Kipler teaches English Language Learners (ELL) and her students come from around the world, including Ukraine, Senegal, Honduras and Vietnam.
Because her students are learning English, she needed a variety of books. She plans to give her students a choice of books as a Christmas gift.
“This is such a gift to be able to come here,” Kipler said.
Kipler was one of more than 200 teachers who attended the fourth annual Crayons to Classrooms event. Teachers from qualifying schools could schedule a time to pick up books during the event.
Crayons to Classrooms is a nonprofit that provides books and supplies to qualifying teachers in the region.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Malena Ball, marketing coordinator for Crayons to Classrooms, said the organization gave away more than 11,000 books last year, and had more than 30,000 books available for teachers this year.
Amy Kopp, the director of Crayons to Classrooms, said the event started as a way to give back to teachers on Giving Tuesday, when nonprofits typically seek donations.
The available books were donated, Kopp said, from Scholastic or from local libraries.
“This is one of my favorite events,” Kopp said. “Literacy is important to me.”
Lisa Pankratz, a second-grade teacher from Snow Hill Elementary in Springfield, said she plans to give books to her students as a holiday gift. She was thrilled to find books in Spanish as she has students who speak Haitian Creole, Portuguese and Spanish in her classroom.
“This event offers really quality reading material,” Pankratz said.
Zoë Zhong, a high school math teacher in Springfield, said she picks up books to encourage her students to keep learning during down time, keep them engaged and connect to students. She said her students have lent her books and she can talk to them about what they are reading.
“When you can read, you can know more,” she said.
Kopp said this event is made possible through donations. Crayons to Classrooms is accepting donations on their website, crayonstoclassrooms.org.
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