Kristy Filgis, a teacher at Ross Middle School, nominated Kim Tate as a Trucker Buddy of the Month. "This is the first year that I have had a trucker buddy and that Kim has been a trucker buddy. The sixth grade students write letters to Kim at least once a month. During the month we get at least one, often two e-mails a week as well as post-cards, informational pamphlets, and individual letters to each student" says Ms. Filgis.
"The individual letters that Kim takes the time to write to the students have had such a large impact on the class. They get so excited every time I tell them that I have letters from her. She does such a marvelous job writing a personalized letter to each of the twenty-eight sixth grade students. It is amazing the way she answers each of their questions and asks them things as well. After receiving the last round of letters from her the students were all so excited that they each took a turn telling something that they learned from her letter —the most amazing part, with twenty-eight students to share, they each had their own fact that nobody else had in their letter. It is obvious that she puts a lot of time and energy into the letters she writes."
Kim provided the class with a road atlas tells them where she is and where she is going and the students as well as the teacher learned to use the road atlas.
During one of Kim's visits she surprised the class with a pizza party lunch and brought goodie bags that had the names of each of the students on them for Valentine's Day. It's sometimes difficult to relate to six graders but Kim had done an amazing job. Ms. Filgis and her class are overjoyed to have such a fabulous Trucker Buddy.

Congratulations to Kim Tate for being the Trucker Buddy of the Month for July 2009.