Supporting Newtown Teachers

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Our students are so excited to see their classroom library grow! This year, we have implemented Reader's Workshop to our curriculum. A foundational element of this program is that all readers have access to high-quality texts from which they can choose to read independently at their "just right" level. Through the books we received from this project, we now have a wide range of classics (both original, unabridged as well as adapted materials) from which students can choose. I know they are so excited to expand their reading repertoire, and this project is a huge step towards making that happen! Thanks for your support!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Dimoulas

Students were so excited to receive the iPad. They love using it or seeing me use it in any capacity. They are very grateful to have received this as a donation.

It is a wonderful resource for teaching—I can use it as a document camera or with a variety of applications to model problems. In addition, students have used it in groups or individually when we have stations where students rotate activities.

There are so many games and applications that are educational. In addition, most students are quite savvy with the technology already, and are quickly able to engage in the many activities that are available. The iPad makes learning math fun for my students.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Nash

My students adored the new equipment they received. They are always excited to use anything new. We were able to have more equipment for our Frisbee unit in the fall. In the spring the students will be able to use the new hurdles for our track and field unit as well. Now I can set up an area where the children will have more than one hurdle to jump at a time which will allow the students to have many more repetitions. This is a key component to greatly enhance their learning.

We will be doing our softball unit in the spring time and with the new very soft balls they will be safe while learning hand eye coordination and batting skills.

The Donor's Choose equipment has also allowed me to be able to purchase more equipment for my students this year.

Thank you once again for your incredible generosity!”

With gratitude,

Mr. Sortino

My students love the new I-Pad and have said it is so much easier to write on it. I have downloaded a few apps which correct their writing and predict the next word in their sentences. They are very proud and already know how to send their sentences to me through the Internet.

We are using the I-Pad to read and write. They send their sentences to me, which I then print out. I have downloaded an app which reads books to them and has a highlighter which follows the text at the same time. They have done projects on the I-Pad similar to a Power Point. This has been projected on a screen, so all the children in the class could view it as my student read from his copy.

The versatility of this item is amazing and gives my students a venue to show their skills in spite of their disabilities. It has been and will continue to be a very useful tool.

Thank you so much.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Pannone

From all of the students here at NMS I would like to extend a huge thank you for all of the fitness materials which you so generously donated to us. We were able to purchases a TRX Suspension Training System, 6 pairs of dumbbells, kettle bells and yoga mats. All of this equipment has assisted in improving our fitness unit and has given students a chance to increase their personal fitness levels. We are able to implement a full crossfit unit using the materials donated and have seen the students interest level for weight and cardiovascular training increase tremendously. On behalf of the P.E teachers and students at NMS. Thanks so much!”

With gratitude,

Mr. Memoli

Thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness. The materials were originally picked out because of the impact these materials would have on my students' learning. We all look forward to the continual use of these resources throughout our school year.

As I had previously mentioned, many of these materials were worn, old, and in some cases, broken. Just upon hearing that our project was funded there was a general buzz of happiness and excitement. I cannot begin to describe the students' reactions other then the fact that their faces showed a smile ear to ear when they saw their materials for the first time.

The majority of the materials were chosen to support our math curriculum. Many of which are games to practice math facts in fun, motivating ways. Other materials like the dry erase paddles help promote student participation, especially for some of my more shy students. We've also been using the paddles to periodically do a time check. Reading an analog clock is often a difficult task in our classroom but by creating reasons to use the clock, we are strengthening that skill.

I look forward to seeing the many positive changes these materials will bring about in my students. I look forward to seeing them grow in confidence and motivation.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. DeSisto

I can't tell you how much your donation to our school has meant. The students that you have helped are struggling learners who are below grade level. The supplies you have purchased have allowed them access to the mainstream grade level curriculum.

The kids helped me open the boxes and unwrapped each calculator from its bubble wrap. Their concentration on making sure each calculator worked and placing it securely in the holder is something I will never forget.

The events of last December have left us more determined than ever to do everything in our power to give each student the solid foundation they will need to succeed.

Thank you so much for your donation. These materials will remain pertinent to future classes and your gift will be used for many years to come.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Bachar

My students were excited when the boxes arrived with our new triple beam balances just in time for the first lab. After we opened the boxes and set the balances next to the old ones, it was obvious there were issues with the balance point being painted on some of old ones with a marker making it difficult to precisely balance the mass. The pans on some were also bent.

When it was time to do the lab, there was a rush for the new balances. We received three new balances. While it didn't accommodate all of the students, we were able to retire the worst of the old ones.

Students were pleased to be using equipment that they felt gave more accurate and precise results. Since they were being graded on the accuracy of their measurements, that relieved a lot of the stress that they might otherwise have felt, letting them enjoy the process of science.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Liberty

My old Periodic Table was up on the wall at the beginning of the year. Since it was over twenty years old, it was missing the newer elements. It was tattered and falling to pieces. When the new Periodic Table went up, the kids were very excited that so many new elements had been discovered. When we started to study the scientists, the students connected that some of these elements were named after the scientists that we studied, such as Ernest Rutherford (Rf) and Niels Bohr (Bh).

Although chemistry is not in our curriculum, it touches many of our units. Astronomy and life science incorporate chemistry, and it is great to be able to have a quick reference for the elements. In addition, we have teams that compete in the You Be the Chemist Challenge and the National Middle School Science Bowl. Both teams start their preparation for their competitions learning about the Periodic Table.

The 8th grade students enjoy learning something that hitherto had been so mysterious. They make connections to things that they were aware of before, but had not really understood.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Liberty

I cannot begin to thank you enough for donating to our school and giving us a beautiful book collection for our students to have available for their reading. When we received the boxes of books, I opened them in front of the students, who were just speechless. When I told them they could look through them, they just began exclaiming how beautiful they were and passed them around for everyone to see and feel. It was so exciting!

We have begun using these books in our small group instruction of nonfiction reading. We are presently working on character traits and have been able to compare the traits of the individuals the students read about in the Childhood of Famous Americans series that we received. Not only are they improving their reading but they learning a great deal about history through these books. They are just the right reading level for these students and the illustrations keep them engaged and interested. They have even showed their friends and have begun taking similar books out of the school library to read!

Once again, we extend our heartfelt thanks for this very generous gift. These books will be appreciated by so many students here at our school for years to come.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Scallon