Past projects 93
Seeing in Color!
Funded May 14, 2022Thank you so much for bringing color back into our classroom. A color printer is vital for a special education classroom where individualized visuals play a huge role. I think all classrooms should have access to a color printer, but this is hardly ever true!
My students responded to their visuals and charts with greater consistancy once they were in color. In addition, there is nothing more satisfying than printing a visual aid in color and laminating so that you know you have it for the next year too.
Thank you for your support, of our classroom, now and for years to come too!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Marissa
This classroom project was brought to life by Neukom Family Foundation and 2 other donors.Seeing in Color!
Funded Mar 16, 2022Thank you so much for helping us get a color printer for our classroom. Midway through the year, my home printer died and left us colorless. It has been so challenging not having a colored printer anymore. Visuals are something my students use daily. Visuals are essential for the daily functioning of my classroom! Whether it is a task analysis, chart for behavior, routines, or our vocabulary words and story retelling. When charts are in color, the impact is greater, ensuring that my students use them with efficacy. Again, thank you for donating to this project and guaranteeing that we have the tools and resources that set my students up for success.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Marissa
Hydration and Fully Bellies = Learning Success!
Funded Mar 28, 2022When the boxes arrived, I asked my students to guess what was inside, the sounds they heard as I placed the boxes on the rug. Immediately, my students thought we were getting more snacks! Were they thrilled when their guesses were correct!
My students look forward to our midmorning snack daily. For other student's, who do not like the cafeteria lunch, it is an opportunity to take something with them to the cafeteria that they know they will eat. While in my care each day, my goal is to make sure that my students basic needs are met. I never want one of my students to feel that they are hungry and can't ask for something to eat. Who can learn when they are hungry? Certainly not me!
As the weather warms up and water fountains in the building shut off, I want to ensure that students stay hydrated. Thank you for helping me make this possible. My students LOVE knowing that there are people out there that care about their well-being.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Marissa
Fully Bellies Make Learning Minds!
Funded Dec 1, 2021Thank you so much for your generosity and for ensuring that my students have full bellies for learning. In my eyes, having a full belly is essential for learning. I know that I can't learn if my stomach is rumbling. Food often impacts the mood of so many of my students. With so many barriers already, due to academic and developmental needs, food does not have to be another and one that I can help them control. When students don't like breakfast or lunch, I also want them to have other options. When the boxes arrived, their eyes lit up and the room filled with excitement! Thank you for helping my kids feel extra loved. The waters are extremely important as the masks often make students extremely thirsty and there are no water fountains in the building that work. Staying hydrated helps to ensure students needs are met so they can focus on their most important task of the day, learning!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Marissa
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 3 other donors.Snack Attack!
Funded Dec 13, 2021Thank you so much for your generosity and for ensuring that my students have full bellies for learning. In my eyes, having a full belly is essential for learning. I know that I can't learn if my stomach is rumbling. Food often impacts the mood of so many of my students. With so many barriers already, due to academic and developmental needs, food does not have to be another and one that I can help them control. When students don't like breakfast or lunch, I also want them to have other options. When the boxes arrived, their eyes lit up and the room filled with excitement! My room felt like Christmas Day as they opened the boxes of snacks! Thank you for helping my kids feel extra loved. Ensuring that my students are well hydrated and that their food needs are met is of the utmost importance to me as an educator.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Marissa
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and one other donor.Sound Walls - the Science of Reading!
Funded Dec 6, 2021Thank you so much for your generous donations. I strongly believe that the sound wall will be the key to helping my students figure out the code for reading and writing words. For my students, that are still grappling with letter-sound correlation, finding words like the, this, and what on the word wall can be tedious. The sounds that they hear at the beginning of the word do not correlate with the letter where they find these words. Teaching students to observe and focus on the formation of their mouths makes more sense. I can't wait to unveil the sound wall after the break and see the impact it has on my student's reading and writing development. Again, I thank you for your support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Marissa
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 5 other donors.Lighting for Learning!
Funded Nov 30, 2021I can't tell you how excited I am to no longer use the terrible florescent lighting in my classroom. Having natural lighting coupled with lamps makes for a calming, homey, and serene learning environment. The classroom feels more like a home than a classroom.
Also, students are complaining less about headaches which is a common side effect of having overhead lighting. Of course, they love that someone has the job of turning the lights off too at the end of each day. There favorite lamp has to be the mood lamp for the calm down corner. They have fun picking the colors and effects of the lamp each day.
One of my favorite items that we received from this project is the doorbell. The doorbell instantly grabbed students attention when giving directions or next steps. This is tool is a game changer. I no longer have to say eyes on me over and over again! Especially with a mask on it was often not heard until the second or third time!
Thank you for supporting our classroom and making the learning environment more conducive to the learning needs of all students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Marissa
Organizing and Beautifying Our Way into Learning!
Funded Aug 24, 2021This year, I started a new chapter in my teaching career. As I left the school I had called home for 9 years I had concerns about how I was going to make my new space feel like home. There was a lot of work to be done when I arrived but knowing that I had the tools to help make my vision a reality made the project less daunting.
Thanks to your donation, I can finally say that I have settled into my new classroom environment. The classroom decorations and materials helped me create a warm and inviting classroom environment, where every item has a place. Teaching and implanting organization in the classroom are essential components to me. I aim to create consistent routines that help students gain independence.
Thank you for helping me create a loving, vibrant, and organized learning community where students can strive and how to!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Marissa
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and one other donor.Carpet After Covid and Organizing Fun!
Funded Aug 13, 2021Thank you so much for the generous donation that helped us get a brand new carper for our flexible seating area. This cozy nook in our classroom has become a preferred station for breaks, as it is tucked in our classroom library. Students frequently request to sit at the flexible seating table during work time. Whether a student wants to cozy up with a book, e a mindful minute, or work in a small group, students tend to gravitate towards this cozy section of our classroom.
Last year, we did not have any carpets in our classrooms because of COVID. I can't begin to tell you how amazing it is to have a brand new clean and inviting carpet. The circular carpet, makes the classroom feel more like a home, where students want to learn and thrive. Again we thank you for investing in our classroom and future!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Marissa
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and one other donor.Sensational Sensory Items: Support Concentration and Break!
Funded May 25, 2021Thank you so much for ensuring that we ended our year on a high note! The students loved the new sensory items in the calm-down corner. The popper helped one student transition from melting down when upset to taking a self-directed break instead of melting down. What a magic moment!! When students are dysregulated, it helps if they feel like they have a say in picking the tools needed to calm down. This coming school year, I look forward to the continued use of the sensory items from this project.
Again I thank you for investing in my classroom and ensuring that we had the tools needed to end our year on a high note and with calm, cool, and regulated bodies!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Marissa
This classroom project was brought to life by Born This Way Foundation and 5 other donors.