Help Ms Coates' class celebrate success!

Our school is located in one of the most dangerous, low income communities in Miami- Dade County. On a daily basis my students are surround by violence and poverty. Many of the students feel that school is their safe space. School is a place where they get away from the disarray on the streets. Our classroom is an escape where the students are guaranteed love and can recognize the achievements they are making on a daily basis. As a teacher, and the leader of the classroom, it is my responsibility to allow them to explore and work to find the answers to their burning questions. They become extremely passionate about learning and take pride in their personal belongings. My scholars have worked so hard this year and it is time to reward them!

My co-teacher and I want to take our amazing fourth graders to Island's of Adventure on a final, end of the year Field Trip. My students experience excitement that comes from uncertainty, violence, frequent moving to new schools and home situations but this is the wrong excitement for a fourth grader. Without an outlet, the stress of poverty and pressure from standardized tests can leave kids feeling helpless and cause them to react inappropriately to daily stress. They rocked their FCAT, never feeling more proud of themselves.

Going to Islands of Adventure and exploring an area outside of Overtown will create a stress free reward...one that they truly deserve. Help us take our amazing kids on a trip that they will never forget