Past projects 9
7th Grade: An Organized Hot Mess!
Funded Sep 5, 2023Thank you so much for your donations to my classroom! My students were thrilled to see their notebooks and folders arrive this Fall. We recently wrapped up our first marking period and they couldn't wait to receive their new folder for the second quarter. I can already tell how my students are prioritizing their organization this year while using their new supplies. They know where to find their assignments and their notebooks are filled with all their writing from class.
Middle School is such a transitional time in a students life as they go from having 1-2 teachers a day to several with many more responsibilities. It can be quite overwhelming. The goal of my project was to help them develop these skills in Social Studies class and they've been able to do that because of your donations. Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mr. McCurry
New Notebooks for a New Year!
Funded Sep 20, 2022Thank you so much for your generous donations to my classroom. The school year has been extremely successful, largely because of your support. As a result of your donations, I have been able to set my students up with the organization and structure they need. Every time a new marking period rolls around, my students are excited to get their fresh and different colored folder for their work. They have filled their notebooks with important learning about Native American cultures, the American Revolution, and everything in between.
The fact that all my students have the same notebooks and folders shows them we are a unified community and we are all in this together. It also makes it really easy for them to reach into their backpack and instantly know what they need to take out to be prepared for the day. For a 7th grade student, this is often a struggle!
My students have been able to make these supplies their own. They have put stickers on their notebooks and made really cool designs on their folders. Most importantly, they know what is expected of them every single day when they walk into my room to learn American History. Thank you so much for helping my students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. McCurry
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 11 other donors.Ready! Set! GET ORGANIZED!
Funded Sep 24, 2021Thank you so much for your generous support. I really didn't know what to expect this school year, coming back to the classroom full time after a year and a half of uncertainty. My students hadn't been in school full time since the 4th grade due to COVID, and now they are 7th graders. With the help of your donations, my students have been set up to succeed with their new notebooks and folders. I am so proud to share that my students are thriving and have adjusted really well to middle school life.
My students are learning what it takes to be responsible and organized now that they're in middle school. We recently finished our second marking period and I was able to provide every student with a new brightly colored folder for the third quarter. They were so excited to get their new folders and they've done such a great job taking care of their social studies notebook throughout the year. It comes with them to class every day and has become a symbol of consistency and organization.
Now that we've begun the new marking period, my students are ready to tackle our next unit of study with crisp, fresh folders and the help of their trusty notebooks. Thank you so much. My students and I are so grateful!”
With gratitude,
Mr. McCurry
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 11 other donors.Young, Scrappy and Hungry Middle Schoolers
Funded Sep 10, 2019Thank you so much for your generous donations to my classroom for the 2020 school year. The school year got off to a solid start and that was in large part to the new supplies my students were able to receive in early September.
Throughout the Fall, I started to learn early on that my students were having trouble staying organized. Once I set them up with their folders and notebooks, things started to fall into place. They started getting into the routine of taking their homework every day and putting it in their marking period folder. Once they do that, their notebooks come out and they are ready for the day's lesson.
You may not realize it but it's those little things that make a big difference in helping 7th graders stay focused and on task when the school year begins. It helps create a structured environment that will continue from now until June. I've seen a lot of progress with many of my students - they're getting their homework done and that's because they remember where it is.
I'm excited to see where the rest of the year takes us! Thanks again!”
With gratitude,
Mr. McCurry
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 17 other donors.One Foot in Front of the Other!
Funded Aug 14, 2018Thank you so much for your donations to my classroom project. My students absolutely love the new supplies they received for the 2018-2019 school year. Every marking period, each student gets a new folder and they just received their second marking period folder today. They couldn't wait to see what new color they were going to have this time!
Between their blue notebooks and folders, I'm already seeing some progress in regards to their organizational skills. Going forward, my goal is that more students are completing their homework on time and consistently, because they're organized and they know where to find it in their book bag.
We've been able to make really colorful posters that brighten the room up with the Mr. Sketch markers that were donated. They really help students learn about the historical content we're covering in class (like deciding whether or not we should view Christopher Columbus as a hero or villain), as well as providing posters with clear instructions when they enter the room.
These donations were able to help my students get off on the right track this school year and we couldn't be more grateful! Thank you again :)”
With gratitude,
Mr. McCurry
This classroom project was brought to life by News Corp and 5 other donors.New Supplies for Young Historians!
Funded Aug 30, 2017Thank you again for your generous donations to my classroom this school year! It has made a world of difference. Over the last week, as our marking period came to an end, my students were so excited to get their new folders for marking period 2. "YES!" and "We're getting our new folders today!" were just some of the remarks I heard throughout the class this past Monday when we got ourselves organized. You'd be surprised by how many students truly appreciate the little things that some of us may take for granted, such as new notebooks and folders. They are extremely grateful.
Teaching students how to be responsible and organized for their belongings is just one of the many skills I try to reinforce throughout the year. I can definitely tell that this system works. More students are consistently handing in homework than in years past because they are set up to succeed.
