This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Our entire school is for students with moderate to severe disabilities who need life-skills based instruction. Our school has eighty students; most students have cognitive and social skills that range from those of an eighteen-month-old to those of a five-year-old. The goal of our program is to provide life-skills based instruction so students can live as independently as possible in the future.
Our students come from throughout the district and were placed in this setting based on their significant special needs.
We spend most of our class time developing self-care skills, in addition to basic reading and math skills. We also take trips into the community so students can practice social skills.
My Project
In early April, our students had their first social skills-based pageant. 20 female contestants ages 5-21 were able to get their hair and makeup done, pick out fancy dresses, and perform poses and a musical number for our entire student body. Several media members came out to support the pageant and many family members attended. We also had a dessert reception and professional photographs were donated. The girls practiced presentation and social skills twice a week for months in advance of the event.
This event was the highlight of our year...but it almost didn't happen!
A few weeks before the pageant, our district funding was rejected and we were scrambling to get everything ordered. We hope that our pageant next year (April, 2020) will not have the same stress and want to order items far in advance. We also hope to include our males in the pageant and allow them a chance to shine as well.
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. Sailer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
