Past projects 2
Seating And Learning Together
Funded Sep 23, 2019It was an exciting day when our new floor chairs arrived! We had several thoughtful conversations about the expectations around using them, and then how to share them equally. Students remind each other how to be careful with the chairs, so that they can be used for years to come.
Students are now extra excited about gathering together for literacy lessons. They set up the Back Jack chairs so that it is easy for them to focus on the lesson, and to turn to their neighbor for partner work. The chairs have truly enhanced students' ability to engage in literacy lessons.
Additionally, students love sinking into the chairs when doing individual silent reading. It is easy to rearrange the chairs so that students can give themselves space from their peers as needed. We can read for hours in these chairs! Thank you again to our donors for the wonderful gift!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Dunbar
We Love to Read
Funded Nov 7, 2014Your gift of leveled books to my classroom has had a very positive impact. Although I have been teaching for many years, I am new to 4th grade this year. I started out with a very small library of grade level texts for my students to independently choose from. As I said in my original statement, my students love to read, so the appreciation for books was already present. I just needed to supply more materials for them to engage in that would continue to grow their appreciation and help them practice their skills on a daily basis. The books you funded have helped fulfill this need.
Additionally, about half of the books were non-fiction text, which were especially missing from my library. A large focus of the Common Core Standards State Standards is on Informational Text, so I needed interesting and attractive models of these types of books. As you can see from the photos, students have been engaged in the books, and using them to do short, informational writing pieces.
I also asked my students how they felt about the new books. Here are some comments I told them I would pass on to you:
"I'm so happy you bought the awesome books!"
"I am reading "Escape from Slavery"..We need to learn about it so we can prevent it from happening in the future."
"I am reading , "Shh, I am Writing the Constitution!" ....I love this story for it's funny illustrations and the humorous text."
"I am reading "Sing Down the Moon" ...That book is stupendous...the author gave great details that made me imagine it even more."
Finally, the majority of students in my classroom improved their reading level since the Fall trimester, to keep up with grade level expectations. This is due in large part to these new books that they can read on a daily basis to improve accuracy, fluency and comprehension.
One additional note....I also never hear, "I have read all the books in the library!"
Thank you AT and T for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Dunbar