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First-graders at Roland Park rally around teacher with personal ties to Fort Myers

Making activity books for kids who lost their school
Roland Park Magnet School
Posted at 7:58 AM, Oct 06, 2022
and last updated 2022-10-06 08:26:24-04

TAMPA, Fla. — At Roland Park Magnet School in Tampa, the kids are alright.

Big-hearted first-graders there are rallying around their teacher, Kelli Cameron, a Fort Myers native.

Cameron's mom Tami still teaches in Fort Myers, but her school is uninhabitable. Those students remain in shelters.

"The kids here were eager to help," said Cameron, fighting back tears.

And help they did. Each designed a page in a homemade activity book, plus packing supply bags full of crayons and pencils and toys.

Cameron will deliver these special care packages to her mother, who will hand them out to students.

"This, to me, is real teaching," said Cameron. "We can use textbooks, but they'll never learn anything more useful than this."