Photo by Joselyn King Local McDonald’s owner/operators on Tuesday presented four Ohio Valley teachers with McDonald’s MAC grants worth $500 each. Pictured from left are Ross Stolz, owner of the Elm Grove and other local McDonald’s restaurants; Sheryl Sonk, Union Middle School; Eric Bush, St. Clairsville Middle School; Kellie Cusick, Bellaire Middle School; Justin Jones, Sherrard Middle School; and Bob Stolz of local McDonalds restaurants.

By JOSELYN KING

For The Times Leader

McDonald’s has awarded four Ohio Valley middle school teachers with funding for classroom projects.

The educators each received $500 MAC grants, which were presented Tuesday at the McDonald’s in Elm Grove. Receiving the awards were Justin Jones of Sherrard Middle School, Eric Bush of St. Clairsville Middle School, Sheryl Sonk of Union Local Middle School; and Kellie Cusick of Bellaire Middle School.

Handing out checks were Ross and Carol Stolz, owners of local McDonald’s restaurants, along with their son, Bob.

Jones said he will purchase video recording equipment with his grant money.

“We will record solo projects (which) the students will look at and evaluate,” he said. “At the end of the school year, we will have an in-class recital and make recordings the students can take home to their families.

Cusick will put the dollars she received toward purchasing two white board sets for her math classroom, as well as individual “boogie board” digital writing boards for students.

The “boogie board” will be used as an individual assessment tool, she explained. Students will be able to hold up their math work in class for her to see.

“I can check for mastery, and see who needs help without their embarrassment,” she said. “They are for reinforcement and remediation.”

Bush said he will buy lab equipment, including assorted microscope slides. He hasn’t decided which slides he will purchase for the students, but he said he leaning towards those in the “plant and animal spectrum.”

Sonk, meanwhile, will buy for students sets of two different books by the author Richard Peck. The books are “A Long Way From Chicago” and the Newbery Award-winning “A Way Down Yonder.”

“They closed our library a few years ago, and the students have no access to these types of books anymore,” she said.

Sonk said these are the first books she will buy for classroom discussion, and she hopes to purchase more.

The MAC grant program was created in the tri-state area, and is now in its 25th year.

Teachers in the region overall have received more than $1 million for classroom projects since its inception, with more than $75,000 coming to the those specifically in the Ohio Valley, according to information provided by McDonald’s.

This year, the company received 385 applications for MAC grants from teachers in the region, and 68 were awarded the grants for a total of $30,000.