Panther Foundation
Awards Three
Innovation Grants
to FR Teachers
Round 5 Innovation Grant Awardees:
Franklin Regional Middle School’s
Librarian, Ms. Christy Belgiovane
received an Innovation Grant award
of $5,000. Ms. Belgiovane applied
for a “Making a Difference in the
Library” grant seeking to promote
innovation, creativity, collaboration,
and critical thinking with her Middle
School students in the library. Using
her grant funds, Ms. Belgiovane
intends to implement programming
and a designated Makerspace. Her
activities in the Makerspace will range
from STREAM (Science, Technology,
Research, Engineering, Arts, and
Mathematics) initiatives to arts & crafts.
Sloan Elementary School’s Ms.
Sue Callihan received an Innovation
Grant of $1,599.99. Ms. Callihan’s grant
application project was “Padcaster
Morning Announcements” at Sloan
Elementary School. The project funding
will be used to allow 5th graders and
the Sloan Kid Kouncil members to
work collaboratively to plan, develop,
write, edit, film, and report the morning
announcements to the entire school.
This project will allow the students
to take ownership of the process and
improve their skills. The teachers will
be able to learn how to film with green
screen technology and to produce
video content with their students.
Franklin Regional Senior High
School’s (FRSH) Ms. Dorothy Grego
received an Innovation Grant of $1,835
for her project entitled: “Lark or Owl
Mini PCR.” Ms. Grego will use the funds
to generate a lab where students can
link behavior to an identified gene
variant, which has a strong influence
over this trait. Students will have
to connect the DNA structure and
sequence to a trait of interest to them.
Using biotechnology, students will
select and amplify the gene and then
identify which variants they carry using
Gel Electrophoresis.
Franklin Regional School District
Superintendent, Dr. Gennaro R. Piraino,
Jr., FR Panther Foundation Executive
Director, Cara Zanella, Foundation
President, Charles Hergenroeder,
and Foundation Vice President, Herb
Yingling surprised the recipients with
giant checks during Franklin Regional’s
Opening Day activities in front of 250 of
their colleagues and administrators.
New FR Website Debut
T
he Franklin Regional School District (FRSD)
is proud to announce the launch of its
newly designed website. The new website
launched in August, right in time for the
2019-20 school year. The new site features
a user-friendly navigation system, is ADA
compliant, and features an easy-to-read
mobile app. The website’s address is www.
frsdk12.org.
The new website features new teacher
pages, more user-friendly menu navigation,
a revised directory, and a mobile app that
allows visitors to access the site from any
mobile device.
The District will also be utilizing the
electronic calendar feature, which is
compatible with Google calendars. As a result,
the District will discontinue the printing of its
Round 5 Innovation Grant Awardees:
T
he Franklin Regional (FR) Panther
Foundation awarded $8,434.99 in
Innovation Grants to fund various
programs at the Franklin Regional
Senior High School (FRSH), as well
as Sloan and Heritage Elementary
Schools. The FR Panther Foundation
conducts various fundraising events
throughout the year for the Innovation
Grant program. Twice a year teachers
and coaches have the opportunity
to apply for available funding for any
program that is new, innovative, and
not currently being supported by the
Franklin Regional School District’s
general budget. Since its inception, the
FR Panther Foundation has awarded
$132,146.47 to worthwhile and
innovative Franklin Regional classroom
and athletic programs.
36
MURRYSVILLE
calendar that was sent home every year at
the beginning of school. Families who wish to
print the electronic calendar should visit the
homepage of the website and scroll down
to the Event Calendar section. Click on the
“Show All Events” button at the end of that
section. The calendar page will pop up. In the
right column, click on the “Calendar View” link,
which is listed below the small block calendar
image. Families may also choose to print an
individual school calendar by checking the
box for one of the Franklin Regional schools in
the section marked “Calendars.”
The new website process was guided
by Mrs. Zanella, Mr. Brad Schrecengost,
Technology Supervisor, Ms. Lisa Stewart,
Webmaster, and members of the FRSD
Administration and Building Principals.