Ed. — From the Sunday, Nov. 5, print edition.
VIRGINIA BEACH — Kayla DeGhetto, who teaches second grade at Creeds Elementary School, loves teaching – and books.
Before class began on Thursday, Oct. 26, she waited for a special delivery of books and more for her classroom at the rural school in the southern city.
The were on the way from Coastal Care 757, a nonprofit that helps deliver resources to local educators and classrooms.
“What kind of things were on your wish list?” asked Anne Horsley, the reading specialist at the school.
“A lot of books,” DeGhetto said.
“She gets books every day,” said Hugh DeGhetto, Kayla DeGhetto’s 7-year-old son and a first grader at the school.
As students got ready for the day, members of Coastal Care 757 arrived bearing gifts. Many, many gifts. There were Amazon boxes of all sizes. They carried them into the classroom and stacked them.
Scott Hendrickson, the nonprofit’s founder, said the group wants to empower classrooms through efforts such as assisting educators who often dip into their own pockets for classroom supplies.
Which Kayla DeGhetto, among so many other educators, has done.
“Oh, absolutely,” she said.
That’s because teachers step up when students are missing something.
“It’s hard to learn when you don’t have what you need,” she said.
This was a “clear the list” delivery by the group – in which people buy items on an online wish list on behalf of an educator, but the group has been supporting educators in other ways and hopes to provide resources to classrooms in the region.
“If we can get the community involved in what we’re doing,” Hendrickson said, “the sky’s the limit.”
There were pictures and thank yous, including one delivered by Principal Doug Knapp. Soon, the visitors left, and the students assembled to start their learning day.
“Obviously, there’s a pretty big elephant in the room,” DeGhetto told her class shortly before she began opening boxes.
“I think it’s going to be Christmas stuff,” said Leland Burford, 7. “Or a Halloween party.”
DeGhetto explained that the boxes contained items for classroom learning.
“I’m not going to lie to you,” she said. “Some of it is really boring teacher stuff, but some of it is really cool.”
Then they opened the gifts together.
Naturally, there were plenty of books.
Learn more about Coastal Care 757 online via coastalcare757.com.
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