- So this is your first year as principal.
- Yes.
- What inspired you to start reading to your students?
- So there's a Facebook group called
Principal Principles Leadership and
they have these principalss from all around the world
that they inspire each other, give each other ideas.
So someone was reading to their students,
so I thought, it's almost Christmas time,
I won't see my scholars.
The best way I can see them without being intrusive
is to probably read bedtime stories.
The problem is, my kids won't come
every Tuesday or every week, once a week,
to come hear me read.
So I went Facebook Live, put on onesies,
so I can bridge that gap,
and called it Tucked-in Tuesdays.
- Wow.
Have you seen any academic growth with your students
since you started reading to them?
- They're starting to walk around with chapter books.
And also I have a few that are
actually writing their own books.
- Wow.
(audience claps)
That's pretty good.
What you're doing is great work in Beaumont.
You're changing kids' lives,
you're making an impression on them.
Also, they told me that you were
helping with uniforms for the kids.
- Yes, oh, my husband was there one morning
because I greet the kids when they get off the bus.
So he said, why are their pants so short?
And I said, well they don't go shopping for themselves.
They don't have jobs.
And he said, so how much is a uniform?
And I said, I guess you can buy one about $12.
He's retired, so he started calling some friends,
and telling them I need $100, $50,
so he got $1500 and he got--
(audience claps)
He got 44 scholars two uniforms a piece.
- How many kids at the school?
- 672.
- And how much do you need to buy all of them uniforms?
- They all have to wear uniforms, and they all don't.
And I don't have kids, so these kids,
I don't have any biological kids, these kids are mine.
- So how many kids ain't got uniforms?
- About half.
- Alright, I'm gonna buy all the kids in school uniforms.
The whole school.
(audience claps)
Not 300, all 600 of them.
We're gonna buy all--
No, yeah, no, don't cry.
It's just more money, I got $7200.
That's just $7200.
- That they don't have, that we don't have.
- I'll get'em all uniforms, that's $7200.
- I don't know if I wasn't supposed to hug you,
I'm sorry Margie.
- No, Margie don't care nothing about that.
(audience laughs)
No, your husband right there.
Hell, I was looking at him the whole time.
(audience laughs and claps)
You worried about Marge, I'm worried about Don here.
And let me tell you something else
we're gonna do for y'all, since your commitments
to your students have been such an inspiration.
That's why we've reached out our friends
over at Stash App, that's the financial service app
that helps me to use Americans learn
how to save and invest in their futures.
And they heard how you were investing
so much of your time and energy
to supply your students with essentials like
uniforms and school supplies, which is why
Stash wants to help you out, by giving you $5000.
(audience claps and cheers)
Wow.
This woman right here cares about them kids, man.
That's real, Belinda, thank you for doing what you do
for all of these young people.
Keep being in this relation to these young people.
Hey folks, this is the real deal right here.
We'll be right back, y'all.
(audience claps)