Past projects 9
Super Science Models!
Funded Oct 24, 2019Over the past two years we have stocked a "Creation Station" for multimedia production. First we added basic supplies like paper, scissors, drawing pencils, colored pencils, pastels, crayons, and natural materials. Then my husband constructed iPad stands for Stop Motion projects. Through Donors Choose we added microphones. He created microphone stands and we made desktop "recording studios". With help from Donors Choose donors, we added buttons, three dimensional figures, pipe cleaners, dry erase boards and markers, and clay. We now have a fully stocked production area that will inspire students to be creative.
Creating multimedia presentations is a 21st century skill that is essential for the world we live in today. Students need to learn to think in new dimensions that include voice, still images, moving images, and text. They need to learn to use multiple tools that allow them to tell stories and show what they know. Our new supplies will help them develop and practice these skills.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tibbetts
The Power of Voice
Funded Oct 23, 2018Our students are using their new microphones to tell stories about themselves, explain experiments, and tell about the phases of the moon. Multimedia presentations are an important tool for students to use to express themselves and share what they've learned. We have one to one iPads which give every student multiple tools to use for this purpose. Our initial recordings had a lot of background noise, including noises that are made whenever a student touches the device when it is in record mode. These microphones give students something visual to direct their voice to. They also eliminate the noise created when students touch the iPad in record mode.
Students think the new microphones are very "cool" and are excited to use them. Using a microphone makes them feel very grown up and professional. They lend a whole new sense of credibility to their multimedia projects.
Multimedia production is a relatively new activity at the elementary level. My goal is to have students at every grade level master one or two products that use audio and visual information. Breaking information down into different modalities is a skill that is very new to them and will take time to develop. I will continue to provide opportunities for them to practice in their IT classes. Thanks to these new microphones this process will be much more successful.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tibbetts
Out and About
Funded May 29, 2018Our new parent lending library will provide families with resources for fun weekend activities as well as guidance for parenting challenges. We now have a great selection of gardening books, cook books, and outdoor activity books. This new collection will help to bring parents into our school, develop relationships with teachers and staff and strengthen ties to the school community.
Families are invited into the library on Friday afternoons. Once a month, on the final Friday of the month, we will collaborate with the public library and bring a special program to our school library. Each themed activity will include games, craft projects, snacks, and door prizes. Special displays will include books from the parent lending library, books for students, resource lists for information on the Internet, and weekend "Adventure Packs". Upcoming themes include Pokemon Fun, Succulents and Indoor Gardening, Simple Handmade Holiday Gifts.
Your generosity will help to make this happen.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tibbetts
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and 5 other donors.Family Outdoor Adventure Pack
Funded Mar 27, 2018Weekend adventure packs are themed backpacks that include everything a family needs for a weekend activity. They go out of the library on Friday afternoons and are returned on Monday morning. These adventure packs will be part of our new parent lending library and part of a bigger collaboration with the local public library. The learning commons is open each Friday after school. In addition to that, once a month on the final Friday, there will be a special themed event hosted by the school library staff and staff from the public library. Upcoming themes include Pokemon Fun, Succulents and House Plants, and Simple Handmade Holiday Gifts. We have two themed back packs, one for outdoor adventures and one for cooking. Our PTF will add a few woodworking backpacks as well. These backpacks will help us to draw families into the library and create important relationships with parents. The backpacks, books, games, and activity ideas will help to bring families together for meaningful family interaction.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tibbetts
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 3 other donors.Buttons, Buttons, Whose Got the Buttons?
Funded Mar 27, 2018The single most popular activity that I do with my students in the learning commons is Stop Motion Animation. Kids love it! There are unlimited opportunities to use Stop Motion for storytelling and to show what students have learned about a particular topic in science or social studies. Although taking time to create figures or drawings is a worthwhile activity, often times we don't have that luxury. Having a collection of figures that students can use to illustrate stories and explain concepts is the key to making these projects more successful. This collection of buttons and figures is an excellent way for us to produce animated videos in a shorter amount of time.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tibbetts
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 3 other donors.Expert Parenting Advise!
