Reading

As members of the education community, we all know the importance of reading. We teach it, devise new strategies for encouraging it, promote it in every way we can. But do we, as busy professionals with families and tons of responsibility, take the time to read ourselves? Do we derive the tremendous pleasure available to us when we put ourselves in the hands of a great author and admire his beautiful descriptions or nod knowingly at his universal insights – which all too often apply directly to us. (Especially Tolstoy). But when? How do we find the time?

I’ve recently discovered Audible, the next iteration of books on tape. Audible is a subscription online service at (www.audible.com) that allows you to download full length books onto your computer, ipod, ipad or other device. Now, when I’m commuting or at the gym, I get to “read” the great books I’ve always longed to. In the past two years I’ve “read” War and Peace, Anna Karenina, The Brothers Karamazov, Lolita (OK, enough Russians!), Sanctuary, The Old Man and the Sea, Richard III, The Way We Live Now, White Noise, Freedom, Ulysses, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Sound and the Fury, The Great Gatsby, Lush Life, Midnight’s Children, Norwegian Wood, Let it Come Down, Indignation, The Dying Animal, American Pastoral (my Philip Roth period!), James and the Giant Peach (for my grandchildren and I to listen to on car trips), The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Don Quixote (one of the funniest books I’ve ever read, about the original Laurel and Hardy), Death in Venice, Blood Meridian (certainly the most beautiful, yet darkest book I’ve ever read), The Beautiful and Damned. One of the great bonuses of Audible is that often they hire the finest actors in the world to read. To listen to Jeremy Irons read Lolita, the French Lieutenant’s Woman and James and the Giant Peach heightens the enjoyment of the book even more. Other greats such as Donald Sutherland, Will Patton, Campbell Scott narrate other books. And when you listen to Toni Morrison herself reading Their Eyes Were Watching God, well…what can I say? I’ve even downloaded and listened to a few different kinds of French lessons, but I fear the only way to learn a language is to speak it daily with a native. So, I encourage all educators to take the time to enjoy the pleasure of a good book, at a time when you might actually be able to.

Richard A. Lasser
President

Teachers’ School Supply helps Donors Choose

Teachers’ School Supply helps Donors Choose to provide much needed school supplies, books and equipment to teachers in need.

Here’s how it works:
· After going to www.DonorsChoose.org, teachers select the items they want from Teachers’ School Supply’s website.

· A description of those items and their total cost is then posted on the Donors Choose website.

· People from all over the country then donate what they can to support the project.

· Once it’s fully funded, Donors Choose lets Teachers’ School Supply know, and we ship the order to the teacher.

· After the items arrive, the teacher takes pictures of the children using the items in the classroom and sends -- along with handwritten letters of thanks from the children -- to Teachers’ School Supply,

But Teachers’ School Supply isn’t just a supplier. When we see a project may not get fully funded, we help out with a cash donation of our own to push it across the finish line. Here are a few letters of thanks from teachers whose school supply projects we’ve helped get fully funded.

To learn more about the great work Donors Choose is doing, click here: www.DonorsChoose.org

Sincerely,
Richard Lasser, President
www.TeachersSchoolSupply.com

New Catalogs Arrive Soon

I recently travelled from chilly Washington State to even chillier Minnesota to proof our Teachers’ School Supply 2011 catalog covers. It was seven degrees the night I arrived and the temperature continued to drop all night. But the next morning broke sunny and clear and by the time I reached pretty little Sauk Centre, I enjoyed a nice strong latte and some homemade bread pudding with caramel sauce. Thus fortified, I continued north through the lovely Minnesota prairie to the town of Long Prairie where I proofed the catalog cover and made some corrections so the catalog photos looked their best. And then back to Minneapolis. To my surprise, I passed a highway sign saying “Lake Woebegone Trail.” Being a fan of Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion,(in which he regales his audience with tales of his fictional hometown of Lake Woebegone), I couldn’t resist stopping to take a photo. That night I had a lovely vegetarian meal at Restaurant Alma where the standout dish was the celery root soufflé. I got the recipe and we’re going to try it at home tonight. If you try it too, let me know how you like it!

