Friday, June 05, 2009
U.S. Cellular helps fund class projects
Have you heard?
JoAnne Poindexter
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Thaxton Elementary School teacher Maggie Marsh asked for a "mobile makeover" for her trailer classroom.
Other Roanoke-area teachers sought donations of items such as books and lab kits in classrooms where funding gaps for supplies exist.
These requests from teachers at Patrick Henry and William Fleming high schools and Thaxton, Fallon Park, Garden City and Highland Park elementary schools were funded during U.S. Cellular's million dollar "Calling All Teachers" campaign.
U.S. Cellular selected projects from the 2,000 requests that teachers in its coverage area submitted to DonorsChoose.org, a Web site where public school teachers describe educational projects for their students and donors can choose the projects they want to support.
According to U.S. Cellular, teachers typically spend $1,200 out of their own pockets each year for classroom supplies.
Seeking a $698 document camera, Marsh wrote: "It's difficult to meet the needs of modern day technology use (especially for those young, curious, technologically sound, adolescent minds!). We are often in competition with many other teachers/classes fending for only three [or] four document cameras available daily at our school."
"My students need visuals and hands on materials to support their math instruction in English," wrote Fleming's Bonnie Frazier in her $422 request. The games and resources will help teach math words and concepts in English to students who speak other languages.
Kimberly Miller teaches a special education class of 4-year-olds at Fallon Park. She had two requests funded, at a total of $1,012. Her classroom will get a selection of animal and science books, and a color printer and ink cartridges to make their own books.
"My children LOVE all things non-fiction, but we have limited non-fiction books," she wrote. She has brought in her own publications but didn't realize the need until a child looked at a picture of a reindeer and asked, "Is that a big dog?"
"I want to step up and introduce many animals to my kids to increase their vocabulary and knowledge of the natural world outside of their housing projects," she said.
Patrick Henry's Mark Levy sought and received $444 for three chemical kits to complete experiments that show students biotechnology techniques in a hands-on way.
Another Patrick Henry teacher, Matthew Useltona, received $505 in digital equipment including MP3 players, USB microphone headsets and a Podcast Factory kit for his 11th grade humanities class.
Loretta Shrewsbury received $500 in equipment to help teach students with autism at Garden City.
"Our class needs new CDs, a song bank and some very inexpensive instruments in order to rejuvenate our classroom music and movement program," Shrewsbury wrote. "For my students with autism, these materials will not only provide hours of enjoyment, but they will also help the children to acquire skills that will improve their behavioral, academic and social functioning."
Eunice Khetani at Highland Park received $691 in sensory equipment for 3- and 4-year-olds in the school's preschool program.
