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Health & Fitness

Students Develop Charity to Support Teachers

Students honor the dedication shown by teachers in Newtown, CT, by creating a charity for an elementary school in Staten Island that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy.


To honor the teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, the Future Teachers club at Brookfield High School has created a charity to benefit teachers at an elementary school in Staten Island. The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School highlighted the extraordinary efforts of teachers and the extent to which they care for their students. These teachers have all given up much of their time and energy to help their students and communities heal. Through the efforts of many organizations, the teachers in Newtown have been receiving some support and tickets to games, museums, etc. These things encourage them to take some time out for themselves and their families, which is the goal of our program. Unfortunately, there are teachers in many other districts who are not supported in the same way, though the need is present. This is the case for the teachers of PS 52 in Staten Island. Much of Staten Island was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy. The damage includes PS 52 - John C. Thompson School, which was hit badly enough that the school was temporarily shut down for repairs after the storm. While the damages to the building have been repaired, the impact on the teachers remains. These teachers needed to move to another building and teach their students in makeshift classrooms while still maintaining organization and standards in preparation for state tests and the mastery of various skills. We have also learned that the teachers have volunteered their free time to help rebuild their community, but no support has been provided specifically for the teachers who have been doing so much for others. In honor of the teachers in Newtown and all those teachers who go above and beyond, we have created Adopt-A-Teacher: Sandy for Sandy to provide the teachers of PS 52 with support and appreciation to encourage them to continue their efforts and care for themselves as well.  We are looking for groups to "adopt" teachers. They can sign up on our website or e-mail us at BHSAdoptATeacher@brookfieldps.org. When they sign up, they will be assigned to a teacher at PS 52 in Staten Island and will be asked to send a few notes, cards, or letters addressed to that teacher along with a donation of $250.00. Checks should be made out to "Brookfield High School" and sent to: BHS Adopt-A-Teacher
C/O Amy Plourde
45 Long Meadow Hill Rd.
Brookfield, CT 06804 The donation will be used to purchase a personalized gift basket to help this teacher end their year well and encourage them to take some time to relax, regroup, and refocus over the summer so they can be fully rejuvenated and encouraged before beginning next school year. Considering the fact that there are 47 teachers to adopt, that is no small feat for our little club.  The BHS Future Teachers club is a small, dedicated group of 9 students ranging from Freshmen to Juniors. Together we discuss their hopes for the future, professional responsibilities, aspects of the job that the general public is often unaware of, learning styles, etc. I'm proud of the work teachers do and I want to help prospective teachers prepare for their futures. I also want them to have a deeper understanding of the role teachers play in their students lives. After the horrific events in Newtown, the role of teachers was a common discussion around the dinner table and there appeared to be a greater social awareness of the sacrifices teachers make for their students, schools, and communities. This became a conversation for our group and the students decided that they wanted to do something to support these teachers.  Over time we discussed several options and an idea that simply began with letters and notes of encouragement grew to notes and gifts from individualized sponsors in an attempt to foster relationships between the teachers and various communities. As we began developing the program, the sensitivity of the situation in Newtown caused some unique challenges and though the students attempted to address each of them, it was ultimately not the right time to implement this program in Newtown. I believe I was more disappointed than the students were! They maintained the focus and desire to move forward despite the setback. We discussed it as a group and they decided that it was still a valid concept and that there must be other teachers who have faced excessive challenges this year and who could benefit from this program. So they promptly began reading articles about various schools and found PS 52.  We have been working for months to make this happen, but this was more difficult than we originally thought it would be. It's totally worth it, but we are a bit concerned because we now have a very tight deadline. The school year is ending and we need time to purchase the goods, create the personalized gifts, and deliver them. We have set our deadline for May 31. This has created some additional anxiety for all of us, but I'm confident it will all work out, mostly because it's a great cause and it's being done by a great group of kids. Matter of fact, the dedication these students have shown fills me with such a sense of pride and admiration that I tear up a bit every time I tell someone about this. Their work has been downright impressive!  Adopt-A-Teacher Sandy for Sandy website
Along with considering the mission and logistics of the program, the students have created a website where people can go to learn more: https://sites.google.com/a/brookfieldps.org/adopt-a-teacher/. They've even created a QR code to include on letters and flyers so people can find the site with ease! The Adopt-A-Teacher website has also been linked to the home page of the Brookfield Public Schools' site so people can learn about the program and offer donations.  Respectfully submitted,
Amy Plourde
BHS English Teacher
Future Teachers Club Advisor

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