Past projects 6
Tools for Home!
Funded May 21, 2020Thank you so much for providing my students with the materials they are familiar with using in school to have at home. A magnetic wipe-off board and dry erase marker are materials my students use constantly throughout each school day. I felt so sad for my students when we initially began working remotely that they didn't have these loved and important materials.In kindergarten one main focus is learning letters as they are becoming emergent readers. During virtual live teaching sessions I have the students practice letter writing (uppercase and lowercase) as I dictate a writing pathway for them. We do this with numerals 0-9 as well.
In class my students love to play math and reading games. They often need a die or dice to play these games. Many students did not have this tool at home and were so excited when they finally got them! They could play games such as "Roll and Read!" These games are ones that allow students to practice fluency with identifying numbers, letters, sight words, etc.
My students were thrilled when they received their materials!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Heltzer
This classroom project was brought to life by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and 3 other donors.Marvelous Manipulatives for Math Work Stations
Funded Aug 10, 2017Thank you so very much for the various math manipulatives. My students have enjoyed putting them to use to reinforce and build their math skills especially in relation to number sense. The students have used the materials to practice counting, recognizing and ordering numbers, and comparing numbers. The students love the dominoes and work hard to match them to the correct magnetic number (as seen in a photo). The students use the dice to play games, such as roll, write, and count and roll and write. Each game has them counting the number of dots on the die and then writing the matching numeral. The cards have been a great tool when comparing numbers. The pattern block boards and Play-Doh boards have also been a great hit. The children have enjoyed using the links to count and match to a corresponding number. The students' skills will only continue to develop as they use these manipulatives during our math centers time. Each students is incredibly thankful for this donation as am I.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Heltzer
This classroom project was brought to life by Sergey Brin Family Foundation and one other donor.Lend Me Your Ear
Funded Aug 13, 2017Thank you so much for the headphones. My students have been using them often while working on the iPads in our classroom. They have used them during our literacy centers time, when playing on the app Starfall, which is helping the build letter recognition and sound knowledge, preparing them as they get ready to become readers. The students love these headphones because of the volume control feature. Each student can control the volume on their headphones to their individual liking. The students will eventually use them with the iPads on other reading sights, building their literacy skills and fostering a love for reading. These headphones have been a terrific addition to the classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Heltzer
This classroom project was brought to life by Sergey Brin Family Foundation and 2 other donors.A Picture for ELLs is Worth a Thousand Words
Funded Dec 4, 2016Thank you so very much for the colored printer and colored ink that you donated to our classroom. As I stated on my project page, a great way for me to teach so that information is clear is by using pictures, drawings and visual aids that will support academic vocabulary development. Colorful and realistic visual aids are perfect for the ESL classroom as they are extremely valuable with helping ELLs understand the material while learning important vocabulary. Having this new printer has allowed me to provide my students with the colorful and realistic pictures to further develop their English vocabulary.
The students were so excited the day this printer arrived. I explained to them that it was donated to our classroom by generous people who wanted to support their learning. The students have enjoyed the colorful fiction and non fiction paper books I have printed for them to use. They used to read paper books that were in black and white and they didn't grab the students' attention the same way these colorful ones have. Students have commented on how much "prettier" the books are now. They are genuinely excited about reading and are better able to connect with concepts and vocabulary.
All of my students, regardless of their levels of competence have already, in this short time, benefited from the use of visuals that are provided from using our new color printer. This printer will continue to provide the students who are currently in my class to continue to build their literacy skills as well as students who will be members of my classroom in the future. Each of us is extremely appreciative for this wonderful addition to our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Heltzer
Imagine It! Build and Create it!
Funded Dec 28, 2016Thank you for your generous donation for the Legos and Play-Doh that purchased for my students. The students were jumping for joy the day this package arrived. They could not wait to play and build with these new and exciting toys! Their mouths dropped to the floor when I moved the Legos from the box it came in to a plastic bin and they begged me to let them build immediately. It was a few days later when my students actually had their first opportunity to explore and play with these new materials.
It was wonderful for me to observe the students using their imaginations to create different types of buildings with the Legos and funny people/animals with the Play-Doh. Each child was so proud of what they created and asked me to take a picture of what they made. This actually occurs each time the students have the opportunity to play with these materials. They have been an amazing addition to our "play" toys. The best part is that while they are playing and enjoying themselves they are also further developing their fine motor skills and social skills.
You have truly made this class of students happier beyond words!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Heltzer
ABCs for ELLs
Funded Jan 28, 2015Thank you so very much for your generous donation of uppercase and lowercase magnetic letters. The students were so excited when they learned we had enough letters for each group of partners. Before, my students were working in groups that were too large when manipulating magnetic letters. Everyone did not always get a turn which interfered with learning. Now, everyone is given the chance to learn.
The students have used their magnetic letters during our word work period or during literacy centers time. They have used them to make sight words, consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, words families, and names of children in the class. The students have sorted the letters by vowels and consonants, uppercase and lowercase letters, and types of letters (tall, short, tail). Additionally, the children have practiced putting the letters in alphabetical order.
I have seen tremendous growth in all of my students' reading and writing abilities. The consistent use of making words with the letters has enabled the students to transfer this to their independent writing and reading. All of my children are now able to sequentially order their ABC's and the color coded vowels and consonants have aided students to understand the different types of letters. The magnetic letters have been a wonderful addition to my kindergarten classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Heltzer