Ferguson-Florissant Teachers Supply Classrooms with Donations

Four teachers at Johnson Wabash Elementary in the Ferguson-Florissant School District have taken the responsibility of getting needed classroom supplies into their own hands and found a way to get them.

The teachers used DonorsChoose.org, a nonprofit website where public school teachers describe specific educational projects for their students, and donors can choose the projects they want to support with donations. 

This past year, Renita Perry, Rebecca Bazzell, Christy Schneller and Stayce Hendree have received more than $1,800 in classroom supplies through the site, including an iPad.

Each has a list of things their classrooms are lacking and they posted them. Here is each teacher's project link: Perry, Bazzell 1, Bazzell 2, Hendree, Schneller

The group had a little help finding out about the site. Carl Reed, an agent at Horace Mann has been helping the teachers. Horace Mann is an insurance company geared towards people in the education profession. 

The company started a partnership with DonorsChoose.org in 2011, and Reed said he has been showing teachers how to post projects on DonorsChoose.org since then.   

“When you see how technology, new books and new learning tools open up the world to these students, it really warms your heart,” he said.  

If you are wondering which of the lucky teachers received the iPad donation, it was Perry. She is a fourth grade teacher and said the iPad will be used for research, presentations, practicing skills and taking virtual field trips.

“My students love using technology but really don’t have a lot of access to it,” she said. “This will allow students who desire to use an iPad but don’t have the resources to do so, have some access to one." 

Bazzell said here classroom's donation will help bridge the gap in reading levels. 

“My students are at many different reading levels,” she said. “Unfortunately, I have not been able to add to my library as much as I’d like.  

"The Readers’ Theater Script Box received from DonorsChoose.org has taken our library and readers to the next level."

Bazzell also said her classroom recently got a donation of audio book on CDs, as well.

DonorsChoose.org isn't new to teachers in the area. In March, a different Ferguson-Florissant Teacher fundraised for a class library.