Welcome to the first edition of the Hatboro-Horsham Educational Foundation’s monthly e-News,
designed to keep you up-to-date on the programming and educational support the foundation is providing to the Hatboro-Horsham School District and the community.

Did you know that the Hatboro-Horsham Educational Foundation (HHEF) has been enriching the lives of HHSD students for more than 20 years? 

HHEF is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization whose mission is to enrich the learning experience of the nearly 5,500 students in the Hatboro-Horsham School District. While the focus is on the students, the entire community has benefited from the nationally and internationally-known speakers, artists, scientists, musicians, authors and educational leaders we’ve brought to the district.

The goal of our programming is to to augment the HHSD curriculum and to inspire students as learners. “Learning how to learn is as important as what we teach our children” said Ed Thompson, president of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Research Services of Horsham and HHEF” visionary” partner. Mr. Thompson emphasized the importance of taking abstractions to applications when he spoke before the HHEF Breakfast Roundtable gathering in January. “We may not know where we will be in the years to come, but if we give our kids the ability to learn then they will be ready for anything,” he said.

PMRS is one of the many local businesses, corporations and community residents who support HHEF at many different levels.

We invite you to view our partnership support levels.

Next Time

• Read about a member of the HHEF family of volunteers and contributors as we profile them in future editions.
• Watch for the announcement of the 2009/2010 HHEF Community Events.

If you would like to receive this newsletter each month, please click here. We invite you to visit our Web site often for photos and stories about our ongoing programs in the Hatboro-Horsham School District.

Author Visits Elementary Book club!

HHEF  Innovative Learning Grant Brings Author to Blair Mill Elementary School’s Book Club

Tracy Chillemi, a Reading Specialist, and Kelly Kasitz, a 3rd grade teacher ,witness firsthand the children's’ delight in reading when every Monday morning, one hour before school begins, they lead Blair Mill’s Book Club.  Open to 3rd, 4th and 5th graders, the kids get to pick what they read—and they read a lot. The students wanted to know  how books come to be and, how authors write and produce their work and from that,  an idea was born and HHEF made it a reality.

On April 20, 2009,. Blair Mill Elementary School hosted retired-school-teacher-turned-author Susanne Markey Bensing and her young granddaughter Kate Bensing at a breakfast for students and parents. The senior Bensing wrote “That Would Be Great!” which, she says, tells  kids “…that it’s okay to erase and color outside the lines in life—and giggle!”  Kate and her cousin, Anya Bensing, co-illustrated the book as a result of Ms. Bensing’s desire to teach the girls collaboration and partnership while living at opposite ends of the United States. Ms. Bensing talked about how her writing evolved from the need to keep family memories alive. She was thoughtful as she explained to the children that as loved ones pass so, too, do their stories and that she wanted to make sure that doesn't happen with her.

Ms. Bensing’s visit was made possible through HHEF’s Innovative Learning Grant Program, which provides funding for projects and programs designed by teachers and staff to enhance the school district’s curriculum. 

The students joined in by reading their fantastical and funny ideas from Blair Mill’s own version of “That Would Be Great!”

“We are very happy to have HHEF to fund these types of special learning opportunities,” said Principal Nancy Dougherty,  who noted that without the guidance and enthusiasm of Ms. Kasitz and Ms. Chillemi the project would not have come about.  Just above the classroom’s blackboard is a sign reading “You never know what you can do until you TRY.”  Ms. Bensing’s work is a visible example of that idea. She pointed out that in her book “You’ll see some mistakes, eraser marks, but that’s wonderful!”  The message to the kids is that anything you do is great because it’s your own creation with your name on it and that makes it really special.  If more and more kids get excited about reading as a result of this and other programs that would be great too!  Each student received an autographed copy of “That Would Be Great!"

Second Life Island at HHSD

With an Innovative Learning Grant from the Hatboro-Horsham Educational Foundation, high school science teacher Chris Baker and a group of students are terra-forming “Hatters Island” in the middle of an ocean at SecondLife.com, an online 3-D virtual world. 
The grant, awarded in 2008 and funded for another year in 2009, allows the group to transform vision into reality by purchasing space and tools in a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) where students learn by using science-related 3D simulations. Hatters Island exemplifies how virtual reality is evolving rapidly as educators like Mr. Baker realize new ways of using what traditionally has been a venue purely for entertainment.
"We don't want kids to think of this as just another class," said Mr. Baker. “For instance, students can examine fossils at different altitudes on the island to gain hands-on experience in the processes of evolution. The goal is to develop higher level thinking in our students, the type of thinking that is necessary in a world which changes rapidly. Rather than just teaching simple facts by rote, using Hatters Island helps our students learn HOW to obtain knowledge. When a kid sees a fish fossil at high altitude for the first time, they make their own connections, create their own learning, in evaluating how this occurs.”

