Past projects 16
Back to School Supplies 2019!
Funded Aug 14, 2019I want to thank you all again for your generous donations! My students and I use many of the resources you provided on a daily basis. We use the lapboards for every math lesson so students can quickly show their work for practice problems, and the large post-it chart paper for showing and analyzing each other's work. I also use this paper with students to make charts to hang around the classroom that help them remember what we've learned. The mobile dry-erase board is sturdier and takes up much less space than our old one, allowing us to more comfortably sit around it when we use it in small reading groups. The electric pencil sharpener is literally a teacher's dream come true--it automatically stops when the pencil is sharpened, saving an inordinate amount of time.
I'm especially thankful for all the bilingual books you donated to my classroom. Every year I have students who are new to the country, and for years I've requested my school to purchase these books without success. Thank you for believing as I do that we need to acknowledge and honor our students' backgrounds and native languages, and that doing so only strengthens their engagement in school and supports their learning of a new language.”
With gratitude,
Ms. G.
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 12 other donors.Bring Back a Revelation-ary Experience!
Funded Sep 27, 2017Thank you again for your kindness and generosity! With your support, our fifth graders had an amazing experience participating in the Ailey II program through New York City Center. They loved learning pieces of both Renee I. McDonald's "Breaking Point" and Alvin Ailey's masterpiece "Revelations" directly from Ailey II dancers. Our students were so excited to then see the show in a historic theatre, recognizing the performers and moves. Many of them wanted to dance along to the parts they knew! One boy turned to me during "Revelations" and whispered, "I'm tearing up, it's just so beautiful." After the show, our students were able to learn more from the dancers about their careers, the show, Alvin Ailey and his legacy.
Thank you again for supporting the arts and providing our students with an invaluable and unforgettable experience!”
With gratitude,
Ms. G.
Stories on the Stage!
Funded Jul 25, 2017Thank you so much again for bringing the Story Pirates to our school! The show was both hilarious and educational--our students loved it! All of the actors worked together to engage our students through audience participation. Students' ideas for story elements were incorporated throughout the show, with the Story Pirates acting it all out in costume. They also helped reinforce the storytelling concepts we have begun teaching our students this year. Our students came away from the show understanding what components typically belong in the beginning, middle and end of a story, excited to tell and write their own stories. Several students told me it was the best assembly our school has ever had! Thank you again for providing our students with this memorable experience!”
With gratitude,
Ms. G.
Game Time!
Funded Aug 31, 2015Thank you so much again for your generous donations! When my students first saw the closet full of games, there was a collective, "Whoa!" Since then, their excitement over learning a new game each week or playing old favorites has not waned.
Over the last several months, I've seen their social skills improve drastically. My students are learning how to cooperate, how to win and lose gracefully, and how to talk to each other in more organic, positive ways. Children with severe behavioral problems have had to learn how to get along with their peers in order to play many of these games, and there are enough single-player games to choose from, as well, if someone needs or wants alone time.
I'm also starting to see gains in their logic skills. Being exposed to new situations and having to think critically, find multiple solutions, and make choices that affect outcomes has given my students valuable, much-needed experience in this area.
Thank you so much again for your kindness and support! Because of you, my students are gaining important skills while having a blast!”
With gratitude,
Ms. G.
Math Material Madness!
Funded Jun 17, 2015Thank you so much again for your generous donations! My students are making huge gains in math in large part because of your kindness and support. So far, they've used the write-and-wipe place value boards to support their understanding of decimal multiplication with powers of 10, decimal grids to help them visualize multiplying decimals by whole numbers, and math games such as Tower of Math, Smath, and flashcards to practice their basic math facts. They love these math games so much, most recently chose them over the 30+ board games I have for game time! I showed them the resources you donated for future units on fractions, and they're really excited to use those, too. Because of your donations, my students now have resources that are both educational and fun!”
With gratitude,
Ms. G.
Back to School Supplies!
Funded Oct 16, 2012Thank you so much again for your generous donations! Your support has allowed my students to make a lot of academic growth this year! They love using the "whisper phones" for reading time--now my struggling readers can enjoy their books without the distraction of hearing others read at the same time. My students also love using the new listening centers for our books on CD and literacy games. We have used the construction paper for several art projects, and the book bins and pouches have kept our library books nice and clean. My students have loved reading lessons incorporating the CD-ROM interactive readers, and my tactile learners have enjoyed learning their letters and sounds using the play dough. Now that my students' writing has improved, they are ready to start writing across multiple pages and are very excited to make books using the book-binding machine!
I cannot thank you enough for your generosity and kindness. Your support means so much to us!”
With gratitude,
Ms. G.
Technology Time!
Funded Oct 26, 2011Thank you so much for your donations! Because of your support, I've seen remarkable growth in my kindergarteners! Their understanding of the world around them, through increased vocabulary and engaging photographs, is drastically improving. They love learning about topics as diverse as animals, measurement and communities through the interactive readers. Their reading skills have also improved, as we use both the interactive readers to learn word-decoding skills and the accompanying books for the students to practice on their own.
It is often difficult to find engaging, grade-appropriate nonfiction texts for kindergarteners--with your help, my students are learning information about their world in a way that is both accessible and fun!”
With gratitude,
Ms. G.
Back to School Supplies!
Funded Sep 14, 2011Thank you so much for your support! Because of your contribution, my students are learning and growing at an incredible rate. With all of the math games, my students are now able to count, represent, read and write numbers up to 20. Many of my students were writing several numbers backwards before, and now they are able to form those numbers correctly. My students love listening to stories with the CD player, and enjoy sharing their work with the microphone. They also do many more art projects now that they have construction paper! With your support, my students are not only learning, but loving learning!”
With gratitude,
Ms. G.
Center Activities!
Funded Mar 24, 2011Thank you so much again for your generous donations! Because of your support, my students have been able to soar academically. All of my students have made a year's growth or more in reading, and the year isn't even over yet! They love being able to listen to classic children's literature on CD, and completing the fun phonics activities. My more wiggly students love using the sight word steps to learn these tricky words--and they get (some of) their wiggles out! They also have enjoyed using all of the math activities, and are now expert pattern-makers.
With your generosity, my students have grown so much this year! I can't thank you enough.”
With gratitude,
Ms. G.
Magnetic Math and Listening Center!
Funded Jan 12, 2011Thank you so much for your generous donations! With your support, my students' listening and math skills have already begun to improve! The new CD player is easy for them to use, and they love listening to the Kevin Henkes books! Listening to these fun stories has also helped my students develop fluency.
My students are also much more engaged in math lessons now that they can see all the materials clearly. They love coming up to the board to show the rest of the class what they've learned!
Thank you again for your kindness and support! Your donations have truly made a difference in my students' lives.”
With gratitude,
Ms. G.
This classroom project was brought to life by American Express Members Project and one other donor.