Past projects 5
Math Storytelling Studio
Funded Mar 17, 2025Thanks so much for supporting my young learners! Their math learning and joy will be augmented by these supplies! The math story studio will be shared among a few classrooms in my school, increasing the impact! My students are very excited to start creating math stories and learning even more!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Harter
Binoculars for Budding Birders!
Funded May 24, 2024Thank you so much for contributing to my project! The binoculars, magnifying glasses and nature journals have enabled my students to level up our outdoor learning!
Students are using the magnifying glasses to zoom in on small details in our schoolyard and beyond. The binoculars have been essential to our birdwatching!
At the end of last school year, when we received the materials, my second graders were thrilled to each get a pair of binoculars and we used them to try identifying birds near our school building. This school year, students have begun nature journaling with the journals provided by this grant! Each student has a "Nature Kit" which contains their journal and a pencil. Soon, each kit will include a magnifying glass and a pair of binoculars as we learn to use each tool.
At the end of the month, we'll bring our nature kits to a nearby nature preserve to try birding. The kids can't wait!
Thanks so much for your support of this project!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Harter
This classroom project was brought to life by Young Sheldon on CBS and 3 other donors.Sensational Second Grade Series Readers!
Funded Feb 12, 2014Series reading is all the rage in my classroom these days! When the new books arrived, my students broke into "clubs" to begin digging in. I now hear whispers like "Look! In this one Nancy babysits for Ivy and Bean!" and "Houndsley entered a cooking contest, but he forgot all the ingredients!"
Students are zooming through the new books, and more importantly growing as readers by leaps and bounds. In their clubs they practice developing opinions and supporting them with evidence from the text. The struggling readers in the group now have engaging books to read at their level.
I can't thank you enough for donating to my students and supporting their reading growth!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Harter
Bring Reading To Life!
Funded Oct 11, 2013The moment the packages were delivered to my classroom was an exciting one. The students knew that new books and resources were coming and they couldn't wait to get their hands on them. The nonfiction books were snapped up immediately and they have barely been put down all month. The kids were delighted to get new book baggies and proudly carry them home and back to school each day.
Since the new books have arrived, more and more often in my classroom I hear snippets of conversation like this: "Whoa! Look at this volcano!" or "Did you know a cheetah can run 60 miles per hours?!" When reading evokes excitement and conversation, students want to do it. Lately, I've caught my students reading one of these new books during a math lesson, walking down the hallway, and even during recess!
While I love the enthusiasm about reading that these resources have promoted, I also love the growth in my students' reading skills! With our new small group teaching easel, I have a place to post things while I am teaching small groups of learners, which means I am pulling small groups even more often. In addition, with their new books, my students' nonfiction reading skills have soared. They have become experts at identifying the main topic and key details of a section, skills that are essential for understanding what they read. They are better at figuring out what an unfamiliar word might mean and they have improved their ability to read smoothly and fluently.
I can't say thank you enough for caring about my classroom and the very special kids that I teach. A year ago, when Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc upon their community, my students felt the devastation in very personal ways. Seeing that people still care enough to give them a little extra help means a lot to them, and to me.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Harter
Hands on Science for My 2nd Graders!
Funded Mar 2, 2007Wow! I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be receiving these invaluable materials. My students love science and the microscope and terrariums will enhance our study of habitats more than you know. As you probably know, science is a subject so often ignored in our public schools. Children need opportunities to explore the natural world through a rigorous, hands-on curriculum. Thanks to you, some second graders in Brooklyn now have that opportunity!
Thanks again,
Susan ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Harter