Lake Superior Elementary Receives Generous Donation
By Mark Howard
Late this Summer, Lake Superior Elementary received a phone call from a Jeff Foster’s employee and former school parent – Vanessa Bushey. Vanessa asked if LSE would be interested in Jeff Foster Trucking doing a school supply fundraising event for our students.
In late August, Vanessa joined with Miriam Hanson – Health/Wellness Advocate in organizing cash donations from their drivers and office staff, as well as generating other private donors, including Tri-State Business and Northern Business Products. Miriam and Vanessa used our school’s “Back To School Supply Lists” as the guide for products that were needed within our classrooms and went to work finding the best buys.
Last week each of our twelve classrooms unpacked boxes of supplies that will help supplement our students learning in reading, math, and writing. Teachers and students were excited to see multiple types of writing tools (pencils, pens, colored pencils), generous amounts of post it notes, composition notebooks, and multiple styles of holders and binders for our students organization.
L to R: Vanessa Bushey, Karen Gucinski, Leo Naumann, and James Manion (Jeff Foster Staff members)
It was nice to see all the different materials that can be used to support our interest in student writing, and an ample supply of dry erase markers that are used daily as our students show their thinking in Math.
When interviewing Vanessa Bushey, Karen Gucinski, Leo Naumann, and James Manion (Jeff Foster Staff) while they delivered the school supplies to us, it was apparent that they were as excited and empowered by their donations as our students and staff were about receiving the products. They talked about this program feeling good to their drivers and office staff because it was about children. The staff from Fosters went on to describe the feeling of increased wellness of their own, through supporting the wellness of others.
Lake Superior Elementary would like to thank the generosity and kindness displayed by Jeff Foster Trucking employees. Without doubt they have made a positive impact on our students learning within the classroom. This company’s acts of kindness can be noted elsewhere in our community as they have commonly donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Superior, and played a big role in the Multiple Sclerosis Bike and Walk fundraisers.
Mark Howard, Principal of Lake Superior Elementary
Mark Howard is the Principal of Lake Superior Elementary School in Superior, WI
