Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Before students fill the desks at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School this fall, third-grade teacher Saida Balume is already hard at work.
She’s arranging desks, hanging colorful borders and adding personal touches throughout her classroom. Not just to decorate the space, but to create an environment where every student feels welcome.
“It’s really about personalizing the space for the kids,” Balume said. “How can I make this an environment that’s both fun for them and a place where they can feel comfortable?”
Balume has taught in the Syracuse City School District for nine years, including the last seven at Dr. King Elementary. While she says the district provides essential classroom supplies like paper, pencils and crayons, many of the items that make her classroom unique come from her own pocket.
FULL STORY: cnycentral.com/news/local/they-need-to-feel-seen-how-one-syracuse-teacher-prepares-for-a-new-school-year
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WSTM and WSTQ are Syracuse-based stations, NBC and CW Television affiliates, owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. Sinclair also operates WTVH a CBS affiliate for Syracuse under a JSA/SSA agreement with Granite Broadcasting. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#CNYCentral #WSTM #WSTQ #WTVH #Syracuse
Before students fill the desks at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School this fall, third-grade teacher Saida Balume is already hard at work.
She’s arranging desks, hanging colorful borders and adding personal touches throughout her classroom. Not just to decorate the space, but to create an environment where every student feels welcome.
“It’s really about personalizing the space for the kids,” Balume said. “How can I make this an environment that’s both fun for them and a place where they can feel comfortable?”
Balume has taught in the Syracuse City School District for nine years, including the last seven at Dr. King Elementary. While she says the district provides essential classroom supplies like paper, pencils and crayons, many of the items that make her classroom unique come from her own pocket.
FULL STORY: cnycentral.com/news/local/they-need-to-feel-seen-how-one-syracuse-teacher-prepares-for-a-new-school-year
_______________
Visit cnycentral.com for the news that matters most to Central New Yorkers.
Stay up to date with our social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/cnycentral
Twitter: twitter.com/cnycentral
Instagram: instagram.com/cnycentral
WSTM and WSTQ are Syracuse-based stations, NBC and CW Television affiliates, owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. Sinclair also operates WTVH a CBS affiliate for Syracuse under a JSA/SSA agreement with Granite Broadcasting. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#CNYCentral #WSTM #WSTQ #WTVH #Syracuse
