Ms. Frett's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 13

• Restock our Classroom and Library!

  Funded Aug 15, 2024

  I’m overwhelmed with gratitude! Every year I spend so much of my own money on my classroom, so to start the year with this help and support is just amazing. I really appreciate your willingness to help and your generosity will help make my classroom worthy of the students who fill it!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Frett

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 7 other donors.

• A Classroom Where Students Want To Be!

  Funded Aug 13, 2023

  Thank you so very much for your generosity. Your donations have made a daily impact in the lives of my students and me.

  The fans have helped to keep the room feeling less stuffy, and we're absolutely life changing when we had to endure a heat wave with no air conditioning! Thank you!

  The stools, too, have made a huge difference. They allow for students to have more mobility when meeting in groups or just needing a change of pace. The pictures in the slide show display students using them for an impromptu game of Uno one day when we finished our work a bit early. It allowed for an early opportunity for my first year students to form community and enjoy some non-academic time a little easier.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Frett

• A New Speaker!

  Funded Sep 20, 2022

  I cannot thank you enough for your generous and kind contribution to my classroom and our students! So far, my Gender Studies classes have already viewed a documentary, and many short clips in our exploration of gender as a social construct and the gender inequalities that persist in society.

  Having functioning equipment in class removes one of the hurdles teacher face each day. With 30+ students bringing their various experiences and moods each day, trusting that something like a speaker will not only work, but also bring clear and brilliant sound to each and every student in the classroom, is a total game changer. It frees me up to focus on my students instead of troubleshooting the equipment we need for teaching and learning.

  Again, I so appreciate your generosity. There are days when teaching in a large public school system seems like too much--too exhausting and a bit overwhelming as the obstacles and inequities seem insurmountable. But knowing that there are folks like you who are willing to support makes a world of difference.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Frett

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 6 other donors.

• Teacher Needs a New Laptop!

  Funded Aug 8, 2020

  This year has been a whirlwind. Aside from having to adjust to living in and coping with a worldwide pandemic, the job of teaching remotely has been...well, interesting. Your contribution has served to help me to bring the very best to my students each and every day. Working with a new laptop has meant quicker transitions, the ability to bring more dynamic lessons to my students, and perhaps best of all for our current times, has meant less frustration for me in planning and re-purposing curricula for online learning.

  Students have responded beautifully to all the immense changes they have faced this year. They show up each day, are forgiving and patient to all trying to figure out new ways of doing things, and have leaned into making the very best of a super challenging situation. My first-year students are trying their best to connect to Kenwood, and to each other, without having ever set foot on the physical building. My seniors are doing their best to navigate applying to college without the help of being in a physical college lab, and are also coping with the loss of their senior homecoming, their prom, in-person graduation, and for many, the loss of their senior sports seasons. It's a lot.

  And, that is why, this year more than ever, your generosity and kindness matter so much. This year has been a challenge for us all, and your willingness to give to me and my students has made it just a little bit easier. You have my gratitude!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Frett

• Stock Our Classroom!

  Funded Aug 10, 2019

  What a change these materials have made in my classroom! I can't thank you enough. Being able to start the year with a fully stocked classroom is a real gift. I have so much to juggle at the beginning of the year from getting my room ready to welcoming and getting to know 130 new students. Knowing that these resources would be waiting for me upon my return was a real boon to my ability to start the year strong.

  The document camera, in particular, has made a huge difference in the day-to-day teaching and learning that happens in my classroom. The camera makes it easy for student work to be the focus--students can sit at the doc camera and show their work to their peers and actually lead discussion as the expert. In this way, the lectern has also proved invaluable, giving students a professional atmosphere when they give presentations and speeches for the class.

  Additionally, your gift of classroom essentials like ink and chart paper don't seem glamorous and yet they are foundational to the everyday work of our teaching and learning. You have my gratitude--thank you!!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Frett

• Help Me Fight Senioritis With a Phenomenal Book!

  Funded Apr 10, 2019

  Thanks so much for your generosity in donating to my classroom! Normally, at the this time of year, seniors are tough to keep engaged. This text, however, made it easy! My students were completely into it, and had multiple student-led, student-sustained discussions about it!

  In a unit on the the sociological concept of "the body," Coates' argument presented a perfect opportunity to discuss the intersections of race and gender, and how that complicates how we move through the world. Students had an opportunity to analyze not only Coates' argument, but the way he constructed it and the impacts of the rhetorical decisions he made in writing it.

  Knowing that I have a supportive community willing to step in and help make ideas a reality for my students and our classroom is an incredible feeling. I am so grateful.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Frett

• Charging Chromebooks and Interest in the Humanities!

  Funded Aug 22, 2018

  Thank you so very much for your generosity in helping to make sure that my students have the very best materials. Just today, we utilized the charging carts you helped provide--looking around the room, I was struck by the fact that 30 students have access to technology and can access and stores those chromebooks with ease.

  I see just how much having resources makes a difference in student learning, but even more so, in their relationship to school and the classroom. When students are in environments that are complete, and filled with the things they need to succeed and reach for excellence they, in turn, reach for excellence. The impact is lasting, reaching far beyond initial expectations.

  Thank you again for your care and generosity.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Frett

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 15 other donors.

• Ink Needed to Display Student Work!

  Funded Jun 8, 2018

  Thank you so very much for your generous support of my students and our classroom. The ink that fuels our classroom printer seems like such a small, trivial thing, but makes a world of difference. Today, my Human Geography class used color maps of Chicago, showing the racial make-up of neighborhoods most affected by the 2013 school closings and influx of charters. These maps bring their learning to life and makes the materials we put in front of our students pop.

  Your support helps both me and my students to feel supported. I know on a daily basis that there are people who care about the work of our young people in the classroom. And my students see a classroom furnished with the best resources. That is invaluable.

  Thanks again!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Frett

• Fueling Curiosity Through Books!

  Funded Oct 18, 2017

  Because of your donations, my classroom is now home to a "humanities library." Students greeted it with a level of enthusiasm that I could not have predicted. Half of the books are currently checked out and in the hands of students. These transformative stories are being received with interest, energy, and a desire to know more about the world, and how different people have lived, and how that is affected by time and place.

  Thanks you so much for your generosity. These books have brought a new feeling of community for my students, as they can connect to other students over a story.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Frett

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 9 other donors.

• The World In Color! Printer Needed!

  Funded Aug 4, 2017

  The color printer, ink and cart you have generously contributed to has added so much to my classroom. Students have access to color images for the analysis of maps, political cartoons, images, and primary source materials. It has allowed me to print from my own classroom, rather than rely on outside vendors like Staples. Students have the high quality materials they need, and deserve, on a daily basis, thus sending a message that their education is important, essential, and just as important as students at any other school.

  Thank you so much for your generosity!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Frett