Chickens and geckos and field trips and a weather station are among the 11 projects funded by the Wareham Foundation for Education this year.

The non-profit group, aiming to "enrich and advance curriculum offerings and provide materials beyond which the local budget allows" gave a combined $5,000 in grant money to projects designed by Wareham teachers. The winners were announced as a Nov. 19 "Toast to Teachers" fundraiser at Ella's Wood Burning Oven Restaurant in East Wareham.

Some of the projects, such as Craig Berriault's "Geckos, Geckos, Geckos" are already underway. This is the second year of foundation funding for Berriault's student study of crested geckos.

Others are new or one-time events: Second graders writing letters to new mothers, a field trip to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, a wireless weather station, and field trips to the Museum of Science in Boston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Speakers at the Toast also took the opportunity to talk about previously funded programs.

Middle school science teacher Lacey Remillard described her past practice of getting microscopes for her classroom by asking students to bring in old, unused microscopes from home. They were old and, in many cases, unused because they were broken.

A $400 grant from the Foundation for Education allowed her to buy three new microscopes for the classroom. She spoke of the "privilege" of hearing students' "oohs and aahs" as they used the functioning equipment.

The evening, which also featured a silent auction of items donated by Foundation supporters, ended with a live auction of a "chef's demonstration dinner for six" donated by Ella's chef Marc Sweirkowski. Thanks to the auctioneering skills of School Committee Chair Rhonda Veugen, that item alone brought in an even $1,000 for the foundation.

Grant recipients included Joyce Pottel for her Born to Read project mentioned earlier regarding her second graders.

Lisa Antonellis of Minot Forest received $500 for her Bis Sha-Bang Math Incentive which teaches children multiplication tables.

The high school's Joy Higgins got $450 to send her students to WHOI, mentioned earlier.

Also mentioned earlier was Jane Maceli for the wireless weather station, the high school's Amy Dion's trip to New York's Metropolitian Museum of Art and Ashleigh Salerno's Boston Museum of Science trip for a Greek exhibit.

A literacy program by Tanya Duff of Minot Forrest was given money for a literacy program.

West Wareham Academy's Lucinda Keith got money towards a nature walk renovation.

The Viking Newspaper received $500 thanks to John Flynn.

For more information about the Foundation, visit www.foundationforwarehameducation.org.