Piney Woods Elementary, Lexington-Richland School District Five’s thirteenth elementary school slated to open for the 2021-2022 school year, recently received two grants that will benefit students and the community.
The Chapin Woman’s Club supplied a grant of $1000.00 to Piney Woods Elementary to assist in funding for a full purple martin nesting system on the school’s campus. The purple martin is the school’s mascot and migrates to the Lake Murray area every year. The grant will help the school embrace their mascot and bring learning alive for the students, while also assisting the Purple Martins Conservation Association by gathering data and giving students the opportunity to analyze the data in hopes of developing creative conservation efforts.
Piney Woods Elementary principal Cassy Paschal said, “The grant from Chapin Woman’s Club for the nesting system for purple martins as well as educational materials will create educational opportunities for our students to become immersed in learning about our mascot and conservation efforts to protect them. A nesting system on our school’s campus will create many hands-on learning experiences for our students.”
In addition, Piney Woods Elementary also received a Recycling Education grant from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for $1309.42. The grant is available to schools to promote awareness of solid waste issues, including the need to reduce solid waste and to recycle whenever possible.
“Receiving the DHEC Recycling Education Grant allows us to purchase recycling containers for every classroom as well as recycling containers for common spaces such as the cafeteria,” said Paschal. “Leadership opportunities are extremely important, so carts and containers for students on our future recycling team will also be purchased through these fantastic financial supports. The Chapin community has already embraced Piney Woods Elementary, and I am looking forward to being an active member of such a special place.”
