My students need motivational posters, 10 jump ropes and 50 balls so they can play at home. They also need 16 high interest books that will encourage them to read. These items will stock our store.
Can you imagine what it is like not to have your basic needs met? Can you imagine what it would be like to not being told you are special or you are doing a good job? Many of our students come to school each day experiencing just that. They are hungry and do not have faith in themselves.
Our students attend a school in a suburb of a major city.
Our elementary school consists of approximately 65% low socioeconomic children. Many of our students come to school without having their basic needs met. We provide breakfast and lunch at a free or reduced cost to our students. We also provide school supplies to many of our students in need. Our students are survivors and many are raising themselves. They are getting themselves and their siblings up and ready for school. They cook basic food for themselves. Many are latch key students and their parent(s) are not there when they get home from school. They supervise themselves including any homework. Many put themselves to bed each night without a parent's kiss on the cheek. These are good kids who try their best. They have seen many things in their young years such as domestic violence, drugs, alcohol use and bully behavior. Still they come to school everyday.
My Project
Our school is initiating a character education and school wide positive behavior support. We want to make our school a safe place, both physically and emotionally for our students. We want to teach our students what expected, positive behavior is because we know that not all of them have been taught these skills. We use Patriot Acts to reward students for exhibiting these behaviors. Once a week the students to can come to our school store to buy items with their earned Patriot Acts. We want our students to learn that they do not need to model the behavior that has been modeled to them. We want them to experience what it is like to make good choices, have good character, and apply themselves in school. We want them to pick a different path for their life then the one they see and experience in their neighborhoods. One way is to teach and then reinforce the expected behavior of a school family. We also know this will build trust in the students so school can be a safe place to learn.
Our students are survivors.
They are good kids who do the best they can with what they have. Many of our students do not have the opportunities or things that you and I are able to have. We want to reinforce their good behavior with our school store. Our school store has been started with teacher donations because our staff sees the importance of this. We need your help to stock our school store with items that will interest and motivate our students to do well and try their best.
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. Palmer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.