Hello everyone!

My name is Rio Djiwandana (aka Mr. DJ) and this year I am working as a 3rd Grade Teacher at P.S. 91 The Albany Avenue School in Brooklyn, New York. 

P.S. 91 is a public elementary school (PreK-5) located on the border of two large, working-class neighborhoods in Brooklyn: Crown Heights and East Flatbush. Demographically, the vast majority of my students are Black/African-American and/or Caribbean-American/West Indian-American. 

Due to factors such as gentrification and a growing charter school presence in the area, P.S. 91 is operating on limited funds/a greatly reduced budget. This is especially unfortunate because many of the students in my class receive special education and/or ELL (English language learner) services, meaning that they need extensive instructional support in multiple subject areas. However, the school's limited budget barely covers basic classroom supplies, making it difficult for teachers to obtain the resources to support our students with the highest needs.

 If you end up choosing to donate to this fundraiser, your money will go to the purchase of:

• Basic classroom supplies (pencils/pens, pencil sharpener, poster/chart paper, markers/crayons/color pencils, notebooks, folders, lined paper, printer paper, printer toner/ink)

• Culturally responsive reading books for all reading levels

• Instructional resources/bilingual reading books for English Language Learners (Spanish, Haitian Creole)

• Instructional resources for supporting students receiving special education services

• Exciting classroom decorations

My 3rd graders are bright, eager to learn, and deserve the best! We would be very grateful if you choose to donate to our classroom. Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,

Rio Djiwandana (Mr. DJ)

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