Past projects 5
Winter Clothes for New Migrant Students
Funded Nov 17, 2023Thank you so much for contributing to this fundraiser! We were able to fund this project in under 72 hours and get winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves to our students a few days later. The quick completion of this project was critical. Just as cold was setting in, we were able to help our students get the warm gear they needed.
The need this fundraiser addressed is so fundamental: we have approximately 100 students who are spending their first winter in the United States, most of whom have never lived in climates with winter and came to the US with few possessions. Given what is happening currently with immigration, busing from the southern border to New York City, and our Mayor's response, I anticipate that these urgent needs for clothing, food, and supplies will continue to be significant in our school community.
With the generous support of Townsend Press, Donors' Choose ran a 1:1 match for our entire fundraiser. This corporate support coupled with the generosity of individual donors was powerful. Our students were thrilled to see the packages arrive, open and unpack them, and choose their new winter gear.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Frank
This classroom project was brought to life by Townsend Press and 13 other donors.Bring Flexible Seating to Alternative High School English Classroom
Funded Nov 9, 2018Thank you so much for your support of this project to bring flexible seating into my classroom! Rolling out the new furniture and observing how it affects my students (and me) has truly been a highlight in my teaching career so far.
Several students helped me to unpack, assemble, and set up everything over the course of a few afternoons after school. Some of these students are not even in my classes, but they were so excited by the new furniture that they wanted to help set it up anyway. We arranged three rugs, bean bag chairs, coffee tables, and all kinds of dorm-room-style lounge chairs into three cozy seating areas. Each area has a couple lap desks and a basket of clipboards. My principal even donated two armchairs from her office! The students and I hung string lights and placed floor lamps strategically around the room so we could bid farewell to the florescent lighting. In addition to the cozy areas, we have one big conference-room style table and one smaller table for group work. As students began to experience the new set-up, word spread quickly about how "cool" it was. Students said, "Wow! I actually WANT to come in here!"
Beyond solidifying a new "cool" status in school, this shift in my classroom environment has led to a subtle but powerful shift in my students' behavior, my relationships with them, and my own mood and energy. I notice that students are calmer in the classroom and that my interactions with them are less confrontational. I notice how students enter the room and where and how they choose to sit, which instantly offers valuable information about how they are feeling and what is going on with them on a particular day. If a student needs to be left alone to cool down or because they aren't feeling well, there are spaces in the room where they can sit out of the fray. We can easily move the bean bags and other chairs to make full-class circles or small groups. And, when students are comfy in their seats, I find that they actually get up and leave the room less frequently!
Allowing students choice about where to sit from the moment they enter the room fosters independence and agency in a new way. Instead of feeling like a conventional classroom, the room has the feel of a college library. The assumption presented by the environment is that students are able to make a positive choice for their own learning every day when they walk in, and that their needs and the class needs each day may be different. The installation of the "Cell Phone Hotel," a cabinet with chargers inside and a locked door, has helped with this as well. The Hotel was rolled out with the new furniture, and has similarly flipped the script on some of the most challenging conversations with students about their cell phone use.
Having distinct areas in the room on different vertical levels has provided more space for quiet, focused work and pull-out grouping for students who need extra support. Having some lower-to-the-floor groups helps keep the sound from moving around and allows groups to work without distracting each other as much. The students have reported that the room makes them feel calmer and happier, and I definitely feel the same way. I am able to recharge, enjoy myself more, and I find that I escalate interactions with students less frequently. Having "cool" furniture may seem like simply a perk, but it really has been a way to view my students as whole people and offer them more compassion and independence. Thank you for helping to make this shift possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Frank
Poetry Workshop Series With Teaching Artist Gabriel Ramirez
Funded Nov 14, 2016Thank you so much for your support of this project! We were able to bring Gabriel in to facilitate four sessions with two different groups. Students had the opportunity to analyze poetry by watching videos of poets performing their work and hearing Gabe read poems aloud. They then created their own poetry using similar styles and themes from the work they analyzed each day.
