Past projects 12
Middle Schoolers Need Recess, Too!
Funded Nov 17, 2022Thank you so much for funding this project. I am so excited to be able to refresh my indoor recess activities just in time for the colder weather. Although my students are older, recess is a valuable time for them to decompress, socialize, and just have fun. I cannot wait to see what they create and hear them playing and laughing.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Halleck
Classroom Refresh
Funded Oct 18, 2022Thank you so much for funding this project! We will use the items in the project every day. These materials are usually things I buy out of my own pocket to make sure my students have what they need to fully participate every day. I appreciate your generosity and I know my students will, too.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Halleck
New Year, Fresh Start
Funded Aug 30, 2021Thank you so much for funding this project. The materials in this project helped me stock by classroom so all students had access to the same materials. The pencils, markers, sharpies, and dry erase markers and erasers were used daily for note-taking, practice tasks, assessments, and projects. The laminating pouches were used to create white boards for each student's binder and laminate learning materials. Additionally, the lamination made it easy to clean shared resources, saving paper and complying the CDC and district guidance. I was also able to use the materials to stock pencil pouches for students who came into the year without their own materials. At the beginning of a school year, this really helps set the tone for learning and increases comfort and trust.
As we began this year not knowing what school would look and feel like, it was comforting to know we would have the basic materials we need for learning. Returning to school from a pandemic and receiving ever-changing guidance on health and safety measures was stressful enough. These materials allowed me to cross one thing off my list and focus my energy on health, safety, and getting to know my new students.
Thank you again for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Halleck
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 3 other donors.Collaborative Problem Solvers
Funded Sep 16, 2019Thank you so very much for funding this project. While this project was simple, it had a major impact on day-to-day life in my classroom. The calculators and the giant post-its (chart paper) allowed my students to work smarter and tackle our math curriculum at a deeper level.
The new calculators allowed me provide each student with their own calculators for class time. When students have their own calculator to use, they are able to try more things to solve a problem. Many students think about numbers and problems faster than they can estimate or calculate in their heads or on paper. It opens up minds and allows for conversation as students share their thinking. Additionally, having these new (better) calculators for use in the room, I was able to send home the old basic four-function calculators with students who needed them for homework. Often times, students do not have access to the same supplies at home as they do in the classroom. This helped mend that gap.
The giant post-it note style paper is a favorite classroom material for many teachers. It promotes collaboration and allows students to share their problem solving process and thinking easily. Students were able to draw models, diagrams, and graphs. They created posters to use a references during class. I also used the paper to create anchor charts and checklists for small groups and the whole class. When we abruptly transitioned to remote learning in March, I brought the paper home and it was a valuable tool as I adapted to teaching in a whole new way.
Thank you again for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Halleck
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 12 other donors.Ready to Learn Welcome Packages
Funded Aug 11, 2020Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping to fund this project!
This school year has been filled with so many uncertainties. Teachers and students have been required to be flexible and adapt quickly to changes. Knowing this school year would be unlike any other, I wanted to provide my students with some things to make the transitions a little easier. Your donations allowed me to create care packages for all of my 8th grade students. When students and families came to pick up textbooks at the start of the year, it was great to be able to give my students something extra to set them up for success at home.
Our district is in a hybrid model and my students are learning from various locations on any given day. The welcome packages your funded have been transported to school or in-person days and home for remote days. They have also become parts of remote students' at home work stations. By providing all students with the basics, we have eliminated the need for communal classroom supplies or having to disinfect pencils between classes. Having extra supplies has also been a blessing as some student living situations have shifted due to the economic crisis.
I also want to express an additional thank you from the families. Many families have expressed their gratitude for the care package at the start of the year. For some families it was appreciated as a nice gesture, but for others it meant more. Some of my families have been impacted greatly by the pandemic and uncertain economic times. For these families, not having to worry about supplying tools needed for remote learning eased their minds.
Thank you again for making this possible.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Halleck
This classroom project was brought to life by A Generous Donor and 9 other donors.Trailblazer Teambuilding
Funded Mar 27, 2018I would like to thank you for generously funding the Donor's Choose project "Trailblazer Teambuilding" which has benefitted our entire student body. The funding from this project will continue to provide our school family with a multi-purpose surface to be used during our weekly All School.
This project was put together 100% by our Student Government. These students collaborate each week to plan and execute games and activities for our student body during All School. All School is our time devoted to celebrating our student body and build community. Every All School features a competition led by Student Government. To keep the student body engaged, these student leaders wanted to large space that could be used for directions, as a scoreboard, or as a mobile projector screen. The presentation white boards were the perfect option!
Even before we knew if the project would be funded, the students started planning new activities and competitions. When they found out the project was fully funded, they tracked the materials and figured out which events we could hold based on when the materials were expected to arrive. Needless to say, they were extremely excited! Upon arrival, they worked as a group to assemble the boards, which was a whole different experience for many of them. They now use the boards almost every week. A favorite All School activity is karaoke and the boards are perfect for projecting the lyrics.
We have five learner expectations at our school. They focus on building well rounded, social-justice minded students who want to change their communities. One of our learner expectations is Empathetic Citizen. Students learn what it means to have empathy and to be empathetic. We show, teach, and build opportunities for them to reach out into the community and give back. By receiving this donation, they are able to see that there are people in their communities (near and far) who practice what we preach and give back. Furthermore, your donation sends a message that you believe in them and have confidence that they will take their education and positivity impact their communities.
Again, I cannot thank you enough for your kind donation.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Halleck
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple.Family Fun at All School
Funded Mar 27, 2018I would like to thank you for generously funding the Donor's Choose project "Family Fun at All School," which has benefited our entire student body weekly. The funding from this project will continue to provide our school family with energetic activities each week during All School.
