Five teachers at Williamsport Area High School have been able to knock off a few items on their wish list this fall, thanks to Subaru and its partnership with AdoptaClassrorom.org.

Nationally, the corporation and its 600 retailers, including Blaise Alexander Subaru, partnered with the educational nonprofit to buy school supplies and other classroom tools as part of its Subaru Loves Learning initiative.

This summer, WAHS teachers Larry Flint, Marie Fox, Dr. Andrea McDonough, Tanya Swink and Tara Yokitis each received $500 to support their classroom supply needs.

“We appreciate the generous support received from Blaise Alexander Subaru to our teachers to enhance their craft by sponsoring the Subaru Loves Learning initiative at WAHS,” said Head Principal Dr. Brandon Pardoe. “All five teachers who qualified are utilizing the funds to expand curricular supplies that will benefit student learning within courses that they teach.” 

The group of teachers were able to purchase items, such as lab equipment, educational technology and other general classroom supplies to help enhance student learning.

“Our school’s oceanography course is only a few years old and I’m developing new and better labs for students to better understand our world’s oceans,” said Flint, who teaches 11th- and 12th-grade science. “(The funds) allowed us to develop a new rock and mineral lab that helps students learn about the composition of the ocean floor. We also used funding to purchase supplies to create coral fragments from the large coral colonies we have growing in our saltwater aquarium system.”

“I used the very generous funds to buy things to support my unified arts (exceptional individuals) class,” said Marie Fox, who teaches drama. “With the challenges that they face, I am always trying to find new ways to get the students to better understand some of the abstract and difficult areas of drama. I am also trying to work on teaching my students to follow direction, imitate, create and work as an ensemble. The objects I purchased were cardio drumming supplies to teach these aspects and to make them fun while we are learning. I am really excited to try all of this out with my students.”

For art teacher McDonough, the grant funds were used to purchase for additional supplies for her mindful art classroom.

“Hoberman spheres were purchased for visualizing during breathing and centering activities and two singing bowls were purchased for use in mindful listening and drawing activities,” she said. “Our WAHS art students are so grateful for the support and the opportunity to use these alternative materials in the classroom studio.”

“The generous donation was certainly put to good use in my class,” said Swink, who teaches 12th-grade science. “I was able to purchase a new document camera to allow students to share their work with the whole class. This document camera will also allow me to share objects or text with the students, whether they are in my classroom or on remote learning. I am excited to use this new camera to share microscope views to the whole class at one time.”

Yokitis, who teaches astronomy, said she will be able to buy more laboratory equipment in response to growing enrollment in her class.

“We will also be able to fund more planetarium shows for our students as well,” she said. “I can’t say thank you enough.”