Perfect Peaches

My school is a Title I School. What this essentially means is that due to the population of low-income families in our school zone, our school receives funding from the government to provide free/reduced breakfast and lunch to our students. Additionally, we receive additional tutors and resource teachers to ensure our students reach high levels of success. 

At J.H. Gunn, we are lucky to not only have Title I funding, but also an amazing social worker. Mr. Narcisse does everything from home visits to clothing collections to make sure that all of our students are receiving the care they deserve. He works incredibly hard and works quickly to make sure no student goes over looked. For example, this past week I noticed a student wore the same dirty shirt and skirt three days in a row. I sent an email at 7AM and received an envelope for the student at 3PM with information for the family about how he can help with clothing, food, gas, and emotional support assistance. He is our school's hero and a champion for our students.

This past week, Mr. Narcisse worked with Second Harvest Food Bank to deliver bags of peaches for each one of our over 750 students! It was truly amazing to me what a bag of peaches did for some of my kids. Some of them didn't get it, clearly the kids who are doing fine at home. Most of my kids, however, couldn't wait to share the good food with their families. 

I learned a lot in my first week of school, but one of the most important things I re-learned is how fortunate I am to not just have enough food, but to have nutritious food in my home. None of my students are starving, that I know for sure. But you hear in their conversations and in the few students' who bring lunch from home lunch boxes how terrible the food they normally eat is for them. To some, it's just fruit. But to these kids it was a sweet treat that they are so rarely able to afford.I loved seeing the joy in their faces!

Best,

Becky