Mrs. Olson's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 12

• Let the Sun Shine In!

  Funded Sep 23, 2021

  Your donation has inspired and encouraged my class to read more and to love books more. These high interest books appealed to different types of readers on different reading levels. The kids were excited to get involved in the Sunshine State Young Readers Award Program (SSYRA) and these books allowed more kids to have a book to read to reach their reading goals and to be able to vote on their favorites this spring.

  One very reluctant reader in my class could never seem to finish an entire book. I kept recommending books, but nothing seemed to stick. When these books arrived and the excitement grew, she and I decided to tackle the book, "The Great Pet Heist", together. We alternated reading pages until she was hooked and started reading more at home. It was the first "real" chapter book she finished this school year. Thanks for making a reader out of this sweet girl!

  Thanks, again, for supporting education. literacy and my classroom through your donation. It is greatly appreciated and will continue to inspire students as they read these books in the future.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olson

  This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 4 other donors.

• Let's Engineer Some STEM

  Funded Jul 3, 2019

  Thank you so much for donating to provide my students with materials for STEM learning. As we practice the Engineering Design Process, the students are able to plan out designs and then execute their plans with both the Keva Planks and the Marbles STEM Learning Lab. They look forward to every opportunity to pull these materials out and build.

  As I circulate in the classroom, there are multiple small groups gathered around these STEM materials discussing that day's plan and how they will "divide and conquer". Their excitement bubbles over when their engineering creates a workable structure and they ask me to come over so they can demonstrate. Those that do not excel in other academic areas start to shine when given the opportunity to design and build.

  Thanks for caring about my students and wanting them to have interesting and motivating STEM opportunities.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olson

  This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 5 other donors.

• Eager Engineers Engaged in Exploration

  Funded Mar 17, 2019

  My students are so appreciative of these STEM building kits. Their eyes lit up and their faces beamed when I pulled out the kits that your donations helped fund.

  Having choice time where the students are free to choose an area of interest, investigate new and interesting materials and then construct intricately designed structures has invigorated my kids. Their teamwork is inspiring as they work together to learn and build.

  Thank you for making our classroom a fun, yet challenging, place to learn.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olson

  This classroom project was brought to life by AT&T and 4 other donors.

• Engaging Kids in Financial Literacy, Florida Style

  Funded Nov 26, 2018

  Thank you so much for the opportunity to attend the "Get Your Teach On" conference in Orlando. It was an amazing experience to be around so many excited educators desiring to improve their classroom engagement and, in turn, affect the lives of their students in a positive manner. So many new strategies were learned and I was able to bring back the spark that was ignited in me.

  As a result of this conference I have been able to motivate my students in many ways, including in the area of financial literacy. Concepts that had been difficult to make relevant in the past, came alive to the students as they played Giant Monopoly. I was able to teach numerous vocabulary words and present the students with problem solving scenarios as they learned many financial literacy standards.

  Thank you for caring enough about education to make conferences such as this possible for teachers.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olson

  This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab Foundation and 5 other donors.

• It’s So Fun, They Don’t Realize They’re Learning!

  Funded Aug 18, 2018

  Thank you again for donating to provide these activities to be used in the classroom to increase engagement. Learning and reviewing has become much more interactive, causing more smiles and feelings of success. These games motivate my students to achieve, so they have the opportunity to showcase their knowledge while competing with their classmates.

  Students strive to answer questions correctly so they can toss a bean bag, pull out a stacking block or spin the wheel. While working together in a group, students come to the table to compete against the other groups to push their "egg" first in Eggspert and give the correct answers. Twister takes on new meaning when you can review Greek roots.

  Even the reluctant learners are eager to join in when they know their participation leads to playing these games. Thanks for helping to bring these resources into my classroom.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olson

• Let's Get Organized to Learn!

  Funded Aug 22, 2018

  Thank you so much for donating to my classroom so we could receive two large storage cubbies. We are finally able to organize our books, folders, writing utensils and other supplies so everyone has their own personal storage space. This furniture has provided us with a much neater area for storage.

