Transitional kindergarten is one of the first big steps young learners take into the school system, a time filled with milestones like developing fine motor skills and learning to be away from family for the first time. Longfellow Elementary School teacher Luisa Villapudua wants to make sure her students have the best possible environment to navigate those moments of growth. Using her PEF Teacher Grant, Villapudua is investing in outdoor play equipment like bubble wands and kinetic sand, giving her transitional kindergarteners fun and engaging activities to kickstart their development.
“The new equipment has encouraged increased social interaction, cooperation, and problem-solving among peers during unstructured playtime. Students are learning to take turns, share, and communicate more effectively, key components of social-emotional growth at this critical stage.”
-Luisa Villapudua, Longfellow Elementary
These are exactly the kinds of starting skills that will carry students through the rest of their academic careers, and thanks to the PEF Teacher Grant, Villapudua has the tools to help them get there.
