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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Milianta-Laffin from Houston, TX is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Milianta-Laffin is requesting

Sharpener That Actually Sharpens Pencils Please!

My students need a pencil sharpener that actually sharpens pencils, and staple removers to use on interactive Science boards in the hallway and to separate lab packets.

  • $164 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mrs. Milianta-Laffin for her next project!

Help Mrs. Milianta-Laffin

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mrs. Milianta-Laffin for her next project!

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Students

"Wwwrarrara! Wwwrarrara!" The sound of an electric pencil sharpener is enough to give any teacher a migraine, but it hurts doubly when accompanied by a screaming student announcing that his or her pencil is broken or not sharp. Please support our Science Lab by providing a sharpener that works!

Aside from being pencil vampires, my students are classified as "high-risk" as more than 80% of our students receive free lunch at our Pre-K - 4th public elementary school in a Texas urban center.

Resources like pencils can be hard to come by and therefore it is critical that we use what we have to the fullest, especially pencils. I am the campus Science/Technology specialist and a Teach for America alum who has been serving our nearly 900 elementary school students for the past 6 years.

My Project

My students are not novice pencil sharpeners. It is almost as if they see each new sharpener that I've brought into the lab as a challenge to conquer, and conquer they do. My students have chewed-up and spit-out everything from the high rated X-Acto SchoolPro Heavy-Duty Electric Sharpener (neither "heavy duty" or a "pro") to the Westcott KleenEarth iPoint Battery Pencil Sharpener. The latter example lived longer in my room, making me do my research and come up with a better idea. I am asking for the Westcott IPoint School Electronic Sharpener. I do not ask for a $75 pencil sharpener lightly; I have seen it in action and it is amazing! This resource is critical for my lab because broken/unsharpened pencils equal lost instruction time. Each time I need to sharpen a pencil for my students is time that I lose teaching, and every minute of instruction is precious. Working staple removers will also be a blessing as they save time on interactive Science display boards.

A working pencil sharpener - such a simple request, right?

This simple thing would make instruction more seamlessly flow in my lab, and make sure that students are using their pencils more than worrying about getting them sharp. Any help you could offer with this project would be wonderfully appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to read my little proposal, and moreover thank you for supporting the fabulous organization that is Donorschoose.org!

Mrs. Milianta-Laffin Alexander Elementary School Grades 3-5

Equity Focus

At this school, more than 50% of students are Black, Latino, and/or Native American, and more than 50% come from low-income households. Learn how your donation to this school supports a more equitable education.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Mrs. Milianta-Laffin

Houston, TX 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

800 students impacted 1donor

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mrs. Milianta-Laffin is requesting.

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Westcott iPoint School Electronic Sharpener Silver • Quill $76.49 1 $76.49
Swingline Heavy-Duty Staple Remover • Quill $10.61 1 $10.61
Swingline Premium Blade Style Staple Remover • Quill $4.99 3 $14.97

Materials cost

$102.07

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$1.53

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$138.60

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$24.46

Total project goal

$163.06

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $163.06

1 Donor

-$163.06

Donations toward project cost

-$138.60

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$24.46

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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 Mrs. Milianta-Laffin and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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