Past projects 9
Spanish Classroom Library
Funded Sep 27, 2024I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your generous donations to our Spanish Classroom Library. In recent years, I have noticed that high school students have been spending less time reading for pleasure outside of the classroom. Students who, when asked about their childhood reading habits light up with positive memories of their favorite books and literary characters, but, due to busy schedules, students say they don't have time to read outside of school.
I decided to incorporate free-choice silent reading into my upper level Spanish classes every week to give students an opportunity to return to their love of reading, but this time, in Spanish! They delight in seeing their favorite titles from childhood and, due to their familiarity with the storylines, they find the language level accessible and easy to decipher.
Here are a few quotes from my students about silent reading time: "I love it! It really helps with my reading comprehension skills!" "I like that I get to see the grammar structures we are studying in class in real contexts." "I love it...we should do it more often!"
Thank you again you all your support!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Durham
Build Our Class Library
Funded Mar 30, 2023I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous contribution to our classroom library. Your support has already started to make a significant impact on our students' learning experience.
Your donation has allowed us to expand our Spanish class library with an array of high-quality Spanish language books, which will serve as valuable resources for Wells students. These books not only enhance their language skills but also provide a gateway to explore the rich and diverse cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Your kindness has opened the door to new adventures, knowledge, and opportunities for our students.
When students first saw the new additions to our library, their eyes lit up with curiosity and enthusiasm. Your gift has ignited their passion for learning and has given them the chance to immerse themselves in the beauty of the Spanish language.
As an educator, it is incredibly gratifying to witness the positive impact your generosity has on our students. Your belief in the importance of language education and cultural exploration is helping to shape the future of our young learners.
Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous donation. We are truly fortunate to have individuals like you who care about the education and growth of our students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Durham
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 3 other donors.Vamos a Jugar...It's Game Day!
Funded Mar 15, 2022My students LOVE game day! Thank you so much for your generous contribution to our classroom!
With the games we purchased with your support, my students are building their Spanish language skills, having fun and making friends.
The best thing about game day is that students are practicing their Spanish in a truly authentic way. Also, there is something for everyone; quiet word games for small groups and pairs, raucous card games for bigger circles of friends.
On game day, the energy in the room is inspiring and smiles abound!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Durham
Music is My Life
Funded Dec 4, 2019My students have been having a blast with their new percussion instruments! We sing every day in class and the new Latin percussion instruments have taken our singing to the next level.
So many students are incredibly musical and, while they may be shy to sing, they are happy to pick up a percussion instrument and participate in their own way.
The instruments that you funded are high quality and will definitely last for years to come in our instrument library.
Thank you so much for your generosity and for supporting music in the Spanish classroom!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Durham
This classroom project was brought to life by An anonymous classroom supporter and 7 other donors.A Spanish Library Of Libros Fabulosos
Funded Dec 3, 2019I am so grateful to our community for supporting this project! It is such a joy to have a well-stocked library of all Spanish-language books for my students. There were literally squeals of joy when I showed them some of their favorite titles from their childhoods (all in Spanish, of course!).
Students have been engaging in sustained silent reading for 10 minutes every other day in Spanish class since our books arrived. Many students have decided to read a different book every time and many are sticking with one that they are interested in finishing. The objective of this process is to read read read in Spanish and students have warmly welcomed the challenge.
I look forward to hearing students' comments about their reading each time they approach our library and to see the growth in their Spanish.
Thank you for making the dream of our classroom library a reality!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Durham
This classroom project was brought to life by An anonymous classroom supporter and 16 other donors.Calaveras Mexicanas to Celebrate the Day of the Dead
Funded Jun 15, 2019There is much anticipation around our upcoming Day of the Dead celebration in my Spanish classroom! Students will be creating unique and beautiful Mexican tin skeleton works of art to decorate our room and share with their families and we have high quality materials to use, thanks to the most generous Donors Choose donors!
While students enjoy learning another language and communicating in Spanish, they truly come to life when they get to engage in cultural projects that end with a product they get to take home and share with their families.
My students and I are all so grateful for the beautiful art supplies and materials that we will be using in our celebration and want to send our thanks to the donors who made it possible.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Durham
Bringing the Day of the Dead to Life
Funded Jan 21, 2018Thank you so much for your generous donation to our Spanish classroom! We were able to dive deep into our cultural study of the Day of the Dead and your donation helped give our students a fun, engaging experience that connected them to the world abroad. Art is such an important part of Mexican culture and it is such a joy to be able to share quality art supplies with our students.
When I told my students we had received your generous donation, they were thrilled! It is this kind of generosity that helps them believe that members of the community care about them and their educational experiences.
We will continue studying the culture of Mexico and now have begun our study of the Maya as well as Guatemala. Undoubtedly, students will be able to draw connections to what they have learned about Mexican culture throughout this unit.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Durham
Celebrating El Día De Los Muertos
Funded Oct 17, 2016The Day of the Dead came to life in my classroom this year! Students made exquisite tissue paper flowers to decorate our class altar and they were over the moon to create tiny edible skulls. The molds for the candies are unique and gave students an opportunity to get creative with their decorations. We also spent an afternoon making beautiful cut tissue paper to string around our room for our celebration.
The materials we received for this project were high quality and came within a few days of ordering. I am so grateful to have been able to provide this fun, lively opportunity for my students. I know this is a project they will remember.
Thank you so much for your support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Durham
Everybody Knits
Funded Oct 20, 2015It has been such a joy watching so many students learn to knit! They are busily working on their service project (knitting squares to sew into a blanket for a homeless shelter) and I am so grateful that I have supplies to accommodate all the students interested in knitting. With your help, I've been able to supply all the yarn needed and students have access to needles of all sizes.
My students were thrilled to hear about your generous donations and actually jumped up and down with excitement when they saw all the supplies. I realized how important it is for students to know that the community cares about them and believes in supporting their visions and passions.
We are going to continue our weekly knitting meeting and, in the Spring, will be starting another common project to advance the skills of the group.
I am truly humbled by your generosity and can't thank you enough for your donations.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Durham