HELENA — This week’s One Class at a Time recipient is Rossiter Elementary music teacher Sarah Dramstad.
Dramstad is working to make sure every student has the chance to learn an instrument and be included in her classroom.
Members of First Interstate Bank were joined by KXLH to surprise her at Rossiter Elementary with a $250 check.
The money will be used to buy “ukulele chord changes,” an adaptive technology that allows students with reduced motor skills to learn and play the ukulele.
Dramstad says she has quite a few students this year that will benefit from the chord changers.
“One of my goals as an educator is to keep my classroom as inclusive as possible so kids with a variety of needs can all be successful,” said Dramstad. “So there's these nifty chord changers so kids that have limited dexterity can still be successful with the rest of their classmates.”
Dramstad added this will hopefully have a big impact on the students future music aspirations, since people tend to enjoy things they don’t have to struggle with.
She also wanted to thank One Class at a Time for all of the support over the years.
“These grants are fantastic,” said Dramstad. “Little things add up over time to make sure a rich learning environment.”
For more than a decade, First Interstate Bank and MTN have partnered for the One Class at a Time grant. The mission of the grant is to foster educational opportunities for local teachers and students.
A panel of retired teachers and school officials select the grant recipients from a pool of submitted applications.
For more information about One Class at a Time, including how to apply, visit here.
