Realistic Class Pets and Emotion Books for Student Wellness!
Help me give my students lifelike classroom companion pets and emotion-focused books to help my students. Students who are in need of comfort, are in trauma, anxious, grieving, or stressed.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Winslow's classroom raised $473
This project is fully funded
My Students
When I step in front of my classroom at the beginning of the day and look at my students, I know that a great day awaits me. My students greet me with smiles, questions and eager faces; they are ready to learn, and I am ready to teach them all that I can.
My students are incredible, curious, adept, and capable learners.
My students speak different languages (over 19 languages at our school) and all have tremendous talent to share with each other. My students jump into their daily learning with zeal. They work together, laugh together, learn together, and share everything in their classroom community.
My Project
Students face a number of challenges at school. In a high risk school, many of our students also face challenges in their personal lives. They can feel anxiety, worry or are currently experiencing trauma or loss. These strong emotions and experiences can greatly impact a student's day at school. Students need an opportunity to learn more about their emotions. They want to learn strategies to help them navigate their emotions, and often find comfort in having something tangible to play with. Many people in the world turn to support animals for help. In our classroom, we cannot have real pets, but this project will provide lifelike companion pets (animatronic pets), that provide the same comfort to students experiencing powerful emotions and need support.
Students experiencing trauma, anxiety, or need emotional support will have the opportunity to hold a companion pet (lifelike pet) that responds to them, and read books about emotions.
These lifelike classroom pets will help my students in trauma and those experiencing difficult emotions, to have a tactile "pet" to hold that responds to the sound of their voice, provides real animal sounds as the student pets it. These pets will help soothe students when they need something to help them through difficult emotions that can quickly interrupt their school learning. A wellness break with a classroom pet and a book can really help bring the students back to a sense of well-being in the classroom. Students will return to their classwork calmer and more focused on their learning. Students will know that if strong emotions return, that they have a safe space in our classroom to read about their feelings, and a classroom pet to hold.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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 Ms. Winslow and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
