During a fall staff meeting, Cowden Elementary had a special guest pop up on their screens via Zoom. Burlington store manager Seth Pike was there virtually to share a big surprise.
“We’re so excited to have the opportunity to acknowledge your extraordinary efforts as teachers at Cowden,” said Pike, store manager at a new nearby Burlington store. “The work you do each and every day is important, and at Burlington, we want to support your efforts so that students can learn.That’s why we’re presenting you with a check for $5,000 to support you in that work.”
In the midst of cheers, Pike explained that the $5,000 donation was made possible by national support of education by the nationwide retailer. Dr. Cherie Norman was ecstatic to share with her team later in the week that the donation would benefit every classroom in the building.
Part of the $5,000 would fund an interactive house point app on display throughout the school building, reinforcing the school’s student engagement initiatives with the Ron Clark Academy.
“The house model through Ron Clark Academy is all about student engagement, and our teachers have been trained on how to use it to great benefit for our kids and staff,” said Dr. Norman. “When we got the check, my teachers were so excited because they knew right away that we needed the funds to continue accessing this interactive app that supports and encourages academic and behavioral success. The money from Burlington made that happen, and we have a lot leftover that will go 100% to students.”