Toronto teachers receive grants for special projects, lessons

GRANTS AWARDED — On Thursday, the Toronto board of Education awarded three $700 grants to three teachers for special projects and lessons. With Board President Andy Reeves are grant recipients Jill Fisher, center; and Jennifer Dickinson, both teachers at Toronto Elementary School. Lynne Donohue, a teacher at Toronto Junior-Senior High School, also has been awarded a grant to revive the school’s newspaper in both print and digital formats. — Warren Scott

TORONTO — Efforts to engage special needs students in exercise, bolster fifth graders’ language arts skills and revive the Toronto High School newspaper in both print and digital formats have received a booster from the Toronto Board of Education.

On Thursday, the board awarded three $700 grants to Lynne Donohue, an English teacher at the high school; Jennifer Dickinson, a physical education instructor at the elementary school; and Jill Fisher, a reading instructor at the elementary school.

Superintendent Maureen Taggart said the grants were inspired by the Jefferson County Educational Service Center, which recently presented $2,100 in grants to teachers in Toronto schools.

Those awards were part of the center’s Best Practices grant program, through which it provides funds to each of several school districts it serves to support special lessons and activities involving science, technology, engineering and math.

Donohue will use her grant to involve about 80 high school students in producing print and digital versions of a school newspaper.

She said through the effort, the students will learn many skills, including conducting research, keyboarding, writing, editing, proofreading and photography.

Dickinson, who also has a certification in special education, said she will use her grant to purchase sports and other equipment designed to allow students with special needs to engage in a variety of sports and activities, including tunnels and tents that simulate various sensory experiences.

She said the equipment will include larger baseball gloves and balls with special textures to help the students improve hand-eye coordination and whole-hand manipulation while throwing or catching.

Noting students may learn best through one of a variety of learning styles, ranging from visual stimuli to hands-on experiences, Fisher said her grant will be used to purchase learning aides aimed at drawing on those traits to reinforce the reading skills of fifth graders.

Also on Thursday, the board heard from Steve Rebich, who said last year he filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights alleging the high school’s softball team had been discriminated against.

Rebich said the high school’s baseball and football fields had been retrofitted with artificial turf while the grassy softball field had suffered from recurring drainage issues.

He and others approached the board for a turf softball field in April 2023 and were told the project had been discussed and could be included among projects funded by the school district’s five-year levy, pending its renewal in 2025.

The board has since agreed to invest $1.2 million in artificial turf at the softball field and a multipurpose field above the high school’s parking lot and both are expected to be completed by spring.

Rebich said he believes his request received a cold response from the board and that turf for the softball field should not wait until 2026, when the board would receive revenue from the levy.

He said a representative of the federal office asked if he wished to rescind his complaint.

Rebich told the board he planned to do so but wished to advise them federal policy protects himself and his grandchildren, who attend Toronto schools, from retaliation for filing the complaint.

“Not saying the district would, but I trust nobody,” said Rebich.

Board member Randy Henry asked, “Why would you think someone would retaliate? That’s stupid.”

Board member Jay Foster said, “No student should be intimidated or threatened by anybody.”

Noting such complaints are confidential, Taggart told Rebich, “We would not know who filed the complaint unless you told us.”

Foster said there were many factors that led to other athletic facilities being improved first.

Pointing to the multipurpose field across from the school library where the board meets, he said, “I wanted that field up there turfed before any field in the district.”

He said the field, which crews have begun excavating, has been used for practice by various sports and the high school’s marching band and can be used by the elementary school’s physical education classes.

“I just want you to know public comment doesn’t fall on deaf ears with the school board,” Foster told Rebich.

Reeves said the board takes all complaints seriously but noted as part of Michael Simpson Park, the softball field was owned by the city when the request was made.

Ownership of the park had been transferred in 2015 to the city, which obtained grant money to add an indoor batting facility and create a new dugout, concession stand and press box for the ballfield, which also is used by a city-based league.

Earlier this year, Toronto Council agreed to transfer it back to the school district so it could pursue the turf project.

On Thursday, the board also approved the hirings of the following athletic personnel: Jaret Aubiel, head high school football coach; Hunter Sistilli, head high school golf coach; Kelli Naylor, head high school cheering coach; Jessica Maynard, head junior high cheering coach; and Jenn Brown, head volleyball coach for junior and senior high schools.

Jamie Anderson also was approved as volunteer assistant softball coach.

Resignations were accepted from Joe Chadwick as head junior high football coach and Shannon Bahen as assistant junior high volleyball coach.

Taggart noted the school district’s teachers have approved a tentative calendar for the 2025-26 school year.

Pending the board’s approval early next year, the calendar begins the week of Aug. 18, includes a three-day break for Thanksgiving and two-week break for Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The board moved its next regular meeting from Jan. 16 to Jan. 9 at 4:45 p.m. at the high school so it can reorganize for the new year.