Past projects 21
Improving Language Learning through PIANO Music!
Funded Sep 18, 2024I wish you could have seen the expressions on the faces of my students when I opened the big box and out came the electric piano! It goes without saying that they were all thrilled and eager to touch our new and beautiful instrument. Very exciting indeed! Since the arrival of this wonderful gift, piano music has been used as a motivator, a memory tool, a timekeeper as well as another avenue to elicit communication when other strategies fail to be effective. The piano has proved extremely helpful during transitions and when my students hear a few notes, they know what they need to do. Even some of my more complex learners are responding very well to the incorporation of "live" music into the lessons. A recent lesson allowed me to play some ominous-sounding notes while staff read a spooky Halloween story aloud. This was a memorable experience for everyone and was a great added dimension to a language-based activity.
THANK YOU donors for your very generous donation and for making my incredible students so happy!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. St.Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and one other donor.Collaborative Whiteboard Table for Classroom: a Versatile Learning Tool
Funded May 15, 2024Heartfelt THANKS for making our return to school even more exciting and special! Due to the timing of when the package arrived, I decided to wait until the first day of school to open up our very BIG box. I am so glad that I did because my students were able to be a part of the process as our building custodian helped us put the new Innovart Dry Erase Rectangle Activity table together. Everyone was so excited and couldn't wait to use this fabulous new tool!
This portable instructional resource is not only physically versatile as the height can be managed as needed, but it also affords a number of practices to support each student. Even the most active students have the opportunity to join whole group lessons as they are able to remain seated while keeping their hands busy. Thanks to your generosity, creativity and visible thinking is at an all time high! Students are able to complete spelling and math tasks as they sit comfortably and are also increasing their overall turn-taking skills, understanding that they need to share the table with peers.
I cannot thank you enough for your contribution and generous support. Your donation has made it possible for my students to develop an increased love of actively engaging while learning. Thank you for making my student's faces light up!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. St.Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Supporter and 4 other donors.Let's Give Peas a Chance!
Funded Dec 1, 2023My students are overjoyed with the new sensory pea pods they recently received and so am I! These pea pods are used as a calming tool and the deep pressure therapy and firm tactile sensory output continues to provide much needed proprioceptive input to the entire body. Whether students are sitting or lying down in the pods, they are experiencing a calming effect helping to reduce stress and anxiety. All of my students were super excited when they saw the pictures on the boxes, but "Boy oh boy!" You wouldn't believe the reactions when staff began to inflate each one. I wish we had filmed their responses because they were priceless.
In addition to the deep therapy that each pod provides on a daily basis, there have also been so many teachable moments. One that comes to mind is when we categorized the three pods by one attribute: size. Thanks to your generosity, my students have the ability to try out the small, medium and large sensory pods giving everyone a chance to process sensations from their body and the environment in a "just the right size" pea pod.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. St.Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by Digital Federal Credit Union and 2 other donors.Hands-On Summer Learning Activities for Everyone!
Funded Oct 4, 2023Thank you so much for donating to our project! The items my students received are not only greatly appreciated but much loved and used as these sensory options have offered more opportunities for them to improve their attention and focus. All of these theme-related materials have helped my students expand their literacy skills as well as their overall desire to learn while exploring new tactile items. It has been a joy watching all of the students "light up" when the Big Book Activity Kit and Jumbo Farm Animals are used making it possible for them to safely handle the animals.
The Friendly Farm Animals Magnetic Number Maze activity has definitely made learning challenging but fun for the students who need to improve their fine motor skills. Counting to ten has never been so exciting! The Building Language Lotto game has also been a whole group favorite and is helping me to reinforce basic language skills like labeling.
Thank you from all of us for your generous support and kindness. Your thoughtfulness has made such a huge difference and we are all very thankful!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. St.Thomas
Please Color Our World!
Funded May 9, 2023It is with enormous gratitude and appreciation that I submit this impact letter to my wonderful donors for your responsiveness and generosity towards funding our "Please Color My World!" project. Visual support in the classroom setting serves many purposes, the most important being to help children who have autism spectrum disorders increase their ability to communicate with others. My students are so pleased with the plethora of colorful visual elements that you have provided thanks to your willingness to donate to our enterprise.
One of my students told me that she loves her new daily schedule because she can more easily find the correct picture cues/photographs thanks to the high-quality bright colors. This is encouraging and proof that children with autism are strong visual learners so providing them with the tools/resources they need truly plays to their strengths. It's in these precious moments that I feel inspired to continue to help my students meet their potential, and your generous donation made this moment a reality.The students are not the only ones impacted by your gift and I'm thrilled to share the following statement from a parent who was also greatly affected:"Our daughter has become more independent thanks to the carryover and use of her daily schedule at home. She is more adept at manipulating the colorful pictures (mostly photographs) that help her with transitions."