  My students were so relieved when the furniture arrived and they were able to move their supplies from a small rolling storage bin to the more spacious cubbies. Now, finding the right workbooks and textbooks quickly is so much easier.

  We will continue to work on organizational skills and keeping our classroom neat and clean thanks to your generosity. We all appreciate your contribution to our classroom.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olson

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 13 other donors.

• Finding Inspiration and Motivation, Ron Clark Style

  Funded Jan 25, 2018

  After spending just two jam packed days at the Ron Clark Academy, I am ready to revolutionize my classroom. Listening to Ron Clark and Kim Bearden speak and teach, along with many other exemplary educators, has motivated me to implement so many new activities to increase student engagement and cultivate a more positive atmosphere in my classroom. I am eager to share new strategies with my grade level team.

  The highlight of this professional development activity was seeing the students and how they interacted with their teachers. There is a magical feeling in the building. The students epitomize excellence through their manners, behavior, and knowledge. The teachers clearly explained how the foundation was set and the framework was built to support and inspire the students.

  As I return to my school in August, I want to help bring about a change in the climate of our grade level by implementing the "house system". This system will build a feeling of community and support and camaraderie amongst the fourth grade, rather than just five separate entities. Seeing this system in action at RCA inspired me to strive for the same kind of unity at my school. Thank you to the donors who made this very special learning experience possible for me.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olson

  This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and one other donor.

• Taking a Break and Getting in Shape!

  Funded Dec 20, 2017

  Thank you once again for your generous donation to fund new playground equipment for my students. Prior to the arrival of the new equipment, we were down to two deflated balls and a jump rope. My students' eyes grew wide and their mouths turned into big smiles when the boxes of new equipment were opened. They were immediately ready to head to teacher directed PE.

  Since that day, my class has been playing kickball, soccer, trash ball and many other games with the new equipment. This collection has given my students the much needed breaks necessary during this intense time of the school year as we prepare for statewide testing.

  We look forward to many more group activities on the field with our new equipment. Thank you for helping my kids "take a break and get in shape". We are learning team work and having fun. You are truly appreciated!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olson

  This classroom project was brought to life by The PwC Charitable Foundation and 5 other donors.

• Learning Tolerance from Florida's Famous, Fearless, and Faithful

  Funded Jun 24, 2017

  Thank you so much for your generous donations to purchase books, on the subject of Florida's history, for my students. Our knowledge of Florida's famous people and important events has been greatly enhanced by this collection of books.

  As we have studied Henry Flagler and the Seminole Wars, the students have been able to read interesting chapter books that have reviewed the facts learned in Social Studies while giving them the opportunity to practice reading skills. We have found cause and effect relationships, made flow maps showing sequence, and discovered theme. Students that need to be motivated to go above and beyond the regular fourth grade curriculum have been given the chance to do so using these books.

  We will continue to incorporate these books into our Reading and Social Studies curriculum, and at the same time we will learn about the importance of tolerance in the history of our great state of Florida. Thank you for caring about my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olson

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 10 other donors.

• Dribble, Volley, or Flip Your Way Into Reading Excellence!

  Funded Jul 8, 2015

  Thank you so much for donating to my classroom so I could provide my students with a collection of high interest sports themed books to read. There is a special place on my bookshelf for this new collection and the students have been pulling books from this collection constantly since the first week of school. When I first introduced this author to my class, the students started raising their hands to tell me about a few of the books they had seen before.

  Since we have small group time in reading each day and the students can choose to read silently for part of this time, they have many of these new Jake Maddox books at their desks ready to read. For our monthly book projects, a number of students have chosen the Jake Maddox books to use for the required activities. Additionally, when we made a class quilt depicting our favorite books earlier this month, several students again chose books from this series to depict on their quilt square.

  My students have shown a new interest in reading for enjoyment and many reluctant readers have become avid readers thanks to this new collection that you have provided. Thanks for caring about my classroom and my students by providing us with these high interest chapter books.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olson