The 2016 P-H-M Education Foundation Fall Grant Awards were approved for funding at the Foundation’s November 30 Board Meeting.

Grant funds awarded — $16,283.95

Approximate number of students impacted — 2,878
 

The PHMEF 2016 Grants were funded to the following Traditional Grants:
 

1. Alternative and Flexible Seating for the Elementary Classroom 
   Bittersweet Elementary – Leslie Metcalf
   Grades 4 — 40 students
   This grant will allow the teacher to convert her traditional classroom seating into a flexible or alternative style. Providing new seating would help students to be mobile and active while completing tasks. Four Hokki stools, four ball chairs, and two sets of six floor cushions will be used in the classroom.
    
2. Move Your Body, Grow Your Brain: Active Seating in the Classroom 
   Moran Elementary – Stephanie Strasser
   Grade K — 20 students
   Research supports the benefits of “active” seating to enhance the learning environment. Active seating improves attention and concentration, posture, blood flow, flexibility, coordination and balance. Students will demonstrate the ability to stay focused and energized throughout the day with the use of 12 stability balls and 6 Hokki stools.
    

3. Choral Risers for Elm Road and Elsie Rogers 
   Elm Road and Elsie Rogers Elementary Schools – Emily Nakayama and Erin Elliott
   Grades K-5 — 850 students
   The elementary schools are in need of new risers for a variety of events at both schools. Currently, each elementary has a set of outdated and damaged risers. This grant will purchase a set of six new risers, which will be shared between Elm and Elsie Rogers Elementary Schools. The new risers will allow set up by any teachers, instead of utilizing custodial staff. Storage will also be more efficient because the design of the new risers.

4. iPads for Learning and Reporting 
   Elsie Rogers Elementary – Jessie Kinney and Dorene Pond
   Grades 3-5 — 150 students
   All Elsie Rogers staff use Classroom DoFo behavior management programs to promote positive behavior for learning. Students’ daily successes or areas needing improvement are reported directly to parents throughout the school day. A component of the DoJo program is a feature that allows students to showcase their work in a portfolio. With the use of six iPdas, students will capture impages of the work they created at schools.

5. Front Row Education Math – Inquiry Based Learning 
   Meadow’s Edge Elementary – Madelyn Albright
   Grades 3-4 — 140 students
   The Front Row Education Math Project is designed to engage students in Inquiry Based Learning activities. It is an online program designed to provide math concepts at differentiated learning levels to help meet the different learning needs and styles of each students. The school is currently using the free version that has limited access to programs. A paid version will allow access to 23 Inquiry Based Learning lessons for 3rd grade and 26 Inquiry Based Learning for 4th grade.

6. Sustaining and Growing the Grissom Drum Brigade
   Grissom Middle School – Adam Emeigh
   Grade 6-8 — 20 students
   The Grissom Drum Brigade program has been a successful part of the middle school. The group has performed at not only school events but also at events within the local community. This grant will support equipment needed to prolong the use of current instruments, such as stands, bass drum rim shooter, and tenor and snare sticks.

7. Buddy Bench 
   Bittersweet Elementary – Karen Powers and Michele Leniski
   Grades K-5 — 452 students
   The Buddy Bench is intended to directly help children with the struggles of feeling lonely or isolated during recess. Students who are feeling alienated from others will often isolate themselves. Students will know that sitting on the bench is a safe place where other classmates can come and ask if they want to play or just sit and talk.

The PHMEF 2016 Grants were funded to the following EZ Form grant requests for $250 or less:

1. Earth Science – Rocks and Minerals Prairie Vista Elementary - Roger Hansel, Grade 4; 78 students impacted
   Rocks and minerals samples to be used in classroom

2. Bluetooth Music Room for a Blue Ribbon School Prairie Vista Elementary – Amy Gallo, Grade 1-5; 413 students impacted
   Bluetooth device will allow students take ownership of running music remotely from their seats.

3. Biology Teacher’s Real DNA Comparison Penn High School; Freshman and Early College Biology – Robert Berkheiser & John Gensic, Grades 9-10; 320 students impacted
   Teachers to test own DNA with kits for students to compare data

4. Penn Physics Research Lab Penn High School – Jonathan Lockwood, Grades 11-12; 150 students impacted
   Building a Tesla coil for research for wireless transmission of sound.

5. Cost Effective Alternative Seating for Preschoolers Penn PALS Preschool at Bittersweet – Sara Barhydt, Grade Pre-K; 40 students impacted
   Soft seating cushions for circle time to encourage better posture, strengthen core and encourage them to stay in their own space.

6. Integrating the Visual Arts, Music and Sports Discovery Middle School – Anne Napoli, Grades 6-8; 800 students impacted
   Supplies to create mural that will demonstrate connections between visual arts, music, and sports.

7. Anthem Club Penn High School – Lavon Oke, Grades 9-12
   Sheet music for club to perform national anthem around P-H-M sporting events.

8. Phone Mats Mary Frank Elementary – Anna King, Grade Kindergarten; 60 students impacted
   The mats resemble a phone face, which will be used for learning numbers, letters, colors and engaging students in learning through demonstrations.
    
9. Upgrade Tap Set  Penn High School – Les Crooks, Grades 9-12; 250 students impacted
   Portable power tool combination drill bit/tap assortment for portable power tools.

10. Improving Manufacturing Safety Penn High School – Les Crooks, Grades 9-12; 250 students impacted
    New set of deburring tools to remove unwanted/leftover materials that can cause harm to students.

11. Documenting POE, IED, and Aerospace Engineering Penn High School – Jim Langfeldt, Grades 9-12; 220 students impacted
    Camcorder for documenting and record work and projects such as Hand of Grace.

12. Newton’s 2nd Law Experience Penn High School – Bruce Bergeron, Grades 11-12; 50 students impacted
    Students will devise rules that describe how mass and net force affects the acceleration of a cart. Purchase of cart and spring scale.

13. Smartphone Mounts for High School Journalists Penn High School – Kevin McNulty, Grades 9-12; 50 students impacted
    Mounts will give students freedom and flexibility to tell school news story with their own smartphones to record interviews and stand-up reports.

14. Driver’s Station Laptop for Penn Robotics Penn High School – Jim Langfeldt, Grades 11-12; 38 students impacted
    New laptop will last several years for competition use.

15. Expanding Manufacturing End Mill Set Penn High School – Jim Langfeldt, Grades 9-12; 250 students impacted
    Wider variety of end mills will allow students to undertake more projects.

16. The Wonder of You Horizon Elementary School – Ann Lira, Grades 4; 112 students impacted
    Book will be used in a grade level antibullying workshop that encourages compassion, acceptance, and empathy.

17. Drum and Bugle Corps Video Discovery Middle School – Murray Weaver, Grades 6-8; 250 students impacted.
    Series of marching band presentations. Updates current videos from 2009.

18. Put the Pedal to the Metal Elm Road Elementary – Christy Cook, Grade 4; 97 students impacted
    Under desk bike pedals will be used for students who get restless and struggle to focus.