Kiss My Knits!

My daughter’s former kindergarten teacher has a proposal up on Donors Choose.

Donors Choose is an award-winning charity. Teachers write in requesting funds for specific projects for their classrooms. The requests are checked out to be sure they’re valid, donors are told in the proposal exactly what the teacher wants, why they want it, and how much it costs. It’s pretty transparent, and you know right where your money is going.

Em’s kindergarten teacher wants a carpet. Her class spends a lot of time on the floor, and when she asked her kids last year what one thing they most wished they could have, they picked a nice rug. They all looked at pictures, and the class liked the one pictured at left the best. The teacher likes it because each child could have their own space, and because it’s bright and colorful and exciting. It’s perfect for kindergarten.

Em’s school is a Title I school which doesn’t have a lot of money. In fact, we got a message the other day saying that their tiny afterschool program is in danger of being cut. As dire as the school budget it, the chances of finding money for something like a classroom rug are pretty low. That’s why the teacher turned to Donors Choose.

This lady is a great teacher. I mean, she is a GREAT teacher. When some teachers would have thrown up their hands at having a “special” kid in their class, she really went the extra mile to learn what worked for Em, and make sure that all the other teachers who worked with her knew too.

At right is a field trip that Em’s class took to the Farmer’s Market. The buses were late coming back to pick them up, so Ms. Wilson had to fill a fair amount of time keeping the kids engaged. Here they are having a “backwards race.” She’s a very creative person and the kids are lucky to have her.

I know things are tight right now for everybody, but I had a thought that might make giving easier. If you’re in NC and you’re taking advantage of the tax-free weekend, would you consider donating some of the money you saved by not paying taxes? If you’re buying, for instance, $150 worth of school supplies (very possible for some families) that’d be about $10 you could throw toward this deserving classroom without it making a dent in your budget.

Thanks for considering this. Her proposal has less than a month remaining before it expires, so the sooner we can get it funded, the better. As I say, I know things are tough right now, but your small amount combined with others’ can make a huge difference.