Archway Roosevelt Teachers Honored by APS Supply My Class

Five teachers from the lower school at Great Hearts Roosevelt were surprised by representatives from Arizona Public Service (APS) with the exciting news that they had been selected as recipients of the APS Supply My Class program. These Great Hearts teachers were recognized out of the nearly 10,000 applicants state-wide.

The program helps ease the financial burden teachers often face when purchasing classroom supplies out of pocket. Each year, APS awards 500 K–12 teachers within its service territory a $500 prepaid card to support classroom needs. Now entering its eighth year, the initiative has already provided more than 5,500 teachers with funds to ensure they have the resources necessary to support student success.

This year’s winners from Archway Roosevelt are:

• Kathryn Denny – First Grade Teaching Assistant
• Christina Marroquin – Kindergarten Teacher
• Gayle Wilson – Exceptional Student Services MET Coordinator
• Lucila Madrigal – Second Grade Teacher
• Unity Atterberry – Second Grade Teacher

When representatives from APS arrived on campus, Archway Roosevelt Headmaster Jamie Fairbanks led them through the school to help them deliver the surprise that had been kept a secret. “We were so excited to have APS come and visit our school,” Fairbanks shared. “In addition to just providing wonderful service to our community every day, they also want to ensure that those that are caring for the children of our community are also provided for. I think this speaks volumes to them as an organization.”

Second grade teacher Unity Atterberry, who was shocked by the surprise, shared her excitement about how the grant will benefit her students. “I do history and science lesson plans, and we need equipment and materials for our labs for the second-grade class.”

Atterberry explained how amazing the Parent Service Organization (PSO) has been and how they have also contributed to her classroom. She was excited to share with them how this award will help enhance their contributions with even more tools for the students.

“I’m really joyful about it,” said Christina Marroquin, a kindergarten teacher who was moved to tears when she learned she had been selected. “It brought tears to my eyes because I felt like there was some divine favor on the decision out of 10,000 applicants that I was one of five [at Archway Roosevelt]. We do experiments like baking soda and vinegar and we talk about chemical reactions. So, it gives us ideas to have some more hands-on type of activities when we’re teaching science and history.”

“Teachers serve out of heart,” shared Fairbanks. “They serve out of a love of their communities and a love of children. And so, anytime we have people that are ready and willing to pour into their classrooms, it just helps them to be seen. It helps them to be heard and to know that there are people who care and appreciate what they do every day. Congratulations to our teachers and thank you so much, APS.”

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