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
I love teaching kindergarten. There is no greater transformation in a student’s growth than that which occurs with a kindergarten student in just one short school year. The students arrive with excitement, anticipation, and little expectation as to how their lives are about to change.
Kindergarten is the foundation for future learning and academic success.
It is also the place and time where children need and begin to obtain critical skills necessary for social-emotional health. In a safe and nurturing classroom learning environment, the kindergarten students are able to build strong, long-lasting relationships with their peers and us – their teachers.
Personally, I believe the single most important factor that fuels a student’s love for learning is a strong teacher-student relationship. I can recall one particular year when on the last day of school before Thanksgiving break, one extremely busy little male student gave me his usual morning hug, but also handed me a piece of paper. “Johnny” had written a personal note on the paper. On that torn and folded little piece of paper was a picture of a long table with the words, “A very big table for a very lot of people.”, “Please come”, and his address.
My Project
My Elementary is a Title I school. Our students come from families of low socioeconomic status. The playground equipment that remains in our school yard is old, rusted, and on its last legs. With cuts in school funding, there is no money for playground equipment. We have no PTO to help with fundraising. Our teachers are tired and already working as I do, an average of 54 hours a week.
Kids need and love recess!
Recess is important for many reasons. “With recess, children have choices and can organize their own games, figure out what's fair, and learn a lot of social behavior that they don't learn in P.E.” (Scholastic: Recess Makes Kids Smarter) It’s especially important for students like ours who live in apartments and tiny houses in unsafe neighborhoods with little to no yard for play. Also, recess gives teachers time to bond with their students. With the lack of playground equipment at our school, we must be creative with our activities.
With the requested Outdoor Ramps Exploration Set and balls, my students can play AND learn.
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. Gold and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
