Saying “Thank You” to Educators in McDonald’s Communities

Our teachers have always been there for us, especially over the last year and a half, and we wanted to say thank you. This fall, we were thrilled to be able to give back to educators who go above and beyond for their students every day, like Mr. Kevin Crowley and Mr. Kevin Tersilas of Boston Public Schools and Ms. Sandra Ondriezek and Mrs. Melanie Kutchell, teachers at Ave Maria Academy in Pittsburgh.

Mr. Crowley is a teacher at William E. Carter School, which serves students with severe disabilities and complex health needs between the ages of 12 and 22. Mr. Tersilas, who became friends with Mr. Crowley when they both worked at William E. Carter School, now teaches kindergarten at Ellison/Parks Early Education School.

In October, McDonald’s surprised Mr. Crowley and Mr. Tersilas with two $25,000 donations: one to purchase tablets or e-readers for Mr. Tersilas’ kindergarten literacy program and one to purchase new communication and learning technology for students at William E. Carter School. Students and fellow educators came together to celebrate Mr. Crowley and Mr. Tersilas and congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition.

To continue our efforts to thank educators for their role in our communities, we celebrated the hard work and dedication of Ms. Ondriezek and Mrs. Kutchell, of Ave Maria Academy in Pittsburgh with a $25,000 donation to the Ave Maria Academy’s theater program. Students from Ms. Ondriezek’s and Mrs. Kutchell’s 5^th and 3^rd grade classrooms helped surprise their teachers with an assembly in the school’s auditorium.

Ave Maria Academy’s much-loved theater program has been suspended for the past two years due to budget cuts. Mrs. Kutchell was heavily involved in past productions and has been eager to get the program back on its feet. We’re so happy Ave Maria Academy will use the donated funds to purchase the licensing rights, costumes and equipment necessary to be able to produce a spring musical and continue the program into the 2022-2023 school year.

To all educators around the world: thank you.