Mrs. Kistler's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 3

• Library Independence!

  Funded Dec 19, 2013

  My students love the bookmarks! The Barack Obama bookmark, in particular, has been a favorite among the students. Our students have the odds stacked against them in many situations, so anytime I can show them a person who is successful and has overcome similar hardships, it is a powerful message.

  I hosted a Keys to the Kitchen reading promotion and was able to reward students who completed the challenge with one of the specialty bookmarks. It was filled with spoons, so it matched the challenge perfectly!

  It is testing season in Texas, so I blinked and the months have flown by. I am so sorry about the tardiness of our package. Please know it is much appreciated and used with tremendous gratitude! We appreciate your support!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Kistler

• Math Doesn't Suck! A "Girls Do Math" Book Club

  Funded Jun 19, 2013

  My students loved this project! We are still meeting. Our first activity was to make the bracelets, which is related to prime and composite numbers from the first chapter. The kids and I worked right along with the author, Danica McKellar. We also previewed the book, especially the index. The girls know they can use the index to make connections to the topics they're studying in math class. The girls had the chance to checkout a copy of the book to use for homework and to support their class work.

  In the book, Danica spoke about role models. She talked about who her role models were growing up and then queried the reader about their role models. We had a chance to share who our strong women role models are right now. The girls were a bit shy, so I shared how my sister is a role for me and the ways she helps me, even though we live in separate states. The girls then shared how their mothers are their role models and teachers at school, too. It was a powerful conversation to have with young girls.

  We also discussed why girls stop achieving in math as they grow older and the purpose behind Danica's crusade to keep girls involved in math. The girls all agreed that this book would be a great way to keep them interested, since it showed how math mattered in daily life.

  Thank you so much for providing this opportunity to our girls. We love it and will continue to enjoy it this school year and beyond!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Kistler

  This classroom project was brought to life by JPMorgan Chase and 12 other donors.

• The Testing--Who Can You Trust?

  Funded Jul 11, 2013

  --Thank you so much for this gift! This is my first year, and I must say it has been a whirlwind of a year so far. The kids are learning to become library users, which is an exciting thing to witness. As a Title One school, the kids need encouragement and motivation, plus GREAT TITLES, in order to build their reading habit. I'm happy to report that The Testing has done just that! I can't keep copies on the shelves. The twenty books are constantly in circulation and I have a long holds list.

  --I had a student tell me, "I never knew that books could have those kinds of images. Words with a lot of power." Another finished in one day and shared, "I couldn't stop reading it. I started in class. Got in trouble for not putting it away. Then I ran home and finished it last night."

  --My library program is in a transformational stage. This promotional gave me the opportunity to demonstrate to the teachers that I am willing to reach the students in a different way. On the announcements, we played the book trailer and then (pre-selected) kids were handed cards with a color picture of the book on one side and the words, "You have been chosen for The Testing," on the other side. They came down to the library and received their books in small groups as the teachers released them. There hadn't been a motivational reading promotion in many years, so the kids were actually nervous! Some of them thought they were really going to have to take a test! It gave me a chance to understand the reading culture of the school, and I can't thank you enough for helping me gain that insight. It is shaping my future promotions.

  --When I shared with the kids that these books were donated, they were really touched. I think, for many of them, they've developed a sense that they are undeserving. Instead of entitlement, they feel no entitlement. Your belief in this project on their behalf helped them to believe in themselves.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Kistler