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Ms. Otto's Classroom

  • Tarkington School of Excellence
  • Chicago, IL
  • Nearly all students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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Make a donation Ms. Otto can use on her next classroom project.

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Past projects 18

  • I Graduated Kindergarten!

    Funded Aug 4, 2024

    I can not thank you enough for your generosity towards my classroom and my students. Switching to a new grade level was nerve wracking. After teaching Kindergarten for 9 years, I had to consider for the first time what materials a first grade classroom would need. My biggest worry was having enough books that matched my students reading level. Receiving the materials of this project as I was setting up at room helped ease that worry. My students began their journey into first grade today. I already heard several of them comment on the cool new books in our classroom library! Thank again for your support and your donations; it means so much.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otto

  • Prepared for Practice

    Funded Sep 20, 2023

    Thank you again for your generous donation to my students and runners. The kids were THRILLED when they heard about the project being funded and were even more excited when the materials started coming in. As mentioned before, many of my students do not have proper exercise clothes and shoes and were often coming to practice in their khaki uniform pants, a polo and flat shoes. This project has allowed them to feel and look like runners! They couldn't wait to break in their new shoes and are really looking forward to wearing their new gear at our next meet on the 14th. Thank you again for your generosity!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otto

    This classroom project was brought to life by Mission Tiger and one other donor.
  • Springing Into Track Season!

    Funded Mar 1, 2023

    Thank you so much for your contributions to our school's track team! I can't even begin to describe how excited the students were when they saw the materials. Having proper shoes to run in has made a world of a difference in our athletes' confidence and their performance. While our season is now over for the school year, I know these materials will make a lasting impact in the year to come and will continue to be used as students practice on their own over the summer and as they begin to prepare for the fall Cross Country season. Thank you again for all of your support.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otto

    This classroom project was brought to life by Mission Tiger and 11 other donors.
  • Help with Headphones

    Funded Sep 12, 2022

    Thank you again for your generous donation to my classroom!

    One of the biggest changes to my classroom since covid has been the one to one technology that my students have now been given. While I do not want students to spend too much time during the day on their screens, it has been useful when it comes to giving them differentiated work and the reduction of paper copies I now have to make. While students are working on their tablets, it is easier in terms of noise control for them to have headphones on. While we added headphones to the supply list, it was not an item every family was able to purchase. This project ensures that no student feels left out or insecure about not bringing a pair of headphones from home. Thank you for helping make my classroom a place where every student has the materials they need to thrive.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otto

    This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 5 other donors.
  • Fully Charged and Ready to Learn!

    Funded Mar 15, 2022

    This year has been particularly challenging given the constant switch to remote teaching. Students and teachers need to be prepared to switch environments within a days notice. That being said, technology has been a more prevalent part of our classrooms, even in the younger grades. The chargers provided in this project have made a huge difference in my classroom. Students are able to easily use their ipads without the worry of a low battery. It also eliminates the hassle of students having to figure out which ipad to use/ relogging in to a different device when theirs is not available. I truly appreciate your help in making my classroom run smoothly.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otto

  • Mid Year Restock

    Funded Dec 15, 2021

    Thank you again for your generous support towards my students' growth and development! The materials from this project have helped keep the classroom running smoothly during these uncertain times. With the continuous switch to remote due to exposure to the virus, several of my materials like white board markers and sheet protectors have been misplaced somewhere between home and school. This restock has allowed the students to continue to practice necessary skills like writing decodable words and writing addition number sentences no matter where the learning is taking place that day.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otto

    This classroom project was brought to life by Clorox and 3 other donors.
  • STEM Bins

    Funded Nov 5, 2021

    I can not express enough how grateful I am for your generous donations to my classroom. After the last two years we've had, I came into this year concerned with the social and emotional well being of my students. It's crazy to think, but for them, this pandemic has been half of their lives already. The materials that were donated to my classroom have helped tremendously with that. My students eyes lit up when they saw me unboxing all of the materials. We spend almost an hour each day doing "free choice time". The materials from this project have quickly become fan favorites during this portion of our day. They allow my students a chance to be creative, build and use their imaginations in a hands on way, and most importantly work with one another collaboratively. Your donations have truly made a difference in my students' lives and I can not thank you enough!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otto

    This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and 3 other donors.
  • Diverse Fairy Tales

    Funded Aug 7, 2021

    One of my favorite reading units in Kindergarten is the Kings and Queens unit. Students learn about real kings and queens of the past, compare royal families to their own and then finally read fictional stories that include king and queen characters. As much as I love the unit and the fun activities that are included (each student being chosen to become king or queen of the day, a royal tea party, etc), I always struggled with the fact that the fictional stories included did not represent the demographics and cultures that make up my magical classroom. Because of your extremely generous donations, I am now able to read my students stories that include characters that not only look like them, but also introduce them to characters and stories from every corner of the world. Thank you again for supporting my students on their reading journey!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otto

  • Mindful Minute

    Funded Jul 28, 2021

    Thank you again for your continuous support to my classroom. During the pandemic, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I can better support my students' social and emotional growth during and after the pandemic. Teaching kindergarten, the pandemic has already been happening for almost half of their lives. I believe that it will probably impact them in more ways than we currently even realize. My job is to provide them with the resources to deal with emotions they may not know how to articulate or work through yet. Your donations are helping to make that possible.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otto

  • All Because You Matter

    Funded Sep 18, 2020

    I want to start off by saying how much this project being funded truly means to me. I have always striven to provide my students with fun and engaging books with characters that reflect them. The texts included in this project contain characters who are strong, interesting and prove themselves to be leaders. The characters are individuals my students can see themselves in and characters they can look up to. Due to this uncertain time, it has also been difficult for me being away from my classroom library. These books will be an amazing addition to our remote learning time and will eventually be an even more amazing addition to our classroom. Again, thank you for your generous contribution.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otto

    This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 6 other donors.
My Kindergarten class is so enthusiastic about learning! They love it when I tell them that I am going to give them a "tricky" problem. They always respond with "we're too smart, you can't trick us!" My hope for them is to keep that passion and determination throughout the year, as well as throughout their education. My school sets very high expectations for all their students, even the little ones! I think this is especially important coming from the area in which my students live. It is so crucial that they have adults in their lives that hold them to a high standard and express interest in their future. My kids work each day towards being the best they can be. Another thing that I love about my kids is their willingness to help one another. They know that we need to work as a team and support each other in order to make this year successful!

About my class

My Kindergarten class is so enthusiastic about learning! They love it when I tell them that I am going to give them a "tricky" problem. They always respond with "we're too smart, you can't trick us!" My hope for them is to keep that passion and determination throughout the year, as well as throughout their education. My school sets very high expectations for all their students, even the little ones! I think this is especially important coming from the area in which my students live. It is so crucial that they have adults in their lives that hold them to a high standard and express interest in their future. My kids work each day towards being the best they can be. Another thing that I love about my kids is their willingness to help one another. They know that we need to work as a team and support each other in order to make this year successful!

About my class

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