This is going to be BIG!

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I can't even start to express how much this project on rocketry meant to my students, my teaching team, and myself. It has made the last few weeks of school so memorable and meaningful to all of us!

We started the project by reading the book Rocket Boys. This gave the students some background into the history of the Space Race, gave them an idea of what was going on in history, and gave them an interesting individual story to follow as Homer Hickam and his friends learned how to build rockets, with the support of their West Virginia town.

Then in science class we started to experiment with paper rockets. We focused on variables, and every student built two paper rockets, changing one thing about them. We launched them using an air launcher, and used the altitude meters to find out how high they went. It was so engaging to the students – everyone had a wonderful time and learned what their rockets needed in order to soar.

We then moved on to the "real" rockets – the Viking Model Rockets. Every student was able to make their own rocket, and the Viking rockets offer the opportunity for the students to pick how many fins they wanted and the arrangement. Many students had never made a rocket before, and struggled with the patience required to put it together correctly. They followed the directions and tried their best, and everyone was really proud of their final product. Each student was required to design a mission patch for their launch, just like the NASA astronauts, and to complete a Launch Sheet that told about their rocket and the result of the launch.

Then came our launch day. The entire 8th grade walked to a nearby park, where we set up the two launchers. A team of students prepared the rockets by putting in the wadding, stuffing the recovery system, and loading the engines, igniters, and plugs. Then the students were able to use the controller to launch their rockets.

After their experience with the paper rockets, students were amazed at the height that their Viking Rockets reached. All of the students would crane their necks to follow the flight path, and point out to the rocket owner where it was going. Volunteers used the altitude meters to track the rockets and find the height.

All of the students were so excited to launch their rockets and impressed with the result. It was an amazing experience. They learned so much, and had so much fun.

After we returned to school, our school secretary sent an email to the staff about a phone call she had received. It was from the park director, who was calling to compliment the 8th grade teachers. She said she was so impressed with the teachers and respectful students, who had just spent two hours in the park, were engaged the whole time, and left the park just as neat and tidy as it was when we arrived.

That phone call was like the icing on the cake – the overall experience was so gratifying, keeping the students involved in school at a time of year when it is so easy to check out. Furthermore, the 7th grade students back at school heard about the launch and immediately started asking if they would do the same thing next year. It's that sort of excitement and anticipation that keeps kids involved with learning. I can't wait to do it again!

Thank you so much for making this entire project possible. It has truly been even more than I thought it would be. ”

With gratitude,

Ms. Kobilka

Thank you for the support you have given us at Aspire. Students were excited by the prospect of labs using the materials. You have impacted approximately 150 sixth grade students here at our school so please be proud of your generosity!

I can't tell you enough how much the money you provide is important to me in particular. As a younger, newer teacher, funds are very short so I doubly appreciate your being a part of DonorsChoose.

Therefore, thank you again, and I hope you continue to donate to impact all of the other under-funded public schools!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Lee

I am deeply grateful for your donation to my classroom. The students were thrilled that someone cared enough about their education to send money to help them learn. These are underprivileged students who have gained a sense of hope that perhaps they too have a chance at a good education. The projector makes the classroom feel like it belongs in the 21st century! They now have access to so much more, and history can really come alive every day for them.

I can not thank you enough for your generosity.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Faber

All of your generosity and kindness meant so much to both my students and my self. Receiving this package has been a great blessing. I now have materials to use with the students. The students love all the fun activities that come along with learning about healthy habits and nutrition.

The year started off with learning about healthy foods. The students did different centers and learned about different food groups. They played games that helped build their social skills as well as taught them important information about each of the food groups. One of the activities was to label the item they picked out of a bag to its proper food group. The students had fun with this. They even learned a new vegetable. They never saw a eggplant before so seeing that in the kit was exciting for them. I even brought a real eggplant in for them to see. The student also go to go shopping with one of the kits. They had a food list and they had to find all the items on their list. This was fun for them to do. This was great for the student because they got to pretend they were food shopping and that is something that they all love doing.

