The Backpack Program has become a much relied upon resource for many families here at Cedar Ridge Intermediate. We currently have 76 students who receive a bag weekly, which has continued to be an increase in the number of students served, year-to-year. We can see steady growth in the need and the number of students we serve in the future. The TangerKids contribution to our families is making a huge difference to remove barriers for students' academic success, allowing Cedar Ridge Intermediate and Branson Schools overall to accomplish the mission of being a community committed to learning.
Cedar Ridge Intermediate | Branson, MO | 2021
The Backpack Program has become a much relied upon resource for many families here at Cedar Ridge Intermediate. We currently have 76 students who receive a bag weekly, which has continued to be an increase in the number of students served, year-to-year. We can see steady growth in the need and the number of students we serve in the future. The TangerKids contribution to our families is making a huge difference to remove barriers for students' academic success, allowing Cedar Ridge Intermediate and Branson Schools overall to accomplish the mission of being a community committed to learning.
Cedar Ridge Intermediate | Branson, MO | 2021
Share your success story
Grants awarded through the TangerKids
Grants program
have equipped educational
leaders with tools that open
doors and inspire
students through technology, specialty
programs, learning resources, and
opportunities to restore
the fun in productive
learning environments. Read below as
previous grant recipients share their stories.
Thank you TangerKids for the grant to support behavioral needs in my classroom! Many adults who enter my classroom remark how quiet and calming my room is now! We have used fluorescent light filters which has reduced eye strain and headaches. The wobble stools have allowed some of my “wiggliest” students to stay in one spot and remain focused on their work while still meeting their movement needs. With some of the fidget tools and emotion cards, I have created a Calm Corner in the classroom. It gets used daily when a child needs a moment to work through big emotions. The students have become more aware of their needs and will verbalize it. I was so proud the first time a child came to me and said, “Can I go to the Calm Corner? I’m feeling really sad because I miss my dad today.” This was a welcome change as I would normally have had to stop teaching to calm a crying child. But probably the most significant items we were able to purchase were noise cancelling headphones. I have a couple of students that easily become overwhelmed with the loud sounds in the hallways or bathroom, and it will cause them to be in a difficult mood for the rest of the day. Now, when I see the child is becoming agitated, I will offer the headphones and they always say “YES!” immediately. It is an instant mood changer. Even the students that don’t really need them, ask for them! These items, plus many other items that I haven’t even mentioned, have made it easier for me to teach and for the students to learn without the disruptions and distractions that we had to navigate before. Thank you so much for offering the financial support to allow this! We are grateful to say we are TangerKids!
Yargo Elementary School | Commerce, GA | 2021
The Backpack Program has become a much relied upon resource for many families here at Cedar Ridge Intermediate. We currently have 76 students who receive a bag weekly, which has continued to be an increase in the number of students served, year-to-year. We can see steady growth in the need and the number of students we serve in the future. The TangerKids contribution to our families is making a huge difference to remove barriers for students' academic success, allowing Cedar Ridge Intermediate and Branson Schools overall to accomplish the mission of being a community committed to learning.
Cedar Ridge Intermediate | Branson, MO | 2021
After receiving the generous grant from TangerKids, we have begun making use of our new cameras! Students have been learning about how to use cameras and get their best pictures. They also use the cameras to take photos and create video commercials for our Math Board Game Event Night! Our students are having a blast with the cameras, and always want to know when we will be using them again!
East Jackson Middle School | Commerce, GA | 2021
We focused on sending home healthy meals and snacks before holiday break. We got soups, granola bars, crackers and peanut butter, trail mix, applesauce and fruit cups. We are also able to purchase cinch sacks to send home the food. We plan to use the remaining funds in March to purchase extra meals to send home before our students leave for Spring Break. Thank you Tanger!
Hartland High School | Hartland, MI | 2021
This year we used our items to work on building soft work skills with our students. Students are working on independently completing different tasks and gaining skills that can carry over into the workplace. Our students have been able to follow visual and/or written schedules this year to independently navigate their way around the classroom during the day. Students have been able to practice sorting foods into different categories they may find in a grocery store, sorting school supply items, reading the monthly calendar, working on cleaning tasks (with our new daily living binders), and practicing asking for help and things they need. We have seen a huge improvement without students being more independent while out at work in the community during the school day and during daily living activities in the classroom.
Westerville North High School Multiple Disabilities Program | Columbus, OH | 2021