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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. R. from Severn, MD is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. R. is requesting

A Monster Ate My Pencil!

My students need a supply of pencils and a heavy duty electric pencil sharpener.

  • $471 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

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Help Ms. R.

This year marks my third year of teaching 4th grade at a Title 1 elementary school. Most of my students have chaotic or unstable home lives, and the last thing they need to worry about is whether they have the materials they need for school. There have been many students who have arrived in my class with only a book bag on their back, but no materials inside. Normally, I would head down to the office and scrounge up supplies from one of the school secretaries. This year we have faced serious budget cuts. As a result, I have taken to purchasing extra supplies and keeping them on hand in my classroom. I have found that these supplies run out fast when you are providing them to an entire classroom full of children. We go through pencils and erasers like crazy.

If there is one thing I have learned over the last two years, it is that there is a monster eating my students' pencils! Everyday I find the same kids standing at my desk begging for a pencil. "Can I pleaseeeeeeeeee have a pencil?" To this I usually respond, "Well where did you put the one that I gave you yesterday?" Nine times out of ten they can not recollect what has happened to the pencil. Before I hand over a new pencil we brainstorm possible missing pencil locations. Is it in your book bag? Nope. Not that we could see past the two week old bologna sandwich or the sweaty gym socks. How about your desk? Nope. All the other papers overflowing from the desk must have knocked it out and onto the floor. Did you ask your classmates if they had found an extra pencil? Yes and they all said no. So, as you can see there is only one possible explanation for all of these missing pencils. There must be a monster that is eating my students' pencils. I think that monster likes pencil sharpeners too, because I have gone through at least two every school year. They overheat constantly and then one day they just stop working. Hopefully the two sharpeners that I have now can hang in there for a while.

I truly need pencils for my 4th grade class. If I had pencils and a decent sharpener, I would be able to provide my students with the basic materials that they need. It would put both mine and my students’ minds at ease to know that they will not have to worry about not having materials. Also, I would not have to hassle them every time they lost or ran out of pencils.

By providing my students with pencils and a high quality sharpener you will be making a difference in the lives of children. You will be providing them with the basic materials that they need to receive an education. People always say that children are our future and that they are tomorrow’s leaders. I say that we need to do all we can to provide for them now, so they have a chance to grow into productive members of society.

Ms. R. Van Bokkelen Elementary School Grades 3-5

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Ms. R.

Severn, MD View local requests

More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

16 students impacted 12donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
X-Acto(R) By Boston(R) 1606 Heavy-Duty Electric Sharpener, Beige • Office Depot Inc. $140.94 1 $140.94
Paper Mate(R) American(R) Pencils, No 2, Soft Lead, Box Of 12 • Office Depot Inc. $1.73 100 $173.00

Materials cost

$313.94

Vendor shipping charges

 $31.39

Sales tax

 $15.70

3rd party payment processing fee

$7.85

Fulfillment labor & materials

$17.00

Total project cost

$386.00

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$84.73

Total project goal

$470.73

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $470.73

11 Donors

-$454.12

Donations toward project cost

-$386.00

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$68.12

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$16.61

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. R. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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