This project was put together 100% by our Student Government. These students collaborate each week to plan and execute games and activities for our student body during All School. All School is our time devoted to celebrating our student body and build community. Every All School features a competition led by Student Government. To keep the student body engaged, these student leaders realized we needed more supplies and different materials to put on new events. They polled the student body and determined areas of interest and need to create this lofty project.
Even before we knew if the project would be funded, the students started planning new activities and competitions. When they found out the project was fully funded, they tracked the materials and figured out which events we could hold based on when the materials were expected to arrive. Needless to say, they were extremely excited! While we only had a few weeks of school to use these new supplies, the kids immediately got to work. We have had bowling competitions, relay races, and a staff vs. student volleyball game with the donated materials. Our school year starts again in a couple weeks, and we are excited for our first All School!
We have five learner expectations at our school. They focus on building well rounded, social-justice minded students who want to change their communities. One of our learner expectations is Empathetic Citizen. Students learn what it means to have empathy and to be empathetic. We show, teach, and build opportunities for them to reach out into the community and give back. By receiving this donation, they are able to see that there are people in their communities (near and far) who practice what we preach and give back. Furthermore, your donation sends a message that you believe in them and have confidence that they will take their education and positivity impact their communities.
On behalf of our Student Government and our entire student body, thank you for your generous donation!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Halleck
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple.Stocking Up for the Second Half of the Year
Funded Jan 1, 2017I would like to thank you for generously funding the Donor's Choose project "Stocking Up for the Second Half of the Year," which has benefited the now 90 students in my classes.
When my students found out the project was funded, they cheered! They were shocked to learn that people they had never met wanted them to succeed and would donate money so they could get new tools for learning. While these supplies may have seemed basic, they have gone a long way in our classroom. The notebooks, dry erase markers, and pencils are used daily for classroom for the students to take notes and work out problems. The dry erase markers are especially useful as we use those every day to do computation or problem solving without wasting piles of scrap paper. The markers, crayons, paper, and Sharpies have helped with projects over the last four months, including our arts and math integration projects and our annual STEM Expo.
We have five learner expectations at our school. They focus on building well rounded, social-justice minded students who want to change their communities. One of our learner expectations is Empathetic Citizen. Students learn what it means to have empathy and to be empathetic. We show, teach, and build opportunities for them to reach out into the community and give back. By receiving this donation, they are able to see that there are people in their communities (near and far) who practice what we preach and give back. Furthermore, your donation sends a message that you believe in them and have confidence that they will take their education and positivity impact their communities.
Again, I cannot thank you enough for your kind donation.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Halleck
This classroom project was brought to life by Quill.com and 2 other donors.Preparations For Next Year!
Funded Aug 25, 2016I would like to thank you for generously funding the Donor's Choose project "Preparations for Next Year," which has benefited the now 80 students in my classes.
When my students found out the project was funded, they cheered! They were shocked to learn that people they had never met wanted them to succeed and would donate money so they could get new tools for learning. While these supplies may have seemed basic, they have gone a long way in our classroom. The binders, dividers, hole-punch, and pencil sharpener are used daily for classroom and personal organization. The headphones are used so students can work on lessons at their own pace through multiple digital platforms – helping us make the most of available technology in our school to meet the needs of all my students. Finally, the colored paper is used for everything from important notes home to families to providing a colorful pop to projects.
We have five learner expectations at our school. They focus on building well rounded, social-justice minded students who want to change their communities. One of our learner expectations is Empathetic Citizen. Students learn what it means to have empathy and to be empathetic. We show, teach, and build opportunities for them to reach out into the community and give back. By receiving this donation, they are able to see that there are people in their communities (near and far) who practice what we preach and give back. Furthermore, your donation sends a message that you believe in them and have confidence that they will take their education and positivity impact their communities.
Again, I cannot thank you enough for your kind donation.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Halleck
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.Technology for Enthusiastic Learners
Funded Nov 19, 2015I would like to thank you for generously funding the Donor's Choose project "Technology for Enthusiastic Learners," which has benefited almost 50 students in my classes.
When my students found out the project was funded, they cheered! They were shocked to learn that people they had never met wanted them to succeed and would donate money so they could get new tools for learning. The students have taken great pride in the fact that our classroom has our own iPads and they are the only ones who know the passcode! They wrote up and signed an iPad contract for its use and care. They have been very responsible in making sure iPads and keyboards are off when not in use and charging when necessary. They have shown that they can responsibility use technology for learning and for fun.
My students use them daily during our math block. There are two main programs they use, Dreambox and Door 24. Dreambox is a program that adapts to students on an individual level by presenting them with interactive lessons and activities to build up their mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills. Door 24 is an app that focuses on building fluency, helping students apply number sense to quickly ass, subtract, multiply, and divide mentally. These two programs support their regular learning in the classroom and motivate them to persevere through tasks. They also use them during science to watch videos, conduct research, and type up presentations. The keyboards are great for building up their ability to type efficiently. While they enjoy the math programs we have and learning new things in science, their favorite part is that they can also "buy" a free time pass to use the iPads to play games on the website Cool Math.
We have five learner expectations at our school. They focus on building well rounded, social-justice minded students who want to change their communities. One of our learner expectations is Empathetic Citizen. Students learn what it means to have empathy and to be empathetic. We show, teach, and build opportunities for them to reach out into the community and give back. By receiving this donation, they are able to see that there are people in their communities (near and far) who practice what we preach and give back. Furthermore, your donation sends a message that you believe in them and have confidence that they will take their education and positivity impact their communities.
Again, I cannot thank you enough for your kind donation.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Halleck