Chatham Education Foundation

SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CHATHAMS THROUGH PARENT AND COMMUNITY DONATIONS.

THIS GRANT EXPANDS THE "THINKING CLASSROOM" WITHIN THE CHS MATHEMATICS WING TO FOUR ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS. THE INITIAL PHASE OF CEF'S "THINKING CLASSROOM" GRANT IN 2018 DEMONSTRATED THE VALIDITY OF THE CURRENT RESEARCH THAT SUPPORTS STUDENTS WORKING ON WHITEBOARD SURFACES IN THE MATHEMATICS CLASSROOM, RESULTING IN OBSERVED INCREASES IN STUDENT PRODUCTIVITY, CRITICAL THINKING, AND WELLNESS. THESE DESIGN CHANGES INCLUDE VERTICAL NON-PERMANENT WRITING SURFACES ON FLEXIBLE SEATING/STANDING TABLES, AND THE DE-FRONTING OF THE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM SETTING.

BUILDING OFF THE SUCCESS OF THE THINKING CLASSROOM, THIS GRANT ALLOWS FOR THE REDESIGN OF CHATHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH CLASSROOMS TO COINCIDE WITH A CURRICULUM SEQUENCE CHANGE IN WHICH 8TH GRADE CHATHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS NOW TAKE GEOMETRY PRIOR TO ALGEBRA 1. THIS SEQUENCE CHANGE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO REIMAGINE WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GEOMETRY, AND THIS GRANT PROVIDES THE TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIALS TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO DEMONSTRATE THIS NEW KNOWLEDGE. ALL THREE 8TH GRADE MATH CLASSROOMS WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO THINKING CLASSROOMS, AND THE GRANT PROVIDES WHITEBOARD VERTICAL SPACES AND WHITEBOARD DESKS AND TABLES OF DIFFERENT AND ADJUSTABLE HEIGHTS FOR STUDENTS TO COMPLETE PROBLEMS. SOME OF THE WHITEBOARDS CAN EVEN BE BROUGHT INTO THE MATH HALLWAY, EXTENDING THE CLASSROOM REACH SO THAT ALL STUDENTS CAN WORK ON MATH WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

THIS GRANT TRANSFORMS TWO SCIENCE CLASSROOMS AT CHS, SIMILAR TO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE BY CEF FOR NINE MATH CLASSROOMS AT CHS AND CMS. THESE CLASSROOMS WILL HAVE DIFFERENT FURNITURE THAN A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM, INCLUDING WHITEBOARD TABLES, AND IT CREATES A MORE COLLABORATIVE SPACE TO FURTHER INVESTIGATIVE LEARNING.