Christie Barnes - 2022
Fund A Teacher Recipient
Dear Alpha Beta Foundation,
I am so thankful and honored to have received this generous stipend from The Alpha Beta Foundation. As a new teacher in a third-grade ICT classroom where my students have many needs, I was overwhelmed by the cost of the items that I needed to make my classroom a welcoming and comfortable place for all students.
With the generous stipend, I was able to create a Cool-Down Corner in my classroom library where students could go when they are having a tough time or overwhelmed by their emotions. I was able to purchase many items for this Cool-Down Corner such as a comfortable bean bag chair and a colorful rug. This helped my library area to become an inviting and safe place for my students. Additionally, I was able to purchase magnetic shelves to hold books with social-emotional themes including: A Little SPOT of Emotion, Color Me Calm, and Everyone Feels Angry Sometimes.
This stipend has been so helpful, particularly since I am working in a Title 1 school and my students have a lot of social-emotional needs. I am so grateful for the Alpha Beta Foundation's generation contribution to my classroom, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to be the Fund-A-Teacher recipient.
Thank you,
Christie Barnes
P.S. 16 Staten Island