12 Days of Hope

The 12 Days of Hope is a program at my school that runs for the 12 school days that lead up to winter break.  During this time, the students are given a small gift or provided with a unique experience.  It all started because, typical of a low-income school, the students had increased behavior problems during that time or they just didn't bother to come to school at all!  After looking for the cause of these behavior problems we found that many of the students were just scared- they count on us for stability, breakfast, lunch and safety.  Winter break is 2 weeks without any of those things!  So, we set out the first year to get a pair of socks for every child.  We posted on our facebooks, we contacted different stores or companies and we got socks....and books, crayons, cookies and more!  It just grew from there, the community has truly surrounded our kiddos and are giving them the hope that they need to reach for the stars.  So many great things have happened at my school in the last 3 years- it is hard to remember how far we have come when I am in the thick of things each day.  The 12 Days of Hope are a time for me to remember that I give hope each and every day to my students and I can just as easily take hope away.

Here is a video about my school- I'm on there (don't worry that I look like a doofus)!

Look for more about the fun things that we are doing for the 12 Days of Hope this year!!