Past projects 6
We Love Choice Time! How About You?
Funded Mar 25, 2025I am so excited to know that such wonderful people have contributed to help my students love of learning grow by providing materials for hands on experiences for choice time. Thank you so much for your generous donations for our Pre-K classroom. My pre-k friends are so excited to get new materials to use during choice time. We are so grateful for your kindness and we can't wait for our friends to continue to build their curious minds.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Zanelli
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 10 other donors.Comfortable Seating for Small Group Meetings
Funded Nov 29, 2022This donation of a kidney table and chairs has impacted our classroom in such a large way.
We now can have small groups in all subject areas where students can sit comfortably for maximum learning.
My students were so excited when they saw the table and cushion seats. They are so motivated to learn! They love to be able to pick which seating type they want to sit in and they love having the space to spread out and learn comfortably.
Thank you so much to all the donors who helped our small group dreams come true!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Zanelli
This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 8 other donors.Let's Get Organized, Organized!
Funded Jan 31, 2022Thank you so much for contributing to our classroom. It meant so much to my students to get new materials to use in the classroom. They also appreciated the materials used to keep our classroom safe and clean. They were so excited when the boxes came in!
The bins are being used to help organize our different centers for reading and math. The colored boxes helped students know where activities are and were they need to be put after our centers are done.
The CVC and sight word sentence builders are being used to strengthen our friends skills and strategies when putting together words or making their writing stronger.
The pencils, expo markers and erasers are so helpful! Our markers are used so frequently that we go through so many of them. It is nice too now have a supply students can use whenever our ink gets dry. The erasers are also so helpful in quickly moving from word to word or when writing sentences.
Lastly, the baby wipes help keep our classroom nice and clean during these challenging times.
We are so grateful for all of your love and support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Zanelli
Hands-On Fun in K-1
Funded Jan 25, 2018I want to start off my saying thank you all so much for your generous donations to K-1! The students were so excited when we opened the boxes and saw all the wonderful materials that we were able to add to our classroom. The students have been so engaged and eager to use our new materials.
Our classroom library organization cart has now made it easier for students to find books on their level to read in the classroom and when they go home for the weekend. The cart allows the children to self manage themselves instead of me telling them where to go, which is helping them build their independence as readers. The cart also supports choice, allowing them the freedom to choose the books they are interested in reading.
The center games have provided my students with fun and engaging activities to complete during reading and math. We have recently started literacy centers where students are assigned to a center for the day. My students love to play the vowel sort game and the sound switch game because it provides them a way to review sounds independently which helps promote their confidence. My students love to play the sight word match game and it is amazing to see the progress the students have made in remembering, using and spelling their sight words. In math, students are able to take the games and review topics we have covered such as addition and subtraction as well as use the games as a support for current topics like shapes and measurement. The centers are so kindergarten friendly, so students are able to set it up on their own and use the picture support when reading directions. I love hearing my students say how excited they are for centers each day.
Again, I cannot truly express how much it meant to me and K-1 to have you all donate to support their learning. My goal as a teacher is to be able to reach all my students in all different types of ways, but more importantly, make them want to learn and become excited about each day. With all of your support, you are truly pushing my students to reach their highest potential.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Zanelli
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 15 other donors.Tablets for Teaching
Funded Oct 23, 2016Thank -you all so much for helping bring technology into my classroom and enabling my students to learn more reading strategies through the tablets. The tablets give my students a chance to practice their reading by having them play games and read interactive stories that allow them a new outlet when it comes to reading. The students consistently pick new books to read and have an allotted amount of time to independently and buddy read. Now, by having the tablets, the students can rotate ways to read, which makes reading workshop more fun and enjoyable for them.
The most exciting part for my students when it comes to having the tablets in the classroom is that they each get to play games that are picked out according to student levels. Students are motivated to practice their strategies and to read when using the tablets.
In my classroom, my English Language Learners like using the tablets because it helps them practice strategies like looking at pictures and stretching out their sounds. It also is very appealing to my students who have difficulties sitting and reading for long periods of time.
My class and I are so grateful for your support and thank each and every one of you for donating.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Zanelli
Moving On Up...Reading Levels!
Funded Jan 6, 2016Thank you so much for your donation to my classroom. My students enjoy using the leveled readers, the sight word books and the sight word games so much. The books have helped my students learn to follow patterns and practice their reading strategies on a daily basis. The new and never touched books have made my students more enthusiastic about reading everyday.
These books have enabled my co-teacher and I to teach the necessary reading strategies to our students to make them more comfortable when reading these books independently. Some of the lessons we have been able to use these books for are pointing under the words, looking at the pictures for clues, stretching out the sounds of unfamiliar words as well as basic strategies such as the front and back cover of the book and return sweep of sentences.
In our classroom reading is usually a 7-10 minute mini lesson where a strategies or teaching point is explained and taught followed by 12-15 minutes of private reading. In this time, students are reading their appropriate leveled reader independently, practicing their strategies as well as getting asked questions during conferences and practicing the retell of their books. After private reading, students engage in buddy reading with a partner to practice their new learned strategy together. We close our reading workshop by reiterating the teaching point of the lesson.
We have had several students who have enjoyed reading the books. Our students loved to read the sight words books as well as the games because it gives them opportunities to practice their words and get more comfortable reading and using them.
K-117 and my co teacher and I again want to thank you all so much for your contributions to our classroom. We are definitely Moving Up Reading Levels with all of your help!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Zanelli
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 13 other donors.