Ralston elementary earns $2,500 to put 'calm down corners' in every classroom
As part of KETV's Cash in for Schools partnership with Medical Solutions, Meadows Elementary earned a $2,500 grant.
As part of KETV's Cash in for Schools partnership with Medical Solutions, Meadows Elementary earned a $2,500 grant.
As part of KETV's Cash in for Schools partnership with Medical Solutions, Meadows Elementary earned a $2,500 grant.
Part of school counselor Karly Johnson's job is to help students regulate their emotions. It can be harder than it seems for children in the 5 to 12 age group.
"We know kids can't learn if they're not regulated and they don't feel safe," the counselor at Meadows Elementary in Ralston said.
Johnson submitted for the $2,500 Cash in for Schools grant, a partnership between KETV Newswatch 7 and Medical Solutions.
She has what's called a 'calm down corner' in her office but wants to put one in all 16 classrooms at the school.
"The purpose of the space is for students to have a place to go when they're feeling dis-regulated," she said. "They're angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed, and this is a place where they can use their coping strategies."
In November, Medical Solutions and KETV awarded Johnson the grant to fund 'calm down corners' in every classroom.
The money will pay for cozy rugs in younger classrooms, posters to help students walk through strategies, stuffed animals, visual timers, books, and noise-canceling headphones.
"We're blessed and lucky to have a remodeled building this year," Johnson said. "Being able to add this addition of calm down corners is super exciting."