Summer Newsletter

Summer Newsletter

June 30, 2025

We hope everyone is staying cool this summer! Maybe you are going to the town pools or checking out the library (and its air conditioning and well-stocked summer reading shelves right outside the teen room), going to see a mid-day movie or getting ice cream.

Some cool things you may have missed from the Foundation include 34 new grants being funded for the fall! 83% of all grants received funding, and we were once again amazed and inspired at the creativity of West Hartford Public School teachers. Our community is so lucky! Check out two more cool grants in action below!

Even though school may be far from your mind (as it should be!), any month is a great month to donate to the Foundation. We are always grateful for your support, especially in the slower summer months. Your donation will help support grants next school year. Click here to donate today.

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Thanks to Our Donors

Valedictorian

The Goldbeck Family
Ellen Jeanne Goldfarb Memorial Fund, in memory of Carol Robbin
Frankie and Bob Goldfarb
EJ and Steven Greenspan and Family
John Keleher

Maximum Honors

Frank Webb Home
Millman Family in memory of Jerry Cogan
Nolin Selby Fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation
Susan and Joseph Sappington, MD
Warren Family Foundation

Grants in Perpetuity

Heather Congdon Memorial
Crate & Barrel
Jack Darcey Memorial
Dr. Robert and Gladys Dunn Memorial
Mr. and Mrs. David Dupee Memorial
James M. Ellis Memorial
Thomas and Cornelia Ford Memorial
Hawkins Family
John Kozak Memorial
Jeffrey A. Palmer Memorial
Tracey M. Wilson Memorial

2023-2024 Presenting Sponsor

The Goldbeck Family

The Foundation in Action

Cantor Family Grant: On Your Marks, Get Vex, Go! At Smith

5th Graders at Smith got to practice coding robots through “On Your Marks, Get Vex, Go!” Built by Math Quest students, Mrs. Hardesty then brought them to all the 5th grade classes for a ten-week module to code them using Vex, a program they will use in middle school.

The class broke up into groups of 3 and went over how to code. Next, they set up 4 square boards in any way they chose, placing large red and green magnets around the board for their rover to maneuver. Then, they worked together to figure out appropriate commands and angles, so their robot could complete several tasks.

The kids pulled out protractors and compasses. It was incredible to see more cutting edge technology paired with tools that have been used for generations to solve new problems. Currently, this program is for 5th graders, with plans to expand to 4th grade next year.

CLICK FOR PICTURES

Tresselt Family Grant: Spirit Balloon Takes Flight Over West Hartford Public Schools

All sixth graders at King Philip Middle School put their learning about matter and energy into action thanks to the Tresselt Family Grant and Spirit Ballooning. After they learned about how hot air balloons are designed, the scientific principles involved in flying and landing them, and the teamwork required for a flight to be a success, they then moved outside to see a 90,000 cubic foot balloon inflated with air and heated. Check out the balloon in action!

CLICK FOR VIDEO

Help us continue our mission!

The grants we award fund opportunities above and beyond what the school budget allows. This is why your support is so important to the work we do. Your donation to the Foundation directly supports innovative, memorable opportunities for West Hartford Public School students.

Visit our website for more information about our organization.

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Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools
50 South Main St., #420
West Hartford, CT 06107

860-561-8755
fwhps@westhartfordct.gov

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