As the school year progresses, I am going to be using the Junior Scholastic magazine subscription more and more to push my students to read higher level texts, as well as to educate them about current events in the U.S. and around the world. I cannot say again how thankful and appreciate my students and I are for your contributions to our project. Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mr. McCurry
Young Historians In Need Of Organization!
Funded Sep 17, 2016Thank you so much for your donations to my classroom. My students and I have put all the supplies to such good use! It was so much fun seeing how excited they were when we opened up all the boxes and laid out their notebooks and folders in my classroom this past September. Since many of them have a difficult time staying organized, it's been a pleasure to see my students gaining those necessary skills they will need later on in life. They've been able to keep all their homework and classwork assignments in their different colored marking period folders. At the end of each marking period, I collect their folder with all their work in it, and give them a new one. I plan on giving them back all their work from the school year in June so they can use it for their high school applications in the 8th grade.
My kids were so thrilled when they saw the magazines, especially those who I have for Current Events. We spent so much time this Fall discussing the presidential election. The Junior Scholastic and Scholastic Scope magazines donated to my classroom really helped drive my instruction and their learning. There were great articles and visuals that made something so complicated feel easier to comprehend. I really felt like they were able to understand the concept of the way a president is elected and how our government works.
As the year progresses, something that I'm having more of my students do is type out their final copies of stories or essays for my class. Ink, something that seems so small, really helps make a difference in my classroom because it is expensive and they're able to see their final products in a real neat way. When they're done typing out their published pieces, I'm able to showcase their beautiful writing on my bulletin boards inside and outside my classroom
This is my eighth year as a middle school teacher and it has gotten off to such a positive start. And it's all because of your generosity. My students have truly benefited from everything they've been supplied with. The fact that they knew they didn't have to worry about getting supplies for my class this year made their transition into Social Studies and Current Events so much easier. Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mr. McCurry
Supplies for a Great 2nd Half!
Funded Feb 23, 2016My students and I are currently finishing the book The Fighting Ground by Avi. Your donations allowed me to read this book with my students, and I just want to thank you so much for your support. When we read, each kid has his or her own copy, which allows the students to improve their skills and enjoy the book so much more. We often struggle to get class sets of the books we would like to read with our kids, and while it seems like such a small thing, being able to provide each student with a book is very special.
One of my students came up to me after class last week and said ... "Mr. McCurry, this is the best book I've ever read!" I had a feeling they would like the book, but I had no idea it would have such an impact on them. My students have been able to really connect with the main character Jonathan, who is 13 years old and a little bit rebellious, just like many of them. The book also gives us a lot of historical content to discuss in class because Jonathan disobeyed his parents to join the Patriot army during the Revolutionary War.
I have a group of 15-20 students that like to stay with me during lunch, and they love talking about the book and making predictions about what is going to happen next. The coolest part is that they're bringing in all the historical content that I taught them before we started the book, and now the reading is bringing it to life!
While reading the book, I start every class period with a Do Now where the students have to go back into the pages that we read the previous day and pull out quotes answering deeper level thinking questions that I create for them. The text has been an awesome way to learn and practice a lot of new literacy skills, such as character development and foreshadowing. I read the book aloud to the kids, and they follow along in their own copies. As we read, we stop, ask questions, turn and talk to one another, journal, and discuss our reactions. Ask any teacher and they will tell you that reading a class novel is a really nice way to bond and build classroom unity. This has most definitely been the case with The Fighting Ground. Sometimes I even hear them discussing the book in the hallway with one another. For a group of kids who struggle with reading, this is truly wonderful to hear.
Before teaching the Revolutionary War, we watched "The War that Made America" to give my students a visual of the French and Indian War. It is pretty awesome to track George Washington's career as a military leader, and it all started during the French and Indian War. This documentary gave the kids a really strong foundation of understanding of why we ultimately went to war with the British in the Revolutionary War. The additional green Notebooks have been a lifesaver since we have covered so much material that many of my students finished up all the pages in their original notebooks.
The last few weeks of school can be sometimes difficult because students tend to lose focus and are excited for summer vacation but this year has been different. My students have been excited and engaged during this time. And it is all because of your donations to my classroom, thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mr. McCurry
New Supplies for a New School Year!
Funded Aug 28, 2015Thank you so much for your donations to my classroom for this school year. My students absolutely love all the supplies they have received. They were so appreciative and grateful for the donations, especially since most of them cannot afford new school supplies every September.
Each marking period when my students get a new folder, they can't wait to see what color they're going to receive. I can tell that my students have really benefitted from having their notebooks and folders color coordinated because they are so much more organized now than they were in the beginning of the year. Teaching organization to children is so important because it is a skill they are going to need in high school, college and beyond.
The Junior Scholastic Magazine subscription has been such a powerful teaching tool. I am able to pull relevant and relatable articles out of each issue to discuss current events with my students.
My classroom is truly warm and inviting, and really just looks like an awesome place to learn because I have so many colorful and bright posters in my room. This is in thanks to the markers and chart paper that you donated.
Thanks again for all your support. It has made an incredible difference in my life and, most importantly, in the lives of my students. We are really looking forward to seeing what the second half of the year brings us!”
With gratitude,
Mr. McCurry