In January every Vashon Island School District teacher received a gift from the PTSA in the form of a check for $50.  “The message to our teachers is we appreciate you and we want to say thank you.  We are honored to participate.” said Denise Katz, PTSA President.  This year’s PTSA Back to School Drive, spearheaded by Bob and Lauri Hennessey, was very successful with funds remaining after students’ school supply needs had been met.  It was suggested to Bob Hennessey that the balance go to teachers for classroom supplies.  The PTSA Board embraced the idea.  In December the Board voted to “top off” the balance with money from the 2007 PTSA Auction budget, allowing for a disbursement of $50 to every teacher.

This year has been a difficult time at the school district in terms of finances.  Superintendent Terry Lindquist is leading the district towards fiscal soundness and that includes some necessary belt-tighten along the way.   Many teachers have bridged the financial gap by procuring supplies and materials out-of-pocket with no expectation of reimbursement.  For some teachers that amounts hundreds of dollars.

So this little windfall discovered in teachers’ in-boxes was a nice surprise and a big morale booster.  The $50 was handy, but the message that the Vashon community values our teachers was priceless.   One teacher expressed, “I can't tell you how blessed I felt to know that our community understands and appreciates us.”   Another comments “Thanks again for your generosity and support of our teachers and students.  It really makes a difference.”

Here is a sampling of what teachers from CES, MMS, VHS and Family link have been able to purchase:  Lots of books; Shakespeare, reading books, resource books, dictionaries, book club books, Spanish instructional materials, food and supplies for the “Revolutionary Brunch” at MMS, art supplies, classroom prizes for motivators, project boards, markers, crayons, glue sticks, colored construction paper, music, a pencil sharpener, and materials for a class play on Native Americans.  Go to the PTSA website www.vashonptsa.org to read teachers’ comments.

The Vashon PTSA will provide opportunity for continued support to our teachers at the 2008 PTSA auction in May, with a special “Raise-the-Paddle” to raise money for teacher training.

For more comments from teachers press read more

Teachers’ Comments

“Some anecdotal information from teachers on how they spent the money was as follows:  food and supplies for the “Revolutionary Brunch” (a research & role-playing activity for students with personalities from the Rev. War), Art supplies, classroom prizes for motivators, project boards, and student supplies.  I also heard about homeroom/advisory gifts and prizes as well as Spanish instructional materials.” - Greg Allison

I used the $50 to pay part of the cost of new reading books for my first grade students. - Holly Boyajian

I was grateful to use the PTSA money to pay for some music I found for the American Studies curriculum and Spanish I class. - Harris Levinson(American Studies, Drama, Spanish)

A great big thank you to the PTSA for your generous donation to the teachers in our district.  I used the windfall to purchase some markers, crayons, glue sticks, and colored construction paper to use for classroom assessments of student learning such as illustrated posters and group projects.  I also bought several used copies of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure because I want to read that play with my Shakespeare class in the spring, and this is not one that we have already in the school's Shakespeare collection. If anyone has old copies of Measure for Measure (preferably with some notes in the text--Folger, Arden, Signet Classics, or Penguin versions are particularly helpful) in good condition gathering dust on a shelf and would like to donate them to the high school, you can drop them off for Mr. Floyd in the VHS office or his classroom (A-1).  I still need about a dozen more copies of the play. Thanks again for your generosity and support of our teachers and students.  It really makes a difference. - Stephen Floyd

I was so pleased to get the extra money because the pencil sharpener in my room, A-13, had been broken since last fall and our custodian said no replacement existed in the maintenance supplies. So, I was ready to have a spare change jar that students could contribute to if they wanted, since I had heard that another teacher had successfully used such a tactic to obtain a pencil sharpener for her classroom. Then the pleasant surprise of the PTSA check showed up in my box and off to Office Depot did I go. However, prices there were a little more than I expected, so the next best option was Costco. We now have a very nice small electric pencil sharpener with titanium blades, no less, for about 20 dollars. I am hoping to use a few more of the dollars to buy some book tape for reinforcing the edges of new paperbacks that we just received through a generous grant form Martha Woodard’s mom, Kathleen Haygood. New books here in the Humanities Department are precious, and we like to help them last as long as possible. Though I know the intent of the checks was to reimburse us for the expenses we often cover ourselves as teachers with few financial resources, I felt a functioning pencil sharpener was pretty important. Every teacher I know brings in all sorts of supporting materials for students to better engage with the curriculum, from the most interesting of enriching articles to the writing utensil needs of our day-to-day work in class. Mostly, I know we all appreciate the PTSA thinking of us. - Colleen M. Carlson

I used the money to buy sets of nonfiction and fiction books for our 2nd - 4th graders in Title. - Janis Mcelroy

Like many of my colleagues, I have spent several hundred dollars out of my personal budget for school supplies this year. The $50 gift was a wonderful surprise that showed community appreciation and support. Although I didn’t purchase anything I wouldn’t otherwise have purchased, the money was certainly a morale booster.  Many thanks!  --Susan Haworth

StudentLink/FamilyLink teacher (part time in both programs), Nan Hammett had just ordered books (with her own money) for the classroom two days prior to receiving the check. Both Nan and Judi DeVere (FamilyLink) were very appreciative of the gift. - Nadine Meeker

I used part of my $50 to buy math candies for a probability project. - Kay Burrell

I repaid myself for some of the $250.00 I’ve spent this year for supplies for my class. - Tina Taylor

I have purchased beautiful material for our class play. Because of their gift, our play will be more realistic and top notch. (Native American) - Gerie Wilson

The supplies I bought at the beginning of the year were all ingredients for Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip cookies.  I put together several algebra problems, (11 different sets of problems), that he students had to solve in order to determine what "the CODE" was. Then they had to solve the code.  In doing this, each student or two students in my larger basic algebra class ending up breaking the code and determining how much and of what ingredient to put into the mix.  They had to get it correct, or we may have ended up with cookies that were more like rocks, or salt.  I have had students asking when we will be doing more "Algebra" cookies, but sadly, the stove has been shut down. Anyway, supplies for several batches of cookies for 2 of my classes, done twice was fairly expensive.  The $50 dollars was very helpful. - Amber Mozeleski

I immediately went shopping and purchased vegetable oil and Shout Wipes for my classroom.  Yes, both are classroom essentials for the art room!  Vegetable oil removes printing ink from your hands and Shout Wipes save the way-too-expensive clothes the teenagers just have to wear everyday.  I also purchased 1" C clamps for bookbinding; a very popular Printmaking project and duct tape for silk screening and a can of latex house paint for painting the piece of plywood being used to create a new Senior Countdown display board like the one Dr. Spencer made her VHS senior year, 1985.  And I still have $12.47 left for more art room essentials!  Thanks so much, PTSA! - Amy Dubin

I bought new dictionaries, some World Book Solar System and Space resource books with fabulous up-to-date pictures and some student readers this year.  I was present at the PTSA meeting when they decided to honor us with a reimbursement check and I can't tell you how blessed I felt to know that our community understands and appreciates us. - Cherry Champagne