A Room to Breathe for School Kids
Donation protected
Every child deserves a place to feel seen and safe, yet for too many - especially those growing up in low-income communities - stress is so pervasive that there is rarely room to breathe. External triggers like community violence, food insecurity, and parental separation, can leave kids in a constant state of fight or flight. All this happens at time in life when children's minds and bodies are least equiped to cope and are most vulnerable to lifelong harm . As a school teacher, I've witnessed first-hand the way this sustained state of stress can render my students unable to focus and short circuits adacemic and social-emotional development.
Fortunately, this year can be different! In my new role as Director of Social Emotional Learning for 800 students at a K-8 school in Richmond, California, I have the unique opportunity to empower our staff, students, and community to overcome the challenge of toxic stress. Through community grants, we've hired three counselors, an art therapist, and a yoga and mindfulness teacher. Now all we need is a space to house this transformative work.
Like so many public elementary campuses in California, our school is nothing more than a collection of portables on a large plot of pavement. Teachers across all grade-levels are doing their best to make the school welcoming, but with limited funds, most spaces on campus hardly resemble the warm and welcoming elementary school environment that their wealthier communities afford their kids.
With your help, we are going to design a space that shows students the same messages that we, as educators, hope to instill within each and every one of our students - you have arrived, you matter, and you have room to breathe. Working alongside the innovate team at LOCZI design, Crooked Nest and Interface Flooring , we have a plan to transform an old office into a counseling suite with a shared group therapy space. Our doors will always be open as a reprieve for students in crisis and as a home for restorative justice circles and community meetings. It will host therapy groups that ground and center students and, more broadly, it will demonstrate the importance of creating safe, quiet spaces for all kids. The redesign includes:
Wall-to-Wall Flor Carpeting
Plants
50-Galloon Bow Front Fish Tank
Book Shelves
Art Therapy Supplies
Yoga Bolsters & Meditation Cushions
Ambient Light Fixtures
Comfortable Seating
Florescent Light Covers
Stress Relieving Equipment
Large Nature-Themed Canvas Art
Water Cooler & Healthy Snacks
Calming Wall Paper
and a whole lot of love!
Please support our learning community by showing all students that they deserve a room to breathe!
Thank you!
Onward,
Patrick Messac
Director of Social Emotional Learning
Fortunately, this year can be different! In my new role as Director of Social Emotional Learning for 800 students at a K-8 school in Richmond, California, I have the unique opportunity to empower our staff, students, and community to overcome the challenge of toxic stress. Through community grants, we've hired three counselors, an art therapist, and a yoga and mindfulness teacher. Now all we need is a space to house this transformative work.
Like so many public elementary campuses in California, our school is nothing more than a collection of portables on a large plot of pavement. Teachers across all grade-levels are doing their best to make the school welcoming, but with limited funds, most spaces on campus hardly resemble the warm and welcoming elementary school environment that their wealthier communities afford their kids.
With your help, we are going to design a space that shows students the same messages that we, as educators, hope to instill within each and every one of our students - you have arrived, you matter, and you have room to breathe. Working alongside the innovate team at LOCZI design, Crooked Nest and Interface Flooring , we have a plan to transform an old office into a counseling suite with a shared group therapy space. Our doors will always be open as a reprieve for students in crisis and as a home for restorative justice circles and community meetings. It will host therapy groups that ground and center students and, more broadly, it will demonstrate the importance of creating safe, quiet spaces for all kids. The redesign includes:
Wall-to-Wall Flor Carpeting
Plants
50-Galloon Bow Front Fish Tank
Book Shelves
Art Therapy Supplies
Yoga Bolsters & Meditation Cushions
Ambient Light Fixtures
Comfortable Seating
Florescent Light Covers
Stress Relieving Equipment
Large Nature-Themed Canvas Art
Water Cooler & Healthy Snacks
Calming Wall Paper
and a whole lot of love!
Please support our learning community by showing all students that they deserve a room to breathe!
Thank you!
Onward,
Patrick Messac
Director of Social Emotional Learning
Organizer and beneficiary
Patrick McNulty Messac
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
J Paige Loczi
Beneficiary