Gifford News

Fenn Center Building Update

In May 2011 the new Fenn Center rose, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the old Fenn Center. The new building allows for additional programs and educational services that will take The Gifford School into a new phase. Now that the Fenn Center is complete, we once again have a science laboratory and greenhouse, a computer classroom, a nursing office, and a gymnasium, which also is used as a cafeteria and auditorium.

We once again have a place in which we can learn, assemble, eat, meet, dance, act, and do a million other things that we used to do in the old Fenn Center. It is a fact that because of the wonderful efforts of staff, students, and parents, The Gifford School has continued to operate without interruption after the traumatic destruction of its main building.

The Summer Program

The Gifford School staff is getting excited for the 2011 Gifford Summer Program. Students in the Academic/Work Program will participate in on-campus work-study activities in landscaping, culinary arts, and technology. The work crews will develop vocational skills while helping to upgrade the campus and support off-campus organizations such as Drumlin Farm. During a class in Life Skills, students practice interviewing, building a resume, and budgeting. In addition, Students will enroll in mathematics and language arts classes as an extension of the ten-month program.

The camp program will combine academics and fun. In the morning, students and staff will participate in "funcademic" classes. The students are enrolled in classes that provide structured activities in mathematics and language arts. The afternoons are packed with exciting programs such as cooperative group games and social activities. The camp program travels off campus for weekly field trips and trips to Lake Cochituate. The program ends with an overnight at Gifford and an end of the program barbeque.

Interactive Whiteboards

Gifford is pleased to announce that we have installed interactive whiteboards in six classrooms on campus. These "smartboards" give teachers the ability to create a multimedia classroom. They are able to project their computer screen onto the whiteboard and manipulate the contents from the interactive whiteboard. This is the first phase of implementing this new technology on campus. Three additional boards will be added to the science laboratory, large meeting space, and media room in the new Fenn Center.