Ms. Shore's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 12

• A Place to Sit in the Learning Garden

  Funded Nov 12, 2015

  Dear OshKosh B'gosh,

  Thank you so much for this generous gift to our school. Prior to your donation of the beautiful picnic tables, our students did not have a place to sit when in the school learning garden. When we harvested, we had to bring the produce back to the classroom and sit inside to eat. Now, our students are enjoying sitting at the picnic tables when we harvest from the garden. We have used the tables to plant seeds in the trays your donation also included. Teachers are also coming outside to the picnic tables when they celebrate a student's birthday. My students were thrilled to see them after our plant manager assembled them. They are exactly the right size, and look great in the garden! I would like to also thank you for the Treegators for our young trees, and the new hose box. These supplies have enabled our learning garden to flourish. Thank you again for your generosity and big heart. It has made a huge difference in how we use the learning garden.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Shore

• Pastels For Creative Second Grade Artists

  Funded Oct 28, 2015

  Thank you so much for your generous gift of chalk and oil pastels to my second graders. My students were so excited to begin using the art materials, but because this was a new art medium for them, I wasn't sure how the projects would turn out. Well, they certainly surprised me! As you can see in the photos, they used them creatively, beautifully, and were totally engaged throughout each art experience. What was especially wonderful was seeing children who hadn't thought of themselves as "artists" feeling very proud of their completed art work. We do an "art walk" around the classroom after everyone has finished, and they enjoy looking at each others finished composition. Unfortunately, I was so involved in facilitating some of the art lessons, that I forgot to take pictures. However, please know that the oil pastels were a huge success, and made each art piece so beautiful. They were used to illustrate the art element 'value', as well as were used to depict snowmen and their shadows in the moonlight from a book I read to the students titled "Snowmen at Night". What fun your donation has provided for my students this year and future students!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Shore

• Let Us Create!

  Funded Jan 28, 2015

  Thank you very much for your generous contributions to this project. My students are very excited about the wonderful art materials they now have. Every Thursday afternoon is devoted to teaching an element of art for an hour, and each time I set out the construction paper crayons and watercolor paints and brushes there are always "oohs and ahhs" from the students.

  In the photos I've posted, the students are finishing a project which reflected the element of space. They learned about how artists use a vanishing point to make objects in a landscape appear closer and farther away. They also learned about the use of cool and warm colors, which they juxtaposed with the crayons and watercolors. In addition, in this lesson, they also observed how crayon resists watercolor. As you can see, they were totally immersed in what they were doing!

  My students really look forward to each art lesson, and having these bright, colorful, new resources have made each experience that much more fun and exciting. Thank you so much!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Shore

  This classroom project was brought to life by Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation and 7 other donors.

• Fresh Water Aquarium for 2nd Grade Classroom

  Funded Sep 15, 2014

  As my students enter the classroom every day, the first thing they go to is the aquarium! This has become the hub of the classroom, and the fish are our new mascots! Each stage of setting up the aquarium has been very exciting for them. Our plant manager used a hose to fill the aquarium, which my students found fascinating. Next, came the gravel and plants which received a lot of oohs and aahs. Finally, we could add a fish, and chose a bottom dweller which the children named Lazy Bones because "he" just seems to stay in one place and doesn't move very much. Slowly we've added more fish, and now the children are watching for tiny young fish to be born. Each week a new student has an opportunity to feed the fish. Of course they love doing this!

  Currently, the aquarium is being enjoyed informally through observation and caring for the fish. In the spring however, the students will be expected to write an informational essay about an animal, including a diorama, and our aquarium will be a useful resource for those who choose to make fish the subject of their project.

  Your generosity has made this possible for my second graders. I very much appreciate what you've contributed to the enrichment of my student's lives. Thank you!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Shore

• Wireless Mouse and Keyboard Needed for Use with Smartboard

  Funded Sep 15, 2014

  My second grade students were so excited about receiving the wireless keyboards and mouses. I know this as I unwrapped the resources in front of them, there were oohs and ahhs and then everyone got quiet and sat up very straight to show they were attentive and listening as I explained how we were going to use them!

  The pics that I've uploaded show only one of the ways we've been using the keyboards and mouses. The pics show a group of students writing a song for our unit opener titled "Let's Create". They used the keyboard and mouse that day to type up their song about winter using Word. They were very proud to have done this, and then of course I printed it out for them and it went up on our bulletin board. We have also been using the keyboards and mouses in conjunction with the English Language Arts visual interactive activities that I access with the Smartboard. During this time they use the mouses and keyboards to play the interactive games that are being displayed on the Smartboard. It is important for my students to become comfortable using this technology and these materials provide that experience.

