Thanks to a generous donation from McDonald’s through the One Classroom at a Time initiative, students in Ms. Rankin’s first-grade class at Maxwell Elementary wrapped up their school year with not only a boost in reading skills—but a celebration they’ll never forget.
The $2,000 donation was used to purchase high-interest books, reading kits and classroom resources to support summer literacy. “I’m grateful to McDonald’s for the generous donation to support reading literacy,” said Ms. Rankin. “Maxwell has a special group of students, and I’m thrilled to be able to further support their development.”
Throughout the year, Ms. Rankin affectionately referred to her students as McNugget Scholars—a classroom identity that blended joy with purpose. Literacy learning was rooted in daily reflection on key Maxwell values: being a star student, being a great listener, and having a growth mindset. Each morning, students selected one of these traits to focus on and discussed what it looked and sounded like in action. Kudos were exchanged student-to-student and teacher-to-student to celebrate moments of success and character.
The year culminated in a McDonald’s-themed literacy celebration, where students were officially honored as McNugget Scholars. The classroom was transformed with creative touches like the McFlurry of Books reading corner and custom awards such as “Golden Nugget Achiever,” “Big Mac Brainiac,” and “McFlurry of Kindness.”
A local librarian joined the event to share summer reading opportunities, and parents participated in making the day extra memorable. Students enjoyed Happy Meals, storytime, and heartfelt affirmations of their hard work and growth throughout the year.
What started as a donation became a classroom movement—one that sparked joy, built confidence, and reminded students of the power of books, community, and believing in themselves.