Past projects 5
"Engineering" Our Own Education
Funded Aug 24, 2022Again, thank you! Your donation has afforded out students the opportunities to engage with STEAM toys, that they would otherwise not have had privy to. Kindergarteners are natural risk takers. They love to build and explore and discover how high, how wide, or thin or how unique they can create a structure. They are willing to make "mistakes" and try again and again until they are happy with what they've created. Their "fails" are actually learning opportunities for them to try a different approach when creating. Watching 4 and 5 year old students sort out and attack a toy is thrilling and a lesson for all of us about how we should all look at completing tasks. As seen in the attached pictures, our students discover how to make the toys "work." The pride they feel in their own achievements transfers to other areas of their academics and increases their confidence when working out problem solving.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Power
Developing Tomorrow's Developers
Funded Aug 24, 2022Again, thank you! Our students are enjoying the STEAM toys that you have donated every single day! First thing in the morning our students spend time engaging their creative juices. They can choose any toy they like and enjoy the experience in an absolutely no-risk environment. The beauty of these toys is that there's no wrong way to play with them. Even the "mistakes" help the students to learn that trial and error are valuable steps we all must take to succeed. While in play, the students are strengthening their pincer grasps as they hold the screwdriver to build the dinosaurs. They are following directions while creating movable vehicles. They are using blocks to design and create castles, cars, and anything thing else they can dream up. You have brought our little learners the opportunity to take their first steps into design, engineering and creation. These first steps can help them when they begin coding on the computer, completing algebraic problems in math and following directions on a map. Your choice to donate to our students has enhanced their learning in ways we will and won't be able to measure, however everything they take away from these experiences, is positive!!! Thank you so much again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Power
Multiple Mediums, Yield Exceptional Learners
Funded Aug 9, 2022Again, THANK YOU! Your generosity is so appreciated! Our students have been using the materials you donated in many ways! They have helped to enhance and enrich the learning in our classroom. As you can see in some of the attached photos, our students use magnets and velcro to create an interactive letter wall. On that same board the wipe off dry erase paper is used for pop-up centers, practice with letter writing and one of the mediums we use to teach the kindergarteners how to write sentences. We could not live without that wipe off paper!!! The double sided tape has been used to hold up our anchor charts. As you may know, the old NYC schools blast the heat 365 days of the year. We have such difficulties finding any kind of adhesive. This tape is a miracle!!! The velcro dots are also used on our desks to hold small cups so our math manipulatives don't spill over! Such a time saver!!! Oh, and the paint... as shown in some of the pictures, our student LOVE to paint. We were creating a weather diagram in the photos you see. These experiences develop the students' pincer grasp and their eye-hand coordination! Plus, they are sharing what they have learned, and having fun doing it. Lastly, thank you for the soap dispenser. The students are able to get hand sanitizer without touching a bottle or spreading any germs. Thanks sooo much again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Power
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 2 other donors.Rolling, Rolling, Rolling The Teacher Keeps On Rolling...
Funded Jan 13, 2009Thank you again for considering our project as valuable. We use our chair daily to share writing pieces, conference with students and roll about the room assisting students with independent work. Your generosity is so appreciated by the class and the students feel so special and important when they sit upon that chair and share.
Our new "author's chair" has empowered the students to write more, edit, revise and improve their writing, because every one wants a chance to be in that chair... sharing what they wrote!!! Our student "teachers" will often roll about peer tutoring and again this empowers the students to work harder so they can have an opportunity to be in that chair. That chair is just about the nicest thing we have in this classroom. It is compared to a "throne" in literal ways by our students who realize that our classroom lacks the finer things found in the schools they see on TV or in the movies.
Again, it is with great thanks, appreciation and gratitude that I write to you. Your generosity has so improved the education, motivation and attitude of the students in this classroom. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Power
Leap Pads: Pad Learning Leaps and Bounds
Funded Jun 9, 2008Thank you so much for considering our project and funding our Leap Pads. We have students in our class with reading level ranges from pre-k up to a 6th grade level. Our lower level readers miss out on the great literature circle discussions we have in the classroom because in order to participate, they either would have had to read the book independently, or have had the book read to them. These Leap Pads will offer our lower level readers an opportunity to interact with literature while building their abilities, confidence and love of reading. We can create literature circles based on the stories our Leap Pad users will be reading and give them a sense of belonging, growth and pride. While we cannot ignore the importance of computers and other technology, there isn't one person among us who did not learn to love books, by first being read to. These Leap Pads will allow our students to enjoy both reading and listening to a good book. Thank you so much again we really appreciate it, and happy reading”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Power