The Manchester Township PTA presented nearly $5,000 in teacher mini-grants to 13 teachers at the March 22, 2022 Board of Education meeting.

PTA Scholarship Committee representatives, Kelly Dunckley and Kelly Sales, said that the PTA had 25 applicants requesting $9,487, which the committee anonymously reviewed to decide how to distribute their $5,000 grant budget. 

The following grants were presented:

• Lynn Spinelli, Ridgeway School - $164.90 for Webber’s Jumbo Articulation Drill Book and add-on books
• Amanda Gerlach, MTES - $84.85 for Fluency Roll n Talk and Add-on cards
• Tanya Froriep, MTMS - $335.26 for High Interest Books (leveled readers) for Struggling Readers
• Maria Brucato-Wilson, Regional Day - $273.59 for TFH Swing Seat with Pommel
• Laura Henry, MTES - $500 for Magnetic STEM Tiles
• Alice McGlynn, MTES - $497.27 for Sargent Art Tempera Paint Sticks
• Jennifer Gilbert, MTES - $415.28 for STEM Supplies
• Christine Newbury/Rachel Kelly, MTHS - $480 for 22 Microbit V2 Go Kits
• Kelly Ramos, Ridgeway - $450 for 800 piece STEM Straw Construction Set and 6 Mini Robot Balls
• Crystal Policastro, Ridgeway - $481.75 for Math Games
• Colleen Goetz, Whiting - $404.78 for LG XBoom Speaker System, Golow Limbo Set, Ribbon Sets
• Teena O’Connell, MTHS - $473.95 for Display Easels
• Julia Taylor, Ridgeway - $425.53 for Boardmaker 7 Standard

Sales and Dunckley presented grant certificates to the recipients and congratulated them. Superintendent John Berenato thanked the PTA for the grants and for all that they do to support the district.

Dunckley said that the PTA is happy to support the schools with these grants and many other projects but said it has become increasingly difficult to continue to do so because of a lack of volunteers. She said that there are currently 30 vacant positions on the board and committees for 2022-23. She issued a plea for help, “If you know of any parent or guardian that you believe would be a good fit for the PTA, someone who would want to help the district to enhance every student’s education, please speak with them about becoming an active volunteer. The PTA goal is to promote the welfare of children and to be an advocate for children in the home, the community, and the schools.”

Visit the PTA website at www.manchesterpta.org for more information.