HIGH 5
Utah Teachers Helps Students in Need Stay Warm in Winter
Dec 12, 2018, 6:40 AM | Updated: Dec 13, 2018, 7:35 am
MAGNA, Utah – As students file into Christine Hone’s third-grade class, they know they’re loved.
Mrs. Hone has a reputation at Academy Park Elementary — a really good one.
“She’s the best teacher in the world,” says her student Gracie Husband.
“She helps us learn, she gives us education, she takes money out of her own pocket for us,” Joseph Soriano.
Mrs. Hone is known for treating each one of her children as if they’re her own.
“She knows families, she knows home situations, she reaching out to families all the time,” assistant principal Steve Alder says.
Which is why she knows when some of her kids need a little extra help in the winter.
“Last year I started crocheting hats for the kids because there is a need for that,” Mrs. Hone says.
She crochets a hat for each of her students so no child feels singled out. She also buys them all gloves.
“It’s so fun to see them get excited about it. They say, ‘Look, I have your hat on again today.'”
About 15 minutes West of Academy Park Elementary is Magna Elementary, where teachers are constantly seeing students in need of warm clothing.
Shandi Engman showed us the school’s depleted clothing closet.
“We have a lot kids who come and they haven’t had the water turned on so they can’t wash the clothes.”
Engman says teachers distribute about 50 winter coats each year.
“I had two little girls this week that needed coats, and they just happened to be the right sizes. And they were just screaming they were so happy. ‘Look how cute I look in this coat.’ It’s amazing.”
For the second year, instead of a Christmas exchange among the faculty, the staff is donating winter clothing to fill the closet.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these incredible teachers and how much they care about these incredible kids in all facets of their lives,” says Magna Elementary Principal Brett Bawden.
We’re proud of them too, which is why we crashed their faculty meeting with a $500 gift card from America First Credit Union.
“You’re always pulling stuff out of your own pockets to give back to your classroom, and so hopefully this $500 will just help you a little bit in that effort.”
Back over at Academy Park, we also have $500 for Mrs. Hone.
And while the spotlight on teachers like Mrs Hone is well deserved, perhaps the most meaningful thank you comes from the little ones impacted the most.
