Grants have been handed out to several Chilton County schools during the month of February, and Thorsby School was one of the fortunate recipients during a presentation on Feb. 3.

Three grants were awarded during the ceremony. The schools music and special education programs will be the direct benefits from the grant money.

Kristie Hardy is an elementary counselor at the school and received $835 for the “Music for Kindergarten” project, while special education teacher Kelly Wood was presented with the “Reaching for the Stars” grant worth $665.

According to Hardy, the money from the grant will provide the kindergarteners with new hand bells, which is something that has been needed for quite some time.

Thorsby had been borrowing hand bells from a church, but will now have the luxury of having a permanent supply.

Each classroom will have a set of bells, as well as extra in case of damage. This will also make sure that every student has a bell, even if the class size increases in the future.

“We’re also getting some songs along with the bells,” Hardy said. “This will allow us to change up the songs and not do the same ones over and over.”

In the past, the hand bells were used during the kindergarten graduation recital, but now she has plans for even more use.

“We would like to put on different programs throughout the year,” Hardy said.

The “Reaching for the Stars” grant was designed to get science and social studies materials for children with special needs.

“I received a solar system, skeleton poster and a weather station,” Wood said. “Some hands-on materials for special need children.”

According to Wood, the solar system is motorized and allows for a visual aid of teaching.

“I could not have paid for that out of my fee money,” Wood said. “It had to be something extra, because we were a new unit starting with nothing. I’m very grateful to the PEECh community for picking me and allowing me to have the opportunity.”

Rachel Mims also received a grant. She teaches special education at both Thorsby and Jemison.