I get by with a little help from my friends

It takes a village...

An old African proverb (also coined by Hilary Clinton) stated, "It takes a village to raise a child."  I believe that to be true.  Mostly because I feel like I am part of the "village" as both a mother and as a teacher.  Over the last 19 years as a public school teacher, I have taught approximately 900 kids.  When the last day of school comes ends, it does not end my relationship with those children.  They are MY kids forever.  What is important to them is important to me.  I celebrate their successes with

them and mourn with them through loss or defeat.  

I have had the privilege of working in some great districts.  When my family came to this district in 2009, my children immediately felt at home.  I was hired 2 years later to teach 5th grade literacy.  Since then, there has been no doubt:  This is home.  If you have never lived outside of our quaint town or had your child attend school in another district, then you may not realize the blessing this community truly is.  This is a remarkable community with extraordinary people.  I am blessed to be a part of this town and your children's lives.  

Can you help our class?

With that being said, I now want to solicit some help from you don't mind. (WARNING!!! Shameless plug coming up!) I have felt that some of my students could benefit from a listening center in this class.  I can get audio versions of my texts that can help students who may struggle with reading due to various reasons (dyslexia, fluency, reading levels below 5th grade).  However, I do not have a way for my students to listen to these audio books.  To get the necessary things for my classroom, I have registered our classroom on DonorsChoose.org, an amazing website where individuals can contribute to public schools.  You can help me by spreading the word about our project to others who might be willing to contribute to the cost of the materials.  Of course any donations you made would also be appreciated! I have included the link here: https://secure.donorschoose.org/mrstiptonliteracyhttps://secure.donorschoose.org/mrstiptonliteracy

Do you know someone who could donate to our project?
 Huh? Do ya?

These materials will help create a listening center for my students and allow me to help all students succeed.  Please feel free to ask any questions you might have regarding the project.  Thank you for your support! 

Happy reading-