ABC/25 Foundation

Westgate Elementary School Grant Winners for the 2025-2026 School Year

1. Jen Carney, Trish Richards, Brett Hackmann, Abby Horn, Katherine Redmon, and Taylor Quirke for Movement Matters! Wiggle Wobble Chair Feet (3) 3 class sets of the wiggle wobble chair feet. Wiggle Wobble Chair Feet help students stay focused, calm, and engaged.


2. Lisa Welch and Jamie Spotts for Building Emotional Intelligence with Diane Alber’s Spot Series (K-5) This grant will fund the purchase of Diane Alber’s Spot books and materials to support social-emotional learning.


3. Lauren Cory for Phonics in Motion (Grade 1) hands-on phonics tools and games that turn reading practice into playful, engaging learning.


4. Lauren Cory for From Stress to Success: Social-Emotional Learning in Action (Grade 1) sensory tools, conversation starters, calm down corner supplies, feelings and emotions books, and motivational stickers to help children recognize, understand, and manage their emotions.


5. Claire Hasemeyer for Bridging the Gap (K-5) Heggerty’s Phonemic Awareness book, Bridge the Gap 2025 edition. Phonemic awareness is the foundation for reading and Bridge the Gap is filled with short and impactful lessons that focus only on sounds.
   This grant went to all 7 elementary schools!


6. Kelly Sedey, Hannah Blanchard, Becca Carlson, Ellen Harrigian, Patti Malinowski, Jordan Jackson, Queenie Rivera, Nicole Brown, Claire Hasemeyer, Katie Warner, Julie McCune, Julia Schacht, Regina Kross, Colleen Crandall, Bridget Venticinque, Sue Gogliotti, Lesley Daniel, Monique Weber, Julie Salski, Whitney Rodriguez, Deirdre O’Brien, Nicole Boyle, Mark Guerrero, Irene Belesiotis, Daniela Colosimo, Colleen Foster for Multi-Sensory Tools in Literacy Instruction (K-5) a collection of multi-sensory literacy materials, including sand trays, counters, mirrors, pop-its, and textured writing surfaces to be distributed to literacy interventionists and resource teachers across the district at the elementary level to support explicit, structured literacy instruction consistent with the Science of Reading.
   This grant went to all 7 elementary schools!


7. Heather Coyle, Amy Arce, Jackie Aprati, Nicole Boyle, Courtney Clawson, Courtney Fleaka, Steve Swanson for Navigating Numeracy Skills (K) high-interest and collaborative math centers that allow kindergarten students to develop their mastery of critical numeracy concepts.
   This grant went to Dryden, Greenbrier, Ivy Hill, Patton, Westgate, and Windsor!


8. Vicky Stella, Shannon Watanuki, Laurie Wasik, Julia Pike, Amanda Range, Sara Born for Gamified Enrichment: Strengthening Critical Thinking in Math and Literacy (K-5) several critical thinking games and activities that can be used in a small group enrichment settings. These games include: Adsumudi, Brainy Knots, 24 Game, SET, Kanoodle, Tangrams, and Dominoes.
   This grant went to Dryden, Ivy Hill, Olive-Mary Stitt, Patton, Westgate, and Windsor!