Remember when schools were open campus, or had outdoor courtyards for hanging out, socializing, and eating lunch? These days schools are so focused on safety and accountability that students have few, if any, opportunities to interact with their peers in this type of environment.
My school is extremely diverse and holds nearly 800 students in grades 6-8.
Many of the students come from the local neighborhood but some are bussed in from across several major roads across town. This makes spending time together difficult and contributes to the social issues unique to middle school students. Many of the students say they would like to spend more time with their peers, and as our school is transitioning more to the Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) model of behavior management I would like to give the students another outlet to address their social needs and tie in to the school's management style.
My Project
Imagine: you have saved up all your money to attend a big festival with your friends this summer. You are super excited to leave the regular world of order behind, kick off your shoes, and eat and socialize under the bright sun. Through funding my project you will be helping make this scenario a reality for many middle school students in my school. By saving up their earned tickets, rewards for exhibiting appropriate behavior in the categories of respect, readiness, and responsibility, these students will be able to eat outside in the courtyard with their friends instead of inside the cafeteria at tables assigned by teachers. My students need 2 picnic tables to supplement the outdoor cafeteria-style environment.
Although this is a large project, every small donation will help.
This will provide my school with a low-cost opportunity to really help students regulate their behavior, make good choices, and get a solid reward they identified as desirable as a result. Students are already really excited about the potential, so all that I need to do is provide the seating! Additionally, I have been soliciting and accepting other donations, so this project will truly supplement a start-up project.
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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. K. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.