Penn Manor Education Foundation

Venture Grants, Spring 2014

 14-1 Whisper Phones

Central Manor Elementary School – Grade 4

Four sets of 10 Whisper Phones will be purchased to enable students to practice reading aloud without affecting other students, maintaining the learning environment so other students can engage in quiet reading.

14-2  Motivational Assembly

Penn Manor High School – Grades 9-12

During a school-wide assembly, youth motivational speaker Kyle Schlee will present a message encouraging students to live a driven and successful life.

14-3 Aevidum Assembly

Manor and Marticville middle schools

Joe Vulopas, founder of Aevidum, will introduce the program, which emphasizes positive mental health among youth, to middle school students. Aevidum has been successfully implemented this year at Penn Manor High School.

14-4 Researching Prose Writers in American Literature

Penn Manor High School—Library and 11^th grade English

The library will add primary and secondary sources, including novels, short stories, essays and critical texts, for students to utilize in support of the American Literature class.

14-5 TumbleBook Library

Central Manor Elementary School – Grade 2

The grant will provide access to the TumbleBook online library of nearly 1,000 titles, including animated talking picture books, chapter books, videos, nonfiction titles, graphic novels and math stories, along with quizzes, educational games and puzzles related to math and language skills.

14-6 Authentic Multi-Cultural Music-Making

Penn Manor High School – Music Department

Percussion instruments will be purchased to support the creation of an authentic African percussion student ensemble. The program will highlight South African culture and include historical references to Nelson Mandela and his role in fighting Apartheid.

14-7 Shifting Gears literary magazine

Central Manor Elementary School – Grade 6

The grant will support the publication of a student-created literary magazine featuring original artwork, poetry and prose. The magazine will provide a new learning opportunity for the school’s high-achieving students.

14-8 One Book, One Fourth-Grade Community

Hambright and Central Manor elementary schools – Library and Grade 4

Books by author Fred Bowen will be provided to students and their parents, who will be encouraged to read together. The program will culminate in a family evening discussion of the book. Many of the target students come from families where socioeconomic conditions inhibit the development of good reading habits.

14-9 3R’s: Reaching Reluctant Readers

Marticville Middle School – all grades

The grant will fund the purchase of high-interest fiction books designed to appeal to reluctant readers. The books will be available to all students through the library and will be promoted specifically to students with reading challenges.

14-10 Wilson Magnetic Journals for Reading

Marticville Middle School – Life Skills/Learning Support

The grant will pay for the journals – folders that are magnetic on the inside and contain foam “tiles” for the letters of the alphabet, blends, digraphs and common endings that can be manipulated into words. The journals will enable students to more efficiently practice forming and spelling words.

14-11 Digital Physics Demonstration

Penn Manor High School – Science Department

A K’NEX roller coaster kit, projectile launcher, accelerometer and other lab materials will be purchased to engage students in the physics classroom, enhancing the discussion of Newton’s Laws and the conservation of energy.

14-12 Restorative/Rehabilitative Art Therapy

Twilight Alternative School – Grades 8-12

Five days of workshops by Broadway actress Q Smith will enable students to practice the discipline of the arts as it relates to the academic rigors of English, math and history. The sessions also will address students’ emotional, educational and behavioral needs.

14-13 Vernier Lab Equipment Update

 Penn Manor High School – Grades 9-12

The grant will enable the Agriculture Education Department to purchase Vernier Labquest interfaces and soil sensors to update the agriculture science lab, increasing the rigor and relevance of agriculture science classes.

14-14 1 to 1 Headsets

 Penn Manor High School – Science, Grades 10-12

A set of 15 headsets will enable students to watch introductory lessons and thought-provoking videos to introduce new concepts and help them get caught up with missed work. The headsets will minimize disruptions to other students.

14-15 Honors Biology Anatomy Dissection

Penn Manor High School – Science, Grades 10-12

A set of fetal pigs will enable students to perform hands-on anatomy identification and function labs utilizing a computer application and Nexus tablets. The grant addresses a need for more dissection materials resulting from an increase in Honors Biology II enrollment.

14-16 Increasing Technology in Physics

Penn Manor High School – Science Department

A set of motion sensors and interfaces will enable physics labs to be more engaging as students relate what they have learned to what they are observing and measuring in the lab. The sensors will be used with 1:1 laptops for such lab activities as simulated car collisions, falling bodies and graphing motion.

14-17 Kiln replacement

Marticville Middle School – all grades  

The grant will fund the purchase of a new kiln and materials storage unit to replace a 25-year-old kiln that frequently malfunctions and has required costly repairs. The new kiln will enable more students to make clay creations more efficiently.

14-18 Mimeo Vote Equipment

Manor Middle School – all grades  

A set of Mimeo Vote “clickers” will be purchased to encourage more student participation and enable teachers to more effectively assess student learning through instant feedback. The devices will be shared across multiple classrooms and subjects.