Why Round Two? Our class was able to raise all the money we needed for 30 stability balls with our project "Bring Back Movement". Unfortunately, our vendor ran out of the stability balls we needed, and our new vendor was more expensive. We're now trying to raise the remaining money for a class set.
Our school is a magnet elementary school, meaning that our students come (first) from the low-income neighborhood surrounding the school and (second) from across the county using a lottery system.
They are a delightful, diverse group of first grade students. Many of our students are high-needs, whether those needs be special education, behavior, or various levels of content understanding. All of these needs combined mean that many of the students are often restless and unfocused.
My Project
The proposed solution? Stability balls as a replacement for the chairs in our classroom. When children sit on stability balls, their balance and strength is improved as their core muscles are activated.
The stability balls also give students a chance to move in their space even while remaining in a seated position. As a result, students are able to get their 'wiggles' out without running around the classroom, getting out of their seats, or invading the personal space of others.
Finally, sitting on the stability ball requires constant muscle engagement and encourages (even brief) movement while seated. The increased blood flow to the brain caused by the movement means that students are better able to focus and to learn.
The overall vision for this project is to have a stability ball for every student in the classroom (as well as a couple extra for future classes and/or in case of accidents).
Students will be taught proper procedures for the use of the balls as well as consequences for improper use of the stability ball.
These stability balls are expected to improve student focus and behavior because they will have the opportunity to move at all times in an appropriate way which supports their various needs.
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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 Ms. Haggard and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.