School Supplies for Super Star Students

Funded Aug 22, 2019

Thank you very much for your donations to my classroom. As a first-year teacher, my first semester has been exhausting, rewarding, and transformative. I became a teacher to be a mentor for students in San Francisco, the city I grew up in. My main motivation is to support students in their math education and in their transition into adulthood. To support them, I needed to have clear structures and resources in place so that they could succeed in my classroom, regardless of their past experiences or background. The vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and many students support their families by picking up part-time jobs and supporting their parents and siblings. Your donation was incredibly important to supporting my students because it further gave them the tools to be successful.

The manila folders that your donation bought has been instrumental in my classroom. I provide a lot of worksheets for students that are jam-packed with notes, math material, and other tools for students to learn. I provide this because some students do not have internet access at home, and they can use my materials as a guide. However, when students are absent due to illness or other reasons, it became difficult to track which students needed which worksheets. The manila folders changed that. I created a crate for each math class I teach, and I numbered each worksheet and placed them in the appropriately numbered manila folder. Now, when students are absent, they simply look at the assignment number they are missing, and they go into the crates themselves. This has taught my students how to seek out resources when they fall behind, a skill essential for college and beyond. The folders that your donation made possible has changed my classroom's flow in such a substantial way that my teacher colleagues want to have this system in place for their own class!

The lock box that your donation bought has also provided a safe place for my students to store their personal electronics. In today's era of addictive technology, cell phones have become a huge problem in classrooms across the nation. Research consistently shows that having personal electronics out lower academic achievement (this is even true if they have the electronics out but are not even using them!). I provided the lock box for students to turn in their phones and create a distractions-free learning environment. In return, students are provided a graphing calculator that they can use for the period. I believe that every student should have access to the best math technology, so doing this swap was a no-brainer for me! With this lock box in place, students are comfortable that their electronics are safe during my class.

Again, thank you so much for providing my students a better learning environment. Your donation has undoubtedly supported my students in their education and supported me in my journey to mentor and empower students in my hometown.”

With gratitude,

Mr. Vidalon-Suzuki