Gabe facilitated discussion as students shared their poetry about deeply personal topics. As a teacher, it was really moving to see how my students connected with each other and with Gabe and how poetry pushed them to a vulnerable and self-reflective place. Even students who were quiet and seemed detached said afterward that they appreciated the opportunity to reflect on some of their dark moments and deepest fears. This project showed them that writing can be a way to explore feelings, to make connections, and to find voice for things unspoken.
While Gabe was doing his four-day residency with my classes, buzz got out in the school that he was back. Teachers and students who knew Gabe popped in to visit, and all were really impressed with his work. Students could see themselves in Gabe, since he was only a few years out from the very seats they sit in. If Gabe could do it, so could they.
As a teacher, this project was one of my highlights of the year. Gabe and I have discussed ways to expand it for next year, and we're looking forward to providing our students with more opportunities to explore their identities, their challenges, and to find their voices through poetry. Without your help, this project would not have been possible. I am so grateful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Frank
Healthy Cooking: Smoothies for Everyone!
Funded Oct 18, 2015We have already received our new Vitamix blender and put it to use! The day it arrived, we whipped up three surprising smoothies: Cucumber-Spinach-Pineapple, Mango-Carrot, and Berry-Beet. Students were impressed with how the recipes snuck in vegetables in a delicious way. One student took the recipes home to make for her toddler, since the smoothies are soft and nutritious. Another student reported that making smoothies was "a learning experience, because you never know what veggie or fruit makes the smoothie pop out."
The blender also was used for our Healthy Halloween celebration, where teachers made smoothies for the entire school. Having this high-powered blender allowed us to make smoothies quickly enough so everyone could have one! Thank you for helping support our wellness programming at West Side High School.
I asked students to reflect on how they felt our cooking classes impacted the school community, and many students shared their surprise at learning that healthy food can taste great. One student said, "Eating healthy doesn't mean it's nasty!" Another offered the following reflection on the broader implications for his health: "Just because something isn't fried doesn't mean it's nasty or doesn't taste good at all. It has encouraged me to eat better cause most of my family is obese and diabetic. Because all they eat is fried foods and never work out. Most of my family has died from diabetes but I want to change to better myself so I can live longer and also enjoy my life."
Your support of our cooking program extends far beyond our classroom, and even beyond our school. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Frank
Motivational Speaker for Students with Disabilities
Funded Apr 7, 2015Thank you for your generous support for my recent classroom project. On May 26th, a young man named Matt Brown came to speak with my students about his transition to college as a student with learning disabilities. About twenty-five students attended Matt's presentation and were able to hear about his academic and personal journey as a person with learning disabilities. Matt described how he felt when he first was diagnosed with learning disabilities, changing schools away from his friends, and advocating for himself. He assured the students in attendance that learning disabilities are simply differences and do not mean that one is less intelligent or less capable. Matt talked about his experience in college, asking for help, and discovering his academic passions.
For my students, this is an incredibly powerful message. Most students come to West Side High School after years of systemic failure in their previous schools. Many did not receive adequate support to manage their learning disabilities. Others were pushed out by schools that did not want to provide services or accommodate students who would struggle to pass exams and accumulate credit. Some of them have suppressed their curiosity and intelligence under a veil of apathy. As we reflected on Matt's presentation, there was an overwhelming sense of community, connectedness, and empowerment. Talking about the challenges they faced and the ways in which they often felt stigmatized for having learning disabilities led my students to make declarations about their ability, perseverance, and determination. It opened the door to more honest conversations about goals and transition beyond high school, allowing students who had written off college as too difficult or not for them to consider that they could really aspire to it.
I am optimistic that this will be the first of many speakers I bring in to support my students with learning disabilities. Introducing them to role models who have faced similar challenges is incredibly inspiring for all of us. I look forward to continuing to raise the expectations for my students with learning disabilities and provide them with the support they need to successfully transition out of high school and reach their goals. Thank you again for your support - this project would not have been possible without you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Frank
This classroom project was brought to life by Perry and Donna Golkin Family Foundation and 7 other donors.