Berwyn Challenge 2008

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Thank you so much for the scripts you have sent our children. When we started this program three years ago, I walked into a completely empty classroom - bare walls, no books, no curriculum.

We have a great staff and administration who bend over backwards to help our department. However, there are only so many resources to go around.

Your donation helps the students see that their class and our department are special and important. By doing these 8th grade plays, these students don't just learn about the performing arts. They experience first hand how teamwork, motivation, and creativity impact their work and themselves. Thank you again for your donation!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Shariffskul

I just can't thank you enough for this generous and important donation. We began reading last week and my students can't wait to read each day! In fact, they have been asking to read--which is a wonderful and amazing gift for me as a teacher.

We have been trying some interesting activities to go along with this novel that the students are really enjoying--In the novel, the town has unexpected black outs--which leave the characters in complete darkness. Complete darkness is not something we experience often, so I blacked out the windows and door of my classroom with black paper and we tried to do everyday things in complete darkness. Needless to say it was a fun and extremely interesting activity. Also, in the novel, everyday items are scarce--paper, pencils, etc. so we experimented with the idea of losing things you take advantage of--this also made for some interesting and meaningful discussions.

Even though we are only halfway through the novel, many of my students are looking forward to reading the rest of the series! That is exactly what I hoped would happen! Thank you so much (again) for this amazing gift you have given my classes. It is a wonderful way to end the school year.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Trekas

Words can't begin to describe how much we appreciate your generosity. My students look forward to nightly checking out the books, CDs, and CD players that you donated. They certainly don't let me forget our check out time each and every day. They often tell me about listening to the books on CDs with their families and friends, and they will often recheck out their mom's or other family member's favorite books and CDs so the can share the story again. I personally enjoy how their faces light up as they browse the check-out selection with such enthusiasm and joy.

The impact of what you've done for us even reflects in our class test data. Over 33% of my students are reading above grade level in an at risk school. As further shown by test data, I only have 2 students that are at the strategic monitoring level. I also have the smallest number of 1st graders in a class qualifying for reading summer school. I can't be prouder of my students' achievements and gains!

It's like I tell my students, you have to practice reading to become a better reader. The Chicago Bears don't just suit up before the big game. They practice. It's the same thing with reading. The only way to get better at reading is to practice. Thanks for giving my students and their families more opportunities to read and enjoy books. My students asked if Peter and Holly are "famous people". I told them that you are so much more than some "famous people". You love reading, you know how important it is, and you care enough to help out children you don't even know in order to share that love of reading. That makes you superstars in our eyes! Thanks again from their bottom of my heart and from the bottom of the big hearts of my little first grade students!

”

With gratitude,

Ms. D.

This is just a small token of my gratitude for your generous donation to my classroom. The posters that you donated have helped my students create amazing projects. I truly believe that these posters helped my students with their presentations. The students were able to creatively showcase what was researched. Each student took on the responsibility of creating a theme on his/her cow based on what they chose to research, and my students truly accepted that challenge head on! The cows they created are colorful, full of information, and just plain cool!

Most of my students can't wait until the cows can be taken home. Many of them told me their cow is going on a bedroom wall or somewhere else to show off all their hard work. My students had a great time creating these cows and they all said it is something that should be permanently incorporated into the research project.

I just can't thank you enough for your generosity with this donation. Without donors like you, thousands of classrooms in the United States would without! Thanks again! ”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Trekas

This is just a small token of my gratitude for your generous donation to my classroom. The listening center you provided helps my students everyday with their reading. Not only do my students use the listening center for reading they now use it for other subjects like science and social studies, which is sometimes difficult for the students to understand and read. It is so great to see my students wanting to use the listening center and being excited about it.

Our school is 95 % Hispanic and these students need all the exposure than can have while reading and having a listening center in the classroom makes reading more enjoyable. Now in the classroom when we have centers that is the #1 center all the students want to go to first where before no one wanted to go.

Without donors like you my classroom could not have the resources to help them succeed.

My 3rd graders and myself thank you so much for making our learning environment so much more enjoyable.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Joseph

Thank you so much for your generous donations to our students! They love working with all the new supplies. They are taking more pride in their work and getting more excited to work together with all the new supplies, as well! The students are especially excited about the new markers and the colored pencils! We have been using very old markers and colored pencils in the past. Also, the new pencils are a big help! We spend less classtime looking for and borrowing pencils, and more time learning! The new sharpeners that came with the colored pencils are great! Our pencil sharpeners at school tend to eat the pencils, rather than sharpen them. The students and I are so proud of the new projects and work, that we have been decorating the halls with all of our new work! This was perfect timing for our open house coming up. Visitors will be very impressed with all of the new work out and all of the creativity they will see. You have impacted our classroom in so many ways, I was only to mention a few ways. Thank you so much, and know that you made 600 plus students a year very happy, as well as an ecstatic teacher!! Thank you!!!!!!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Uher

Thank you so much for your generous donation! The fabric that was purchased was perfect for our show choir vests. The girls love how bright and shimmery they are. It makes a big difference when they perform. We debuted the vests on our trip to Washington D.C. in front of a huge crowd on the National Mall. They know they look good and perform better because of it. We even had fabric left over, so we are considering making skirts to match next year!

Our school greatly appreciates all of the support from the community and people outside of our "little world." Our students lack resources that students in more wealthy communities take for granted. We truly appreciate every little bit that we get. Your donation made a difference to these girls!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Kays

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your donation to our music classroom. Since the arrival of your donation, the music classes have been using our overhead cart on a daily basis. We are using it with recorder practice and we are using it with staff practice. I have been able to utilize the cart and overhead for listening maps and other classroom activities. I can not begin to tell you how much your contribution has made a difference in my classroom. The students are more attentive and they are very eager to learn all they can about music.

With the classroom and school environments changing yearly having the over head cart will make it much easier in the case that we need to switch rooms or if we need to rearrange the one we are in.

The students and I are so blessed by this gift. Music class has finally caught up with the technology being offered in other classes and without your overhead cart donation we would be unable to use it. Donors like you make such a difference to the public school systems. Again I want to extend my sincerest thanks.

”

With gratitude,

Ms. M.

Thank you so much! We desperately needed these books. The kids have really taken off with the whole bibliotherapy idea that we came up with and started using last school year. We are seeing progress in students that we had very little hope for, since gang activity and drugs are involved. The students have been asking when we can start a different book, and I have been holding off because of lack of books. Thanks again for your generosity. It couldn't have come at a better time”

With gratitude,

Ms. Parvin

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity and kindness. When I started this Yoga Club in September, I wasn't sure how many students would be interested, but the response has been huge! Students love getting to school early and starting their day with yoga; they are learning self-control and collaboration skills that they use throughout the day and across different settings. These yoga mats will only enhance their experience and for that, I am truly grateful to you”

With gratitude,

Ms. Caballero