Hello everyone. I hope all of you are well and that you are all able to enjoy some “lazy summer days”. I am reaching out because we are a little over a month away from the start of the 2026/2027 school year and I am in the planning/preparation phase for it. As I mentioned to many of you during the 2025/2026 school year, there are many special incentives and events that I plan for my students throughout the year that are not covered by school funds. For example, I celebrate each of my students’ birthdays (normally 120-130 total) with a birthday card/candy/button and the opportunity to win a special birthday gift. Additionally, we have holiday celebrations/recognitions (i.e. – Christmas, Valentines’ Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, and etc.) with the biggest being a Christmas celebration where I dress as Santa, handout candy gifts (to each student), and we play competitive games (for prizes) before we break for the holidays. Furthermore, and typically on a day-to-day basis, I offer candy incentives to individual students (usually in the form of Jolly Rancher or Starburst pieces) for class participation; needless to say, I tend to get a lot of participation! I have found that incentives really motivate students to participate and it gives them something to look forward to each day (and throughout the year). Many of my peers and adults enjoy receiving incentives, recognition, and rewards in their jobs/life, so why would kids be any different! I would also add that in the Christian club that I sponsor (called “Fear Not”; which this past year we had 40 members!) we met/meet once a month (during school hours) and bi-weekly (after school hours); in these meetings, items are often purchased for club members such as Bibles and various Christian tokens containing scripture (such as bracelets, necklaces, cups, and etc.). It serves as another form of motivation, but in this case, to be unashamed and vocal in their faith.

I could continue providing more specific details of what this all looks like during the year but this message would get much, much longer (however, I am happy to do so if you want to reach out to me individually).  Needless to say, there is a price that is associated with all of this. On average, it costs about $1,000 to be able to do all the “extras” that I do for my students throughout the year. In years past, I have paid for this out of my own pocket but it was suggested that I consider reaching out to family/friends/co-workers to help. So last school year (2025/2026) I did and we raised approximately $900! It was such a blessing! To those who contributed, information was posted (at the end of the year) on how every dollar was spent and contributors were noted and honored with a special poster displayed in my class throughout the year. So, with this said, I am hoping we can do it again for 2026/2027!

If you’re reading this, please do not feel obligated or pressured to contribute, however, if you feel led to do so, any dollar amount you can contribute would be very much appreciated! I am hoping to reach $1,000 for the 2026/2027 school year. Additionally, for those who contribute, I will keep you “in the loop” (normally via Facebook) with how the money is being spent, answer any questions/concerns you may have, and will again have a special poster made and displayed in my classroom honoring each of you from day one of school!  

This year instead of using “GoFundMe” I am using “GiveSendGo”; it was recommended by several friends as a better alternative to GoFundMe. Apparently, GiveSendGo does not charge a platform fee and it is a Christian-based platform. I hope that this will not prevent any of you from giving who would normally choose to do so. As always, if there are any questions/concerns, I will do my best to address them. Thank you for taking the time to read this post and for potentially giving to this years’ fundraiser.