WYOMING — The Tenth Street Elementary School is undergoing a change in curriculum, and Walmart is assisting the process.

Roger Orlandi, store manager for the Pittston Township Walmart, presented a check for $2,500 to the elementary school to help acquire new books for the school’s library. The money will be used to buy books for all students in grades four, five and six throughout the Wyoming Area School District

According to Christine Rosenkrans, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Wyoming Area School District, the new curriculum will intertwine students’ social studies and reading programs, helping them learn both at once.

“The social studies will drive the reading and the English,” said Rosenkrans. “So, instead of having social studies just be social studies, the kids study about Egypt, read fun books about Egypt, they research Egypt, write about Egypt and do a presentation about something related to Egyptian history. It’s a thematic unit approach to instruction.”

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Tenth Street Elementary School Principal Jon Pollard said now the teachers of the three courses — social studies, English and reading — will all work together to teach the students.

Rosenkrans said receiving the books will not be an overnight process and the faculty is still working out details for the new curriculum.

“Throughout this school year, teachers will come help write the curriculum every so often,” she said. “As they are developing the activities and learning objectives, we get to look for books that will be put into the library to help support what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Books to be purchased include ones on American History, Ancient Civilization, Colonization and more.

To acquire the $2,500 check to help purchase the books, the school district had to go through an applicationprocess.

“It has to be for educational purposes,” Orlandini said. “Once the applicant applies, it goes for review to the Walmart Foundation and they approve it based on upon the need Wyoming Area applies for. It’s just the local school district and the community supports Walmart, so this was something we could do to reach out and help.”

Each Walmart has a charitable organization contribution fund set up in which each store has $10,000 to be divided evenly for the applicants.

As the father of children in attendance at Tenth Street Elementary School, Orlandi is excited for the changes coming to the school that will benefit not only his children, but others.

“With children’s growth today, it’s a very complex world and a technological world we live in,” he said. “Building these programs is going to help the children get ready for what’s out there. Just looking at when I went to school and now, what a difference. That money is important to that growth in the school and in the children.”

Tenth Street Elementary School was recently presented a check for $2,500 by Walmart to assist in buying new books for the school library to help with a new curriculum change. From left, first row, are Kierstyn Orlandi, Roger Orlandi IV, Katherine Potter, Megan Beppler. Second row, Nadine Blannett, kindergarten aide; Deborah Przybyla, fourth grade teacher; Roger Orlandi, Pittston Township Walmart store manager; Christine Rosenkrans, Director of Curriculum and Instruction; Jon Pollard, principal; and Roxanne Campenni, sixth grade teacher.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_Check-1.jpg.optimal.jpgTenth Street Elementary School was recently presented a check for $2,500 by Walmart to assist in buying new books for the school library to help with a new curriculum change. From left, first row, are Kierstyn Orlandi, Roger Orlandi IV, Katherine Potter, Megan Beppler. Second row, Nadine Blannett, kindergarten aide; Deborah Przybyla, fourth grade teacher; Roger Orlandi, Pittston Township Walmart store manager; Christine Rosenkrans, Director of Curriculum and Instruction; Jon Pollard, principal; and Roxanne Campenni, sixth grade teacher. Jimmy Fisher | Sunday Dispatch
Walmart presents check to Tenth Street Elementary School to help acquire books for new curriculum

By Jimmy Fisher

jfisher@timesleader.com

Reach Jimmy Fisher at 570-704-3972 or on Twitter @SD_JimmyFisher