#Kelly'sKids
Donation protected
While I am sad to see the summer coming to an end, (I said coming to an end- not over yet!) I can’t conceal my enthusiasm and excitement for the start of a new school year. I am highly anticipating the smiling faces and endearing personalities of my former students, the new brightly decorated bulletin boards, and the infinite possibilities for this year’s group of 5th graders!
The past 3 years that I have worked in Chicago Public Schools have offered a whirlwind of unique memories. Last year, my students did an amazing job reaching their end of the year goals on their standardized tests! The data shows that even though my students are not on-grade level with their peers, they are learning and making more than a year’s worth of progress in one year’s time. Which is one, small step in closing the achievement gap - a task that I am committed to working on endlessly. Additionally, this past year two of my students beat out 5th graders from 32 other public schools to win third place in the science fair! I’ll never forget the proud look in the faces of these young men as they received their prize- a $20 Amazon gift card-- to them it was so much more.
All of these memories are reminders about importance of this work. They keep me focused when things get tough. These students have proved to me time and time again that they are worthy- worthy of a good education, proper nutrition, and a safe neighborhood. Even with a lack of resources and parental support at home, students come up to me everyday to ask for extra help or to borrow a book from my class library. Even though their education is not prioritized in their environment, they are still eager to learn and invested in their future. Despite living in a ‘food desert’ with very few healthy options, my students stay after school to participate in Cooking With Cops- a program run by the police department to teach students about healthy living. And even though we lost two students this year to violence in the neighborhood, my students still care about their community. They walk each other home for safety and pick up the trash left on the streets- because this is a home, its their home, no matter what you read about it in the paper.
With the budget cuts put into place for this year, we need your help now more than ever. Incredible things happen everyday in this south side community. The money raised last year was instrumental in buying the supplies that won my boys third place in the science fair, new boxes of pencils a few months into the year, books to fill my classroom library, and math games of all sorts! We really aren’t asking for much- a small donation makes a big impact!
The past 3 years that I have worked in Chicago Public Schools have offered a whirlwind of unique memories. Last year, my students did an amazing job reaching their end of the year goals on their standardized tests! The data shows that even though my students are not on-grade level with their peers, they are learning and making more than a year’s worth of progress in one year’s time. Which is one, small step in closing the achievement gap - a task that I am committed to working on endlessly. Additionally, this past year two of my students beat out 5th graders from 32 other public schools to win third place in the science fair! I’ll never forget the proud look in the faces of these young men as they received their prize- a $20 Amazon gift card-- to them it was so much more.
All of these memories are reminders about importance of this work. They keep me focused when things get tough. These students have proved to me time and time again that they are worthy- worthy of a good education, proper nutrition, and a safe neighborhood. Even with a lack of resources and parental support at home, students come up to me everyday to ask for extra help or to borrow a book from my class library. Even though their education is not prioritized in their environment, they are still eager to learn and invested in their future. Despite living in a ‘food desert’ with very few healthy options, my students stay after school to participate in Cooking With Cops- a program run by the police department to teach students about healthy living. And even though we lost two students this year to violence in the neighborhood, my students still care about their community. They walk each other home for safety and pick up the trash left on the streets- because this is a home, its their home, no matter what you read about it in the paper.
With the budget cuts put into place for this year, we need your help now more than ever. Incredible things happen everyday in this south side community. The money raised last year was instrumental in buying the supplies that won my boys third place in the science fair, new boxes of pencils a few months into the year, books to fill my classroom library, and math games of all sorts! We really aren’t asking for much- a small donation makes a big impact!
Organizer
Kelly Hatton
Organizer
Chicago, IL