Past projects 8
Masks for Students
Funded Dec 2, 2021I cannot express the gratitude that I have right now. As the newest variant of covid is peaking across the country, I'm able to provide my students with a variety of masks to meet their needs.
Right now, masks have been in high demand, especially in NYC. It has been such a privilege to be able to provide students with masks so they don't have to be afraid to be in class.
The students especially love the colorful options, since they have a chance to match their masks with their outfits. It makes being a teenager during this time a little brighter.
Today my students were in awe with the generosity of strangers to help them stay safe during this time.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Capetanakis
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and 4 other donors.Memoirs for Identity Exploration
Funded Oct 21, 2021I am so grateful for your generosity. My students helped me unpack the boxes of memoirs and they are so excited to read them!
After almost 2 years of using mostly digital materials, having physical books is very exciting for the students. We will use them to end out our year.
The students are extremely interested in the variety of books and are looking forward to getting to select which text they want to read. Having so many choices is usually not an option because we have to use the resources we have, but this project has greatly expanded the possibilities of this unit.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Capetanakis
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 7 other donors.Unpacking Our History With Anti-Racist Texts
Funded Aug 16, 2020Even though 2020 has been full of uncertainty, the one thing we were certain of this year was that we needed to push ourselves to learn about the history of racism in the United States and the impact of it on today's society.
Having copies of the book, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, serves as a guide for how to teach history from various perspectives. We are currently preparing to read the text as an entire 11th grade as a partnership of English and History courses.
Right now, we are fully remote, but we anticipate being in person in the Spring. We will use the books as an interdisciplinary unit to teach students about our history, but also prepare them to change the future. We look forward to having this text as a core component of our learning.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Capetanakis
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 33 other donors.Memoirs & Identity
Funded Feb 25, 2020I am so grateful for all of your contributions to this project. I'm looking forward to developing a unit that centers around identity and language in memoirs for next year. My original plan was to end the year with it, but as we are remote learning and I did not get a chance to give out books, it will have to wait.
I'm so excited to have a range of books that represent different cultures, genders and other aspects of identity. I plan on letting students select one of the books, read it in book clubs, do additional research about the author and their culture as well as use the book as a mentor text for writing their own personal stories.
I can't wait to see what it inspires!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Capetanakis
Psychology & Literature!
Funded Feb 6, 2017My students and I are extremely grateful for your contributions to our classroom. Psychology is an interesting, but at times a difficult subject. Students are really excited to read different books that feature main characters who are struggling with a mental illness. Even though the students are only required to read one book for their assignment, many of them are eager to read more than one. Not only do the characters show realistic mental illnesses, but they allow for adolescents to improve their empathy of others. After they read at least one book, they will research and make a presentation about the character and their mental illness.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Capetanakis
Engaging Students Using Technology
Funded Oct 1, 2014My students are so thrilled when they get to use the Chromebook that you so generously donated to my classroom. In our reading class, they are using it to listen to audio books and research about their favorite authors. It has engaged a group of students who struggled with reading independently. Now they are excited to get to listen to the book as they follow along.
In our English class, they are using it to help create pieces of fiction and creative writing. We were able to complete an assignment on Google Documents and share it with other students so they could give feedback electronically. This made the students excited about reading, sharing and commenting on their classmates' work.
In our Writing Elective, students have been using the Chromebook to do research about controversial issues that they have selected. We have been able to review how to use the Internet as a resource and how to find reliable sources.
I am so grateful that my students are now excited to write, research and read. It brings fun back into the classroom. Thank you so much for your generous donation.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Capetanakis
Classical Literature and Technology
Funded Dec 11, 2013My students were thrilled to receive new books for the classroom library and thumb drives to use for their writing assignments. In our independent reading class, students are excited to read sequels and series of high interest young adult literature. Everyday they come to class ready and engaged in their reading. They have discussed the books with teachers and other classmates.
Students who have read a lot of young adult literature are ready to push themselves with "The Odyssey." They are interested in a challenge and cannot wait to discuss the Greek gods and goddesses that are involved in Odysseus' journey. Some students have even connected personally to the story.
The students are actively using the thumb drives to store their work for multiple classes. They are able to revise their work and improve their writing with it. We are also experimenting with adding audio books on the thumb drives so students can listen to books at home.
These materials will greatly improve and inspire students to continue reading and writing.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Capetanakis
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 2 other donors.High Interest Classroom Library
Funded Dec 17, 2012My students have already jumped into their book clubs. They are so excited to have new books that are interesting for them to read. Many students can't wait to read more than one book. In fact, a few students created lists of the order that they are going to read them in!
For their next vacation, the students are going to use these books to complete an independent reading project and they are all looking forward to it.
I can't express how grateful I am of donors who are willing to support children. I know these books are going to continue to spark a passion for reading in all of my students.
The students were blown away by the fact that strangers were so kind. Not only are you helping them read, but you let them know people care about their education and future.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Capetanakis