My students are a wonderful, vibrant group who are passionate, creative and kind. Over 97% of my students are from military families, and their stories are truly incredible. Many of them have already lived in over five different places, attending numerous schools and overcoming challenges as they adapt to new communities and make new friends. Our school is a special place in which students feel safe, supported and welcomed. Many of our teachers are also from military families, which can often make setting up and decorating a classroom difficult.
My students are capable of identifying and solving problems that affect our world through science, technology, engineering and math.It is my hope that my students can foster the academic, social and emotional skills that they will need to be successful in the seventh grade, and beyond. Any contribution to our classroom would be greatly appreciated.
Our school is located on a military base in Oahu, Hawai'i. We draw our student body from the surrounding communities, and as such, 97% of our students are from military backgrounds. This presents certain emotional and social challenges, as most of our students move many times over the course of their education, which can present difficulties as they go from various states (and even countries) to new places.
The focus of the problem that impacts my students is the amount of waste created during a move or PCS (permanent change of station). It is my hope that my students can come up with a solution that helps to resolve the amount of paper, plastic wrap, and boxes that are used and decrease the amount of waste and pollution that they typically can cause. By allowing students to try and solve this problem, they are able to build skills in team-work, solving a real problem in their community.
In Their Own Words
Hailey: "We want to figure out a way to use less paper and plastic during a move because usually all of it ends up thrown out."
Brianna: "We also want to make sure that we don't waste stuff when we move from one place to another because you can't always pack everything when you move."
Nathan: "We are going to try to figure out a way to help people waste less stuff during a PCS. We also want to organize a way for people to donate or drop off any unwanted (but good) items at a school or another place so that they can still be used."
Addison: "If we get the project, then we will be able to read the books and magazines about climate change and how it affects our world, and brainstorm ideas about what we can do about it to make it less of a problem. We want to be able to help make the environment healthier."
More than a third 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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