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Ms. Worthy's Classroom

  • Techboston Academy
  • Dorchester, MA
  • More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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Make a donation Ms. Worthy can use on her next classroom project.

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Past projects 4

  • Project-Based Exploration Both In-Person and at Home

    Funded Aug 24, 2020

    Unfortunately due to the ongoing pandemic and health concerns, Ms Worthy will be working remotely for the remainder of the year. Many of our students are also currently working remotely. Because of this, we were not able to use and distribute the materials in the way we had originally hoped.

    However, Ms Worthy has been able to make care packages using the supplies from this project and those were passed out/mailed to students prior to the winter break. Students were very excited to receive these materials.

    Our hope is that once we return to full in person learning next year, these tools will be fully put to good use and we will be able to create fun, useful and engaging projects that promote social emotional skill building.

    We are very grateful for the generosity of our donors and are looking forward to using these supplies for many years to come.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Worthy

  • Nurturing Vulnerable Populations: Providing Health and Hygiene Essentials

    Funded Oct 18, 2018

    Your donations have been invaluable in providing a safe, warm and nurturing environment for our students this winter season. As we approach the holidays, many of our students and their families struggle to make ends meet and provide the essentials for their children. Having warm clothes, healthy snacks and water bottles, etc are small but meaningful steps we have been able to take to make the kids feel safer and more comfortable in school. Each year our staff pool their own money and resources to try to provide the basics for our students and the extras we received this year from our donors made such a difference.

    There were a few heartwarming moments that particularly stood out to me as we passed out our supplies over the past couple months. Firstly, one student who was given a few snacks to take home handed over his snacks to a peer on his bus who said he was hungry, without any prompting from adults. Secondly, a student in the 10th grade generously donated his sweatshirt and gloves to a younger family member (not at this school) who was in need. And finally, my two sensors who helped pick out the items for the project were excited and enthusiastic about handing out supplies and declined receiving their own supplies in hopes younger students could benefit from the donations. It all goes to show that giving and paying it forward is contagious, especially during this time of year.

    We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness and hope this holiday season brings you warmth and joy.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Worthy

    This classroom project was brought to life by Salesforce.org and 8 other donors.
  • Overcoming Trauma through the Use of Sensory Tools

    Funded Jan 22, 2018

    Thank you so much for funding this project. We are grateful that now when our students need space from the classroom, they have access to tools that will help them calm, regulate and increase body awareness and attunement. Instead of feeling like they are in trouble for the internal dysregulation they experience, students are now provided with positive opportunities to take control over their own bodies and affective experiences and feel more success within the classroom.

    Our students and staff have begun to make games out of using the tools which was an unexpected but welcome by-product of this project. While students in the time-out space have traditionally been angry and often mean towards one another, they have begun to experience restorative moments where they are regulating and creating together.

    I believe there is also less shame associated with taking breaks from class now that students have a purpose and plan for being out of the classroom. They appear more regulated when returning to class and are "bouncing" out of class less frequently. Not every moment is perfect and we still have our challenges but adding these tools into our social-emotional curriculum is already making a big impact and we hope that it will continue to evolve and grow as students become "bought in" and experience the impact such interventions can have on regulation.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Worthy

  • Fantastic Functional Focus Room

    Funded Oct 25, 2017

    We want to say Thank You for getting us supplies that can help us do better in school. Sometimes it is hard to focus, stay in class or be safe and we like to do activities that calm us down. We can use the tools you sent us to practice calming down and staying in class. We use the tools when we are in the Red Zone or Blue Zone ("Zones of regulation" curriculum) and we earn points for learning about this.

    Our school is in a very old building and the focus room needs to be painted and updated before we put all the tools in it. Right now, we are using the tools in our counselor's offices during therapy sessions and also in the classrooms with teachers. Some of the tools we use in the focus room, but not all of them yet. We are waiting to get it painted and cleaned so the tools don't get damaged. It is still good using the tools in offices or classrooms though.

    Some of our favorite tools are the weighted animals. We use them when sitting at our desks and having a lot of energy. We also like the balance tools. Balancing is hard and gives us something to focus on. It takes a lot of energy to balance and it is helpful to get out energy during breaks from class. It is not helpful for us to just sit in the focus room because our energy does not go anywhere.

    We are learning a lot about ourselves in school. School is not just for reading and writing and math, it is also for being nice to each other and learning to be safe. Sometimes I feel like I am not good at school and I don't get good grades which makes me angry. It is good to have these tools when I am angry so I don't get into a fight or get in trouble. I used to get in trouble a lot but I am working hard on fixing that. Thank you for thinking of kids that you don't know and for helping us have things to do when we need a break from class.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Worthy

The students in the crossroads program have experienced life adversities and traumas that impact their ability to safely regulate their physiological responses to triggers. Our students work incredibly hard daily to overcome these adversities, to learn ways to keep themselves safe and to access their education. Having a safe space where students can use regulation tools with staff support will help our students grow socially and emotionally, allowing them to rely less on unhealthy regulation strategies. These weighted blankets, weighted lap pads and other sensory tools will serve to enhance students' emotional knowledge and fluency and enable them to be more effective students, peers and members of their community. The tools will also provide students the opportunity to learn more about their regulation and self-care needs which supports a healthier transition into adulthood. Tools such as weighted blankets, weighted lap pads and weighted vests provide proprioceptive input to the body which serves to calm the nervous system. Children who have experienced trauma often have overactive nervous systems and "danger alarms" making them feel chronically unsafe and dysregulated. Having access to weighted blankets and other regulation tools in the classroom and safe rooms at school will assist students in calming their bodies and staying safe when experiencing overwhelming emotional stress or triggers. If students are able to feel safe in their own bodies, they will then be better able to access their education and form healthy social relationships.

About my class

The students in the crossroads program have experienced life adversities and traumas that impact their ability to safely regulate their physiological responses to triggers. Our students work incredibly hard daily to overcome these adversities, to learn ways to keep themselves safe and to access their education. Having a safe space where students can use regulation tools with staff support will help our students grow socially and emotionally, allowing them to rely less on unhealthy regulation strategies. These weighted blankets, weighted lap pads and other sensory tools will serve to enhance students' emotional knowledge and fluency and enable them to be more effective students, peers and members of their community. The tools will also provide students the opportunity to learn more about their regulation and self-care needs which supports a healthier transition into adulthood. Tools such as weighted blankets, weighted lap pads and weighted vests provide proprioceptive input to the body which serves to calm the nervous system. Children who have experienced trauma often have overactive nervous systems and "danger alarms" making them feel chronically unsafe and dysregulated. Having access to weighted blankets and other regulation tools in the classroom and safe rooms at school will assist students in calming their bodies and staying safe when experiencing overwhelming emotional stress or triggers. If students are able to feel safe in their own bodies, they will then be better able to access their education and form healthy social relationships.

About my class

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