#bestschoolday

Today we gave to Mrs. Wollenweber‘s class in Arlington, TX for books.

It’s #bestschoolday today, so we went a little crazy, and gave to 12 different projects around the country.

Books! The world is drifting away from the paper book, but that’s unfortunate.  While some think the death of paper is saving trees, it’s frequently the opposite; less demand for paper means it’s more profitable for tree farmers to bulldoze their crop, and instead sell off their land for parking lots and shopping plazas. 

So if you want to support trees, buy more books!  And if you want to support classrooms, buy more books for classrooms that need them!

Today we gave to Mr. Z’s class in Culver City, CA for a document camera and headphones.

It’s #bestschoolday today, so we went a little crazy, and gave to 12 different projects around the country.

Mr. Z would like to think of his young students as mini reporters, learning to investigate, describe, and report on the world around them.  That’s a powerful metaphor for children to follow; research and interpretation are valuable life skills.  This project gives them some of the tools that a mini reporter might need as part of their investigatory efforts.  Good luck, reporters.

Today we gave to Mrs. Todd’s class in Las Vegas, NV for special needs supplies...and a mini trampoline.

It’s #bestschoolday today, so we went a little crazy, and gave to 12 different projects around the country.

The plight of the teacher is likely the same as it’s always been, but some of the more challenging aspects are just now coming to the fore.  Some students don’t speak the primary language; some have quirks or conditions that make learning difficult; some simply come from disadvantaged families; and others still just have lives that make school harder than it should be.

Teachers are tasked with overcoming all these obstacles, frequently without the benefit of sufficient funding, to help their wards learn.  This requires incredible dedication, fortitude, and creativity.  Sometimes it means sensory tubs for those with sensory issues.  Other times it might mean therapy putty.  And every once in a while, it may call for a mini trampoline. 

Today we gave to Mrs. Azeem’s class in Houston, TX for school supplies.

It’s #bestschoolday today, so we went a little crazy, and gave to 12 different projects around the country.

Normally we write this stuff ourselves, but Mrs. Azeem’s got us covered:

“My class has about 30 refugee students coming from all the war-torn countries from around the world, such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Congo and Uganda. Some of the students were born in refugee camps, and are attending schools for the first time. They are learning the language, the culture, and the academic subjects at the school.

Give the refugee students the gift of learning through classroom supplies and technology!”

You got it, Mrs. Azeem.

Today we gave to Mr. Gatlin’s class in Dallas, TX for raffle prizes.

It’s #bestschoolday today, so we went a little crazy, and gave to 12 different projects around the country.

At Sudie Williams Elementary School, they have an end-of-year party, where, among other activities, they raffle off prizes to the graduating students, who are celebrating their final days before middle school.

Once upon a time, they’d have to go to local businesses to ask for prize donations.  But this is 2017, and the internet is here to help.  The biggest benefit is that they’re no longer stuck offering that donated kielbasa sausage to an unsuspecting 5th grader.  Now they can get cool educational-but-still-fun prizes like science kits and board games.  What a time to be alive!

Today we gave to Mrs. Salaz’s class in Rio Rancho, NM for seating.

It’s #bestschoolday today, so we went a little crazy, and gave to 12 different projects around the country.

Bean bag chairs.  Getting one often ends up in the “regret” pile, along with wallpapering the living room, or buying a timeshare.  An exception is the classroom; the classroom that has beanbag chairs is the awesome one, as everybody knows.  So congratulations, Mrs. Salaz -- your class is soon to be the coolest spot in school.