Past projects 4
If You Give a Student a Rug
Funded Aug 13, 2019You’ve filled my heart up again with your caring generosity! My hard days of teaching are easier knowing I am surrounded by your support. This rug will be full of eager minds in just a couple of weeks, and I promise to spread your kindness to a room full of kindergarteners for years to come!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Millett
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.Wiggle While You Work, Kindergarten!
Funded Mar 1, 2019Thank you again for donating to my project to get flexible seating in my kindergarten classroom. My students were, and still are, beyond excited to get seats that allow them to move while they are working at a table or on the floor. My students had an arts and crafts project to improve our classroom earlier in the year, so when we opened each set of seats the look on their faces was priceless knowing this ideas was theirs and they were heard!
There is no longer a struggle to get students to sit up straight while learning how to read at my table, and the distractions have almost disappeared now that wiggling is acceptable for all students due to the wiggle stools, cushions, and balls. I have learned that working on the floor at shorter tables is preferred by six year olds, and focusing on work is much easier now!
I am thankful for you each day I walk into my classroom. The seating arrangement of my classroom will stay this way for next school year, so 25 new students will be able to "wiggle while they work" all 180 school days- and I am already looking forward to that!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Millett
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 13 other donors.iLearn with iPads
Funded Sep 7, 2018Thank you again for your donations that funded four iPads for my classroom! Students were completely shocked when we opened our gift, and it was a great way to get the year started. It has taken some time for students to understand that iPads are not just for games, but that we will also use them to learn.
Students have been practicing handwriting and working on phonics skills since we opened our iPads. They have also been used to look at pictures previously saved to help build or draw about our topics. We have now begun documenting our work on the iPads as well as recording our plays in the drama center. When we get into Materials in Our World and Animals Two By Two we will be researching in small groups, and I hope to share that process with you as well.
I am excited to see what is to come with these iPads, and I am thankful everyday for all of you. I am the luckiest kindergarten teacher there is!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Millett
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 20 other donors.Creative Minds at Work
Funded Dec 2, 2017I'm not sure who was, and still is, more excited about our new materials all around our classroom- me or the students. I no longer have to worry about running out of tape or paper, and the students are learning to stay organized with the drying rack and keeping their project plans and writing in their folders. My students now have exciting choices for centers and a lot more freedom to use their imaginations.
I would say the students were most excited about the discovery table that has had water in it to build with legos in a new way as well as a density test with different wood samples, and is now full of soil and rocks to learn how water changes the look and feel of materials in our world. Their drenched sleeves and the wet floor around the area are sure signs that they are having a lot of fun with our new center!
The messy mats and clay are a lot of fun for my learners who like to create characters from stories and give them all different voices to retell what they remember.
Before this project I had daily battles with the computer and block centers being full, but since receiving the project materials I have had barely any issues with students choosing a center that interests them and staying there to complete their work.
I can't thank you enough for your help in making my new classroom a creative learning environment for a group of 24 eager, and very thankful, students!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Millett