Ms. Hall's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 7

• Books, Books, and More Books!

  Funded Oct 22, 2021

  The books I received with this project are high-interest (Amulet, anyone?) yet also allow students to read about complex characters exploring challenging/funny/exciting/real situations.

  With this project I wanted to double and triple up on some books that are great to read in book clubs. Kids really enjoy reading the same books as their friends and being able to discuss them. These books have given me the ability to provide that experience for more students.

  I also ordered a few more series and have noticed students finding books they like and continuing on with the series which is sooooo good for their reading.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Hall

  This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 5 other donors.

• Fall in Love with a Great Book Series!

  Funded Aug 13, 2021

  My students are SO ENGAGED with all the new books I was able to purchase for them. As I had hoped, students are finding favorite book series and reading book after book. The Amulet, Ricky Ricotta, and I Survived series are especially popular.

  In the first few weeks of school, we've worked on understanding book genres so students can get to know the genres they prefer and better know themselves as readers. We've also been working on finding "just right" books - they should be able to read the words pretty fluently AND enjoy the subject matter. Having *more* books available is making it much easier for students to find books that they can both read and enjoy. Lastly, we've been working on building reading stamina and sticking with reading for longer and longer periods of time.

  The students LOVE "book shopping" and reading these books!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Hall

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 13 other donors.

• Tools for Distance Learning Success!

  Funded Sep 16, 2020

  My students are really grateful for and are using their home learning materials on a regular basis. They have really enjoyed being able to create a "school" zone in their homes with all their needed tools quickly accessible. The "offices" help give kids the ability to focus and tune out distractions. Having their own schedules that they can use to keep track of their time and learning has been very helpful in building students' independence. This has certainly helped their adult family members as well during this unprecedented distance learning experience.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Hall

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose 20th Anniversary Fund and 9 other donors.

• Art for Everyone!

  Funded Jan 23, 2020

  My students were thrilled to get the new art supplies for our class. They are loving all the materials. They really enjoy working with the origami paper and I've gotten some ideas for new projects from the books I ordered.

  Our biggest art project so far was painting flowers for the Kindness Month door decorating contest at our school. We used the news watercolors, which have a lot more colors. We also used the sharpies and the nice watercolor paper. Having good quality materials made such a difference to the success of the project. In fact, we won the door decorating contest! Be sure to check out the photos I will post.

  I have no doubt we will enjoy using these materials for future projects.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Hall

  This classroom project was brought to life by Anonymous Arts Supporter and 5 other donors.

• Flexible Seating, Fantastic Learning!

  Funded Sep 30, 2019

  My students were so curious and excited the first morning they came in and saw all of our new flexible seating options. Every Monday, students get to choose their reading spot for the week and now they have so many more options. They love the bean bag chairs (I tried them and they're really comfortable) and can really settle in and enjoy a book on them. They also love how the floor seats are adjustable. This furniture is extremely high quality and I can tell it will last for a long time and be of use to many students. Many happy, grateful, comfortable students in my classroom these days!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Hall

  This classroom project was brought to life by District Partnership Program and 18 other donors.

• It's Not Just Fun and Games

  Funded Aug 12, 2019

  My students absolutely LOVE the games and fun free choice materials that you provided. My artistic students enjoy working using the "fancy" sharpies and origami paper to create beautiful projects. My builders are loving the legos (very popular!) and many kids are enjoying the games. Slamwich is especially well-liked.

  The best part about these games is how they are allowing us to build community. It's just relaxing and enjoyable to play a game or color while relaxing with your friends and teacher. We have some great conversations and can get to know each other better.

  I haven't introduced all the games yet since there are some I still need to teach them. Just a few days ago I taught two girls how to play Battleship and one said, "This is the best game ever!" They are super psyched to play it again next time we have choice time. I am looking forward to teaching more of the games to more kids . . . it's so great to have a variety of options to keep things interesting throughout the year.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Hall

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 7 other donors.

• Building Confidence by Celebrating Cultural Differences

  Funded Oct 21, 2013

  My students were so excited to see the BIG pile of shiny, new books that kept growing in our classroom. Lots of "ooohs" and "aaahs." Also:

  "Russia!"

  "When are we going to read about Mexico?"

  "What country is this?"

  "Can I read this?"

  "How did you get these?"

  My students have been reading these books to themselves and with partners. I've also been reading them aloud as we start each new folktale. So far, we've read books about Russia, China, and Native Americans.

  Learning about other places and cultures is inherently interesting and my students LOVE all the color photographs and maps in the books. Students are actively expressing their pleasure at seeing their own cultures represented and can relate to much of what we've been reading about. Seeing all these books makes them eager to find out what country we'll be "visiting" next. They are learning and having fun!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Hall