Past projects 11
Calming Tea Corner
Funded Aug 13, 2024Thank you so much for donating to our classroom. My students are going to love having access to a calming space within our classroom. This will keep more kids engaged with class, in the room, and grounded in what they are doing. We appreciate your dedication to education and mental health.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Calahane
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org Teen Mental Health Initiative.World War II Choice Novels
Funded Mar 25, 2023Thank you so much for donating to help our class have choice in our reading. Last year's Sophomores were riveted by the different stories, coming in daily to express shock and excitement over what they were reading. Many have stopped by to tell me that their favorite book we read last year was the World War II novel.
This is the power of choice in the classroom, an option we are so often priced out of being able to offer. We truly could not have done it without you. We will continue to be able to offer these options for years to come because of your generous donations.
Thank you so much for supporting education and literacy.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Calahane
Cozy, Calming Corner
Funded Jan 6, 2022Thank you so much for helping create a cozy corner in our classroom. Students use this space constantly. The cups have also been a huge bit, as students have started decorating them and saving one to use as a sleeve for the hot tea cups.
Not only has this helped students take a second to reflect and collect themselves, it has been a huge community building piece. Students can come in at lunch and make tea or noodles with the kettle. They bring tea to share with the rest of the community. It's been a game changer for our space.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Calahane
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and one other donor.Women of Color Sci-Fi Novels
Funded Dec 17, 2021Thank you for helping bring diverse sci-fi into our classroom. The students enjoyed the novel immensely. Even students from other classes asked to borrow them based on how beautiful the covers were and the reviews from their friends.
Having new books accessible to our youth is so important. Fresh, beautiful books that focus on people who look like them in a more modern setting are part of what draws students into reading.
You helped spark a new interest in my students and we are all grateful for that.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Calahane
Student-Choice Reading
Funded Aug 27, 2021Thank you for helping my students have more say in what we read. They were deeply engrossed with A Thousand Splendid Suns and read through it ravenously. With all that is happening in the world, this novel helped humanize Afghanistan for them and bring the history to life in ways I would not have been able to without it.
Your donations allowed me to purchase books my students requested rather than giving them books I had simply chosen. This is huge for my students, who often do not see themselves as readers or readers with agency.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Calahane
This classroom project was brought to life by Emerson Collective and 2 other donors.Black Voices in Literature
Funded Mar 8, 2021This last year of school was incredible difficult to navigate. Our students were stuck at home for the entire year, completing all of their studies on screens. These books meant more than you can imagine for these students. This was one part of their day that didn't require them to log in. Not only were these diverse books put into the hands of diverse students, but these were students who were hungry for something real to connect with.
These novels were spread out between ninth graders, tenth graders, and twelve graders. Your impact was felt by three-quarters of our students. They were able to better engage with their texts by writing in them, bookmarking important pages, and ultimately keeping them if they chose to, a rare opportunity in public school.
The books the students chose not to keep will continue to impact our school for years to come. These three texts are highly engaging for our students. The Hate U Give, for example, is sometimes the first full book a student has ever read. We are grateful for donors like you who help make this happen for our kids.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Calahane
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron and one other donor.Culturally Relevant Texts for AP Literature Students
Funded Jun 30, 2020Thank you so much for contributing to our classroom. The students have greatly enjoyed reading Bless Me, Ultima. Many of them have said this was the first Latino-centered text they have read in their time in education; that is a huge wrong being corrected!
These books were especially important this year as we are distance-learning. Having something physical in their hands made school feel more real and more meaningful. Being able to put post-its in the book and to flip through the pages felt like real school. Working on annotations is possibly the only time they wrote with a pen or pencil rather than typed this entire semester.
Truly, your donation to our classroom is so greatly appreciated. You helped add to the diversity and representation of our literature and helped make school feel more real this year. During this incredibly tough time, it made a world of difference.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Calahane
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 4 other donors.Inspiring Aspiring Writers
Funded Sep 5, 2018My students love the beautiful notebooks you donated. When I first mentioned journals, they rolled their eyes and were not excited, but when I pulled out these beautiful notebooks they were instantly hooked. Quality materials that allow scholars to feel respected and valued truly make a huge difference in their engagement and learning. You helped make that difference.
The fancy pens are also a huge hit. The students love all the different colors and the quality of the ink. Some of them have told me they might start using the journal as a planner as well, like bullet-journals.
Your donation truly changed the way these students see journals which will ultimately help them shift their perspective on how they view themselves. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Calahane
This classroom project was brought to life by Neukom Family Foundation and 6 other donors.Culturally Responsive Literature
Funded Mar 27, 2018Thank you for helping our students all have access to their own novel. There were so many post-its utilized to mark quotes and so much reading done outside of class! By giving the students their own copy of the novel to work with, they had so much more agency over their learning than having to share copies within the classroom.
The best part is that these novels will be used for many more years. As our school community continues to grow, we cannot express how grateful we are to have donors like you to help us fill the gaps in our library.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Calahane
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 17 other donors.Novels for Scholars: One to One
Funded Nov 9, 2017Thank you for helping our students all have access to their own novel. There were so many post-its utilized to mark quotes and so much reading done outside of class! By giving the students their own copy of the novel to work with, they had so much more agency over their learning than having to share copies within the classroom.
The best part is that these novels will be used for many more years. As our school community continues to grow, we cannot express how grateful we are to have donors like you to help us fill the gaps in our library.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Calahane