By CHARLES L. WARNER

A teacher who spent her own money on her students in Mississippi helped inspire a Chicago attorney to donate thousands of dollars worth of books to a classroom at Foster Park Elementary School.

Since Christmas, Amy Bernstein has been sending books to Susan Gilstrap’s third grade class and engaging in an ongoing correspondence with the students. Mrs. Gilstrap said the day before Christmas recess, she received several copies of the book “The Magic Treehouse” from Mrs. Bernstein. The books were accompanied by a letter from Mrs. Bernstein explaining she decided to donate the books after seeing a request Mrs. Gilstrap had placed on the website “Donors Choose.”

The website brings teachers needing assistance with supplies and/or classroom projects together with donors from around the country. Mrs. Gilstrap said since that first donation, Mrs. Bernstein has sent the class “a couple of thousand dollars” worth of books as well as helping finance a couple of classroom projects. She said the students have written Mrs. Gilstrap on a regular basis since then and had hoped to get the chance to meet her and thank her in person.

The students got their wish Thursday when Mrs. Bernstein and her husband, Bob, visited the class. A resident of Oak Park, Ill. who works as an attorney for a Chicago bank, Mrs. Bernstein answered students’ questions about her life and career and also told them how she began sending them books. Mrs. Bernstein said it began when her daughter’s best friend began teaching in Mississippi. The young woman was using her own money to buy classroom supplies for her students. When her own funds ran out, she asked the Bernsteins for help.

Mrs. Bernstein said that while helping with the class in Mississippi, she began going on the Donors Choose website to see if there was anywhere else she could help. One day while looking for books she came across copies of “The Magic Treehouse” and remembered Mrs. Gilstrap’s request on the website.

The children gave Mrs. Bernstein a number of gifts including a book they compiled called “What A Difference You’ve Made in Our Lives, Mrs. Amy Bernstein!!!” The book includes letters from the students, a letter from the principal and pictures of each of the students.

“I think it’s very nice for her to come,” student Mary Katherine Gibbs said. “She’s been doing very nice things for us.”

Mrs. Gilstrap said that Mrs. Bernstein’s generosity has helped the students improve academically.

“I just feel very fortunate that she has helped my classroom,” she said. “We could never have afforded to buy these books without her help. I’ve seen my children’s reading level increase and I give her the credit for it.”

Monarch Elementary

Mrs. Bernstein has also donated books and other school supplies to Rhonda Hollingsworth’s third grade class at Monarch Elementary School. Mrs. Hollingsworth said Mrs. Bernstein began doing so three years ago when she provided books and three magazine subscription for a child in her class. She said the child needed reading material at home and Mrs. Bernstein has been providing it ever since, along with the materials she supplies the class.

“The year that I taught the child, she passed all of her state tests,” Mrs. Hollingsworth said. “Mrs. Bernstein provided the child with an added incentive to read independently and that helped her pass her tests. She’s no longer at Monarch, but Mrs. Bernstein has continued to follow her progress and support her with books and magazines.”

Mrs. Hollingsworth said she had been seeking a series of books designed to motivate learning among boys. She said Mrs. Bernstein provided those and now many afternoons the boys in her class are readingand enjoying them.

“It’s been one of the best series for boys I’ve used in the classroom,” she said. “She’s been a blessing to my classroom and to me. She’s wonderful, she goes way above and beyond.”

“I do it for the teachers as much as the kids,” Mrs. Bernstein said. “If you have good teachers who have the tools they need to be creative in the classrooms it’ll help the kids. I think it’s important for teachers to know people think what they’re doing is important.”