JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Teachers at Oceanway Elementary School were surprised Tuesday morning with money for classroom supplies.
"This is really amazing," said Amber Ferrell, a teacher at the school on Jacksonville's Northside. "This was completely unexpected. We were so excited. The kids were really excited. We were just overwhelmed by the generosity. We can do so much here with these funds and with this money. And what's really great is it's going to go right back to our students who we're here for doing things for every day."
The school was given the $10,000 donation through a partnership with Burlington Stores and AdoptAClassroom.org.
"What I learned is just how much money our own teachers are putting into their own classrooms," said Andrew Miller, district manager for Burlington Stores. "That's incredibly heartwarming in one sense, but in the other sense, there's something wrong with that."
Burlington, in partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org, makes a donation to a local school in each grand opening market to celebrate a new store location. The new Burlington store in Jacksonville will open Oct. 18 at River City Marketplace on City Square Drive.
“This is such a tremendous blessing to our teachers and to our entire school,” said Oceanway Elementary Principal Michelle Hinkley. “I am so grateful to Burlington and AdoptAClassroom.org for their support. This funding will greatly enhance instruction and learning at our school. It’s a perfect example of how businesses and the community can partner with schools to create outstanding outcomes for students.”
With the donation, teachers can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that many, if not all, of their needs are met for the rest of the school year.
"As all teachers probably feel, we get excited for knowing that all the different resources are available, but sometimes we can't necessarily bring those to the classroom. So I think that burden of 'I know this is available, but I can't do it' is lifted," said Lauren Wiltshire, a teacher at Oceanway Elementary. "Now, we can change that to excitement of 'I know this is available. Now, I can do and this is how it's going to impact my classroom.'"