My students need to be safe!!! In the time that we live in, lockdown and emergency situations are unfortuantely a reality we need to prepare for. We need to provide our students a sense of security. We need lockdown strips.
My students are from a lower income, 80% free or reduced lunch community, which is heavily impacted by trauma. They were born into adversity, and simply coming to school is often a difficulty. Yet they are resourceful and make do with what they have, but do not have access to a lot of extra materials or opportunities. Many of them come from families that have been affected by some sort of severe trauma; from incarceration, crime, fires, homelessness, refugee status, just about anything you can imagine. They take care of their younger siblings and have responsibilities far beyond their years. Their youth is often fleeting and filled with adult issues they should not, yet, have to face, especially in this time of economic hardship and uncertainty. Too many of them are not afforded the opportunity to simply be a child, to explore, and to play. I want to create a haven for them, where they can flourish and feel safe.
My Project
As we continue to provide our students the safest school environment, a place where they know they are secure, in a time where they continously see tragity through the media, we realize what a struggle it can be. In a lockdown drill we are told to lock our doors, which are made so that we must exit the classroom, lean over and lock the door with our key (which hands from our neck), and then check it. You can imagine how challenging this can be to complete quickly, especially in an emergency situation, and how the few seconds it takes to exit our class could be a life or death matter.
Lockdown strips are a quick and safe way to secure the classroom in a second, keeping teachers and students safely inside.
These magnetic strips sit on the lock piece, allowing the door to remain in a locked position and still be able to open and close. When emergency arrises, we simply slide the magnet off and pull the door closed. This can be done by anyoen, no key needed, and without breeching the security of our classroom. While we hope the situation never arrises, these simple tools are an amazing safety feature that can be used again and again for the entire school.
While we may disagree on what exactly is needed to decrease school violence, we can certainly agree steps like this can only help.
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. Jensen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.