OfficeMax makes day better for two Dallas ISD Teachers

DALLAS—Fifth-grade science teacher Jessica Enriquez from Cesar Chavez Learning Center and Kimberlee Bassa, a kindergarten teacher at Ronald McNair, had their day brightened by OfficeMax during the A Day Made Better initiative.

The teachers were among 1,000 educators nationwide who were surprised with $1,000 in school supplies presented by OfficeMax and AdoptAClassroom.org. The annual initiative seeks to erase teacher-funded classrooms by providing much needed supplies early in the school year.

Teachers selected for the surprise are nominated by their principals for demonstrating passion, dedication and innovation in the classroom.

Both teachers were praised by their principals and school staff as exceptional teachers. “Ms. Bassa is special because she goes above and beyond with her students and her parents,” said Allena Anderson, principal, Ronald McNair Elementary. “She is often seen in her classroom teaching and dancing with her students as one of her instructional strategies. Her students love being in her class.”

“As a fifth-grade science teacher, Jessica Enriquez exhibits an abundance of dedication,” said Kimberly Runnels, community liaison, Cesar Chavez Learning Center. “Ms. Enriquez also spends a good amount of her personal funds on instructional items to ensure her students have everything needed to conduct science experiments. Just recently, she purchased perishable items for all four of her fifth-grade classes so they would have the materials needed for the natural sciences experiment.

Since 2007, A Day Made Better and other OfficeMax Goodworks programs have contributed more than $25 million in grants and supplies to support more than 31,000 teachers and their classrooms. Additionally, through the annual event, OfficeMax has helped its nonprofit partner AdoptAClassroom.org secure funding for more than 100,000 classrooms nationwide.