The Holmdel Foundation for Educational Excellence (HFEE) is thrilled to announce its Annual Gift for the 2021-2022 school year. In a continuation of providing exceptional STEM resources to the district, the HFEE will be gifting two new science classrooms to Village Elementary School. The gift will transform the current spaces of Rooms 105 and 132 into modern, innovative and flexible workspaces, where children grades 1-3 can create projects and explore new concepts (Note: the PSA will fund a K-1 science room). Key features of the rooms will include an Epson Bright Link Projector that will provide interactive displays and screens for education that will aim to expand student perspectives in the classroom. The room will also include iPads to utilize the best science apps to complement the already top-notch curriculum. Microscopes, fixed pulleys and ant farms are just some of the other exciting resources that will be at the fingertips of our youngest students.

 “The Trustees and I are truly honored to take on this project in collaboration with Alicia Killean, Supervisor of Math and Science for the district, and Lisa Vitale, Principal (2^nd-3^rd Grade) for Village School,” said HFEE Co-Chair Michelle Sottile. “Our organization has a long history of providing gifts that we hope will have great impact on thousands of students and teachers in the years to come, and further elevate our leading district. Of course, none of this could be done without the incredibly generous support of our family and corporate donors.” “Following well thought out presentations from all of the district schools, it became clear that this would be an opportunity to further strengthen our STEM foundation from the ground up and prepare our students for the rigor of upper-elementary,” said Bryan Rukin, HFEE Co-Chair.

The HFEE, backed by the support of generous donors, will commit more than $140K for this project. The Trustees and school administrators are finalizing the equipment and design, and anticipate groundbreaking to commence during the 2022 summer break, with a firm goal of utilizing the rooms for the upcoming 2022-23 school year.

Current photos of one of the science rooms:

Proposed rendering:

A full rendering for the Science Room renovation is available in PDF format here.

To keep up with this exciting project and others, please follow us on Instagram and Facebook:

 &  @HolmdelHFEE

Dear Holmdel families:

While many may be familiar with HFEE’s largest gifts made to Holmdel district schools annually, did you know that we also offer approximately $20K annually in mini grant funding to help students and teachers make a real impact. We’ve seen creative and innovative ideas - from simple to complex - and that’s exactly what we are looking for in the applications.  Mini-grants may be awarded to individual applicants or groups of applicants, and may include projects such as improvement or expansion of existing programs or the creation of something new! Mini grants are awarded up to $2,500.

In 2021, student and teacher mini grants were awarded across all schools. Examples included:

• A mindfulness program, which included a serene space for children to practice mindfulness and rebalance (HHS)
• A 3D product and development scanner (HHS)
• A UV lightbox to observe DNA fragments (HHS)
• Aerodynamic tools (Satz)
• Robotics and stop motion video (IH)
• ARRIVE Time reading program for 3^rd grade classes (Village)
• Child-friendly, artist-based books for the art library (Village)

Now that is REAL impact!

If you know a student (or teacher) who is interested in applying for an HFEE mini grant, please fill out the application (note: there is a separate application for teachers). The deadline for submitting grant applications is February 25, 2022. To see other recent mini grant gifts the HFEE has provided, click here.

For more information, please go to https://www.hfee.org/grants (contact Rushmi Mathur for additional questions). Help us continue to make these powerful grants possible by donating to HFEE.org/give!

With gratitude,
The HFEE Trustees

www.hfee.org

Follow Us:  &  @HolmdelHFEE

We are living through the start of the fourth industrial revolution where the rise of new technologies is fundamentally disrupting industries, societies, and our lives. How we work, play, travel, monitor our health - they are all changing because of connected devices and products which blend the digital and physical worlds. Students need to develop the skills to design, engineer and create solutions for this modern world. The Satz Innovation Room is one way in which we can help prepare students to be participants and leaders in this revolution using the very latest equipment and teaching methods. The Satz Innovation Room has been transformed from an old traditional woodworking shop into a cutting-edge creative engineering and fabrication space including state-of-the-art equipment like laser cutters, 3D printers, robots, arduinos, green screen, vacuum formers and woodworking machines. Through a variety of classes like Automation and Robotics, Tech 7, and 8th Grade Engineering, our students are collaborating and using their critical thinking skills to make their inspiring solutions come to life!

This project was funded with monies raised from HFEE events and generous donations from local families and businesses.

The students that have been able attend in the classroom have been able to do their creative engineering work safely following COVID-19 guidelines. The vacuum former is wiped down with a disinfectant after every use, the SPIKE robotic kits are accessible only to an individual student, and the 3D printer designs have been designed by each student on their own device and produced by the teacher-operated printer.

HFEE’s 6th annual “Battle of the Faculties” delivers “thrills and bills” in Holmdel

Small Grants from the HFEE make a Big Impact in Holmdel School District(PDF)

The Holmdel Foundation for Educational Excellence (HFEE) has chosen to fund the construction of a brand new playground at Village School as their large project donation to the Holmdel School District.  The playground project was approved by the HFEE Board of Trustees in November.

Holmdel administrators identified the need for an additional playground at Village School given the capacity issues presented by the current playground facilities.  Expanding the recreational space at the school would eliminate the need to break up classes using the playgrounds.

