Letter from the President
Welcome back! We are so happy to see our kids back-to-school, in person, and in the classroom with their teachers. The past 18 months leading up to the return of full in-person instruction were challenging for the Falmouth Schools’ community. The resilience, creativity and flexibility of our teachers, school administration, students and their families shined through all the uncertainty.
The FEF Board was disappointed we couldn’t hold our annual events like the Color Run and Family Dance. However, this past year gave us the opportunity to switch from event planning mode to strategic planning mode. We used the time during the height of the pandemic to formalize our long-term strategic plan and solidify our mission to promote innovative student development and to enhance educational excellence for all Falmouth children
FEF grants also shifted to Covid related needs. FEF provided funding for three water bottle filling stations at FHS, and props for FMS musical theater. FEF also fostered partnerships with the FES PTO, funding a sensory path at FES, and with the Falmouth Rotary helping to fund benches for the outdoor classrooms. Other grants included an Oculus VR Headset for FHS and supplies for the FMS Birding Club. Over the last 25 years, FEF has funded over $1 million in grants to various programs and initiatives within the Falmouth schools and community that directly benefit our children. Our 2021-22 annual fund campaign kicked-off in early October, and FEF is looking forward to the continued and growing support of our donors who make all this possible. We can’t make it happen without you!
Wishing you a wonderful school year,
Mary Reany
P.S. Don’t forget to make your tax-deductible donation online or by mail today. If you’ve already donated to FEF this year – thank you!!
2021 FEF ANNUAL FUND
The beginning of October marked the kick-off of our 2021 Annual Fund Campaign! We are grateful to our amazing Falmouth school district for its resilience and ingenuity over the past year and a half, and look forward to a fantastic school year ahead. With your generosity, FEF hopes to elevate its grants program to new heights while meeting the unique educational challenges of these unprecedented times.
This 2021-2022 school year, FEF remains committed to funding innovative student development, enhancing educational excellence for all Falmouth youth, and providing support for community projects that benefit or enrich our students.
Please consider making a tax-deductible FEF Annual Fund contribution today! If you have already made a donation, we can't thank you enough! If you haven't, you can donate via online below or mail your donation to:
FEF
PO Box 6043
Falmouth, ME 04105
Grant Spotlight: FES Sensory Path
In the Fall of 2020, FEF awarded a grant to Kim Mosca, a special educator at FES, to install a sensory path in the hallway of the elementary school. The sensory path, which consists of a series of strategically placed decals, provides opportunities for students to have movement and sensory breaks as they complete the tasks along the path. Research shows that these motor breaks help reduce anxiety, assist with attention, and ultimately increase academic performance.
"On chilly and wet days, the sensory path has been a fantastic tool for children to use. Students are encouraged to use the path either alone or as a class. Students like utilizing the sensory path to help them calm or regulate their bodies, enjoy creative movement, and test their balance, coordination, and strength. It's been a wonderful addition to the school since it is utilized by many children throughout the day." - Kim Mosca, SEAS II Teacher
Sensory paths use a research-based movement formula which support a student's visual system (tells the eyes what they are seeing in coordination with objects, words, etc.), motor planning (tells the body how to respond to motor skills), proprioceptive system (tells the body how to sense objects and interpret messages), muscles/joints/tendons (tells the body how to move in space, such as balance and coordination), hand-eye coordination (tells the body how to coordinate the eyes with the hands for tracking, reading, and writing). These paths are planned out so the students do not get overstimulated while completing the activities.
The sensory path was installed this past Spring. FEF is thrilled to have supported an innovative installation that helps all elementary school students in our community. Please be sure to check out the video to see the sensory path in action!
Make Your Mark at FHS
Consider celebrating someone special this holiday season by purchasing a paver at the Falmouth High School. An engraved paver installed at the entrance to Falmouth High School is a wonderful way to honor not only your student, but also an alumnus in your life, a special teacher or community member. Order now to have it installed this spring!!
If you want to learn more about how you can honor a special community member or relative with a paver at FHS, or purchase a paver for your own student or family, please visit our website.
Meet Our New Board Members!
This fall, the FEF Board of Directors is pleased to welcome three new Board members: Chris Wasileski, Michael Mannolakis and Jeana Cho.
Chris Wasileski has been working in Maine with his father for Sea Coast Management Company, an owner / operator and developer of Senior Living communities, for over 17 years. Chris also enjoys ski instructing, coaching soccer with FYSA, and playing with his 5 year old daughter, Haley, who has just started kindergarten at FES. Chris grew up in Lyman, and went through public school in Kennebunk where his mother was an elementary guidance counselor for 25 years. Chris is looking forward to joining the FEF board!
Michael Manolakis works for Aon Consulting and moved to Falmouth a year ago with his wife, Patti, and son, Will, to be close to family. He and Patti are also the parents of two older sons (both out of college) and a snuggly black Lab named Callie. Michael previously served as an Assistant Dean and faculty member at Wingate University, which forms the basis of his interest to support academics, athletics and arts through FEF. Fun fact: Michael was in the USC Marching Band and played Tusk in concert with Fleetwood Mac.
Jeana Cho is a senior executive in beauty and fashion with expertise launching new brands successfully and expanding storied brands across borders internationally. She has worked for companies such as Aritzia, Vince Camuto, Knours., etc. She has recently helped develop a Korean/US start up acceleration program for two different VCs to promote positive collaboration between the US and Korea. She has been a part of various nonprofit organizations, serving as vice chair and chair of the summer benefit for the Korean American Community Foundation.
To learn more about FEF, check out our website.
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