My students are nothing short of inspiring. All of them are English language learners with a wide range of English language abilities. Many are refugees who have never had the opportunity to attend school before or have had many interruptions to their educational experiences. They love coming to school and truly appreciate the opportunities they are afforded here. After fleeing unimaginable circumstances at such a young age, they place a very high value on their educations. They are determined, resilient, and thirst for new knowledge every day.
Our student body represents more than 30 countries and speaks over 25 different languages.
The four most common languages are Arabic, Russian, Spanish, and Nepali. Our school community thrives on this diversity as students simultaneously learn about American culture and the many cultures they all represent. We are a community dedicated to celebrating each other's differences in order to build more compassion and understanding in the lives of those around us.
Statistically, about 93% of our population is considered high needs with roughly 90% defined as economically disadvantaged and over 65% of the students speak a first language other than English.
My Project
This year my school district has decided to start fully remote. We are gearing up for a new era of instruction with video chats, virtual assignments, and new online learning platforms. Students and staff alike will be navigating this instructional model while also trying to acclimate to a new "classroom" during a time of so many unknowns.
Fostering a sense of community is essential in any school year, but in the virtual setting, it is even more important.
Unfortunately, most of my community building activities involve peer collaboration and they simply cannot be adapted to online instruction. The Teachers Pay Teachers gift cards will be used to purchase digital teaching resources that can be completed online and submitted through our new virtual learning platform. By purchasing these resources, I will be able to focus more of my time on the important work of building relationships with my students rather than adapting all of my lessons to online instruction.
Additionally, I would like to utilize the USPS by purchasing stamps and envelopes to engage with my students in a meaningful way. Some of the ways these stamps and envelopes will be used this year include:
-Building class community through letters home to students.
-Positive notes home for students' active engagement in remote learning.
-Academic awards and certificates of achievement.
-Paper assignments that can be submitted electronically (gets students off their devices for a while and provides the fine motor work they desperately need!).
-Tangible, print copies of our classroom magazine subscriptions, Scholastic News and Storyworks Jr.
Thank you for supporting my students (and the USPS!) during such difficult times.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Duggan and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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