Mrs. Neal's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 7

• Flexing Our Math Muscles - With Reflex Math

  Funded Oct 12, 2022

  Reflexmath has been instrumental in the success of my students' acquisition of math skills. Currently, my students have completed 126,000 math facts throughout the duration of this math program. They are also currently fluent in 3,150 math facts. When they started this school year, they would count on their fingers and be very sluggish in their fluency. I've noticed that now, my students don't use their fingers much at all! They are so skilled in math, and I truly think Reflexmath is to thank for this accomplishment.

  I think my students find Reflexmath to be exciting for many various reasons. First, they feel like they aren't even learning. It's almost like it's game time when they do their daily Reflexmath. That is why this program is genius! Students don't even realize they're learning. Second, it gives them goals to strive for. I'm a big advocate of students setting goals and then crushing those goals. My students get so excited to reach 100% fluent on a certain skill, and then be able to move on to a new skill. Lastly, this product is very engaging and kid-friendly. I've rarely had to explain how to use this program to my students. Everything is easily accessible and explained on a kid level.

  I think ALL students have warmed up to this new technology within my classroom. I have all levels of students, from those with special needs to those who are quite advanced. I see no difference between whether boys prefer it to girls, or vice versa. Reflexmath is such an asset to any classroom. I owe a lot of the success of my students this year to this program.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Neal

• Wobble While You Work!

  Funded Aug 13, 2017

  I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generous donation to my classroom. My students use their wobble chairs every single day. They are so kind to each other too about sharing them with one another (my grant allowed us to receive 12 wobble chairs, so with 21 students, we rotate them out weekly).

  When they first saw the wobble chairs, they were SO excited! They wanted to tear into the boxes the moment the UPS man dropped them off in the hallway outside of our classroom door. We quickly opened them, assembled them (which was extremely simple to do!), and then drew sticks to see which students would get to sit on them first.

  I really do think the wobble chairs help my students to focus better on the task at hand. I hope to someday write another grant to earn more wobble chairs for my classroom so that each child will have one at all times, but until then, we are VERY grateful for the twelve amazing chairs that we already have. There's no way we would've received these amazing resources without your kindness. Again, we ALL say THANK YOU!!!!!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Neal

• Creating a Community of Focused Learners

  Funded Aug 20, 2015

  I want to take this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU for donating towards my classroom. We use the cart EVERY single day. I use it in a central location within the classroom so students can focus on the topic we are learning about that day. It also provides me with some much needed storage in regards to my educational posters and other various teaching tools. The students use it daily for working on spelling words and vocabulary words, as well as for other various learning activities in all subjects. I was just using it this week, as you can see in one of the included pictures, to guide the students when learning a new vocabulary word.

  When the students first saw the cart, they were just giddy with excitement for me to get it assembled so they could start using it daily. I had a parent volunteer to assemble it for me, which didn't take much time at all, and the very next day (and every day since then!) it has been put to good use.

  I plan to assign several projects/assignments throughout the remainder of this school year (and in years to come) in which this cart will be such an asset. Thanks to YOUR generosity, my students will benefit for YEARS to come. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Neal

• "Wonderful WV Writers"

  Funded Aug 23, 2014

  My students were ecstatic about the resources you so generously provided for them! My students are putting so much effort this year into sharpening and developing their writing skills. Therefore, I really want to strive to make writing fun for my students. The materials you gave to my students do make this process much more enjoyable.

  We are using the materials during our small group time on an alternating weekly basis (one week we have reading small groups, then the next we have writing small groups, and finally we have a week of math small groups). I differentiate these small groups based on student ability. They make great teams...even the ones who work independently from me and/or other teachers in the room. They are accountable for their work during this small group time.

  I can tell that the resources you made possible for us is causing the students' to be much more interested in their writing. They are genuinely excited to write in response to the various stories that came along with these materials. Just last week, I had students that wrote about where they would go on a magic carpet ride, or writing me a report all about poison dart frogs. They think it is so cool!

  Thanks again SO much for all you do for today's young learners! I am so grateful to you.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Neal

  This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 2 other donors.

• Organized Chaos!

  Funded Sep 6, 2013

  I just wanted to let you know that your donation towards the purchase of materials for my classroom means so very much not only to myself, but also to my students.

  The day the boxes came with all of the materials, we were so excited! It was like Christmas morning! The students, along with myself and my student teacher, happily opened up all of the materials and began to place them in their new home. The colored, organizational compartments help the students to better organize all of their materials at their desks. They keep their rulers, calculators, pencils, and other various items properly organized in these compartments. Their varying colors also assist the teacher by allowing me to organize the class into groups (blue group, pink group, green group, yellow group). The clipboard organizing unit helps me to get rid of all the clipboard clutter. The purple baskets have helped me to specifically organize my classroom library so that now students can easily find books on their own, individual level and/or find books based on topics they are interested in reading about. The student portfolio organizing unit helps me to organize all of the students' important documents. All of the materials have helped me to definitely organize any chaos in my classroom!

  Thanks to you, my students can focus better on their work and accomplish more without the unnecessary distraction from clutter. There isn't a day that goes by that my students do not use the materials that your donation provided. I just cannot say thank you enough! If it were not for kind individuals like yourself, students everywhere, and more specifically, in my little town in West Virginia, would suffer because they would be lacking in needed educational supplies. It means a lot to me that there are still kindhearted people in this world. Thank you, once again, for all you've done for my students and I.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Neal

  This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and 3 other donors.

• A Smarter Way to Use My SMART Board

  Funded Aug 29, 2011

  I once heard this saying: Gratitude is the best attitude.

  I can only begin by saying to you that I am so very thankful for your generosity. We are facing very trying times at our school due to various reasons, and there are so many times that I think, "Does anyone even care anymore?" And then that's where you stepped in. You showed me (and my class for that matter), that people DO still care. People DO still want to come together for the good of education. You don't know what that did for the moral of my classroom. You have inspired us to keep on persevering even when times seem so bleak. I do see the truth in that old saying, "Every gray cloud has a silver lining."

  Thanks again for sharing with us out of your giving spirit. You provided us with more than a technology cart. You provided us with hope.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Neal

• Storage Space Needed For Students' Materials!

  Funded Feb 19, 2009

  This is just a small token of my gratitude for your generous donation to my classroom. The blue storage seat covers that you donated have helped my students every single day. In the top portion of the storage seat covers, we've used them to store pencils, colored pencils, scissors, crayons, and markers. In the larger bottom portion, we've used them to store workbooks, notebooks, and even a hardback book or two.

  Our school is not a Title I school, so we do not have the abundant monetary resources that many local schools in our area do have at their disposal. Without your help, my students would never have had these wonderful resources. I personally feel that organization is one important key in aiding students in their educational endeavors. Because of you, my students are able to be much more organized individuals.

  Thanks again for all you do!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Neal