Many teachers have great ideas on how to make their classrooms a better place for their students to learn math.  The teachers’ ideas frequently outrun the budget schools have for supplies and their own ability to subsidize their classroom. The Somerville Mathematics Fund tries to fill this need through the generosity of their donors.

Jay and Jasper and the Apple Tree Fund each sponsored multiple grants. Lali and Jay Haines, William Kuhlman, Tufts University, Winter Hill Bank and Rebecca Wood-Spagnoli each sponsored a teacher’s grant.  The rest of the grants were funded thanks to the combined generosity of everyone who contributed to the Math Fund’s annual fundraiser. The following teachers won grants to encourage and support mathematics achievement in the classrooms of Somerville.

These Teacher Grants were funded by the many generous donors who together contributed enough in our annual  fundraiser to support all of them. There is power in donations of many sizes coming together to support the larger whole.

• Reid Cargan, East Somerville Community School (3rd SEI), Math Dictionaries,
• Katherine Ceron, Healey School (1st, SEI), Math Manipulatives
• Johanna Cooney, Brown School (1st), MakerSpace Bins
• Stephanie Rizzo, Argenziano School (4th), Math Manipulatives
• Angela Rodriguez, Argenziano School (3rd SEI), Math Materials
• Meredith Rothstein, Winter Hill Community Innovation School (4th – 6th, Autism Teacher), Manipulatives to develop Basic Skills
• Kelsey Schroder, Healey School (2nd), Math Storybooks and Materials
• Helen Schroeder, East Somerville Community School (K, SEI), Wooden Blocks & Math Materials
• Katie Starbuck, Healey School & East Somerville Community School (Math Coach), Math Materials for Professional Development and Classrooms
• Lauren Woldemariam, Healey School (1st), Math Manipulatives

The Math Fund wants to thank Jay and Jasper for generously underwriting the following teacher grants:

• Kelly Dickson, Winter Hill Community Innovation School (6th – 8th Autism Special Education), ChooseItMaker & TouchMath
• Susanne Douglas, Healey School (1st), Math Manipulatives
• Diana Garity, Argenziano School (2nd SEI Newcomers), iknowit.com and Montessori Materials
• Talia Greenberg, Winter Hill Community Innovation School (5th & 6th SEI Math teacher), Volume and Fractions Manipulatives
• April Luna, Winter Hill Community Innovation School (6th, Math & Science), Calculators & Base 10 Materials
• Andrea Palmer, Winter Hill Community Innovation School (K-8, Math Coach), Math Materials

The Math Fund wants to thank the Apple Tree Fund for generously underwriting the following teacher grants:

• Sally Brith, Next Wave/Full Circle Math Team (teacher, counselor), Project Based Learning
• Lori Brown, Healey School (1st & 2nd, Special Ed), Math Materials
• Matthew Burch, Argenziano School, (Math Instructional Coach), Math Manipulatives and Games (k-2, 3-4)

The Math Fund wants to thank each of the following for generously underwriting a teacher grant:

Lali and Jay Haines:

• Lauren McGlashing and Julie Jones, Capuano Early Childhood Center (K), Movement and Math in the classroom and at family event

William Kuhlman:

• Aileene Martinez, East Somerville Community School (for the 1st grade team), Math Morning/Afternoon Event

Tufts University:

• Emma Mrozicki, East Somerville Community School (4th Unidos), Math Manipulatives

The Winter Hill Bank:

• Caroline Martha Burkard, East Somerville Community School (6th Math teacher), Microphone & Math Games

Rebecca Wood-Spagnoli:

• Jason Behrens (District Innovation Specialist) and Karen Leary (Geometry Teacher & Calculus Project School Year Coordinator) & Students (Nathalya Castillo Salmeron, Edrick Pacheo, Diana Posada) Calculus Student Run Math Fun Night for 3rd – 5th Students

The Somerville Mathematics Fund was chartered in 2000 to celebrate and encourage achievement in mathematics in the city of Somerville, Massachusetts. Over twenty years, the Somerville Math Fund has awarded $131,215 in teacher grants supporting three hundred thirty-five teachers’ projects in the city of Somerville along with emergency grants to East Somerville teachers after the devastating school fire.

In early April, the fund will be seeking applications from students who reside in Somerville for college mathematics scholarships. Over twenty years, the Somerville Math Fund has awarded a total of $397,000 in four-year mathematics scholarships to ninety-one students.  Links to the scholarship application form is available at  www.somervillemathematicsfund.org. For more information, to volunteer or to make a tax-deductible contribution, please contact Erica Voolich (617-666-0666 or mathfund@gmail.com).