Feb 5, 2015 By Suzanne Elliott 3 min read

Eight Peters Township teachers have received more than $9,000 in grants from the Peters Township Education Foundation to support education at all levels in the township.

Overall, the local foundation received 13 applications for its Granting Educators Opportunities grants, said Shelley Belcher, district spokeswoman.

Meghan Meyers, a second grade teacher at Bower Hill Elementary School will receive funding to buy the necessary supplies and groceries for the school’s Snack Scene TV show that supports healthy eating, good snacking choices and physical activity. Each week, students appear in the show. The show is taped and shown in classrooms throughout the school.

“We are very excited,” said Meyers of the grant.

Beth Walsh and Alyson Boyer, both enrichment teachers at McMurray Elementary School, will receive six iPads for their classrooms to support curriculum and projects for students in fourth, fifth and sixth grades. Applications include iBook Author, NASA Science, 3D Brain, Stock Market Simulation, Educations and more.

Both Walsh and Biyer said the children they work with are computer proficient and the new iPads will enable them to download apps in conjunction with what is being studied at the time.

Other grant winners include:

• Veronica Byers, Pleasant Valley Elementary – Byers, a first grade teacher, will receive math games and activities that coincide with the district’s math curriculum to provide enriching activities for sequencing, planning, logic, spatial concepts and problem solving.

• Paige Seelhorst, McMurray Elementary – Seelhorst, a sixth grade teacher, will receive laptops for special needs students in her classroom to support Kurzweil software that will facilitate curriculum in math, science, language arts and social studies.

• Lindsey Myers and Angel Schranz, Peters Township High School – Myers, a library media specialist, and Schranz, an English teacher, will receive licensing fees to support their screening of a documentary film that discusses the portrayal of woman in the media. They will host a showing and facilitate a dialogue among the students and coordinate with related classes and student groups within the school.

• Nancy Barley, Pleasant Valley Elementary – Barley, the school’s librarian, will receive funding for the necessary books and a workshop stipend to create a “Positively Poetry” experience for Pleasant Valley third graders. While encouraging their love of poetry, this project will also develop literacy and critical thinking skills.

During the last four years, the foundation has provided more than $32,000 in funds to support education at all levels in Peters Township. The foundation was formed four years ago and board members include teachers, parents, community members and students. It is funded largely by parent and student memberships, as well as local businesses.