Ledyard Endowment Organization Pledges To Modernize School Libraries

Bill Patsiga (LHS class of ‘75) stood in front of an audience of approximately 100 people Thursday and recalled days of his youth among Ledyard legends like wrestling coach Rod Leyland, who taught him how to stay on the right side of the fence; like Assistant Principal Bob Donovan who lent him his car to go on the first date with the woman he later married; and, retiring high school principal Lou Gabordi, his best friend’s older brother, who raced him to wrestling matches when he was late and invited him to play baseball just so he wouldn’t feel left out.

Patsiga’s close ties to Ledyard High School make him a Colonel but his Niantic-based telecommunications business made him the perfect guest speaker at the Ledyard Education Advancement Foundation’s annual awards dinner when they announced a $100,000 capitol grant to purchase portable iPad labs for all Ledyard schools within the next three to four years.

“This ties in with the common core state standards,” said Grants Chairman Randy Craig. “I think this leap will help them adapt to that quickly.”

The Board of Education will be outfitting each school with research software that will allow teachers to direct and guide students doing research projects and the iPads will be used directly with that software, among other apps available.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Graner said that iPads and the hundreds of thousands of apps already available have elicited “childlike enthusiasm” from teachers.

The iPad labs are portable carts that transport and power 25-30 iPads, which will be shared among teachers in one school. Each cart costs approximately $14,000 each, according to Craig.

Craig said the first lab has already been purchased for the middle school and that the staff is in the process of cataloging and installing all the equipment and software. He said the high school will likely get a lab before the next school year and the elementary schools will get theirs later.

The labs will work in conjunction with library software and “will allow our students to learn how to properly conduct research, collaborate on research projects, and develop necessary skills to be successful in college and better understand the power (and limitations) of technology,” said Craig in an email. “Additionally it will allow the teaching professionals and administrators to more easily share lessons, conduct staff training, and collaborate from their school without travel across town.”

“When we prove it works and we have the funding we’ll buy some more and maybe that will become the standard for every classroom,” said Craig.

LEAF Grants

LEAF awarded four mini grants to teachers this year; each of which were seeking money for technological upgrades or purchases.

Alex Rode, of Ledyard Center School, was awarded a mini-grant for the purchase of more Kindles for his classroom. The Kindles are fun for students but more importantly, the electronic reader encourages literacy by allowing students to read books they might otherwise be embarrassed to read publically, like if they are reading below grade level, for instance.

Holly David, of the Juliet W. Long School, was awarded money to bring install a plasma TV into her art class.

Judith Zagaski, of Ledyard Center School, was awarded a grant to buy Kindles for her classroom.

Dawn Yonush, Mary Beth Blacker, Anne Sicard, and Robin Lipman, of the Gallup Hill School, were awarded a grant to buy iPads for early childhood learning.

Tiffany MacCall, Todd Forster, Constance Syzmonik, Barbara Pantalone and Lisa Tedder, of Juliet W. Long School, were awarded money to buy new promethean boards and replacement bulbs for existing board in that school.

The $100,000 capitol grant awarded this year is the first multi-year strategic grant issued by the organization, according to Craig. He said that iPads are the “next step up” from portable reading devices like a Kindle and teachers are just starting to scratch the surface of what they can do with it.

LEAF is an endowment organization raising funds for Ledyard teachers and educators “seeking to conduct innovative activities in the classroom that advance curricular objectives,” according to it’s website. This is its ninth year and so far, the organization has distributed more than $270,000.