Porter Elementary School
devastation
Porter Elementary serves many children each year with physical & emotional struggles. They had No place in the school for students to de-escalate, in a designated safe space, and allow their body and mind to come back into a healthy rhythm and balance. “Sometimes the tragedy or anxiety children endure outside of school manifests itself in ways they don’t understand, and in ways they can’t always control themselves. We have to help get them to a place where they can regain focus, and right now, we do not have a safe place to do that,” Principal Judy Pearson explains.
daily challenges
Teachers often had to remove children from the class, but no real place to take them, after outbursts, or inappropriate behavior
No opportunities for Sensory input
Need opportunities for appropriate active movement
Toys, games, and tools to help re-regulate their mind and shift their focus on something new for a short period of time
Porter had a large open room with ample square footage, that was not being utilized
design solutions
Created a Treehouse themed Calming room, with 4 specific quadrants: Sensory, Reading, Relax, and Swing for active movement
Sensory Quadrant provide a tactile wall with removable boards and Lego table for fine motor skill development
Reading quadrant featured a large inflatable canoe to cuddle and read a book; the hugging sensation of the canoe gives comfort and a feeling of safety
Relax quadrant offers a tent with weighted blanket, vibrating pillow, and breathing ball for students to spend quality time alone for a few moments using these tools to help them breathe deep, relax, and come back into a healthy rhythm of body and mind
The indoor swing is a favorite because it hugs and provides a gentle rocking motion that will lower blood pressure and help calm the child
Ceiling Clouds with LED lights offer a soft twinkle light experience
Leafy Window film blocks out the visual chaos outside the room to create a private, safe, special place for kids and teachers to focus
The large open room was converted into a Multi-Purpose hip trendy “City Park” complete with park benches, lights, lemonade & popcorn stand, TV and wall graffiti. The room will be used for faculty meetings, and student rewards.
impact
Expedite Returning To Classroom: the Goal of the calming room is to give the students an isolated place to retreat for a short period of time, then quickly return to the classroom with a healthier, more positive behavior.
Self-Awareness: Students learn techniques and use tools that will serve them long after Porter elementary school; becoming more self-aware of when they feeling anxiety or out of control and knowing what tools help them reduce or eliminate those feelings is a life-long skill.
Inclusion: this Calming room can be used by all students, not only ones with physical or learning disabilities; it is available to any student or teacher having a difficult day and just needs a moment to reset.
news story
watch the reveal
https://www.facebook.com/page/156860163446/search/?q=porter
project partners
