School committee accepts Creative Spark and breakfast grants and approves kindergarten trip to Roger Williams Zoo

At its May 14 meeting the Easton School Committee accepted multiple grants and approved an out-of-state field trip.

Creative Spark: Nurse Eileen Gardner (Easton Middle School) and Director Craig Davidson described student-led nicotine/tobacco prevention projects under a Creative Spark grant administered through HRIA and tied to statewide prevention efforts. The district reported an EMS grant of $5,500 and an Oliver Ames grant of $2,530; funds will pay for supplies, banners, QR-code outreach, printing and an end-of-year student celebration.

School Breakfast Expansion: Director Spagna presented a School Breakfast Expansion award of $3,031.15 from the New England Dairy & Food Council (applied for through Aramark). The intent is to purchase grab-and-go breakfast carts to place at building entrances to increase student access to a complete breakfast and to raise participation.

Out-of-state trip: Principal Cederbaum outlined a kindergarten trip to the Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island tied to literacy modules; the committee voted to approve the out-of-state trip required under district policy.

All motions to accept the grants and approve the trip were moved and approved during the meeting. Managers noted grant spend-down dates (Creative Spark funds to be spent by June 12 for the EMS project) and restrictions that funds be used only for the specified projects.