Past projects 4
Diversity and Inclusion: Libraries are for Everyone!
Funded Aug 29, 2024On behalf of both the students and teachers I would like to extend our gratitude for your generous donation. With your support I was able to add many diverse books and materials to library. Preschool through 5th grade are already benefiting greatly from these books.
I currently have a display in the teacher's workroom with books available to check out that are inclusive of the many holidays celebrated this time of year. Yesterday, I had two students check out books I purchased with your donations and today I had a student who renewed their library book called 'Feasts and Festivals Around the World' because her dad is from another country and he wanted to read about the respective festival. The week after Thanksgiving I will read the book Pow Wow Day to our 3rd grade (80 students) about Native American culture for Native American Heritage Month. Grades Prek-2 have enjoyed the hands on items I was able to purchase including the 'All Are Welcome' floor puzzle and diverse people and families play block people.
Your generosity has not only enriched our library, but also inspires a love of reading and learning across our school. Once again thank you for your kind contribution. I am grateful for your support and how it contributes to the growth and and success of our students and school community.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ashby
Celebrate Diversity!
Funded Nov 12, 2016My students are enjoying our new baby dolls, family dolls, and ethnic food. We use the food and dolls on a daily basis in our dramatic play center during center time. I try to change the theme every couple of weeks. In the pictures I took I made our play center a grocery store, but we have also incorporated our new items when it was a "restaurant" and "house" center. It is fun to have food that students from different backgrounds can relate to. It is also a fun learning experience when I student brings an unknown piece of food to me and asks "what is this?" and we have a teachable moment.
My students were especially excited to see the new baby dolls and family figurines. It is fun to watch students set up the families to see the different combinations. The figurines really allow students to create diverse family setups!
Since Black History month is this month we have continued our conversation that everyone looks and acts differently, and that is a good thing! Having diverse play objects in the classroom shows students that there is no ideal way to be. With continued conversation and play I hope my students will continue to learn about differences and show respect for everyone.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ashby
Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader
Funded May 6, 2015My students absolutely love our new independent listening center. Many of my students have not used a portable cd or tape player before since they are becoming obsolete. This makes them new and exciting since they don't use them on a daily basis at home. The kids ask me throughout the day if they can go listen to a book. I love hearing them ask me this question, even if it is in the middle of our math lesson!
There are two things that I think make the cd/tape players so much fun. First, I think the kids enjoy being able to choose a book that interests them. I had a couple little boys whose eyes lit up when they saw I had some fiction pirate story books. When they saw those, they chose to listen to the books on a cd player rather than play during our indoor recess time that day. This is huge because it was the two most active boys in my class who wanted to sit and listen! Second, I think students enjoy feeling a sense of independence with the portable cd/tape player. They get to take their player and choose a quiet spot in the room and listen. They do not have to share with anyone either. With 20 students in the classroom we have to share a lot of materials, so having a little time to use something on their own is special.
I can already tell these are going to be wonderful addition to our classroom. I love how much the students want to listen to books now. I believe that this is going to increase my students' love for books and reading. It is so important to have exposure to books when kids are young and I think this is a great way to help them gain that exposure!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ashby
Flannel Board Pieces
Funded May 1, 2014My students love using the flannel board and story pieces. It has become part of our daily routine and the kids enjoy getting to manipulate the pieces. I try to change the pieces out every week or two and they enjoy seeing what new flannel board story I have for them. They also enjoy revisiting past stories/flannel board pieces that are from earlier in the year.
We use the flannel board and pieces on a daily basis. The flannel board is one of our literacy centers that the students rotate to every day. As a teacher, I love this literacy center because it requires very minimal work on my part. My time is already stretched thin and being able to provide an educational activity without having to spend much time on it is always a big plus!
They use it to retell familiar stories we have read in class. I also use it to model retelling, which is an important skill we begin teaching and modeling in Kindergarten. After we have a read a story, we use the flannel board pieces to retell it as a group. Then students go to the flannel board center they are able to put the skills I have modeled into action.
I think having a flannel board is wonderful for Kindergarten aged students. It helps them with imaginative play which many students in my class are not used to now that they have video games. I like that they are able to practice the skill of retelling, which is a skill that many students are weak in. It also teaches social skills like sharing, taking turns, and working together, which are all important skills for Kindergarten students.
Overall, the flannel board and the pieces I got with it have been a wonderful addition to our classroom. I love it because it is such an easy center, the students love playing with it, and it reinforces many skills we are working on in the classroom. I knew that it would be a great addition to my classroom, but I didn't realize how much I would utilize it until we received it!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ashby