I am a second grade special education teacher teaching in a in a low-income neighborhood. My students are composed of new immigrants from China and families with low-income. Families in this community rely heavily on schools to help broaden their children’s experiences and interests. Parents work long hours simply to make ends meet and rarely have time to take their children to explore the world beyond the hectic confines of their neighborhood and take advantage of the diverse cultural experiences that the city has to offer.
Moreover, my students have challenges learning English and have special needs compounding an already difficult and frustrating situation at home.
My Project
My second graders are constantly asking, "When is lunch time?" or saying “I didn’t eat breakfast.” How can I expect them to focus on an empty stomach? They already have challenges in school from learning English to overcoming their learning challenges. This year our lunch period is the latest so our mornings are long, from 8:15-12:15 twice a week. They are asked to work for a four-hour stretch till lunchtime and it's difficult to focus without snacks to help rev up their energy. These snacks such as pretzels, Goldfish, Animal Crackers, and fruit snacks will be used during snack time on a twice a week 1 1/2 hours before lunch time to maintain their focus and energy levels during those long stretches of days.
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. Chu and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.