We’re barely midway through the dog days of summer, but teachers are preparing their classrooms for the start of school in September.
On Donors Choose, a site that posts requests from educators looking to equip their classrooms, local teachers are asking for help obtaining everything from chairs to educational toys to laundry. Books are frequently requested. Donors can make a partial or full donation to fulfill a request. Classes can be found through a school name or ZIP Code search.
A Stimson Middle School life skills class for special needs students has a washer and dryer, but is seeking $885 to “to fill our cabinets and mimic the home setting. In addition, I am requesting towels, shirts, socks, and laundry accessories to practice washing clothes,” the request reads. The South Huntington classroom also needs help with supplies for baking.
An Elwood Middle School teacher is asking for $879 for books for her students grades 6 to 8. “My hope is to have a classroom full of independent readers who can self-select texts, talk about texts, and share a meaningful take away from their books. Readers can say to their peers, ‘Hey, you have to read this next because…’.”
A teacher at Countrywood Primary Center in South Huntington needs $284 for tiles, 3D blocks and other educational toys, for grades pre-k to second grade. “Every morning and during center work the students will have an opportunity to be free thinkers and use the manipulatives to create whatever they imagine. It will help promote critical thinking, creativity and collaboration,” the request says.
A new teacher at J. Taylor Finley Middle School is looking for $573 to fund a Dash Robot for her class. “Help me give my students a Dash Robot to explore the world of coding and technology in a fun and engaging way! The Dash Robot is just one of the many items I know will enhance the learning in my new classroom next year,” she wrote.
At Burr Intermediate School, a teacher is looking for $409 for classroom materials. “I have students from Russia, Korea, China, Hungary, Japan, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Turkey, Israel, Pakistan and Ukraine. We have students at varying levels of English language proficiency. Some students had access to education in their home country and for some it was an interrupted education. My goal is to create a safe, encouraging and fun space for them to learn and grow.”
At Oakwood Primary Center, there’s a request for $313 to help young readers obtain books. “The books that are part of this project will help my struggling readers know that they can choose books they can read independently,” the request says.