New classroom furniture boosts engagement and focus for Lansingburgh students and teachers

This is an excerpt from an article. To view full article, click here.

TROY, N.Y. (WRGB) — A class of third graders in Lansingburgh Central School District is now learning in a state-of-the-art classroom, thanks to a furniture giveaway from manufacturer KI.

At the end of 2024, co-teachers Anna Zibro and Megan Hupfl were announced as the winners of KI’s nationwide giveaway, awarding winners $40,000 worth of furniture. The Rensselaer Park Elementary School educators were selected out of hundreds of applicants from across the country.

In March, CBS6 got a look inside the newly updated classroom, speaking with students about what excited them most.

“I think the new classroom is amazing,” one student said.

The new tables and chairs were highlighted by other students as their favorite changes to the classroom.

“I like the chairs because if you have a lot of energy, you can wiggle out the energy in the chairs,” another student said.

The furniture was delivered and set up at the end of February.

“It’s been such a huge transformation, not only for the students, but for us. It’s so easy now to teach alongside one another,” Special Education teacher Hupfl said. “They’re just more engaged, they’re more motivated to learn because it’s new. Who wouldn’t want to go somewhere with brand new furniture that feels cozy and welcoming and homey?”

As co-teachers in a Title I classroom, Hupfl and Zibro have students both with and without special needs, meaning their classroom must be adaptable to cater to a wide variety of needs and teaching and learning styles.

“Something we’ve noticed, just with our tables, they have more room to kind of spread out, versus just being confined to their desk, especially for the students who are working on those organizational skills and kind of being able to have space everywhere,” General Education teacher Zibro said. “The chairs are great because they’re able to kind of wiggle in it and get their energy out. We have a lot of students who have focusing issues, so it kind of is able to help not just sitting in a hard, metal chair.”

The updates from KI also included new bookshelves, desks and a white board.

“We’re just so lucky to work in a school where they’re supporting us so heavily,” Hupfl said. “All of their classes would vote, and they would just really take the time to push it out to their friends and family. So, we really feel like we wouldn’t have won if it weren’t for our school community.”

View Full Article