo, Maria Leon-Luciano)
Building a garden space just outside a school entrance which can be utilized by WI speech therapists to stimulate discussions based on curiosity.
Amount granted: $592
Farm to School and Sustainability
(Robin Suarez, Cathleen Caroleo)
Students will learn about where food is sourced from and how it is processed before it reaches their lunch tray.
Amount granted: $1,000
STEM Supplies for Special Education Classes
(Meghan Hak)
Materials include marble runs and Lego education tubes that enable students with varying abilities the ability to build iterative STEM skills to create and problem-solve moving systems.
Amount granted: $1,172
5 Days of Creativity
(Michelle DeVivo)
Enables five days of activities and projects that focuses on gratitude, play, art and engineering, and provides hands-on experiences and student collaboration.
Amount granted: $2,400
Middle School
AI Robot Expansion
(Mike Garguilo)
The addition of two UGOT robots to the robotics program for grade 7 students.
Amount granted: $3,600
Life Skills Vacuum
(Kelly Whelan)
Purchase of a new stick vacuum for the Middle School Experiential Life Skill students to replace an aged and broken vacuum. The vacuum is used by the students on a daily basis as a focus on building every-day skills.
Amount granted: $200
8th Grade Graduation Dance
(Kim Proctor)
Incremental budget towards a Graduation Celebratory Dance for SHMS 8th Grade graduates, including a DJ, lighting and other supplies.
Amount granted: $200
Peabody Leaf Pack Ecology Kits
(Deborah McCarl)
Re-usable testing kits for use in the Peabody Preserve to study the macro invertebrate analysis of Fremont Pond.
Amount granted: $366
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eSportsmen Nintendo Switches
(Mike Garguilo)
The purchase of six additional Switches and game software to enable growth in the eSportsmen after-school team from 10 to 20 students.
Amount granted: $2,160​
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Peabody Leaf Pack Ecology Kits
(Deborah McCarl)
Re-usable testing kits for use in the Peabody Preserve to study the macro invertebrate analysis of Fremont Pond.
Amount granted: $366
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Desk Dividers and Computer Mice
(Katelynn DeGregorio)
Desk dividers help students to stay focused and avoid visual distractions during independent work and testing times. The set of classroom computer mice assist students with weaker dexterity improve their productivity when using Chromebooks in class.
Amount granted: $97.64
Special Education Incentive Lunch/Trip
(Chris Starace)
A reward given to SHHS Special Education students who show great effort during the school year to have lunch and play in the arcade at Dave & Busters.
Amount granted: $ 500
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Fiesta in the Hollow
(Carlos Matute)
A new social event for SHHS students following midterm exams, featuring Latin dance instruction and a live DJ.
Amount granted: $950
High School
Electrical Circuits Physics Kits
(Leila Madani)
Kits for students to create parallel and series circuits with easy-to-use and hands-on demonstrations of taught concepts.
Amount granted: $1,322
Food Pantry Family Carts
(Jacki Geoghegan)
Ten food carts to enable families without transportation easier food pantry pickup.
Amount granted: $500
Acoustic Sound Panels featuring Student Art
(Austin Day, Jane Lawrence)
New sound panels for the auditorium to feature students custom artwork.
Amount granted: $400
Zen Den Supplies
(April Best & Delores Farmer)
Furnishings and activities for the new, larger, zen den space including area rugs, lighting, and manipulatives.
Amount granted: $300 ​
Vernier GoDirect Sensor Carts
(Kevin Doherty)
Devices that allow students to collect kinematics (motion) and dynamics (forces) data in multiple and flexible settings given wireless sensor connections.
Amount granted: $1,218
Family Science Night
(Jason Choi)
Incremental budget towards an evening event for Elementary students and their families to experience hands-on Science experiments and demonstrations led by SHHS Science
Students.
Amount granted: $200