Context

In Mrs. Vander Boons 2nd grade classroom there are 25 students. Their ages range

from 7 to 8 years old. There are no inclusion students that join Mrs. Vander Boons class,

however there is one student who receives extra support, coming in before school for one-

on-one help. There is also one highly gifted student in the class. Most students in the class

have high levels of English proficiency. Cultures and descents of students in the class

include African, Asian, European, Indian, and Caucasian. A handful of the students speak

multiple languages. The students in this class come from the areas surrounding the school,

which are primarily middle class-upper middle class. Although most students come from

affluent families, some come from government subsidized housing. I know that there is at

least one student who receives free lunch, but there may be more. Mrs. Vander Boons

classroom is arranged with a space in front of the room available for students to sit on the

floor. There is a bathroom in the classroom which students are able to use as needed. The

tables in the class are arranged with five to six chairs around each table. This arrangement

allows for collaborative learning and social experiences for students. The room is filled

with books on display, book bins for each student, and book shelves stocked to the brim.

The bulletin boards in the room encourage language development. Mrs. Vander Boons

morning class is only with her in the first hours of the day, and then they transition to

another classroom in the afternoon to have the rest of their day in Chinese instruction. In
the afternoon, a class of 25 that was in learning in Chinese instruction in the morning

enters Mrs. Vander Boons classroom.

The school is for students from K-4. There are 2-3 classes for each grade. The school

currently has 525 students enrolled. The school is a public school, which is a part of the

Forest Hills School District. 47% of the students are female and 53% of the students are

male at Meadow Brook. The curriculum the school follows is created by the district. The

schools ratio between teachers and students is 18 to 1. The percent of the teachers with

more than 3 or more years is 93%, which is 2% above the states average. The school's test

scores are far above the state's average (1998-2017). 63% of students are white, 15%

Asian, and 9% are two or more races. The students who come from the low income

families have a high testing rate, exceeding the states average (1998-2017).

The school's local community is primarily composed of middle and upper middle

class families. This is evident when observing the surrounding areas such as the

neighborhood, grocery stores, etc.. The school is well supported by families attending the

school. One example of this partnership that families are able to have with the school is the

opportunity for a trip to China with family members and members of the school

community. The community of this school provides students with rich opportunities for

travel beyond the walls of the classroom to create cultural and real world experiences for

students at a transformative time in their lives.