Past projects 6
The Power of Imagination!
Funded Apr 7, 2022Thank you for donating the STEM Kits. Our 4th graders loved building the solar powered cars and mini robots. It was a really fun experience and a great way to learn. Each student was engaged in the process and they were both creative and problem solvers. They followed directions and worked together as a team.
When we first got the Stem kits the class was really excited. It was not easy to follow all the steps and some of the students needed a few days to finish. Luckily we had a few leaders in the room that supported students and they worked really well together.
We had a STEM day that included a few different hands on activities and our class brought their solar cars and mini robots to demonstrate and share what they built. This gave them an opportunity to share their hard work and explain the process to the lower grades. Thank you for helping our leaders shine!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monahan
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose community & an Anonymous Partner and 2 other donors.Book Smart
Funded Nov 18, 2021Our student led book clubs are a success thanks to your generous donations and support of the students at P.S. 377. The donations provided engaging novels at various levels and our students really love participating in their book clubs.
Our students each have roles in their book clubs. They decide who will facilitate the discussions, who will record the ideas shared and how to rate their meeting based on some criteria and expectations we develop together. There is also a materials monitor who makes sure the group has post-its to stop and jot down ideas or questions, talk stems to support conversations and a guide for the skills they work on while reading. We also have a time keeper to manage the time and make sure there is equity of voice when sharing. Finally, there is a reporter who summarizes the book talks to the class at the end of the week.
All of the protagonists in the novels we read each have a different challenge to overcome. The students identified character traits and referred to text evidence to support their ideas. Each of the characters changed from the beginning of the story to the end. Our students discussed how the characters changed, what they were motivated by and what they struggled with. They also discussed various themes in the novels and made connections to their own experiences or to other books they've read.
It was really encouraging and beautiful to watch 9 and 10 year olds have meaningful discussions about books. With your help we are developing a life long love of reading.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monahan
We Read to Lead and Succeed!
Funded Jan 10, 2022Wow! I can’t believe how quickly this was funded. Our students are loving the graphics novels in our library and ask everyday if we have any more. They are going to be so excited to enjoy these new novels. The books will be well loved by our current 4th graders and hopefully many more in the years to come. Thank you so much for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monahan
This classroom project was brought to life by TOON Books and 2 other donors.Keep Our Love For Literacy Alive
Funded Sep 16, 2020All my students are truly enjoying the new books that were funded by your generous donations. They especially love our novel study, Katherine Applegate's, "Home of the Brave." They like how funny the protagonist Kek is, and they enjoy talking about how the idioms commonly used in America can be confusing for him. I think Kek's positive attitude and hope during his daily struggles is easy to connect with these days. Learning about life as a refugee from Africa also puts our situation during a pandemic in perspective and gives us hope for better days.
I mailed the books out to students who weren't able to pick them up and they were so excited to get mail! Each of them were extremely grateful when they shared that a package arrived and they were excited to have new books. We've been reading shared texts on the screen and now the kids ask me to wait so they can go grab their book during our reading time. I've always had a passion for children's literature and it makes me so happy that I can still share my love of reading even if we can't be together in a classroom.
Thank you so very much for your contribution. Sharing a good book is such a great experience, especially since our students are spending so much time at home. As Mason Cooley said, "Reading Gives Us Someplace To Go When We Have To Stay Where We Are."”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monahan
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose 20th Anniversary Fund and 8 other donors.Help Us Fulfill Basic Needs First and Innovation Will Follow!
Funded Dec 14, 2017My class and I can't begin to explain how much easier you have made our learning experience. Not worrying about sharing 2 glue sticks among 12 people or only printing a few writing pieces to display because we have no paper makes our day so much better!
My students are really grateful to have the supplies they need to accomplish their learning goals. We can now complete our interactive Greek and Latin roots notebooks because we have the supplies we need. My students are super proud of their published writing pieces printed in color!
It may seem like something small but even the new pencils make us happy.
Thank you for your generosity, thoughtfulness, and amazing support to my incredible 5th graders!
You are the best!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monahan
This classroom project was brought to life by Quill.com and 6 other donors.Our Future Depends on Our Children Living in the Present!
Funded Nov 12, 2017Our students were so excited to use the yoga mats. Their smiles and enthusiasm for the yoga program is visible each time we practice on our new mats. They also absolutely love the diffuser and aromas from the essential oils. At the end of each yoga session when our group is in corpse pose or chavasana, I use the oils mixed with water to spritz the room and it's their favorite part.
Our students are taking really good care of everything. They help clean the mats and we roll them and store them each week with care. They take pride in the yoga program and having these new materials makes it a really cool experience.
We are incorporating mindful based stress reduction activities and helping students learn coping strategies for when they're anxious. Each week I'm amazed that they remember the terms and are explaining how to calm their minds. They also learned the basic poses really quick and were able to push themselves and work towards more challenging yoga poses. Thank you for helping make this happen!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monahan
This classroom project was brought to life by Born This Way Foundation and 9 other donors.