Most recently we have been working on teeth and learning about the Dentist. The student got the chance to show me what they knew about brushing teeth by showing me how they brush their teeth on the big set of fake teeth. I than showed them the proper way to brush their teeth. This led into me working with the student on brushing their own teeth. After brushing the fake teeth it was great to see them use their knowledge and skills on their own teeth. This led into teaching student about proper hygiene and the importance of going to the dentist. I learned that while some students were afraid of the dentist not all of them were. This was a great thing. The student that learned about different tools that the dentist use. By becoming familiar with these tools help them to feel comfortable when they go to the dentist.

This is only the beginning of the possibilities of what they student will learn. The students at my schools with continue to use these materials for years to come. ”

With gratitude,

Mr. Williams

Thank you so much for helping get new updated technology into my Biology room. The probes are a hit. The students are able to gather data, and transfer it straight to the computer for graphing, charting, and much more. They are learning how to run different software programs as well as the science involved. They are very engaged, and great things are going on during these labs. Thank you so much for your generous donations to our school and my classroom. Your support will really make a difference now, and in the future.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. P.

Thank you so much for your donations of clipboards, tree finder books, triple beam balances, and graduated cylinders! My science scholars were thrilled when they received these supplies. We use the clipboards daily in class to keep track of our data for experiments. We have also used the graduated cylinders and triple beam balances to learn more about density. We are excited for the warm weather to come so that we can venture outside to use our tree finder books!

Without your generous donations, my science scholars would not be able to have the hands-on learning experiences that make science special. We are truly grateful for your generosity!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Vitale

Thank you so much for your generous donation to my classroom. My kids are very excited to have better boxes to hold our notebooks. Being organized helps us to keep track of our science notebooks and materials. We also appreciate the hall and bathroom passes. This way we know when someone else is out of the room and can wait our turn. I am excited to have these learning games. It is a great way for students to review and still have fun.

Without donors such as yourselves, I would not have all the wonderful learning experiences and materials my students need to achieve. ”

With gratitude,

Ms. Schuleman

Thank you so much for your generous donation of 3 netbook laptops to our classroom. My students thrive in a hands-on learning environment, and thanks to your generosity, they are engaged in math class because they can touch and manipulate technology to meet their learning needs.

We are using the netbooks to work on math games related to our unit of study, video ourselves solving math problems through the camera tool, and to work on math projects in groups.

Thank you once again for your extreme thoughtfulness. ”

With gratitude,

Ms. Maureen & Jackie

Thank you for your generosity! It touches my heart to know that there are people who care about children they don't even know! I will be able to use these materials with future students as well. These materials will benefit many students in the years to come.

My students are enjoying the math materials you gave them! These materials are helping my students review and learn new mathematics concepts. They have been learning about patterns, graphing, simple addition, and estimation. The centers and games are a favorite (no surprise there!). :-)

We have been working our way through the math books as well which teach concepts such as addition, measurement, more or less, fractions, and position (left, right, to, bottom). These books teach many concepts in fun and humorous ways.

Please know that you have made a difference in the life of a child!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. A.

It is with much gratitude and happiness that I write this letter. Our school is in a unique position in New York City. We are the only accelerated school available to district 6 in Manhattan, where so many bright and talented young students reside. Our school seeks to provide rigorous curriculum and opportunity for students who might otherwise lose out on academic growth due to difficult factors in the their home or neighborhood environments. Unfortunately, we do this with the limited budgets allotted by the DOE. For this reason, students often struggle to find new reading material, even though they have a desire to consume books at a rate that surprises me every day.

I cannot stress enough the dramatic effect that new books have on the climate of the classroom. There is a sort of energy in the air as students eye the shiny new covers like they are candy or cakes in a shop window. As an ELA teacher, this is a dream come true. I actually have students waiting in line to read certain titles and even finishing books in the late hours of the night because they cannot put them down. In a world increasingly dominated by television and digital media, it is very important that the next generation not lose the ability to read with imagination and a critical eye.

I thank you again, from the bottom of my heart for your contribution to this very important endeavor.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Silinsh