Sequoia District Teachers Association members’ answer to “How can our students complete math homework when they’re stressed about rent and food?” is to raise funds to provide Wi-Fi access and grocery bills to lower stress levels.  Through the Bulldog Buzzcut Challenge they are trying to raise “40K by the end of May” for their students at East Palo Alto Academy in Redwood City.

Teachers representing yellow, teal, green, red, and purple teams are making videos promoting their fundraising goals and showing team members getting a buzz cut once their team goals are met.

“We split up into teams to make it an in-house competition. It kills me to say it but the purple team has already placed first,” said organizer and green team leader Caren McDonald. ”When the team reaches its goal, some teachers buzzcut their hair, and the rest of the team will color their hair the team’s color. THEN – the winning team joins a team that is struggling. By the end, we should all have rainbow colored hair!”

Thus far 10 teachers are getting their heads shaved this month. East Palo Alto is really struggling right now, says McDonald and the “best way we teachers can support our students is by showing them how much we love them with this fundraiser. We hope that this fundraising campaign will lower their stress levels.”

Here is the link to donate. To make sure our team gets credit for your donation, select the “Dedicate my donation in honor or in memory of someone” box or use the comment box. Teacher team members include the following:

• Red Team: Amika Guillaume, Scott Dailey, Andy Robinson, Philip Wong
• Yellow Team: José Heredia, Ann Sbardellati, Misla Barco, Maggie Ates, Maria Mares
• Green Team: Caren McDonald, Danielle Martin, Mitch Sanford, Marilyn Travis, Sisley Brewer
• Teal Team: Derek Ang, Joanna Bradshaw, Pete Otte, Esme Sanchez, Oram Ramirez, Bianka Nessler, David Duval
• Purple Team: Anne Raeff, Lucia Gonazales Cabrera, Ventura Garcia-Ortiz, Martha Perez, Mirella Vazquez-Murrillo

McDonald says in addition to getting to see teachers with buzzcuts, “this is an opportunity to invest in our community in a real way that will make a difference for our students and their families.” She shared how donations are being used:

$50 = Cell phone bill (best way for parents to connect with school)
$75 = Monthly internet bill, vital for distance learning
$100 = Utility bill for month
$250 = Week of groceries for a family of 5
$375 = Week of rent for a family of 5 sharing a home
$1,500 – to share a room in a home for a family of 5