Dave Fields & The Dean of Country Visit The Pencil Project Winner at Maryvale Primary

Last fall, we partnered with Sgroi Financial to award TWO well-deserving teachers $750 for classroom supplies. The idea was to cover educators who need school supplies, classroom decorations, classroom pizza parties or field trips. This $750 from Sgroi Financial is theirs to make their job and the classroom experience for their students that much better this year.

The response was overwhelming. WNYers from all across the area nominated teachers — over 1,100 nominations rolled in, with more than 100 school districts represented!

So, now that a few months have gone by, we visited Rebecca at Maryvale Primary to see how her class was enjoying the flexible seating she implemented after buying rugs, flexible mats, a bean bag chair and a wobble chair with the $750.

"Kids are able to choose their own seats in the classroom each day; it relieves the pressure of sitting in an assigned seat," Rebecca said. "(It's) super beneficial for students who have learning disabilities.”

Besides looking good, it has helped the 23 kids in her class (some of them with behavior problems or from low-income homes) feel good, too. Students feel like they have more control in their day and it leads to fewer disruptions and fewer cliques in the class.

“We call the tables our neighborhoods because we work as a community in this classroom,” Rebecca said.

While we were there, we enjoyed pizza, read some books to the students and talked about country radio. We love talking, so we had a blast and we loved seeing how the Pencil Project was able to make a difference in the lives of students. Rebecca was nominated by a friend, so it was a total surprise when she learned she had one.

Thanks to Sgroi Financial for partnering with us on this project, and thanks to Rebecca for making such a difference in the lives of your students!