Over the last 18+ months, most of us have heard words like “Unprecedented” as a way to describe the effects that quarantine and isolation have had on our students and staff. Due to the nature of the difficulties me and my colleagues' students struggle with, they have experienced even further compounded effects than most of us. Some of our students can struggle with sensory and social overstimulation. 

My name is Hilda Washburn, and I am the Emotional Growth Teacher at Aloha High School. In my role I specialize in serving a population of students who experience a range of disabilities from Autism Spectrum Disorder, to Oppositional Defiance Disorder, to Emotional Behavioral Disorder, and several other learning disabilities that make it difficult for them to manage their emotions in a standard classroom setting. Here at Aloha, we currently have four specialized programs, including mine, with a total of about 52   students between them. As specialized program teachers it is our goal to create a wellness space where our students who are struggling can come and access a calming environment, so they can regulate before returning to class. We are seeing a greater need in this area and our goal is to meet the needs of our students in a proactive way. Our hope with this grant would be to provide that space. As you can see in the photo provided, the space we would use for this function looks like a standard office space with brights lights, hard furniture, and a somewhat cold atmosphere. We'd like to change that.  Funds would go towards furniture, sensory calming items, soft lighting, window coverings, a tea station, and other items to help facilitate a relaxed and calming atmosphere. 

We believe that all students deserve an environment that allows them to be at their best and this room would help the students in our specialized programs to realize that goal. Thank you for your consideration.