Three years ago we met a woman named Kirby Thomas,
a librarian at McAuliffe Elementary School, in Broken Arrow Oklahoma.
Kirby was named teacher of the year, and
as a surprise, we sent Jeannie to her school.
Take a look.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> I want you to
tell me a little bit about your book program during the summer.
>> It is my favorite thing on the whole wide world.
And we go every week and we visit all of our babies in their neighborhoods and
we let them borrow these amazing books that they're so excited about.
>> We brought you a bookmobile.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> So Kirby
is still teaching at McAuliffe Elementary, and two weeks ago, she became a foster
parent to two of her students, we wanted to check in, I know, isn't that amazing?
>> [APPLAUSE] >> So-
>> [APPLAUSE]
>> Because we have another
surprise for her.
Kirby thinks she's about to do a Skype interview for
Ellentube but we're liars so let's check in and surprise her right now.
Kirby, hi.
>> [NOISE] >> [APPLAUSE]
>> I just spit out the gum on my
own carpet!
>> What?
>> Hah, I accidentally spit the gum out on my own carpet!
>> Well pick it up or
you're going to stomp it in there when you're jumping on it.
>> No it's fine, we can stomp on it, it's fine.
Something is happening!
>> All right, so listen, I haven't seen you for a while,
I want to check in, how are things going at McAuliffe elementary?
>> I'm sorry, I'm not listening, what?
>> [LAUGH] >> Hey, Ellen in my house.
>> [LAUGH] >> I said how are things going at
McAuliffe Elementary?
>> My gosh!
Okay, it's crazy peanuts right now.
We have 12 days of school left.
And it's so crazy and
so we're cramming in like all this fun and all this learning into 12 days and
I've lost my voice because we've been like teaching and celebrating and
it's been a lot so I don't have a voice but I'm so excited to see you.
>> All right well great so are you still using the book mobile?
>> I don't know what to do with my hands.
Yes, we are using the bookmobile.
We actually just took it out last night, Ellen.
We had our last family night of the school year, before we started doing,
Summertime Book Van Fun.
And it was so, so awesome and the weather is so beautiful and
our kids were so excited.
And we are 12 days away from another summer.
So we're really, really excited.
>> Well, I know you're excited but what about summer school this year?
What's happening?
>> Okay.
So, book van is gonna do some extra double duty this year.
So bad news in Oklahoma we are in major budget crisis okay?
So education just took a humongous cut and
everybody is in kind of crisis mode in public education.
So one of the things that went away is summer school.
So our summer school that we have is not gonna be what our kids are used to and
what we usually get to do cuz it got cut which means
that those kids don't get meals right?
Cuz summer school >> Well, right.
As much as we love summer school because we love getting to see our kids everyday,
still, throughout the summer and we get to keep learning and
we get to keep having fun together with our students.
A big piece of that is that we feed them breakfast and
lunch everyday at summer school, so we've gotten really creative.
And there are a lot of plans in place.
We're trying to make sure that kids are still getting fed everyday so
one of the things that we're kind of brainstorming like feeding kids off
the book van and then one of our amazing teachers Lisa Shots has put together this
whole tutoring program where the teachers are gonna push into the neighborhoods.
And we're gonna go in addition to book van other days of the week,
the teachers are going to go to the apartments or wherever our kids live and
we're gonna tutor over the summer kind of in lieu of [CROSSTALK] being able to
do summer school.
>> You're amazing that's so cool.
That's so great you're doing that.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> [CROSSTALK]
>> No it's not me it's McCollik magic.
>> Let me tell you something, our friends at Shutterfly love how you and
the teachers have been giving back to the school and community.
>> Okay. >> They want to help you with the summer
schools so they're going to give McCollik Elementary a check for $25,000 so
you can keep.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Ellen!
>> [APPLAUSE] Now.
>> That's huge.
We've been hoarding money from the last time you gave us money just in case for
stuff like this.
For two years we've like kept it in our pockets.
>> All right, so Kirby, before we go I know you have exciting news.
I know that you just took two boys in, you have two.
>> We did. >> When do they move in?
>> Two weeks ago as of today.
So we are 14 days in right now.
And it is a beautiful, crazy mad house around here right now.
>> That's amazing.
And I know they're brothers, and
they were gonna be sent off to two different foster homes.
And you said, we're taking them in, and your husband said yes.
>> Yeah, they were the call of babies.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Yeah, we-
>> All right, listen to me.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Listen to me, Kirby.
I know the house changed up a lot with two little boys living there.
I think they're six and eight, right?
>> [LAUGH] >> So HGTV cousins,
John and Anthony are design experts, they partner with Sherwin Williams, and
later today, they're gonna show up at your house, they're gonna help turn.
>> Stop.
>> Your home into.
>> No. >> A new family home.
>> All right.
>> What? >> We're gonna check back in.
See how it looks in a few days.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> We'll be right back.
>> Stop it!
That's crazy.
Thank you!
Holy cow!