Toy Tales: Donations Inspire Behavioral Changes
Our ongoing series of #ToyTales goes beyond the day of toy drop-off and takes a look at how donated toys change the lives and outlook of those who receive them. Today's Toy Tales is about Ascend Charter Network, where the donated toys provide a mental break for kids, and offer something for them to look forward to during their busy school day:
My name is Rebecca Goldman, and I am a K-4 th grade school counselor at Central Brooklyn Ascend Charter School in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. This past winter, your organization donated a very generous portion of toys to the Ascend Charter Network. I wanted to take this moment to express how much we appreciate this donation, and what is has done for our scholars here at school.
As you may know, the academic day here at school is long, and rigorous. Scholars spend a large part of their day engaging in academic instruction. As the school counselor, I often get to engage with our scholars when they are stepping away from the academics. In these moments, we are working on social-emotional learning, often achieved through play. Your donations have been a critical component in allowing us to facilitate this social-emotional growth.
Our office is composed of a Social Worker, a School Counselor, and a Student Services Coordinator. All three of us have been able to see firsthand the impact your donations have given to our scholars. We have many scholars who come in to our office each day. Many of these scholars struggle behaviorally, and need breaks throughout their day. The bins of super heroes, the Bat Man Tower, the games, and the dolls are all fan favorites. We have kids in our school who are motivated to do well simply because they know that they will be able to play with the toys at some point throughout their day.
Having these resources is critical for the work that we do. Thank you so much for your continuous donations, and giving our scholars the resources they need in order to build their social emotional skill set. It is greatly appreciated!
