Everyone Needs a Rest and Return Area to Go!

Funded Feb 6, 2023

Thank you for the contribution and gift you have given us! When we received the notification, we were all excited and relieved. This year our school's budget could have been better, and with the contemporary world and current events, we are grateful to put into practice a new education aspect! The kids were excited and interested in unpacking the boxes as they arrived! Taking time to explain and show how a calm area works and the materials available to use was like show and tell! The soft toys, large clear-color posters, beautiful books, and a soft carpet chair did cause some competition to try out the area first.

With time, it was clear to the class that the area was open for free use, and if it was unoccupied, they could use it when they needed a break. Many spent time there petting the soft toy turtle that changes colors depending on the direction it's laid out on. Others preferred to explore the different sand timers that were soothing to them. Books were read over and over again. Overall it was a big hit! My students are more emotionally aware and empathic to their fellow peers. The class has become more united and supportive of each other.

As you know, as educators, we have been working toward enriching and improving how schools serve students. Especially in preschool, we use play to teach children about the world as well as teach language, motor, and social skills. We've made enormous progress in recent years by focusing on mental health and social-emotional awareness.

We plan to further enhance social-emotional skills by combining them with other school subjects such as science. For example, when talking about insects, sometimes it can cause some excitement or fear. Acknowledging and dealing with these feelings and thoughts is essential because they are part of who they are.

With your help, we're much closer to improving society's view of early education as a critical period for all life skills. We anticipate significant growth in our outreach efforts and have you and donors like you to thank! Your generous donation was a meaningful gift and has allowed creating to get off the ground. You can be assured that your contribution affects our society's future and how children grow into the world we have today! Thank you again!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Stephanie