Photo by Jason DeMoe
Deb Wycislak visited and read to second-graders in Rachel Meyer’s class at Forest View Elementary on Dec. 19. Wycislak earned the invite by participating in the Adopt a Classroom program where local citizens and businesses can donate to a specific classroom. Through these donations, Meyer was able to purchase an iPad for the class.
To label Forest View Elementary second-grade teacher Rachel Meyer as resourceful would be quite the understatement. That resourcefulness was put on display recently when Meyer went on the hunt for more student resources.
“I had several students in my classroom who came on the first day with little or no school supplies, and Forest View has always been good about providing,” Meyer said. “I had ideas about some other things that I wanted for my students, but I wanted to find another source of funding.”
Meyer began exploring grant options and she discovered the website adoptaclassroom.org. Adopt a Classroom is a free program that allows teachers to sign up for “adoption.” Local citizens, businesses and organizations can search the website and choose to make donations as they see fit.
“I started last year and only really received one donation,” Meyer said. “There were a couple more this year from different companies, and then we were lucky enough to be adopted by a local woman.”
Deb Wycislak learned about the program when her son began an internship in graphic design with the company. She was always a fan of giving and loved to see joy on the face of a child, and so the partnership seemed like a perfect fit.
“I had been giving random donations here and there, but in August 2014 I decided to do a search of Forest Lake and that is how I found Rachel’s classroom,” Wycislak said. “I liked the fact that they had a specific goal of getting an iPad and that you could track their progress on the website.”
Shortly after Wycislak’s first donation to Meyer’s classroom, she was very surprised to receive personalized postcards from the students thanking her for her kindness. That gesture prompted another donation, and this time she received letters from each student.
“They thanked me and drew pictures for me and told me how excited they were to be getting closer to their goal,” Wycislak said. “That, combined with the fact that Rachel is really good about reaching out and keeping in contact through email made me feel that much better about my giving.”
Meyer’s class did reach their goal, and the students now use the iPad for math programming above and beyond the regular book work as well as reading games that help to encourage the students and challenge them to increase their literacy skills.
“Deb became sort of a pen pal of sorts for our classroom,” Meyer said. “I was speaking with some colleagues about how grateful I was for the donations and they suggested that I invite Deb to come meet the students that she is helping.”
An invitation for Wycislak to come to the classroom and read to Meyer’s second-graders was extended and was graciously accepted.
“I never expected the invite, but I think it is a great idea,” Wyclislak said. “I was so moved by the postcards and letters that I think it will be great to actually meet the kids who wrote them. I really enjoy that I am able to give locally and connect with a teacher right here in Forest Lake.”
Not one to rest on her laurels, Meyer has already stepped up her efforts to provide for her students and has launched a new goal through the Adopt a Classroom site. She wants to replace some of the outdated science and social studies books with more current versions that better relate to today’s second-graders. The goal is $400, and the deadline is Jan. 19. As of Dec. 16, the project was 74 percent funded.
Meyer’s class page can be found at http://goo.gl/5UlrTu.