by Phil Stilton
The St. Aloysius School was the recipient of a $10,000 grant from the Ocean First Foundation’s Model Classroom grant. Each year, the Ocean First Foundation chooses area schools to receive grants to improve classroom tools and technology.
This year, St. Aloysius put that grant to use to upgrade the school’s science lab, purchasing new microscopes, scales, and Chromebooks for students to use.
In a YouTube video published by St. Aloysius, students said they could sometimes spend most of their classroom time just trying to locate objects in their old microscopes.
“With these new microscopes, they have two new light sources which allow us to view the specimens better,” one student, Nick said. “And it can even go up to 400 times magnification, and with an objective lens, it can go up to 1600x magnification.”
The classroom’s old microscopes had only a mirror as a light source and a maximum magnification of 100x. The new microscopes also have digital screens to observe specimens.
The students in the classrooms can now see objects in the new microscopes prior students couldn’t imagine seeing firsthand.
The microscopes allow the students to observe cells and parasites, allowing students to capture screenshot images of their specimens.
The students use the Chromebooks to research what they find under the microscopes
“Thank you to members of Ocean First Bank and the Ocean First Foundation for making our Science Lab official with a ribbon cutting this morning,” the faculty posted to Twitter. “Mrs. Arfuso and our 8th grade did an awesome job telling all about how the new digital microscopes, probes, scales, and Chromebooks have enhanced our science lab and inspired so much love for learning!”
Since its founding in 1902, OceanFirst Bank has built a solid reputation and legacy as a good neighbor and responsible corporate citizen. The Bank’s strong commitment to helping families, organizations, schools, and communities throughout central and southern New Jersey meet their financial needs has spanned several generations reaching new heights in 1996 with the creation of OceanFirst Foundation. Made possible by a one-time endowment of $13.4 million approved by OceanFirst Bank depositors, OceanFirst Foundation provides grants to organizations that meet community needs within the OceanFirst Bank footprint.
Through the Foundation, hundreds of local charities and schools have received more than $30 million in grants to enrich lives in areas such as Housing, Youth Development and Education, Improving the Quality of Life, Health and Wellness, and the Arts. OceanFirst Foundation recognizes that there are many organizations worthy of support.
A Board of Directors comprised of business and civic leaders governs the Foundation and meets several times per year to review, select and award grants to the eligible organizations that have best demonstrated an ability to positively impact the community.
Visit http://www.oceanfirstfdn.org to learn more about the Ocean First Foundation.
Photos by St. Aloysius School