My students come from all neighborhoods in our urban school district. More than half are 1st or 2nd generation Americans (with 42% speaking a language other than English at home), and many will be the first in their family to go to college. In fact, nearly 98% of our students go to college. I am so proud of how reflective, hardworking, and curious they are. My students are on the road to making a positive impact in their community, country, and world.
Our school's goal for the new school year is to provide students with support structures and extracurricular opportunities built into our schedule.
For many years, our school has focused nearly exclusively on academics, which of course is the most important element of middle and high school. However, in order to produce well-rounded and confident students, we need to give them better access to supports they need as well as extra-curricular programs that will help them develop their interests and give them tools for success.
My Project
We need FlexTime Manager scheduling software to support our re-designed schedule for the new school year. The pandemic has taught us that students thrive better in a school environment that supports their social emotional well-being and offers them the space to explore their own interests and hobbies.
We have added two new weekly blocks to our schedule: Student Support Block is an opportunity for students to receive academic, mental health, executive functioning support, etc; and Student Choice Block is an opportunity for students to sign up for extracurricular activities they are interested in.
Student Support Block time can also be used for large-group, grade-level, or group-specific workshops (e.g. college essay writing for seniors) as well as for teachers to offer academic support for their classes.
Student Choice Block is a time for clubs to meet, hobbies to be shared and explored, and for outside partners and student leadership to run activities. I plan to organize career panels during the Student Support Block and run a stock market club during Student Choice Block.
We need scheduling software to make this new schedule a success for our nearly 1800 students. This software will allow us to facilitate student sign-ups, take attendance, and prioritize our support offerings.
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. DeLuca and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.