Past projects 9
Soaring On with Science of Reading and Imagination
Funded Aug 10, 2022Thank you so very much for your generous donation to my 1st Grade classroom! I wish that I could share their happiness and excitement as they first saw the boxes of items being delivered to our classroom and then their excited chatter and cheers as they were able to open the boxes and explore! It was like a magical Christmas morning!
My students love being able to create and invent with unique materials that most students do not have in their homes. It is exhilarating to hear their comments and discussion with each other as they create and build together. Their imagination soars!
It has also been wonderful to be able to have at my fingertips resources from TPT that allow me to implement the ideas and strategies that I have learned as I have learned more about the science of reading. It has saved me so much time instead of me spending my time creating these resources myself.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burgess
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and one other donor.Spark The Fire Of Reading
Funded Jan 23, 2022Thank you so very much for the generous donation to my 1st Grade classroom! My hope with the donated items was to create a spark and help my students who are struggling mightily with being able to read to find themselves reading materials successfully and enjoying the reading process at the same time!
The spark was ignited as my class was able to read new books with sight words that they could read. The spark was ignited as students read sentences and then matched the corresponding picture to the text. The spark was ignited as students completed puzzles that put together words in sentences. The spark was ignited as one struggling student was using a word family flip book and after a few tries, he was able to re-read all of the words correctly. When I told this student that he just read every word correctly the smile on his face was truly worth every penny spent on this project!
I am very grateful that my students were able to receive so many wonderful items!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burgess
This classroom project was brought to life by Utah State Board of Education.Together We Are Better
Funded Oct 26, 2021I wish you could have been in our 1st Grade classroom when the students walked in on a November morning and saw a pile of boxes that were full of exciting hands-on materials! It was like Christmas morning and the buzz of anticipation was high!
I also wish you could have seen all of the masterpieces that they have created using these manipulatives! They have created towers, clocks, buildings, houses, and untold patterns that previously only existed in their minds! They look forward to STEM time as they know that they will get to use these fantastic resources that are not found in their homes. It is so fulfilling to see them use their imaginations in full force!
One important aspect of this donation is not only is it fueling their imaginations and allowing them to be creative, but they are learning how to work together to build something. They are learning how to give and take when different people have varying ideas of what to do and how to do it. These are valuable life skills!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burgess
Seating Success for Six-Year-Olds
Funded Aug 11, 2020Thank you so much for your generous donation for my classroom of 1st grade students! They absolutely LOVE the seat cushions because they are soft, bright, and they allow them to have an alternate seat during the day.
This is impacting my classroom in a positive manner because social distancing doesn't allow my students to sit on the carpet and gather together and desks must be spaced apart. So this forces students to sit at their desk all day. As adults we would find this a difficult task and so you can imagine how hard it is for 6 year old students to do it. The cushions allow them a safe spot to move to during the day that can still be spaced out.
It is also helping my students love to read since it creates a fun cozy spot for them to curl up in and look at and read books. What a difference this will make for my students not only this year but in years to come! Thank you for investing in their futures and making my teachings days so much easier!!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burgess
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Need Books
Funded Nov 20, 2019Reading is so important in 1st grade. The exposure to several genres of books and varying levels and titles really helps to support beginning readers. Exploring and experiencing books begins the journey to a life long love of reading.
Reading is so complex to teach. There are so many small, but important parts to teaching a student to read. Some aspects of reading are so easy for some students to grasp and yet, difficult for others. The expansion of our classroom library has recharged the excitement for reading. It has ignited a spark and a renewed enthusiasm for learning to read.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burgess
Fabulous First Grade Feats
Funded Oct 4, 2019Thank you so much for bringing joy, engagement, excitement, and the thrill of discovery into my classroom! I wish that you could have shared some moments with my students in our classroom as excitement began when they walked in and there were big boxes just waiting to be opened. The hum of energy and excitement built as we opened the boxes and found incredible items just waiting to be used and enjoyed. Now imagine the fever pitch as the time has arrived that now my students get to use these items! In case you are wondering, it sounds like outdoor recess because they are that thrilled!
I love how these items have built a sense of community and helpfulness in our class as students work together with building blocks to build bigger structures or as they concoct a plan with the balls and ramps to make roads, bridges, and speed tracks! They are learning to share their ideas while beginning to understand the ebb and flow of how others view their ideas and how sometimes other students like their ideas and sometimes another choice is what is chosen.
Thank you for all of the items that you donated to make our classroom successful!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burgess
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron Fuel Your School.Wanted: Kindergarten Architects
Funded Oct 10, 2018As a teacher you want the very best for your students and of course you want the very best supplies and instructional materials that can help your students learn and progress. I am very grateful for your donations to my students and classroom because without your generous donations I would not be able to provide these items for my students!
I wish you could see their faces light up when the ball run is pulled out for them to use and to see their creations that they can build as they have a giant bin of unique building blocks to play with. They are so excited and can't wait to have their turn! It creates an atmosphere of wonder and excitement! The wireless head sets give me more time to spend teaching and less time to set up a listening center! My students also love having a soft cushioned pillow seat to sit on and read books in cozy corners or any spot in the classroom.
I love that all of these items help create a love of learning as my students are excited to come to school and are sad when they have to miss class. It allows children from all socio-economic levels to experience new things and be exposed to new ideas, creativity, and imagination. Thank you again for being willing to invest in the lives of my young students and for the difference that this will make not only for them but for us all in the years to come!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burgess
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron Fuel Your School.Recipe For Remarkable Readers
Funded Oct 5, 2017I just want to express my gratitude for funding "Recipe For Remarkable Readers"! It has made such a difference in our classroom. In a Kindergarten classroom students become very excited and eager to learn more when something as small as a new pencil that is not yellow comes into their little hands. Imagine their excitement as they walk into our classroom and see a bright new colorful rug! It has been a wonderful place for children to sit, read books, and gather together!
My students are also very excited as they get to read brand new books that are engaging and their enthusiasm rises high when they are able to read these books because they are on their reading level. They enjoy reading and feel like they are on top of the world because they are actually reading books!!! That is a wonderful moment and one of the reasons that keeps me going to teach another day.
I also want to thank you for the dot markers and the pencil sharpener. A pencil sharpener may seem like a small thing but this new pencil sharpener is so quiet, fast, and it makes the dreaded chore of daily sharpening pencils for 50 students a breeze now!
Thank you once again for investing in my students! What a wonderful way to make the world a better place for children!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burgess
The Magical World Of Learning to Read In Kindergarten
Funded Oct 31, 2016I would like to take this opportunity and thank you for your generous donation of 2 I-pads and the magazine subscription from Scholastic titled "Let's Find Out". It is wonderful that your company believes in children and the impact for good that technology resources can make in a classroom!
My classroom has put the I-pads to good use and we are now able to use an Interactive Phonics Program that helps my students understand letters, sounds, and how they combine to make words. It helps them begin to unlock the world of reading and open up their world! It is fabulous because this technology allows them to zero in on their learning needs and give them focused and specific lessons on an individual basis. The I-pads enable my class to use technology that we are otherwise unable to access due to the complexity of young students signing in to use computers in a computer lab. The magazine subscription also opens up the world as we explore new topics and are able to see and read about varying topics.
I wish I could somehow include in this letter the exclamations of delight that I hear each day as they see that they will get the opportunity to use the I-pads. It is an exciting learning tool for them and it helps me as a teacher reinforce what has been taught in the classroom. Thank you so much for investing in my kindergarten students! Your donation is making a great difference!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Burgess