An Oswego teacher is one of five people across the country to receive a one-of-a-kind American Girl doll in her own likeness for her compassion for others during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Mattel toy company held a “Heroes with Heart” contest and asked children across the country to nominate an outstanding hero in their life as a way to thank and honor individuals working on the front lines during the pandemic.
The company received more than 1,000 nominations. Among those nominees was Churchill Elementary first-grade teacher Pam Klick, Oswego-based School District 308 Director of Communications Theresa Komitas said.
“As teachers, we all really missed our students. There was so much uncertainty and we just wanted to be with our students to hug them and assure them it was going to be OK,” Klick told The Beacon-News.
The other recipients were a paramedic, grocery store worker, caregiver and pilot.
The uncertainty of how her students were going to manage while their parents were working, how her first-graders were going to maintain the skill sets they learned and how they would cope with different emotions due to the abrupt changes were matters of concern, the teacher said.
Klick is in her 24th year as an educator.
“How could I bring a semblance of normalcy to my student’s lives during the 45-minute meetings we had together,” Klick asked herself during the early days of the pandemic.
Betsy McBrayer, 7, and Maggie McBrayer, 11, in their nomination of the teacher appreciated how she visited each student’s house with a smile, an encouraging sign and a bag of books when students began to learn remotely last school year.
The sign read “Keep growing your brain!! I love and miss you!”
Klick decided to provide some books for her students as they adjusted to their online work, she said.
“Books can take our mind off things and take us to different places. It was my hope that the books that were delivered would do that for each of them,” Klick said.
Klick was surprised that her students had nominated her but not surprised how well her students were able to phrase their thoughts into words.
“I love that they learned that they can use their words for good,” she said. “They truly helped to bring hope and meaning to 2020 during the pandemic. What a life lesson to learn so young.”
The youngsters marveled how the teacher went above and beyond by making home visits and attending birthday parades when the pandemic abruptly ended in-person learning last spring.
“Mrs. Klick was determined to keep her students learning even at home,” the girls said.
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“She started with a kind act of stopping at every student’s house with a warm smile, an amazing sign and a bag of books,” the youngsters wrote in their nomination letter. “She showed us that learning can take you anywhere in the world and most importantly to always greet people with a smile.”
The American Girl doll she received in honor of her selection as one of the “Heroes with Heart” is amazing, Klick said.
“American Girl added the finest little details down to the pleat in the front of my shirt, the ruffles in the sleeves, my necklace and even my hoop earrings,” she said.
The doll came with a personalized teacher lanyard that even has the school mascot on it, as well as a canvas bag with her school’s logo and miniature books inside. The doll is equipped with a separate outfit and purse.
“The attention to detail was spot on and I just think she’s precious,” Klick said of the doll.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.