Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for December 22, 2006 AN APPLE FOR THE TEACHER?

Make that a car!

From the WPSD TV Channel 6 website...

Students Buy Teacher New Car for Christmas

Gerrin Thomas, NewsChannel 6

It's not uncommon for students to give teachers gifts for the holidays, but one gift is taking a West Kentucky teacher totally by surprise. At Christian Fellowship High School near Draffenville, Kentucky school is out but the parking lot is packed.

It's the end result of a secret plan that 22 students started last summer. The mission...to surprise their teacher, Erika Gooch, with a new set of wheels, something students like Kyle Forte say is needed. "She's been late to school because her car wouldn't start. She would need a ride because her car wouldn't get into gear," Forte says. The students say Gooch's 1994 Eagle Summit has been giving the teacher problems for years and even the mechanic got in on the act. The mechanic didn't really fix her broken clutch. Instead, he told the teacher he was waiting for a part. So the students raised more than 7 thousand dollars to buy her a new car for Christmas. And managed to keep it a secret for months..until now. Ms. Gooch thought she was at school for a Senior Holiday party with staff until her surprise arrived, a 2001 Toyota Corolla, complete with a big red bow. "It's for being such a blessing, Ms. Gooch," Forte tells her. "I don't know what to say, I'm totally overwhelmed," Gooch replied crying tears of joy.

Along with the car, the students paid for 6 months of insurance, tax and license funds and even gave her a gas card worth 100 dollars. Small things the students say for someone who makes a big difference to them. Every ounce of herself she pours into the school our lives and she's a Christian Spiritual leader to us and a great teacher," says student Rachel Schmidt.

Many of these seniors have been with Ms.Gooch for four years at Christian Fellowship. To them, this gift is a true sign of what really matters in life...giving to others. This is one gift their teacher won't soon forget. Most of the money for the car came from Christmas money and student saving.