By: Amanda M. Socci
ALEXANDRIA,VA- Staples, the office supply retail store giant, keeps us Zebra staffers busy with fresh batches of pens, notebooks, paper, and printer ink. We were also pleasantly surprised to discover a helpful program designed to benefit teachers: the Staples Classroom Rewards program.
Incidentally, ACPS school Francis C. Hammond Middle School came out on top with the greatest number of active teacher participation in all of Alexandria!
We spoke with teacher Deb Alger, an English language arts teacher of 8th grade students at the International Academy division of Francis C. Hammond Middle School, to congratulate her for participating and to get feedback on why this program is so important for her and her students.
“By joining the classroom rewards program, I’m able to both save money and earn credit for future purchases,” Alger said. “My goal with the program is to provide my students with high-quality supplies while saving money so I can provide them with even more. I teach at a Title 1 school, and many of my students only have access to materials provided for them. This program allows me to do more than I could on my own.”
What is the Staples Classroom Rewards Program?
The Staples Classroom Rewards program is a back-to-school program that benefits enrolled teachers with a $5 gift reward and 5 percent in rewards from in-store purchases, up to $250. Teachers must become members of the Staples rewards program before enrolling in the Staples Classroom Rewards program.
“Most teachers purchase school supplies out of their own pocket without reimbursement,” said Shauna Marhafer, Staples Director of Loyalty and Customer Development Marketing. “We think it’s important for teachers to participate in Classroom Rewards to help offset some of these costs by allowing parents the option to give back five percent of their purchases during back to school time… The more parents that participate, the better the benefit for the teacher or classroom.”
Alger said that the program allows her to stretch her supply dollars.
“I … [can] buy things like markers, craft paper, and presentation supplies that I might not otherwise purchase,” she said. “These creative materials allow my students to demonstrate their learning in ways that extend beyond traditional assessments.”
Find out more
Parents can participate by submitting their Staples receipt information online at https://www.staples.com/classroomrewards/parent and designating the specific teachers they want to help. Parents must also become Staples rewards members and will earn their customary 2 percent in rewards in addition to the 5 percent that goes directly to the teachers. This program has been active since May 19, and will to end on Sept. 15.