In closing, please know that your considerable donation will continue to make it possible for my students to receive the effective support that helps them organize their thinking while strengthening visual representation to aid them in internalizing their learning. THANK YOU again for your donation!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. St.Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors Corporation and 2 other donors.Kid-Proof Cases - a Classroom Must!
Funded Dec 31, 2022Heartfelt "THANKS" for making my wonderful students very happy! Your generous donation has made it possible for everyone to have a sturdy case that protects his or her new devices. Students no longer have to worry about accidental drops or scratches during busy learning time.
Thanks to your kindness and generous gift of five brightly colored Amazon Kid-Proof Cases for Fire HD tablets, all students are receiving customized learning via technology while accommodations are made based on the variety of learning styles. Your gift continues to give me more power to tailor each child's instruction without the risk of breakage/damage.
Thank you for this much-needed gift and for helping to make learning more fun!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. St.Thomas
Transform Learning With iPad Integration!
Funded Nov 5, 2022Heartfelt "THANKS" from myself and from all of my students! Your generosity is so much appreciated and your gift has allowed my 4th, 5th and 6th graders to utilize much-needed technology. Thanks to your support, we now have five brand new Amazon Fire tablets that allow me to tailor everyone's learning to their particular needs, strengths and interests.
The addition of this educational technology is not only accommodating a variety of learning styles and/or methods but is giving myself and other support staff more power to tailor each child's instruction. Students with developmental and/or behavioral challenges, particularly those on the autism spectrum or those with sensory processing disorders, may be overwhelmed by the traditional classroom environment and this is where these amazing Amazon Fire tables bring a whole new meaning to "Hands-On" learning. The benefits of your gift have truly made a difference.
Thank you from all of us for your kindness and charitableness and for making learning in the 21st century using 21st century tools a reality.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. St.Thomas
Active & Engaging Outdoor Sensory Play for Optimal Learning!
Funded May 11, 2022It is with heartfelt gratitude and appreciation that I submit this impact letter to you for your kindness and willingness to give toward "Active & Engaging Outdoor Sensory Play for Optimal Learning!" Thanks to your generous donation, my students have been able to play both inside and out-of-doors while enjoying these fantastic play items: a super-powered bubble lawnmower, an adjustable basketball hoop, and a large Connect 4 game. Your gifts continue to offer a great deal of enjoyment and learning opportunities making playing and learning so much fun.
Again, thank you for your donation. My student's faces lit up when the supplies arrived and they were so excited to help assemble their new toys. Your thoughtfulness provided my students opportunities to actively use their senses as they explored their world through sensory play.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. St.Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by Town Fair Tire Foundation Inc. and 3 other donors.Literacy for Everyone with Adapted Books!
Funded Feb 28, 2020My students are overjoyed with their new Adapted Book Units. These high-quality texts have been especially helpful while we continue to navigate virtual learning and teaching. Students have been working hard on letter and sight word recognition while I manipulate the moveable pieces that help to engage the students during each lesson.
School closure has changed the way we do everything including how reading instruction is delivered. These high-interest and extremely interactive books not only provide repetition to maximize learning, but have also encouraged non-verbal and non-reading students a chance to participate while increasing overall communication skills.
Thanks to your support, all students have been eager to work on improving their reading skills and love using the colorful images to indicate their answers to comprehension questions. Thank you for your generous donation and for making such a huge difference to my fabulous students. Please stay safe!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. St.Thomas
Please Help Autistic Students Increase Learning Thru Design & Function!
Funded Mar 5, 2020Heartfelt "THANKS" from all of us for your incredible generosity! My students cannot wait to sit in their new chairs at the just-right-size square table. Unfortunately, the school closure that commenced in March of 2020 is still impacting the way we teach and learn so my students were not able to see these items in person.
Although our school building is closed, my instructional assistant and I went into the classroom earlier this term in order to open the boxes and assemble the furniture. During our first "live" learning block that day, I let the students see what was being taken out of the boxes and they were very excited indeed.
Please know that under normal circumstances, I would be taking wonderful photographs of the students sitting at the table while working and playing, but that just isn't possible now. However, I promise you that my students will waste absolutely no time enjoying this new sturdy furniture once we do return to school. Thank you again for your kindness. Please stay safe!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. St.Thomas