Pentucket Education Foundation Awards Grant for Middle School Fitness Initiative;

Recognizes Five Teachers as “Trail Blazers” 

Partnership with Institution for Savings Enables $5,000 Grant  to Fund Equipment for “Sachems on the Move” Program

WEST NEWBURY, MASS. – (November 9, 2015) – The Pentucket Education Foundation (PEF) today announced that it awarded a $5,000 grant to fund the purchase of fitness equipment for the “Sachems on the Move” program in the Pentucket Regional Middle School (PRMS). The grant was made possible through the PEF’s ongoing partnership with the Institution for Savings. The PEF also recognized five teachers from the Pentucket Regional School District (PRSD) with its Trail Blazer Awards.

The Sachems on the Move program is spearheaded by wellness teacher Meghan Goldweber. With the fitness equipment in place, Goldweber is able to add an exercise component to the program, which teaches students the importance of good life-long fitness habits and provides them with the tools and equipment they need to develop enduring fitness, health and wellness habits.  The program also exposes students to potential career paths related to the PRSD’s Movement Science and Athletics Innovation Academy. 

“The PEF grant has enabled us to accelerate the full delivery of the Sachems on the Move program,” Goldweber said. “There is a critical need today for children to adopt good fitness habits, as the national childhood obesity epidemic so clearly demonstrates. Sachems on the Move will enable our students to develop those habits, and to explore ways in which they can turn their interest in fitness and wellness into a career path.”

 Trail Blazer Awards

The Trail Blazer Awards are presented each year to teachers who exemplify innovation in education. Teachers are nominated by their peers, parents, students and other members of the PRSD community. This year’s winners included:

·              Amy Brennan, psychologist at the Donaghue School

·              Claire Buell, pre-kindergarten teacher at the Bagnall School

·              Rich Harty, history teacher at Pentucket Regional High School

·              Kate Wood, art teacher at Page School

·              Dan Leonard, math teacher at PRMS

“The PEF is off to a great start this fall with the recent Harlem Wizards event, the Trail Blazer Awards, and our grant to Ms. Goldweber, which was made possible by ongoing incredible support from The Institution for Savings,” said PEF President Anna Marie Beech. “We have some new people joining the PEF ranks this year and are always looking for more volunteers – we hope successful programs like the Wizards, Trail Blazers, and our grants will inspire more people to join our cause.”

About the PEF

The Pentucket Education Foundation (PEF) was founded in 2010 in response to the intense budgetary pressures facing the six schools in the Pentucket Regional School District (PRSD). Since that time, the PEF’s grants have enabled teachers to enrich the learning experience for students district-wide with new technologies, programs and resources. The PEF has also funded infrastructure improvements such as the creation of a state-of-the-art science and math lab at Pentucket High School, and deployment of modern wireless connectivity across the PRSD.  The PEF relies on the generosity of private citizens and local businesses in its fundraising efforts, as well as the active participation of volunteers to staff its many programs and events. For more information on getting involved, please email info@pentucketedfund.org.