Starting Off Organized

Funded Aug 7, 2014

Thank you very much for your generous donations to my classroom! My students and I use the materials you sent us daily. When we first received our boxes from Donors Choose one students said, "Wow! Who sent us those?" I explained that kind people they have never even bet before care about them and gave these supplies so they can grow their brains even bigger in school. The group was impressed and asked many questions about who you are and why you want to help them grow their brains. I explained that you want them to get the most they can out of school so they can choose to be whatever they want to be one day. When I asked what we should write you in this note, "thank you!" was the unanimous answer of the class!

My students used their white boards and markers today in math to draw different sizes of triangles as part of our Common Core math unit about shapes. They used the lanyards you donated to freely choose between the imaginary play, block, sand, library, ELA, or making sculptures out of recycled materials centers. Nobody argued, nobody interrupted the small group of children sitting with me working on math, they just exchanged lanyards and were engaged in their chosen activities. When I asked the group of students who were sitting with me on the rug to go get their cubes, white boards and a pencil to come to math group, everybody knew just where to look because each student has his or her very own seat sack. My students even routinely choose to finish incomplete assignments from other classes or earlier lessons because it is so simple to store and retrieve the assignments from their seat sacks.

The supplies you donated have seriously boosted my ability to differentiate my instruction. Since students can be so independent in choosing center activities and in organizing their own materials, I am able to spend most of my day teaching in small groups or even one on one. As a result 98% of my students met or exceeded expectations for the first quarter of the year in math and in writing according to our benchmark tests last week! As my students, their parents and I celebrated their success, curiosity, and love of learning last week, I reflected. I could not enjoy moments of success like this without the support of coworkers, families and community members like you. Thank you again.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Trigg