We are an urban public middle school serving 931 students across grades 6-8. We have a diverse student population, with over half of our learners coming to us with a first language that is not English. One-fifth of our students have disabilities, two thirds are economically disadvantaged, and over 80% are considered high needs. Current reading benchmarks show that nearly 3/4 of our students are below state grade level expectations in reading.
As an urban school in a large district, resources are often scarce.
Our team of highly qualified teachers and educational support staff have found creative ways to provide current, relevant, and engaging learning opportunities for our students, but we lack a comprehensive library that our students would find relatable. Our students deserve to have access to high-quality literature that accurately represents the values, beliefs, and role models that are important to their lives. Your donation will make a tremendous difference in the lives of our learners.
My Project
Students will read these novels as part of their English Language Arts curriculum. We have worked to create rigorous standards-based lessons that not only target critical reading comprehension, written expression, speaking and listening skills, but also help students to understand the importance of value systems and civic engagement.
We want our students to be able to access high-quality literature that represents the characters, cultures, and values that they can connect to.
We also want to share the joy of reading from a crisp, new book-- something many of our students have never experienced. If we want our students to succeed in meeting the high standards that are set out for them, they need to be able to access materials to support their learning.
Your donation will allow them to see the joy and value in reading, and will help to prompt writing and discussion opportunities that encourage critical thought, civic engagement, and collaboration.
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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 Mr. Hayden and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.