My students are from a very wide variety of backgrounds. Our school is nestled between a military base and the west side of Oahu. About 1/5th of our students are military kids. The rest are local, coming from leeward and westside sides. This makes the gap between their household incomes wide. Most of my students struggle with supplies whereas a small amount are secure. Parents try to help out, and I spend about $50 a month on my classroom, but sometimes it's still not enough!
Some of the things we struggle to get are books, materials, curriculum content, and incentive supplies.
I also have kids telling me every day how hungry they are, that they didn't have breakfast, or their lunch is too small, or just full of sugar snacks. I try to bring in healthy snacks but it has proven to be an expensive venture.
Your help would be greatly appreciated. These kids are so grateful, it would mean the world. Mahalo.
My Project
This project will do HUGE things for my 7 and 8 year olds. They are at an age when tiny rewards go a long way. I currently use a treasure chest for getting parent signatures on planners to encourage a school/home connection. It works! However, the prizes have gotten expensive over time. I tried to buy in bulk, but it adds up. I also like to give the kids things they need as prizes, such as snacks and pencil sharpeners. My kids actually get excited to do their homework when they know there will be a small reward and a "great work!" from their teacher waiting or them at school the next day.
My students struggle with internal motivation and I have found small rewards and verbal encouragement to be HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL .
The books and larger items will be longer term incentive goals.
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