Williamsville Education Foundation
Grant will fund studying of guitar
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Sara Abrahamian, a music teacher at Transit Middle School, instructs Joey Coppola, seventh grade, on the guitar, as Emily Faltisco, seventh grade, observes on Dec. 14 at the school. Abrahamian recently learned she is being awarded a grant from the Williamsville Education Foundation for additional guitars for her classes. Photo by John Rusac

For the first time in Williamsville School District history a unit will be dedicated to studying the guitar — thanks to a grant from the Williamsville Education Foundation.

“I am very thankful to the Williamsville Education Foundation. This is just wonderful,” said Sara Abrahamian, a music teacher at Transit Middle School. Also assisting in applying for the grant was fellow music teacher Catherine Sutherland.

Abrahamian’s application for a mini-grant from the foundation was accepted and will be used to purchase 12 guitars at a cost of $480. The grant was one of six awarded this year.

She said the guitars will be available for the entire district.

“Guitars are a popular social instrument. This is a nice way to get everyone interested in class,” she said, adding that it can be a struggle to get seventh-grade boys interested in music class.

There is already excitement about the unit, and the guitars haven’t been purchased yet. In the past, Abrahamian has invited students to bring in their guitars from home to play in class.

“Rather than just sitting and learning the history, they will learn through playing the pieces,” she said about composers.

In her grant application, Abrahamian wrote, “Learning to play the guitar is an excellent way to teach students music notation, give performing opportunities to those who would not normally have a chance to perform, and give the students a skill that they can take with them beyond the school walls.”

Abrahamian said the first unit will begin in January, as soon as the guitars arrive, and will be initially

used for fifth- and seventh grade general music classes.

“Performing on instruments, reading and writing music, and listening to performances of music are all integral components of the Williamsville standards for music,” Abrahamian wrote in her application. “The use of the guitar in the music classroom will be a hands-on, real world way to teach these important concepts and skills.”

Nearly $2,500 in grants were awarded to support six projects at five different Williamsville schools. Foundation President Trey Measer said the money will be used to fund worthwhile items or programs that enhance the learning environment for Williamsville students but may not be attainable otherwise due to budget constraints.

“The school’s budget can’t buy everything for everybody,” Measer said. “This is where the founda- tion comes in, to buy extra tools to help educate our kids and support the efforts of teachers.”

This is the sixth year the foundation has awarded mini-grants, which are items or activities that cost about $500.

This year, the foundation received 25 grant requests from teachers representing nine different Williamsville schools. Recipients of the 2006-07 Williamsville Education Foundation mini grants are:

• East High School — Cameron Townsend, health teacher, $221.76 to purchase two electronic blood pressure monitors.

 Heim Elementary School — Elizabeth Fidel, kindergarten team leader, $237.22 to purchase awards in support of the kindergarten “Kids for Character” program.

 Heim Middle School — Michael Russo, computer teacher, $697.90 to purchase a two-channel wireless microphone system.

 Maple East/Heim Elementary English language Arts — Jennifer DeWind, K-4 ESL teacher, $357 to purchase two sets of Rookie Read-About Multicultural Holidays books.

 Maple East Elementary — Renèe Tabone, second-grade teacher/ technology facilitator, four digital cameras, valued at $545.79, donated by the Eastman Kodak Company to support the formation of a digital photography club.

Since the program began in 2001, the foundation has provided 19 mini-grants totaling nearly $8,000. For more information about the Williamsville Education Foundation, Inc., contact Measer at 204-4900 or visit www. wedf. org.

e-mail: jfinch@beenews.com