GrrlScientist's Biology is Life Challenge

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Thank you so much for providing my classroom with books, bags and pointers. My students love using the pointers! During centers everyday they use the pointers to read poems in a pocket chart. The students are also able to take the pointers home once a week with a book big and practice reading and tracking print. Something as simple as a pointing device can really motivate students!

You have also provided my class with sturdy book bags and books for them to take home daily. Since we began using the bags last month, they have all stayed in tact and the students are taking good care of them. The students also love bringing home books every day to read to their family. Many have told me how they are reading to their younger siblings as well.

My goal every year is to foster a love of reading in my classroom. Your generous donations have helped me to achieve this. There are still 10 weeks left of school, but every child in my class loves to read and is so excited about books! On behalf of myself and all of my students, thanks again for your generous donation!!!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Goodfriend

I would like to thank you for supporting my Who Gives a "Hoot" About Owls! Project. The entire third grade class and teachers were thrilled to have such a wonderful, hands-on learning experience. When we received the owl pellets, the teachers and I worked to prepare a Science Lab for the students. Once this was done, all students were able to participate in lab sessions where they were able to dissect an owl pellet. They were so excited to discover many different bones inside the pellet and worked in cooperative groups to identify which animal the bones belonged to. Students were able to expand their knowledge about birds of prey and made connections to food chains and animal feeding habits.

Currently, we are enjoying the book Hoot. It is a challenging novel that is allowing students to grow as readers and giving them many opportunities to engage in small group book discussions with their peers. The third grade teachers and myself, have been able to integrate the book across subject areas such as reading, science, and social studies. Some of the topics in the book include animals and conservation which connect to our state standards.

Your generous monetary contribution to this project was greatly appreciated! You have made it possible for students to have a better understanding of Science Life Processes and given them a relevant novel to strengthen their reading comprehension skills. Thank you again for your generous support and making it possible for children to have rigorous and engaging learning opportunities that help prepare them for a challenging future. ”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Williams

Thank you so much for your generous donations. The colored pencils and various art supplies purchased allows my students to brighten up their math. These supplies give my students a chance to create more hands on activities, which in turn, enables them to better understand specific math concepts.

With the nation wide school budget cuts, my students never would have been able to experience math the way they can now if it weren't for your generosity.

Thank you for making math fun for my students again!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Norman

The Iditarod will be over this weekend, but the love of reading you supported will last a lifetime. We have had so much fun during the past few weeks and the students did not even realize they were working so hard. They loved the books and activities that I planned for this unit. We have tracked mushers, learned about the mystery genre, made husky puppies with socks and rice, explored the parts of a non-fiction book and learned a lot about Alaska and dog sled racing.

Thank you all for your donations and support of my project. I will be able to continue this experience year after year using the books you provided for my classroom.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Costner

The room lay silent on this cold January day. Neatly arranged tables with rows of pans and shining tools sit waiting for eager 6th graders. Student's excited chatter can be heard as they mount the stairs and enter their transformed classroom:

Alice: "Dissection day today Mrs. D?"

Vanessa: "Is it turtles today or frogs?"

Carlos: "YES!!! I love science."

They quickly don safety goggles, aprons and sterile gloves. "Equipment Managers" gather supplies as "Recorders" read aloud the lab procedures.

Teacher: "What is the first rule of dissection?"

Students: "SAFETY"

Teacher: "What is the cutting rule?"

Students: "Read twice, cut once".

The specimens are delivered with much ceremony to each lab table. Some of the 11 and 12 year old students make faces; others rub their hands together in anticipation. Details and measurements of external features and lists of adaptations for sensing and protection are neatly recorded in lab notebooks. Finally they are ready for the first cut.

Thanks to your generosity students learned first hand about body systems that previously were mere vocabulary words. Digestive enzymes, bile, intestines, and aortic chambers were here in front of them – real. Today Zachary, who spends all day trying to hide his 2nd grade reading level, is the star. His neat incisions and precise measurements soon earn him the nickname "Master Surgeon". The conversations during the dissection sound more like a high school biology class than my usual 6th grade Life Science class.

The purchase of these materials allowed students to access knowledge from the dissection labs as well as improve their science inquiry skills. Even more exciting were the spontaneous student led discussions about Science careers and higher education courses. This donation of supplies not only enhanced my student's educational experience it reinforced the understanding that Science can provide options for their futures. Thank you so much for the investment in our classroom and in the future of each of these amazing students.

”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Dickinson

Thank you so much for your generous donation to our Math Classroom. The wide variety of math manipulatives that you have provided give students the opportunity to explore many mathematical "mysteries".

Here are a few examples of the learning made possible with the materials you donated:

*Four and five year old students explore the many, many variations of triangles, helping them to see that all triangles are not equilateral and that "upside down" triangles are really congruent triangles!

*Third fourth and fifth grade students discover that 3D shapes are created from 2D shapes.

*First and second grade students extend their adding and subtracting skills by using 12 sided dice in addition to 6 sided dice.

*Third grade students uncover meaningful and logical patterns as numbers grow larger or smaller by interacting with a place value chart.

The goal of making math accessible, meaningful, and attainable is being realized thanks to your generosity. You have made a real difference in the mathematical lives of many students!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Thome