FULLY FUNDED - PA - Stefanie Palina Kindergarten

My "Peeps" are why I chose to teach! If you want to be in a place where someone reminds you how pretty you look or that you are loved every single day, well you need to come to my class! My students are so kind. They come in most days with a smile and a hug. Today, I even got a sweet note from one student that said, “Mrs. Palina is a good girl!” My Peeps are so curious, loving, kind, thoughtful, creative, imaginative, and have so much potential. Most of my students come to me without prior school experience and any knowledge of letters, numbers, colors, or shapes. They literally walk into my classroom as a blank slate ready to fill their brains with knowledge and experience things they never may experience otherwise. This year especially has been a trialing year with students beginning online and then changing over to in-person learning. In most cases, the children that were virtual were not completing or retaining any information. So each time a child returned to school it was like the first day of school all over again. It was overwhelming at first for the students who changed over because everyone else knew everyone and the routine, but thankfully my students took the new students under their wings to make them feel at home.

These children have so much love, but I am sad to say that most of them have broken hearts. A lot of my students do not get the love and attention they need from home. I have one student who is being taken care of by an older sibling. I have another student who is being raised by her grandparents and on top of it she lost her grandfather this year. Their broken hearts cause them to change on me without notice. As I watch them shut down and glare at me during a lesson, I want to take all their sadness away. I try to get some extra support from our school counselor for them, but our district is strung too thin with the number of students that need help. The emotional issues and lack of home support cause a lot of my students to fall behind. They have the potential if they would get the motivation and support they need.

In the end, these students are so special to me because they are my “Peeps.” Even though they are my students, they are like family to me. I would do anything for them and they would do anything for me.

I believe with any curriculum you could use additional resources because students each learn differently. I know I prefer to have as many techniques and tools in my toolbox to reach all of my students. In addition, our district is requiring us to use a scripted phonic’s program. The program ensures we meet all of the standards, but the students easily get bored by the lessons and start falling behind academically. Our math program also lacks engagement. I am hoping your supplemental program will give our current phonics and math programs a boost along with the students! I want students to learn without knowing they are learning because they are having fun!

Along with making learning fun! The supplemental curriculum will give our students a whole new experience. My students come from low-income families. Their adventures in their home life consist of going to the park down the street. Most of my students don’t even know what some animals look like. Your supplemental program will open their eyes to new things that my students may never experience otherwise.

My last goal for this supplemental program is for motivation. I have read and heard how Alive Studios' supplemental program motivates children and helps with social-emotional skills. I am hoping this will motivate my emotional students to keep working, get along with others, and do their best! My students have so much untapped potential if I can get through to them!