Past projects 3
Rebuilding Community Outdoors!
Funded Jul 20, 2021Thank you! Your donation means we can communicate with our community outside. Thank you for seeing the value in donating to school based projects and thank you for understanding what creating a community means. I am using this school year following the COVID pandemic closures to intentionally create connections between staff and students, and between student groups.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hazard
Sensory Overload!
Funded Jan 19, 2019I really can't thank you all enough for the support you've shown to the middle schoolers at Korematsu Middle School. Since the soft room dividers have gone up, I have been able to facilitate restorative circles in a calm and quiet environment. On the other side of the divider, I have put in soft bean bags that students have used who were momentarily overwhelmed. One young lady who was getting in physical fights last year, has used this space to practice mindfulness and to write letters of intention rather than continue to physically fight. This space has been essential in her growth. Having a quiet space where she can re-regulate has helped her become a leader among students in demonstrating the growth that can be achieved through mindfulness and self-awareness.
Students from my severely handicapped class have shown equal interest in this room and have enjoyed the sensory aspects of it from stomping on the liquid tiles to activating their proprioception on spinning stools and weighted balls. Many of these students are non-verbal, but the delight they show in using the room is apparent. They leave happier, calmer, and with a sense of accomplishment as they are able to find ways to regulate their own needs.
The next stage of the plan for the room involves a mural completed by students! This will be a final finishing touch for a student centered, faculty managed space. I will keep you all up to date with pictures!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hazard
Sensory Room for Emotional Safety
Funded Nov 2, 2017Thank you for helping to provide a safe and inviting space on our campus at Korematsu Middle School. We have been able to use this space in a variety of ways. As a reward system, this room has worked well for students. For students who have a difficult time initiating work or completing work due to sensory issues, the staff are able to use the "If/Then" system and ask students to do a certain amount of work for a certain amount time to calm their nervous system by rolling their bodies on a peanut ball, or laying down and closing their eyes in a dimly lit room. The window coverings have also been able to provide much needed privacy for students who feel emotionally vulnerable and need a private space to let go. I am positively happy with the number of elements in the room that help students ground themselves such as the "liquid" floor mats, the soft floor mats, and the wiggle chairs. Although finding a place to become more "grounded" sounds like pseudoscience, it is a particularly important piece of therapy to children who regularly have elevated nervous systems.
Watching the students come into this room is also especially interesting. They naturally gravitate towards what they need. For instance, those students that need the support of re-centering themselves as mentioned earlier, tend to look at their feet (the "ground") as they step on the liquid tiles. Those students who work so hard to sit still in their classroom for hours at a time, move towards the balance stools or roll on the peanut balls. All students smile as they enter the room and look as if they feel they made their own secret discovery and are keen on finding out when they will be able to use the room again.
As we move forward, the use of this room will change and grow. I would like to make it more accessible to students outside of the special education system. Ideally, the space can be used for small group social-emotional learning. As students understand themselves and their relationship to the world around them better, they become better learners. We often think of therapy and social-emotional growth as one-on-one talking, but this is not how children initially relate to the world. Having these physical tools such as large pillows, soft floors, soft lighting, and physically stimulating or calming gadgets, invites the nervous system to balance itself. This space helps students understand more of what they need to work better in the classroom. Thank you for your donation and help in creating this space. It has already been invaluable.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Hazard