APS gives local teachers $500 for school supplies

Teachers all across Arizona this month have the opportunity to receive a $500 grant from APS. One teacher from Otondo Elementary School in Yuma was one of this weeks honorees.

APS is known for their generous donations, but this is the first year they have done the “Supply My Class” program. The objective is to honor our teachers in the state of Arizona. Any teacher that works at a public or charter school can apply. The individual must teach in one of the 11 counties that APS serves. Five teachers from Yuma County have been chosen and the list is expected to grow as the program just started.

First year teacher Christine Simon received the honor this week. She will be teaching fourth grade at Otondo Elementary this fall. Her classrooms theme this year is “Harry Potter.”

“A lot of these extra themes such as doing a Harry Potter theme are not part of the curriculum base pay that we get and because of that a lot of it comes out of our own money. Setting all of this up costs quite a bit out of pocket, so this really really helps me,” said Simon.

Christine shared that she has already spent over a thousand dollars of her own money setting up her classroom. Having a room without visuals was not an option for her as she believes it’s an essential part in a child’s learning development.

If you are a teacher and are interested in applying, head to www.supplymyclass.com to get started.