C.H.I.L.D. (Children Having Individual Learning Differences) awarded three $400 grants to staff members in the Verona Public School District at its Open SEPAC meeting, held on May 11. The grant winners are Corisa Walker, librarian for Brookdale and F.N. Brown elementary schools, Sage Nardi, a second-grade teacher at Laning elementary School, and the preschool program staff.
Walker will use the funds to further develop the library’s collection of books focused on celebrating differences and supporting neurodiversity and disability awareness. Nardi will use the funds to purchase Wiggle Wobble Rock and Twist boards and sensory-weighted lap pads. These items will be used for second-grade students with ADHD and sensory issues. The preschool program will use the funds to create a read-aloud teacher library. Supplementary texts include age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction texts based on each unit of study.
C.H.I.L.D. is a non-profit organization made up of parents and caregivers dedicated to providing support to children who face learning challenges and who receive special education services from the Verona Public Schools. Its goal is to provide a solution-oriented forum for families, educators, and administrators to effectively communicate and collaborate together to better understand and help bridge the gap between special education and general education.
Through fundraising programs and private donations, C.H.I.L.D. is able to generate contributions earmarked for programs, presentations, and initiatives designed to support and advocate for children with individual learning differences.
From left to right above: Preschool team member, Brook Raskin; Director of Special Services Tania Symmons; C.H.I.L.D. Board Member Michelle O’Neill; C.H.I.L.D. Co-President Siobhan Meyer; Teacher Sage Nardi; and Preschool team members, Crystal Cruz and Giselle Ilic.
