Past projects 4
Around the World in 0 Days
Funded May 13, 2020Thank you so much for your contributions! It is unfortunate that our students have not been able to enjoy the books that you have helped to purchase yet. With NYC school closures and now most students in remote learning, it may be a few more months before they are able to take advantage of them.
HOWEVER, it warms my heart to think of their faces as they are welcomed back to school with these new books, in their own native languages, waiting for them on the bookshelves. When the students return, characters like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Aslan will be there to greet them into a world of escape. I hope that this hope for a normal, maybe even BETTER, tomorrow would also provide you with the reassurance that your donations are helping to shape our future. This hope was made possible thanks to your kindness and generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Han
This classroom project was brought to life by A group of anonymous donors and 7 other donors.Dress for Success: Senior Portraits
Funded Feb 29, 2020Thanks to your generous support, our seniors were able to wear professional, matching outfits for their senior portraits! The students decided on the blazers themselves, carefully putting thought into every detail, such as blue blazers to represent the school colors.
When the students received the boxes, they were beyond thrilled! They took turns trying them on in different sizes to make sure that we had a range of fits for every senior. Teachers even brought in their handheld steamers and rollers so the Yearbook Committee made sure to have all the materials professionally ready for portrait day.
We hope to be using these materials, not just this school year, but for many school years to come, including lending them out to students for internships or interviews. We will try our best to make sure that your donations are put to use in every possible way to support our students in their journeys, as they "Dress for Success."”
With gratitude,
Ms. Han
"Action" for Change
Funded Sep 26, 2019Thank you for your help in bringing the "Action" magazines to expand my students' resources for reading.
My students are all recent immigrants, many with limited formal education in their home countries. Despite their literacy struggles, they are just like any other adolescent, filled with ambitions, curiosities and the occasional "storm and stress." For these reasons, a lot of reading materials are not suitable for our complex population- when the reading levels are adjusted, often times the content becomes "watered down," thus missing valuable opportunities to challenge my students mentally and emotionally.
Your contributions have helped provide access to a wonderful magazine, which gives relatable topics in bite sized articles for multilingual students. Through one magazine, the students are able to choose from different genres, such as drama, science, or current events. Our goal is to end the school year with a "Passion Project," in which they will share their knowledge on one topic of their choosing, using the articles and books they have read. The hope is that this will foster an excitement for reading that extends outside of the classroom.
On behalf of my students and other educators of English Language Learners, I thank you for your help in making "'Action' for Change" a reality.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Han
Senior Portraits That Last
Funded Jan 29, 2019Thank you so much for your generous contributions to make our senior portraits possible. Due to our budgetary restrictions, our students have had to take their senior portraits using the white board as a background. Throughout the whole history of our school, senior photos had been taken by one of our teachers using such scraps of materials across the classrooms. With the funding of this Donors Choose project, our graduating class of 2019 was able to get their portrait using a photo backdrop and professional lighting.
Moreover, this project's funding provided the momentum for us to partner with a non-profit organization that provided 2 professional photographers for the event. As a result, our students were able to have their very first experience of a professional photo shoot! Even students who work (many do so to support their families) had adjusted their work schedules to be present for the shoot. The excitement of the students was tangible throughout the entire day. Moreover, the photographers used the equipment to train a few of our 11th graders to become assistants. This allowed these students to gain the experience of organizing a photoshoot, as well as the skills involved in taking portraits. These two students were later able to set up their own little photoshoot to run a make-up session for seniors who had missed the initial event.
Thanks to your donations, not only have our seniors received the first professional photo of their lives, but our 11th graders have been able to gain an authentic experience in a field of their passions. None of this would have been possible without your support and generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Han