Brian Ferdman's Mustache, El Conquistador

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Thank you so much for your generous donation of Picture Dictionaries. After a long wait over the summer, now that the school year is in full swing we have finally gotten to put them to use. They are benefiting my classroom in more ways than I had imagined.

Numerous students got to take home picture dictionaries. They have started using them not only to help them complete homework assignments alongside their parents, but also tell me they are working with their parents to help them learn English! This will help the parents as well as the children, and it helps to build a stronger bond within the family.

We have also been using the picture dictionaries in class. I have very few materials for newcomers, and the picture dictionaries have become a great curriculum resource. Students use them for vocabulary building, as well as conversational practice.

The dictionaries have also been an excellent resource for a few students who have special needs, as well as limited English proficiency. For these students, I have used the dictionaries as a tool to inspire writing and have gotten better results than I have in two years of working with these students. The visual aids have really inspired them. Look at the pictures for examples of the excellent paragraphs they constructed!

Thanks again!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Jones

I cannot thank you enough for your generosity. It is because of you that my classroom has been enhanced with an overhead digital projector. This projector has allowed the viewing of musical excerpts (for performance purposes) and the presentation of visual aides much more effective. My students and I appreciate your generosity.

Please accept this small token of my appreciation, but know that you have helped much more than words can describe. Through your generous contributions, you have helped an entire population of middle grades music students to understand that anonymous blessings are real. Thank you so very much!”

With gratitude,

Mr. E.

Words cannot express the impact the new performance stage has made in my classroom. A student walked into the classroom and said, "Is that staying in here?". I smiled and said yes, it's ours.

Teaching theatre is a constant struggle - a struggle to fight for the arts in education, a struggle to fight for arts funding, a struggle to make theatre matter in a community where digital media and instant-entertainment have the upper hand. Every time a student steps into my classroom I want to teach them that process matters, that storytelling and theatre matter. Having the stage in the classroom has shown my students that what we are studying is immediate and that what we do, who we are and who we are becoming deserves a stage.

Because of our new stage we no longer have to go outside of the classroom in search of an "authentic theatrical experience," it is right in the classroom. Everyday is a performance! In a school that is home to three other schools, all of which have to share the same stage, we were forced to talk about performing in the abstract - like discussing dinner. With our new stage, we dine daily on the richness that theatre performance has to offer.

We were able to perform student scenes this winter on an actual stage. This added levels to there performances and gave them the feeling that what we were doing mattered. Many students commented on how it felt like they were, "...really performing."

Thank you for giving me moments like this and the million more to come.

”

With gratitude,

Ms. Rothwell

Thank you so much for funding this project! Like many schools in Louisiana, ours suffers from a small budget where art supplies are concerned. My students have been identified as talented/gifted in art, and the creation of art is their passion. Many times it has broken my heart to have to explain to them why we can't purchase certain materials. I love teaching watercolor. My students love painting with watercolor. In the past, I have had my students paint on different kinds of drawing papers, with not so satisfactory results. When I have shown them my own works in watercolor, they notice a difference in the quality, immediately. We were all so excited when our watercolor paper arrived. They handled each piece with such reverence. I spent a class period demonstrating different techniques they could now employ with the proper paper. Some students worked with dry brush, painting inside of glue lines, using sea salt for texture, and drawing on top of their painted works.

I was amazed with their results, and they were quite proud of their works. Many of my students have now chosen watercolor as their favorite material.

You would not think that the gift of paper would be so important. My students are so hard-working and deserving of quality materials. They are truly in awe when someone donates supplies to our classes. It is a great lesson in knowing that there is kindness and understanding in the world. Their thank you letters are always easy for them to write, because most of my students have experienced hardship, and they know what it means to be given help. Thank you for believing in the importance of arts education, and that art can truly heal the soul of a child. Thank you for this meaningful, memorable creative experience.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Robinson

I want to thank you for the generosity that allowed my students to take on the roles of researcher, scientist, videographer, photographer and director. My students have gained so much in learning how to collaborate with each other and the students from a local charter high school. The video camera helped document information and strategies learned in the dissection labs. Videos and photos were captured and recorded on DVDs as electronic portfolios. All this happened because of the gifts and financial support of you as their "producers." My students gained so much confidence they decided to participate in the "Experiencing Engineering" event, a competition with older students. My students benefited from the collaboration and positive experiences gained by working with professionals in the field and students from other parishes. One of my Daring Divas was the only girl to place in the competition, finishing third. With the importance of STEM in education, I could not have been more proud.

Budget cuts meant losing teaching staff this year and made scheduling the dissections challenging. Yet this opportunity to record and share their experiences has been monumental. This year will be the third year that high school students worked with my 7th grade life science students as peer teachers. My previous students returned to assist in the electronic documentation. They were instrumental as seasoned scientists that understand the importance of documentation. None of this would have been possible without your support.

I offer my heartfelt gratitude for supporting this project that will continue to inspire these young female scientists of the future. Thank you for your help and interest in educating the children of New Orleans. ”

With gratitude,

Ms. Gastiaburu

The Arts Festival production was a success! The students worked very hard for 6 weeks to put the show together. They were extremely nervous the day of the show. The actors had to perform twice but they were up to the challenge. For transition moments, we had blackouts (when the lights are off) that helped the students relax before going back onstage.

I am so proud of them for their efforts. I look forward to expanding the technical side of my theater class next year for the students who enjoyed working backstage. Again, thank you so much for your donation to my project.

”

With gratitude,

Ms. Journee

I want to take the time to thank you for your generous donation to my classroom. The items we were able to obtain thanks to your donation has helped my students in numerous ways. This year, my students grew more than any other class in both Reading and Math, which is a direct correlation to the items they were able to work with. These items were purchased through your funds. Without you, this would not have been possible. I am thrilled that every one of my students has shown substantial academic improvement this year. Without donors like you, we could not do it!

Thank you again so much for your help with our project!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. T.