I teach in an urban middle School in the city of Columbus. One of our goals for this year is to increase community involvement and a sense of pride in our school.
We want to be a school that is known for excellence.
We want our students to see what they can truly do with the talents and skills that they have. We want our families to feel welcome in our building and to feel like they are a valuable asset to our school community.
My Project
My students should know that they are important to our school community and we want to celebrate and honor their special day. Each student will receive a signed birthday card from their teaching team and a pencil to go with it. The birthday candles will be for a small celebration for the student at lunch. We will purchase individual cupcakes and other snacks to go with this project. We will buy the snacks as the year progresses to ensure freshness and to make sure we can meet all of the dietary needs of our incoming students.
I don't want any of my students to have their birthday go by without anyone celebrating it.
We see several types of student situations at our school. Many of our students are fortunate enough to come from wonderful families. Unfortunately, not all of our students have someone at home that can meet their needs. Our local paper just recently published statistics about the opioid epidemic in our area. Our zip code currently has the highest amount of opioid deaths in the area. Of course, all of this impacts all of my students. Even students that have truly dedicated families are forced to fight to regain control of their area. Our families have pride in the area and they want to see changes. It is my hope that a simple gesture like acknowledging a student's birthday will make them feel valued. I know that there are substantial problems and a birthday card won't solve all of them. I do believe, however, that creating an inclusive school where everyone feels valued encourages learning and growth, and hopefully success, too.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Batdorf and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
