ECC receives $4K Feinstein grant

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“There are a lot of PAWS-itive things happening here at the ECC,” Jennifer Ramage, a kindergarten teacher at Johnston’s Early Childhood Center, quipped. “Everyone is thrilled.”

Everyone, from Principal Keri Autiello to Ramage and the entire student body, is smiling more than usual these days, as the ECC recently received a $4,000 Leadership School Grant from philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein.

“Originally, the grant was for $2,000,” said Ramage, who doubles as the coordinator for the ECC’s Feinstein Good Deeds Program. “However, Mr. Feinstein stated that the stock market was good this year and he doubled the grant amount to $4,000.”

Ramage, who has coordinated other highly successful programs including the recent food drive, reiterated: “We are all thrilled with this exciting news.”

When asked for her thoughts, Autiello quickly replied, “The faculty and Junior Scholars at the Early Childhood Center were ecstatic to receive a $4,000 grant from Alan Shawn Feinstein. Through his generosity, the school’s PAWS program will continue and this benefits all of the students here at the ECC.”

Ramage explained that the PAWS program is a behavior incentive program that rewards both individual children and classes who demonstrated that they are respectful and responsible citizens.

“The PAWS are animal paw prints,” Ramage went on. “When the children or class has accumulated a certain number of PAWS, the children or class gets to turn them in for a reward. The grant money will be used to help purchase prizes such as books, crayons, erasers, games, etc.”

Moreover, as Ramage wanted it known: “The PAWS program allows any adult in the building to reward any student or class that are caught in the act of helping, listening, following the rules, working together, etc. Our students and entire staff of the ECC are extremely grateful to Mr. Feinstein for his help with our diminishing prize box and to help ensure that this program continues.”

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