My students need new furniture, including a 2-person computer table and a round table, and a variety of books with CDs for a new listening center that we will be receiving soon. The rocking chair will replace the one we loved and lost in the storm
"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it." Maya Angelou said, and we are living through this as we try to bounce back from Sandy.
My students are from a mixed socioeconomic community.
They are currently in second grade. They had a beautiful classroom in a kindergarten through fifth grade school. When Hurricane Sandy hit our community, it destroyed the room we called home for two months. Our small school with 3 classes per grade is not our home anymore.
All the kindergarten, first and second grade classrooms were uninhabitable which forced the whole school to move to a temporary location. Seven weeks later, we had to move again. What I've learned from this experience is that the children are quite resilient. They come to school with smiles on their faces ready to learn. Little by little, we are bouncing back and learning to cope with our new surroundings.
My Project
With the loss of our classroom, came the realization that we lost all our books, furniture, and many resources from my 25 years of teaching. One item that the children have mentioned that they will miss the most was a large adult glider that they were able to sit on while reading a book with a peer. I have requested a new glider so my students can rock a way while they read. Another item that is necessary for our classroom is a computer table for children to sit comfortably at. My students sit on the computer to listen to stories, especially the children who cannot read independently. I want to make sure they have a table for their computers. Some other requests are a small round table for our listening center along with CD's and books. My classroom has always been an environment enriched with literature so the listening center and computer table will help me continue this tradition.
Supporting this project will ensure my students that when they return to their school their room will not be a blank slate.
It will be filled with tables and items they are used to having. It has been so difficult having everything taken away in a blink of an eye. We would appreciate if you could help us come home to a classroom looking like a classroom.
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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. Parks and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
