WENDELL, Idaho — Teachers are known to spend their own money on supplies for their classrooms. Project Succeed provides supplies to K-8 teachers around the Magic Valley by request, and three nurseries are helping them stock up on supplies to distribute.
- Project Succeed accepts requests for supplies from K-8 teachers across the Magic Valley.
- To help stock up their supply, the Battle of the Nurseries supply drive runs through May 5.
- Windsor's Nursery, Moss Greenhouses and Roots Nursery are each collecting supplies at their sites.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
“We want to see kids grow and be better readers and mathematicians,” said Wendell Elementary principal Paula Chapman.
Chapman works with some very dedicated teachers.
“I try to use my building money and watch those supplies of pencils and paper and glue and watercolors,” Chapman said. “But I know there's other needs in the classroom, and that's where the teachers really step in.”
The school budgets for most basic supplies, but when items run out, or a teacher wants special items, it's often up to them.
“The average teacher spends about $1500 a year out of their own pocket on school supplies for their classroom,” said Project Succeed Director Melissa Pease.
Pease decided she wanted to help teachers stock their classrooms with supplies. Her Organization Project Succeed fields teacher requests.
Now, K-8 teachers at any Magic Valley school can submit their wish lists.
“Those students perhaps couldn't afford the supplies now have the supplies what kind of impact does that make for their future, or our future?” Pease said.
As the spring growing season gets underway, a donation drive is hoping to stock up the warehouse for Magic Valley classrooms.
“We've got a little battle of the nurseries going on,” Pease said.
Three Magic Valley nurseries have set up donation boxes, just as the peak of the season approaches.
“When you pick up your flowers you can drop off some supplies. When you pick up your dirt whatever, bring some extra supplies,” Pease said.
"Teachers are the unsung heroes, and we need to help them as much as we can," said Jamee Muchow, owner of Windsor’s Nursery.
Muchow signed on to a friendly competition with two other nurseries: Moss Greenhouse and Roots Nursery, to see who can collect the most donations for Project Succeed.
“Challenge accepted,” Muchow said. "Anything I can do for kids in our community I'm big on that for sure.”
Chapman said the teachers' requests ranged from standard supplies – tissues, folders, pencil sharpeners – to innovative, like games of Uno or Scrabble, even a lamination kit.
"The teachers came up with some real unique things that I knew I couldn't do right away, so Projects Succeed for us just kept forward momentum," Chapman said.
