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Milwaukee 1st grade teacher goes above and beyond to help students during pandemic

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MILWAUKEE — A 1st grade Milwaukee Public School teacher is doing everything she can to bridge the digital divide to reach all of her students in a meaningful way while schools are closed due to the coronavirus.

"When they get something from me personally, when they've touched something I've touched, it's like they are touching me," 1st grade teacher at Parkview Public School in Milwaukee, Margaret Roushar, said.

She is sending her 19 students special care packages the old fashioned way - through the mail.

"So then I've also been sending packets home because I know that everyone gets the mail."

Not every student has access to the same online resources, which is why accommodating for those different needs is essential.

Ms. Roushar is spending the $1,200 she anticipates getting from the government's coronavirus stimulus plan on handmade care packages for her students. These packages include customized lesson plans, coloring sheets, math/art/science homework, crayons/pencils, and fidgets to help students de-stress.

"Children are young. They're scared, and they need to know that I think about them and that I want to support them," she said.

A sample of some of the items first grade MPS teacher Margaret Roushar puts into special care packages she sends to her 19 students.

It's a way to reach her students even during the toughest times to let them know that she cares for them.

Ms. Roushar even made a care package for one of her previous student's who also has a sister in her class.

"(I felt) happy because its been a long time since I learned from school," 4th grader Sandrine Bledu said.

Ms. Roushar plans on mailing these packages every two weeks for as long as schools are closed.

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