La Puente teacher gets surprised with $1,000 worth of classroom supplies
LA PUENTE - Every year, elementary school teachers spend hundreds of dollars out of their own pockets on much-needed school supplies.
According to national studies, the average teacher spends about $1,000 a year.
To raise awareness about teacher-funded classrooms, Office Max donated $1,000 worth of school supplies to 1,100 teachers across the country Wednesday through the third annual "A Day Made Better" campaign.
Among the recipients is Faviola Evans, a third-grade teacher at Villacorta Elementary School in La Puente, who was caught off guard when Office Max employees from the Placentia store wheeled in a huge box filled with folders, pens, paper and even a printer and digital camera.
I think this is amazing, especially given that everybody is feeling the pinch," said Villacorta Principal John Martinez.
Evans said she spends up to $500 on supplies every year on top of a $225 supplies stipend.
"I love it. Right now, my face is just so warm, I'm so excited," she said.
Her third-grade students were just as stoked. They all had wide eyes and big smiles as they watched their teacher take each item out of the cardboard box.
The biggest response from students came when she pulled out a 64-count pack of crayons.
Haley Jacobo, 8, even started crying.
"I'm just happy for my teacher," she said. "I'm very happy because we're going to use that stuff."
"I wasn't expecting that," she said of the special delivery. "My teacher deserves it because she's been working hard to teach us."
According to Office Max spokesperson Jennifer Rook, the corporation partnered with the Adopt a Classroom organization to find Title 1 schools located within 25 miles of an Office Max store.
"We think it's wrong that elementary school teachers spend about $1,000 on average on classroom supplies out of their own pockets," she said. "We decided to focus and really spread the word about
The principals at each campus selected the teacher to receive the box of goodies.
Martinez said he recognized that every teacher could use the extra help, so he drew a name out of a hat.
Evans was the only teacher within the Rowland Unified School District to win the school supplies.
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2718