October 2010- Recently, four St. Louis Public School District teachers were surprised with classroom donations of much-needed school supplies that included a printer, a digital camera, and essential classroom materials worth more than $1,000 as part of the “A Day Made Better” campaign.

The “A Day Made Better” campaign is a national cause event founded by OfficeMax and Adopt-A-Classroom in response to a 2005 survey by the National Education Association stating teachers spend an average $1,200 out-of-pocket for necessary classroom supplies – collectively nearly $4 billion annually. Nominated by their school, “A Day Made Better” provides encouragement and support for teachers who have exemplified passion, dedication, and innovation in the classroom.

The four St. Louis Public Schools teachers honored were:

Ms. Jane Sykes, winner from Meramec Elementary, nominated by fellow colleague, Ms. Mya Allen, who stated, “Ms. Sykes has great passion and enthusiasm for teaching Science. Her classroom is a giant lab with many hands on experiments. The students are always engaged and eager to learn.”

Mr. Matthew Minami, winner from Compton Drew Investigative Learning Center, nominated by the school‘s principal, Ms. Susan Reid, who stated, “Mr. Minami goes out of his way to reach his students. He spends his personal time tutoring his students and mentoring them in addition to serving as an assistant coach for both football and basketball. He seeks to inspire his students through the literature he uses in the classroom and the life lessons he mentors them through daily. In the summer, Mr. Minami selects students to take on a college tour at his own expense to his alma mater in hopes of inspiring his middle school students to aspire to a post secondary education. He is relentless in his efforts to reach his students so they achieve their very best.”

Ms. Hazel Grider, winner from Walbridge Community Education Full Service School, nominated by fellow colleague, Ms. Hortense Harris-Lewis, who stated, “Ms. Grider  exhibits extraordinary teaching skills as she works with a population of students in great need. She has a unique understanding of the needs of our children. She knows exactly what they need and how to nurture children whether delivering a lesson, implementing student behavior, or providing simple teacher-parent-student dialog. Her classroom is an environment that is well organized, print rich, and motivational. She is the lead teacher and works well with her colleagues to reinforce quality standards for all children at Walbridge.”

Ms. Carol Glaza, winner from Woerner Elementary, was nominated by the school’s principal, Ms. Peggy Meyer, who stated, “Carol Glaza is an amazing teacher who goes above and beyond for her students and her school. Every Wednesday morning, she rolls out of bed early to hit the yard sales before she comes to school. She buys all kinds of things for her classroom, her students, and for the school. Many of the other teachers give her lists of things to look for.  She is the bargain queen, but still spends a lot of her own money on her students.  It is great to recognize Ms. Glaza for her hard work and dedication to her students. No teacher deserves it more.”

The St. Louis Public Schools District is pleased to have quality teachers such as these and many others who work daily without recognition to ensure that students succeed academically. For more information please contact the Office of Public Information (314) 345-2367.

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