-Richard Lasser
TSS President

Helpline House

For the Teachers’ School Supply family, it’s always giving time. And when I say “family”, I mean it. My granddaughter came to me the day after Christmas and asked if we could do something for those who didn’t have a very good Christmas. I mentioned an organization in our hometown called Helpline House, which feeds, clothes and shelters those in need. She asked if we could collect money for those they serve. And her little brother, never to be counted out, volunteered to join us.

We parked ourselves in front of our local Town and Country Supermarket and braved the cold for 3 hours to collect over $115 for Helpline House. You can support the work of Helpline House yourself! Just click on www.helplinehouse.org

Teachers Partners With Candeo School

Candeo School Peoria, Arizona has been ranked “Excelling” by the Arizona Department of Education. Founded by visionary educator Stephanie Musser, Candeo serves as the feeder school to the top-performing college preparatory middle and high schools in the nation. Their program is academically rigorous - well beyond state standards - and sets high expectations for student performance.

They feature:

• A teacher-to-student ratio of 1:15

• Class sizes of 18-26

• Highly qualified, well-trained, certified teachers

• A culture of performance

• Content-rich curriculum including Latin, Handwriting, Classics, Singapore Math, Music, and Visual Arts

• Instructional blocking in reading and math within grade levels (for acceleration)

• Junk-food free campus

• Love and Logic Discipline

So when Teachers’ School Supply was chosen in 2008 as the company to completely outfit this new academy of 500 elementary school youngsters, we were quite honored. Since that time, we’ve continued to serve Candeo as the school has expanded. But we don’t just sell to Candeo. We service what we sell. Recently, Stephanie brought to our attention that the color of the 32 cafeteria tables she ordered didn’t match the school décor. I felt terrible because we sold her those tables. So I made arrangements with the manufacturer, Midwest Folding, to replace the table tops and benches and I hired a crew to switch them out – all at Teachers’ School Supply’s expense. But wait…there’s more! I was recently at a trade show and made arrangements with Early Childhood Resources to donate all the items in their booth (chairs, tables, foam climbers, mobile organizers and sand & water tables) to Candeo. See pictures of some of the loot they received above, plus a picture of a happy Stephanie Musser with her beautiful, newly-refurbished cafeteria tables. What can Teachers’ School Supply do for your school?

Hanoi Sales Trip

In the words of TSS President, Richard Lasser:

I just got back from Hanoi, Vietnam, where I was privileged to meet with the staffs of some great international schools. Our first stop was the brand, spanking new Concordia International School, which will open next fall in 28,000 square feet of a shiny, new high-rise tower in the north end of this bustling city. A city which runs on the perpetual energy of its enterprising 20-30 somethings, who buzz around the crowded streets on motor scooters, weaving in and out of the unpredictable traffic in a kind of motorized dance. Led by the ever-smiling Steve Winkelman, and ably assisted by Meg Brainard and her staff, Concordia will serve 200 elementary school children of foreign workers in this fast-growing city. After two years, they’ll move to their own campus and continue to grow. Perhaps to the size of the well-established United Nations International School, (UNIS) where we met with business manager David King, and his procurement specialist Mrs. Van. David’s quite a guy. Prior to coming to UNIS, he was instrumental in helping Cambodia’s fledgling government set accounting standards that will serve the country and its population for generations. Talk about leaving a legacy! UNIS is opening a new wing, and Teachers’ School Supply hopes to help outfit it as only we can do. My last meeting was with Mrs. Hang, Procurement Executive at the lovely Hanoi International School, whose motto is “making a world of difference.” And it’s obvious they are. Enjoy the photos of my trip to this fascinating city, which is the wild, wild west, firmly rooted in the east. Hope you can make it there someday.

Richard A. Lasser
President

Teachers' Supports Harlem Children's Zone

By sponsoring a scholarship program for a top student, Teachers’ School Supply is able to show its support and appreciation for Harlem Children’s Zone.

President Richard Lasser traveled to New York to present the winner with a scholarship check which was awarded to Dominque Bradham-Riddy, the student with the highest academic performance.

Harlem Children’s Zone is a not for profit organization that operates the Promise Academy Charter Schools in Harlem. Recently Harlem Children’s Zone has received national attention for its efforts in setting up and maintaining effective charter schools.