  These materials have enriched my students' learning experiences, and will continue to be a valuable learning tool in my classroom, this year and for years to come!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Shore

• Three-Ring Binders Help Young Writers Become Organized

  Funded Sep 6, 2013

  My second grade students were excited and appreciative when I informed them that the sleek, new binders were for them to use to keep their writing in progress organized. The binders had been organized prior to the students receiving them with tabs that divided them into three sections: Thinking Maps, Drafts, and Published Writing. The students personalized the front of the binders with white paper that they illustrated and wrote "My Writing," which they then inserted into the plastic front sleeve. The binders are so useful and well made that the students can work in them and continue to write without having to take their papers out. My students are in the process of learning how to write a research report. In order not to overwhelm them, I begin by having them brainstorm with a simple Circle Map, then transfer and add classifications with details onto a Tree Map. From there, they will begin writing a draft. It is wonderful for them to not only have a place for their writing in progress, but to grasp the concept of the steps involved to complete a piece of writing.

  Thank you for your interest in my students and willingness to step up to the plate and make this project a reality. Your generosity has not only given my students nice materials, but a sense that they are special.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Shore

  This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and 7 other donors.

• Little Whiteboards for Little Learners

  Funded Apr 28, 2013

  Thank you so much for your generosity in funding my project " Little Whiteboards for Little Learners". My students were so excited to receive these materials! So many times materials that they get in school have been used by others. Often these materials show the wear and use by former students. So it was very special for them to be the first recipients of these beautiful new whiteboards!

  My students are learning their addition facts, and the whiteboards are being used in conjunction with their ten-frames and counters to show the facts including the "turn-around" fact. They are also being used for "show me" answers, where they write the sum or difference on the whiteboard quickly after I display a combination of counters within the ten-frame. They hold up their boards with the answer after I say "show me". In addition, the lined side of the whiteboard is perfect for them to practice letter formation, and later on this year, cursive writing. They love practicing writing on the lines that are so clearly marked.

  This project has boosted my morale as a teacher as well as the students'. They enjoy whatever learning activity I ask them to do, when it's using their whiteboards! I know that as we start writing in cursive they will really appreciate the lined side of the board. Thank you again and I hope you enjoy reading my students' thank you letters!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Shore

• I Like To Move It, Move It! - Field Trip To Kidspace Museum

  Funded Jan 22, 2012

  All of our students had a wonderful experience on the "I Like To Move It, Move It! " field trip to the Kidspace Museum last week. They experienced a multitude of hands-on learning activities that had them captivated from start to finish. Some of these included learning about magnetic force through the manipulation of magnets and other objects. This enhanced what they are learning currently in science, which is a unit on Balance and Motion.

  The museum is a safe, child-oriented place where the children had the freedom to explore experiences inside and outside that sparked their imagination and had them on the move! None of my students had ever been there before, nor any other museum for that matter. This was truly enriching for each of them. I know that the one thing they will certainly remember when they recall their year in second grade will be this field trip.

  Thank you again for making this possible for all the children in second grade at my school!

  ”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Shore

  This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 25 other donors.

• Laptop Computer for "Envision Math" Technology Component

  Funded Jan 3, 2011

  I am so grateful to you all for funding my project through DonorsChoose for the classroom Lenovo laptop computer. The laptop has proved to be an invaluable tool and resource. I use it daily for each Envision Math lesson. With this tool my students have the advantage of better understanding each concept presented. The audio-visual components of the math program include CDs which present topic introductions with vocabulary, math stories, and guided practices to each lesson. These are beautifully animated to captivate the children's attention and keep them focused. My students now reap the benefit of this technology because of your generosity.

  I have also found the laptop useful in teaching other areas of the curriculum. Since I have received it, the students have been able to view various DVD's related to fieldtrips we were taking, as well as children's yoga instruction that is part of our physical education curriculum. I plan to also utilize it in the areas of Social Studies and Health/Science by showing related curriculum specific features.

  Our school is in the process of being revamped for Internet access in the classrooms. Because I now have a laptop in the classroom, in addition to all the other advantages it has provided, I will now also be able access educational websites for the students and project them onto the classroom screen.

  Thank you again for purchasing the Lenovo laptop computer for my classroom. I believe it will provide years of educational benefits for my students.

  ”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Shore

  This classroom project was brought to life by American Express Members Project and 6 other donors.

• Water/Sand Table for Kindergarten Students

  Funded Dec 15, 2007

  I am so excited to have received the confirmation of your generous gift to my kindergarten students. They have never used a water/sand table before and I know they will be thrilled when they get to play and learn from it. I look forward to being able to send you great pictures of my students enjoying what you have kindly provided them.

  Sincerely,

  Linda ”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Shore