Hello all you wonderful committee members! I am an elementary school teacher here in Newmarket! As part of my role providing prep coverage in Multiple Exceptionalities (ME) and Developmental Delay (DD) classrooms at Alexander Muir PS, I have observed that there are very limited resources available to support both educators and students. Teachers often rely on creating materials from scratch, which can be time-consuming as well as costly, and students do not always have access to the tools and manipulatives they need to thrive. This gap makes it difficult to deliver consistent, engaging, and developmentally appropriate programming.

This project will fund resource availability at Alexander Muir PS by helping me to create a sustainable, organized resource hub that benefits both students and educators in the special education community. With grant support, we can build a foundation that will have a lasting impact on inclusive education within our school. Students in ME and DD classes will benefit directly from engaging, hands-on, and supportive tools that enhance their learning, communication, fine motor, sensory and regulation!

Here I propose the steps I will take to launch this awesome project:

Phase 1 (Planning): Consult with staff to identify priority resources.
Phase 2 (Acquisition): Use grant funding to purchase materials (sensory tools, adapted books, visuals, communication devices, etc.).
Phase 3 (Organization): Set up a resource hub (shelving, bins, labels) in a designated space.
Phase 4 (Launch): Introduce the hub to staff, explain borrowing system, and gather feedback for improvement.

I know that once my school community hears about this awesome project they are going to be overjoyed and jumping right in to help me curate the resource hub of our dreams!

As you can see by the example images I will attach, educational resources are not cheap and they often come from the pocket of educators!