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  • There's an amazing school in Detroit that's getting national attention

  • right now.

  • At Spain Elementary School in Detroit many of the students are poor or

  • homeless, but that is not their only obstacle.

  • Almost all of their technology does not work, their entire roof is falling apart,

  • their gym is completely shut down forcing the students to take P.E in the hallways.

  • Some of their students actually

  • have to wear coats in the classroom because there is no heat.

  • When I heard about this I knew that I wanted to help.

  • Jeannie is in Detroit.

  • Let's check in with her.

  • Jeannie, hi, Jeannie, who are you with?

  • >> Hi, Ellen.

  • >> Hi.

  • >> Ellen, I'm with the most amazing man,

  • the principal of Spain Elementary School, Mr. Alexander.

  • Say hi to Ellen.

  • >> Hello, Ellen.

  • Of all the people in the whole world, I am the happiest principal on Earth.

  • I love you, we love you, I love you again.

  • >> Well, I love you back.

  • >> This is the best.

  • >> [APPLAUSE] >> I love you back.

  • >> [APPLAUSE] >> So

  • listen principal Alexander you were really good at keeping a secret.

  • You were the only person who knows we are there and we are doing this.

  • Your school is amazing.

  • And we wanna go surprise them right now.

  • Jeannie take us to the cafeteria.

  • And we will surprise- >> Okay here we go, let's go.

  • >> The students are in there.

  • >> It's all off your shoulders.

  • >> The staff, the teachers, they are gonna be so surprised.

  • >> Hello Spain Elementary.

  • >> [APPLAUSE] >> Hi everybody.

  • >> [APPLAUSE]

  • >> Surprise! >> [APPLAUSE]

  • >> Hello, Spain Elementary.

  • I wanted to surprise you.

  • I love your school I love what you stand for.

  • So, I just wanted to say hi.

  • And I heard there's a teacher there named Ellen Morgan.

  • Where is Ellen Morgan?

  • >> Where's Ellen?

  • >> Aah!

  • >> Hey, Ellen!

  • >> So, you and the other teachers don't have books for you students.

  • What do you do because of that?

  • Explain that to everyone.

  • >> Well, what we do, we make copies, because they can't take them home.

  • We make copies for our students, but that gets pretty expensive, so we also have

  • some of our parents volunteer, and the parents will make copies for us.

  • But we do whatever we need to do,

  • we don't complain we just do it because we love our babies.

  • >> [APPLAUSE].

  • >> So amazing. All right, is Kelly there also?

  • >> Kelly get over here.

  • >> [APPLAUSE] >> [APPLAUSE]

  • [LAUGH]

  • >> So, Kelly,

  • your students have to wear coats in the class because it isn't warm enough.

  • How do you teach in these conditions, how do you do that?

  • >> Well I make my focus about my students being engaged, enthusiastic, and

  • wanting to learn, keeping smiles on their faces.

  • We get up and move around when we need to and their passion for

  • learning increases my passion for teaching.

  • >> Well, you know Lowe's, the home improvement store, you know that?

  • They wanna help you and for more than a decade Lowe's has supported public schools

  • through its Toolbox for Education program.

  • Today they're gonna give every single teacher and

  • every staff member a $100 VISA gift card.

  • >> [APPLAUSE]

  • >> [APPLAUSE]

  • >> Also, we know that you have one

  • computer per class, and just about all of them do not work,

  • so Lowe's wants to give you $50,000 in technology.

  • >> [APPLAUSE]

  • >> Also, we know your school needs a new

  • roof, so Lowe's has volunteers called Lowe's Heroes.

  • And these employees will come to your school and give you hands-on assistance.

  • You pick what ever you want them to fix,

  • because they're gonna give you $200,000 in materials and labor.

  • >> [APPLAUSE] >> [APPLAUSE]

  • >> We just surprised

  • Spain Elementary-Middle School with $250,000 from Lowe's and

  • we are gonna start a GoFundMe page.

  • Go to our website if you wanna donate.

  • I hope everybody joins and I hope everybody

  • >> [APPLAUSE]

  • >> I have one more surprise for you.

  • And I had it here and I don't know where it is.

  • That's right.

  • >> [APPLAUSE] >> You are so

  • great to take time to do this.

  • Because, really, he's so busy, he's rehearsing, he's getting ready for

  • a tour and it means so much to you to help underprivileged kids.

  • >> It does.

  • >> I mean every time when you're on tour,

  • I know you do things that people don't even know about.

  • >> Every show we give a dollar to Pencils of Promise from each ticket sold.

  • And, yeah, we got some surprises for these beautiful people as well.

  • >> Yeah they're amazing, these kids are amazing.

  • So, Principal Alexander, I know you're a performing arts school,

  • but is it true you have, this is crazy.

  • It's a performing arts school, you have no money for music classes.

  • >> This is so true, Spain is one of the finest performing arts schools in

  • the city of Detroit, but because of cutbacks, we don't have a violin teacher.

  • We don't have an orchestra teacher.

  • We don't have a drama teacher.

  • But my teachers so willingly volunteer.

  • My special ed teacher,

  • Miss Lockhart, she volunteers and teaches our children dance on her free time.

  • And Miss Johnson,

  • she does the drama for our students on their free time.

  • So we are so proud of them to help us out because we don't afford,

  • we can't have any teachers at this time.

  • >> We're so proud of them, so proud of them.

  • >> I have a very talented young man right here, who

  • >> [APPLAUSE]

  • >> I think that you have a gift for

  • them right?

  • >> We're actually gonna give a dollar for every ticket to your school and.

  • >> [APPLAUSE] >> That's a lot of tickets.

  • That's a big auditorium.

  • >> [APPLAUSE] >> So,

  • that is a lot of money from Justin's concert that he is gonna be in Michigan.

  • I still think you need more hep, our friends at Lowe's agree, Lowe's wants to

  • donate one more thing to you to provide an even safer learning environment.

  • They're gonna donate another $250,000 to your school.

  • All together that's a half a million dollars.

  • >> [APPLAUSE] >> Amazing.

  • >> [APPLAUSE] >> Half a million dollars.

  • Thank you Lowe's, thank you so much, we love you.

  • Go to our website if you wanna help.

  • Just anything, even a dollar, anything you can do.

  • Go to our website to help them out.

  • We'll be right back.

  • Justin Bieber, everybody!

There's an amazing school in Detroit that's getting national attention

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