Perrysburg Classroom Grants Program

Architecture Blocks Grant
Toth Elementary Art Class
Mrs. Amanda Lake Drummond ’00

Through a gift from Mercy Health Mrs. Drummond was awarded a grant to purchase architecture blocks for her art classroom at Toth. These are now one of the studios that she offers in her classroom. It is part of the teaching pedagogy that Mrs. Drummond has adopted called Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB). This allows for an open concept with student-led choice during their time in art each week. Using TAB has expanded the students’ interest in art, but also allowed for them to understand better how art, in all of its forms, can be applied to other subjects. Here is a recent video of these blocks in action.

In recent years the Senior English classes at Perrysburg High School have moved to a student-choice/student-taught curriculum or a Reading/Writing Workshop. The approach is that students are encouraged to choose which books they would LIKE to read throughout the year. The students are then required to write about what they are reading and share that with their classmates. The faculty is finding that students are reading more, and comprehending much more, about their chosen books. They are also encouraging each other to read different types of books than they were before. One classroom, which included the shelving and books, was funded through the district and a second classroom was funded through a grant provided by the Class of 1967, in honor of their 50th reunion. The program has been such a success that PSF is in the process of converting a third classroom for this style of teaching English. Here is a video of Ms. Deb Drew talking about what she has seen by teaching in this style.

Jim Gill Visit
Perrysburg Preschool

Award-winning musician and author Jim Gill recently visited the teachers at Perrysburg Preschool for a half-day training session focused on inclusion and music play for all young children. Play is the context where children begin to develop abilities essential to school success, such as self-regulation. With the presentation of music play activities as a starting point, participants deepened their understanding of the opportunities that play activities provide for children to develop these abilities. The professional development session included child development research, anecdotes from the presenter’s own work with children and families, video footage and group discussion.

The night prior, the preschoolers and their families were invited to concert with Mr. Gill. Over 200 attendees had the chance to meet the musician while dancing, playing and singing along with their classmates and friends.

Walk-Up Week
Hull Prairie Intermediate School

Following the events in Parkland, Florida in February of 2018, a group of 6th graders from Hull Prairie Intermediate School approach the PSF about organizing a “Walk-Up Week” at HPI. It was an attempt to address the overall attitude in schools that might make someone feel unsafe at school. They wanted to put on a week of programs, initiatives and challenges for their classmates to be nicer to each other, notice the student who may be sitting by themselves and just genuinely make the day better for everyone. These students took it upon themselves to develop a proposal for funding from PSF for bracelets for each student and staff member saying “I am HPI” and to create a positive atmosphere that week that they knew would continue beyond those 5 days in their school. They reached out to PHS alumnus and MLB Pitcher, Burke Badenhop ’01 and Mayor of Perrysburg, Tom Mackin to get them involved with videos that were shown to the entire school. It was a great example of how young people can effect change.