The kids at Booker T. don't have a lot of resources. My mentor and I are trying to scrape together cash via grants for buses so we can take the students to local museums. Just getting a bus to the Poe House for 60 kids can cost us hundreds of dollars, and the Poe house is less than a mile away*. The teachers often spend their own money on materials and books for the students.
If you're so inclined, please take a moment to register here and choose Booker T. (school #130). Simply registering earns our school $1. Of course I suspect you'll end up getting spam galore or junk snail mail that way; please keep that in mind before you register!
If you happen to have box tops from Box Tops 4 Education participating brand names (Kleenex, Hefty, various cereals), please send them to:
RM 218
Booker T. Washington Middle School
1301 McCulloh Street
Baltimore, MD 21217
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cab Calloway and Thurgood Marshall went to this middle school. There are potential Cabs and Thurgoods who may be lost to the streets if we can't turn things around ASAP in Charm City.
*And no, we can't walk students there. Walking through those neigbhorhoods? Oh, no--not even in broad daylight.
11 comments:
I hate to sound dumb about this but will signing up for that work if my address info is not in the same school district--or should I use a fake/real one? I don't mind doing it, don't care about spam, but I don't want it to be screwed up for the school or whatever. Regardless I think we can shoot you some actual boxtops: I think ol' RFES can spare a few, at least half, not that we have a ton. Any deadline on those?
By the by, the writing is great.
So far as I know, you can choose what school you want to fund even from across the country (good for alums who move away, etc.).
If you have boxtops I can save you postage and take a hike down to the Liberry.
Bwah.
Oh, and re: RFES. Do they still have the goofy "forging ahead" pun on a sign out front?
Give me a couple of days to scrape up some from all of the Kleenex boxes here at the office and will do! I know it's not much...
I'll even make a disc for you, bring your Dawn Of The Dead DVD back and that skunked thimble of Epcot Center Plum Wine from 2 years ago.
Rogers Forge Ahead. Yeah, corny, and they are a well off, whitebread, yet overcrowded school-- but T's had some really excellent teachers. One's that are nice but strict and understanding and willing to give him a chance and not expect us to just dope him up on meds.
I did the online thing too.
Anything to get you and the kids to the Poe house is good by me. I'm gonna do the online thing, and I'll look around for box tops.
I want to visit, too. . . is it really as bad as all that? I just remember that *hilarious* scene in The Wire when the tourists are asking the kids on the porch where "the Poe houise" is, and they say something to the effect of "This is the Po' house, mothafuckas!"
Maybe I'll stick to the Inner Harbor, like I always do. Can't get enough of that aquarium. . .
You ever do field trips to the National Mall? Probably blow the budget, I'm guessing. But the museums are free at least.
I've been saving soup can labels and box tops and the kids don't want them for their schools anymore so they're yours. Do you need soup can labels from Campbells?
Anyway, I'll keep saving them and will send them in bulk!
Mom: I dunno if the Campbell's labels count for boxtops for schools. I'll check the website. Any box tops would be grand.
Casey: We have thought about field trips to the DC malls. I'd love to get these kids--many of whom have never left the 'hood--to DC or NY. But money is problematic. There are good free museums in B'More like the Walters, which has grant money for buses for Title 1 schools. Also, there is Ford Foundation money if we can get the necessary paperwork done because Booker T. is intended to be an arts magnet school. With all the chaos, actually functioning as an arts magnet school is the problem.
Oh, and re: visiting. I could probably get you signed in for a weekday visit. I could check with my mentor.
The Aquarium is certainly more fun, but Booker T. is equally an eye-opener.
I meant the Poe House, but sure — Booker T.!
I'll wear my best kevlar. ;-)
I registered as requested.
You continue to be my hero.
I could not do what you and Cha do - even though I probably should.
Hell, I'm not even allowed to give blood in the USA; apparently, mine is tainted from having lived in the UK.
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