Michelle Sottile and Bryan Rukin, co-chairpersons of the HFEE, were extremely pleased with the selection of this project.  "Play is extremely significant to the physical, social and emotional development of our youngest learners”, Sottile said.  “The authentic experiences that come through play are vital in these formative years.  We know that this new playground will be enjoyed by Village students for years to come.”  Rukin added, “We are proud to work with the district to support this great initiative.” 

Pictured above is one of the playground configuration options presented to the HFEE Trustees

The school formed a playground committee to develop a proposal to present to the HFEE Trustees.  Their work included speaking with current students to understand their interests as they relate to the types of equipment installed and interviewing providers specializing in playground construction. 

Dr. Dineen Seeley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Holmdel Schools, who led the committee noted, “The Playground Committee researched and selected pieces that afford play opportunities for individuals as well as small and large groups of children with varied interests and abilities”.

General Recreation Inc. (GRI), a provider with over 40 years of experience located in Newtown Square, PA, was selected to provide the equipment and perform the installation of the playground as a part of the proposal prepared.

The committee and GRI determined that the ideal location for the playground would be behind the school in close proximity to the building providing an extremely safe venue given the distance to roads in all directions.  This location would also make the playground accessible to children while the baseball and softball fields are in use.

Multiple configurations were presented to the HFEE trustees which included different types of equipment and multiple surface options.  Equipment that was accessible to those with disabilities was also a consideration that was included in the proposal.

Members of the HFEE found value in selecting a project that would give students a safe place to be active outside.  Similar to the Cardiovascular Fitness & Wellness Center donated earlier in the year, this project is one that promotes an active and healthy lifestyle for elementary students.

“The completion of the project will complement the opening of our district's new full-day kindergarten program in the fall”, Dr. Seeley added.  “We deeply appreciate the generosity of the Holmdel community and the HFEE for their support of a new playground for our youngest students.”       

The HFEE and the school administrators expect to finalize the equipment and surface selections over the next couple of months.  Thanks to the generous donations from the community, the HFEE is able to commit to over $100,000 for this project.  Ground will be broken in the spring of 2019 with the completion of the project occurring later in the summer.

Given the benefits this playground will provide to the entire community and the size of the investment, residents of Holmdel are encouraged to make donations to the HFEE in order to support this project.  Please visit hfee.org/give to give today!

The Holmdel Foundation for Educational Excellence (HFEE) unveiled two of their most recent gifts, the 4th and 5th Grade Science Innovation Labs at Indian Hill School, last Tuesday evening.  HFEE trustees and Holmdel families who generously sponsored the labs at last year’s Gala were treated to a tour provided by faculty members as they showed off these new facilities with pride and excitement.

The rooms were completely renovated with new flooring, freshly painted walls and built in cabinetry.  New furniture was provided which included group tables and “wobbly” chairs.  Paintings with vibrant colors now decorate the walls.  Finally, Google Jamboards were also provided giving the students access to some of the latest technology available to further add to their experience.

Diane Newton, a 5th grade teacher at Indian Hill, captured the sentiments of everyone with her enthusiasm.  Diane explained, “The new science lab is beautiful. It provides a spacious and safe space with all the amenities needed to conduct experiments. The group tables are large enough to seat five comfortably, the “oodle” seats are a favorite of the students, and the safety glasses are easily sanitized, which is important. The students love going to the lab. Science is hands-on and the new science lab makes it possible in a safe and fun environment. We can’t wait to use the Jamboard!”
The labs have easily become the favorite classroom of many of the students.  The popularity of the rooms is driven by the unique setting that they provide.  There is nothing else like them at Indian Hill which instills as sense of excitement in the students as they learn and study science.    Building volcanoes, raising crayfish and constructing a roller coaster are just some of the educational projects that will take place in these new facilities.

Dr. Dineen Seeley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Holmdel Schools, attended the event and was greatly appreciative for the HFEE’s contribution. She stated that the Science Innovation Labs are flexible spaces that provide an opportunity for our 4th and 5th grade scientists to collaboratively engage in discovering and exploring science phenomena.

The students aren’t the only beneficiaries that are excited as members of the faculty are also looking forward to instructing their classes in these new settings, including Jenna Atkinson, a 4^th grade teacher at Indian Hill. 

“We are absolutely thrilled to use the gorgeous, new STEM labs generously funded by the HFEE here at Indian Hill School.  My students are loving the modern, design-inspired flexible seating and I can’t wait to use the Google Jam Board for interactive, collaborative learning experiences.  It is truly a remarkable space”, Atkinson, a 4^th grade teacher, remarked.

(Members from the sponsoring families are pictured above from left to right:  the Rice family, the Rabkin family, the Rukin family, the Sottile family, the Burden family, and the Hanhan family.  Sponsoring families not pictured include the Benyon family, the Savarese family, and the Striano family.)

This is just one of the many initiatives the HFEE has funded to improve the experience of students at Holmdel Public Schools. These projects are fully-funded through donations from the community and without this financial support, these initiatives simply do not happen. Every donation counts and contributes to the next exciting project.

If you would like to support the next project sponsored by the HFEE, please donate today!

hfee.org/give