Timber Point Elementary School – 2009 Winner
To make the first day less intimidating, Sue visits each child in their home before the school year starts and introduces herself as the child’s teacher for the upcoming year. She takes several pictures of the child in their home and hangs them on the windows of the classroom to greet the children on their first day of school. In the home, Sue learns about the child’s extra curricular activities. She makes notes and then attends these activities and supports the children in their out-of-school endeavors. Sue has anonymously “adopted” families in her classroom by providing holiday dinners, holiday gifts and gift cards. She has paid for field trips or school t-shirts when families can’t afford them. Also during the initial home visit, each child is invited to “Sneak-A-Peek”, an opportunity to visit the classroom the day before school begins. In Sue’s classroom, every day is Earth day. Children separate items for several boxes. One for recycling paper, one for recycling water bottles and aluminum cans and one for items that kids in the Philippines might like and be able to use. As Sue told us “We hold fast to the concept that no matter how much we do or do not have, there are always people who have less and that giving to others from what we have is one way we show we care for people in our class, our school, our community, and our world.”