Two, Four, Six, Eight- Help Us To Self-Regulate!

Funded Mar 1, 2024

It is with immense gratitude and appreciation that I write this letter to you. I cannot thank you enough for your very generous contributions to "Two, Four, Six, Eight-Help Us to Self Regulate!" Your donations have been used to purchase items that have been used by so many of our students at Hampden Elementary/Middle School on a daily basis. These items have been an integral part of our efforts to teach students about their emotions, how these emotions feel in their body, coping tools for use when situations inevitably arise, and how students can regain control of themselves when they are feeling dysregulated.

As self regulation is a key building block for nearly every aspect of a child's development, the impact of your gift on the lives of our students is vast. In the school environment, we have been working on self-regulation as a preventative practice across grade levels, at times on a whole class basis, and at other rimes on an individual basis. By helping the children to be aware of their level of energy and attention necessary for the task at hand, they are better able to understand and manage their own behaviors and reactions.

To see the impact of your generous gift in action at Hampden Elementary/Middle School, you would have to look no further than our Pre-Kindergarten classrooms where we begin teaching our youngest learners about self-regulation in their first year of schooling. For example, we have used and enjoyed the book, "A Little SPOT of Feelings", and the corresponding stuffed toys as the focal point for our bi-monthly whole class self regulation lessons. The students loved reading the book together, discussing aspects of the various feelings presented, and participating in related activities to help them better understand their own feelings, recognize facial expressions, and help them identify the feelings of others. The book and plush toys were a big hit and kept the students actively engaged.

In addition, your very generous donations have given the students at Hampden Elementary/Middle School access to so many fidgets and sensory items that they can use regularly to provide auditory, visual, and tactile input, as well as to help promote the ability to focus attention and manage stress. They have loved exploring all of them! Sensory bottles, comfort items to use when feeling anxious, and activities to help students express themselves, such as the emotions coin drop have been invaluable. Empowering our students with these tools can can help them to self-soothe when needed by changing their arousal to match the environment and task demands.

Again, thank you so much for your extremely kind donations. The materials that you have made possible allow the school staff to teach our students an essential life skill, the benefits of which will play an important role going forward in their ability to manage stress, deal with conflict, and achieve their goals.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Flam