Chris Baker, who is pursuing a master’s degree at Drexel University, teaches science to 9th through 12th graders.   For more information about the other HHEF Innovative Learning Grants, please (click here).

2008/2009 Season in Review

A rewarding 2008/2009 HHEF season displayed what is possible when we work together to the enrich our children’s educational experience. HHEF provided a wide variety of programs shared by district students and educators – and members of the Hatboro-Horsham community. Among them were:

Mary Matalin and James Carville, “All’s Fair: Love, War and Politics” – This famous married couple, best-selling authors and political pundits who have worked for presidents for the past 25 years, brought the community a spirited evaluation of the current political landscape, reminding us that the expression and discussion of opposing viewpoints is essential to the democratic process in America.

Mawi Asgedon, author of “Of Beetles & Angels: A Boy’s Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard,” – Mawi’s compelling story as a survivor of the Sudanese refugee camp was part of a One Book, One School, One Community, event. He thrilled and challenged students as well as the community with his account of overcoming poverty and welfare, language barriers and personal tragedy. HHEF also purchased a copy of his book for every student at the high school to read over the summer before Mawi’s visit.

The Nutcracker – Tchaikovsky’s timeless holiday favorite was brought to life at Hatboro-Horsham High School by the Philadelphia Dance Theatre and was preceded by a special Ballerina Tea which gave young attendees an opportunity to meet their favorite characters.

Sweet Honey in the Rock – A full house greeted with
joyout cheers, this internationally acclaimed, Grammy
Award-winning a capella ensemble of African-American women. The group’s amazing vocal talents brought to life stories in song, as they shared their enthusiasm and love of life in all its complexities. The evening began with a debut by the high school’s Concert Choir of “The Gift,” a work written for them by New York City composer M. Roger Holland Jr. through an HHEF Innovative Learning Grant. Earlier in the day, music students, social studies and English classes attended an open rehearsal by Sweet Honey at which the group performed the “Ballad of Harry T. Moore,” the story of a slain civil rights worker and discussed the relevance
of the piece. And Holland discussed with choir members the process of creating the piece and how it should be performed.

Battle of the Bands – This HHEF fundraising event showcased the talent of six bands with students from Hatboro-Horsham High School who competed for time in a local recording studio!

James McLurkin, Robotics – Robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction and Mr. McLurkin spent time with the Robotics Club students at the elementary, middle school and high school levels, lending insights from his science and engineering work at MIT and the University of Washington, complete with a swarm robot demonstration which delighted students.

Dr. Jerry M. Linenger, Astronaut and Environmentalist – With a truly unique perspective, Dr. Linenger shared inspirational experiences at NASA and his five months living aboard the Russian Space Station MIR. As a prelude to Earth Day activities in the district, Linenger shared the message of the earth’s beauty and fragility with middle school, high school and community audiences, The event was preceded by an Eco-Fair which showcased the “recycled” art projects of our high school students and the environmental efforts of businesses in the community. It also culminated a two-week recycling project in the schools.

Elmwood Zoo On Wheels – In connection with Earth Day, this program was offered to the elementary school students. A lesson in animal conservation, students were shown how taking part in recycling efforts can help make a positive impact on the animals sharing the planet Earth.

J.J. Bittenbinder – Former homicide and crime-scene detective J.J. Bittenbinder, a leading expert on crime prevention and personal safety, brought his critically acclaimed “Street Smarts” presentations to students and the community through an HHEF Innovative Learning Grant. Bittenbinder, who now teaches safety strategies to school and community groups throughout the country, was invited to the Hatboro-Horsham School District as a proactive initiative to prevent crime.

HHEF purchased books and/or DVD’s that represent all of these programs and were donated to HHSD school libraries as well as the Hatboro and Horsham community libraries—please ask your librarian to borrow these materials.