NESQUEHONING, Pa. — In a couple of weeks, a faculty room at Panther Valley Elementary School will get a facelift thanks to the Lowe's Hometowns Grant, whose goal is to find projects that are at the heart of the community and give them the funding to revitalize. For Nesquehoning, that's Panther Valley Elementary School.
"We really can't allocate general budget money to improve a faculty room. It's not in the cards. We have to do things like make sure we have the curriculum materials that we need, make sure we pay for transportation. Those things that are essential to education," Panther Valley Principal Robert Palazzo said.
Thanks to the grant, Panther Valley will have $45,000 to improve the heating and cooling system, make the kitchen usable, and provide a safe haven from the students.
"We're going to have a lounge kind of area that allows teachers to collaborate and work. And we'll have a lunch area as well, so really it's going to serve two functions," Principal Palazzo said.
He said he wants teachers to use this space to share ideas with each other, taking the close-knit community of Nesquehoning into the school.
"We want a space for the faculty to feel comfortable, have the opportunity to collaborate, to have that full 30-minute lunch during the course of their day. In a place they feel good about that can really improve their teaching throughout the day," the principal said.
With a background in school psychology, Principal Palazzo said he wants to ensure his teachers are taken care of to prevent burnout throughout the school year.
"Even though it doesn't directly impact student outcomes, it's going to affect student outcomes. 'Cause our teachers are going to be well-rested, they're going to have a better attitude, and they're going to learn from each other. Overall, I think that's going to create a better learning environment for our students," he said.
Panther Valley Elementary School will begin construction for the new faculty room soon so the teachers can enjoy it at the start of the new school year.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline.