This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of UPS. All opinions are 100% mine.
Remember when I asked you all, What’s your wish? I hope that you’ve taken the time to submit yours! Don’t forget:
For every wish submitted with the hashtag #WishesDelivered,
UPS will also donate $1 to one of their charity partners up to $100K!
Today, on behalf of UPS I’m sharing magical stories of some of the most meaningful shipments they’ve ever made as part of their #WishesDelivered Campaign. Please take some time to watch!!
I loved the video of Carson and his miniature UPS truck. It brought tears to my eyes to see his wish fulfilled by UPS and the kindness and friendship shared between him and “Mr. Ernie.”
After I heard about the #WishesDelivered Campaign and after seeing some of the inspirational videos like the ones above, it didn’t take me long to think up my own wish.
My son, Dane started kindergarten this past fall at Stettin Elementary. I love that it’s just minutes from our house; he loves the fact he can ride the REAL bus. A few months ago I felt completely unprepared and unsure about him starting REAL school. I mean, my husband and I having been out of the school system for years now. All I really knew was what other parents would tell me.
It felt completely foreign to me because I knew how much had changed. . .and I didn’t feel ready. But, Dane. . .he was. Funny how us parents feel more anxious than our children sometimes when starting something new, isn’t it?
Looking back now, I feel silly for worrying so much. Dane has adapted so well and he loves his school. And just for the record. . .he’s doing GREAT! Part of it is because he’s a pretty smart kid to begin with, but the other part can be attributed to everyone else who belongs to the Stettin “family:” the teachers, the parents, the volunteers, community members, etc.
I am completely in awe at the ideas and dedication of the principal and teaching faculty at Stettin. Kelly Halvorsen, the principal, genuinely cares about the students and closely partners with her teaching staff, as well as parents and community members, to create the most enriching and collaborative learning environment she can at the school.
Kelly has so many great ideas and wishes for the children, but due to budget restraints and insufficient funding from the district, so many of her dreams, remain just that. Dreams. While Stettin has a caring and supportive PTO organization, the parents aren’t always able to completely fulfill requests either.
Mrs. Halvorsen and some of her Stettin students
One of Kelly’s dreams is to help the students develop to their full potential through perceptual-motor learning. The majority of the programs at elementary schools today focus on academic and emotional development but don’t clearly address children’s physical needs. Research shows that in order to develop children to their full potential, schools must educate the whole child by addressing physical, mental and emotional needs.
Kelly dreams of kinesthetic workstations in her 15 classrooms like the one below that would focus on all of the needs I just mentioned and encourage collaboration and brainstorming between the students for a valuable learning experience that will build a strong base to support future academic learning.
Source: Gopher Sport
It makes so much sense to me. We always talk about those who are visual learners and hands-on learners. Doesn’t it just make sense that there are some students that need movement to learn? My wish is to make this dream of Kelly’s a reality and bring this innovative and holistic learning approach to the kids at Stettin. I encourage all parents to get involved with their children’s school and their learning experience.
Joining the school’s PTO is an excellent place to start. As parents, we can certainly make an impact on our children’s learning experience. I don’t know about you but I want my children to thrive, I want them to love to learn, I want for them to find learning easy and fun, no matter what “kind” of learner they might be – really, isn’t that what we all want?
Even beyond playground equipment or art supplies, there are needs schools have for programs and products that will foster enrichment and development, that we as parents, may never have thought of. Every child is unique, every child learns differently. Let’s work to make it a level playing field for all children out there and help to create classrooms that nurture holistic learning! Do you know of a school that has embraced this approach? I’d love to hear about it!
I hope you’re as excited about the #WishesDelivered Campaign as I am. Here are some details on how you can submit your own wish:
When Can I Submit a Wish?
You can submit a wish anytime between November 10, 2014 – December 31, 2014.
How Do I Submit a Wish?
Post your wish to Twitter or Instagram with the campaign hashtag #WishesDelivered, and it will automatically be submitted. Another option is to go direct to the UPS #WishesDelivered site and manually submit it there. This is all about sharing holiday wishes and stories, so please join in creating holiday cheer by sharing your own heart-felt wish for someone else (which also helps raise money for charity) and spreading the UPS #WishesDelivered stories. This is for a great cause, and the more sharing and wishes, the better!
Can I Share My Wish With Others?
YES! Please share your wish with others! I encourage you to share your wish with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and any other social channels or communities you belong to.
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