Funded Jun 26, 2018Our new parent lending library will provide families with resources for fun weekend activities as well as guidance for parenting challenges. We now have a great selection of gardening books, cook books, and outdoor activity books. This new collection will help to bring parents into our school, develop relationships with teachers and staff and strengthen ties to the school community.
Families are invited into the library on Friday afternoons. Once a month, on the final Friday of the month, we will collaborate with the public library and bring a special program to our school library. Each themed activity will include games, craft projects, snacks, and door prizes. Special displays will include books from the parent lending library, books for students, resource lists for information on the Internet, and weekend "Adventure Packs". Upcoming themes include Pokemon Fun, Succulents and Indoor Gardening, Simple Handmade Holiday Gifts.
Your generosity will help to make this happen.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tibbetts
Kitchen Creations!
Funded Aug 19, 2018Our new parent lending library will provide families with resources for fun weekend activities as well as guidance for parenting challenges. We now have a great selection of gardening books, cook books, and outdoor activity books. This new collection will help to bring parents into our school, develop relationships with teachers and staff and strengthen ties to the school community.
Families are invited into the library on Friday afternoons. Once a month, on the final Friday of the month, we will collaborate with the public library and bring a special program to our school library. Each themed activity will include games, craft projects, snacks, and door prizes. Special displays will include books from the parent lending library, books for students, resource lists for information on the Internet, and weekend "Adventure Packs". Upcoming themes include Pokemon Fun, Succulents and Indoor Gardening, Simple Handmade Holiday Gifts.
Your generosity will help to make this happen.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tibbetts
This classroom project was brought to life by Craig Newmark Philanthropies and 4 other donors.Inch by Inch, Row by Row
Funded Aug 23, 2018Our new parent lending library will provide families with resources for fun weekend activities as well as guidance for parenting challenges. We now have a great selection of gardening books, cook books, and outdoor activity books. This new collection will help to bring parents into our school, develop relationships with teachers and staff and strengthen ties to the school community.
Families are invited into the library on Friday afternoons. Once a month, on the final Friday of the month, we will collaborate with the public library and bring a special program to our school library. Each themed activity will include games, craft projects, snacks, and door prizes. Special displays will include books from the parent lending library, books for students, resource lists for information on the Internet, and weekend "Adventure Packs". Upcoming themes include Pokemon Fun, Succulents and Indoor Gardening, Simple Handmade Holiday Gifts.
Your generosity will help to make this happen.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tibbetts
Shake and Bake, Family Time in the Kitchen
Funded Feb 23, 2018At South School we encourage connections between families and teachers. Several times a year we invite families in for special evening events. It is an opportunity for us to build relationships with students outside of the classroom and forge stronger bonds with them, hopefully encouraging them to be more invested in their learning. The parent lending library is another opportunity to make connections. Providing a wealth of resources about parenting can support families facing challenging issues. Including materials that inspire families to spend time together making projects, gardening, playing board games, and other traditional family activities will benefit children at home as well as at school.
The "Weekend Adventure Pack Program" is an important part of the parent lending library. Cooking is something that all families enjoy and something that builds lasting memories. When students see the cooking adventure pack they are excited to take it home. The colorful cookie cutters, the tantalizing cookbook covers, the professional looking rolling pin, all encourage active involvement. The adventure packs excite students to tell their parents about the parent lending library and help us to draw parents in.
The first student to check out the cooking adventure pack was, surprisingly, a fifth grade boy. He made a beeline to the learning commons after school with a family member to check out the backpack. Over the weekend he made what his stepdad called " a pretty darn good chicken pot pie". He was very proud of his accomplishments in the kitchen and it seemed to make an impression on his whole family. Maybe there is a chef in the making there! We hope to expand our adventure packs to include woodworking and arts and crafts. Thank you for your donations towards this project and for helping us connect with our families.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tibbetts
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 5 other donors.