Past projects 4
Silent Sliders and Calming Tunes for a Peaceful Classroom Environment
Funded Oct 1, 2024Thank you so much for your gifts!
The tennis balls have been placed on desk feet by student volunteers and now we can slide and move desks easily, and most importantly, minus that horrible screeching sound that makes the skin crawl and invites complaints from the school below us. We move the desks for a variety of reasons. For instance, desks go into small groups for discussions, one large circle for Socratic seminars or debates or sharing out time in Advisory, or out of the way completely for games.
The bluetooth speaker is in almost daily use, allowing me to set the right environment for my students, whether it be for chill lo-fi study time or an energetic upbeat work period. Just this December, that speaker was put to excellent use creating holiday vibes for our gingerbread making contest!
The notecards have been perfect for both traditional flashcard-making and for class games that help build our community spirit and make school more fun for students. For instance, to ease students back into the swing of things after returning from Winter Break, we used the cards to play Two Truths and a Lie about our vacation activities--yes, even in my Chinese class.
Thank you thank you thank you, these small things can truly help make school a better experience for all.”
With gratitude,
Ms. McMurdo
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org Teen Mental Health Initiative.Sew Seeds of Creativity: Sewing Machines for High School Students
Funded Nov 29, 2023A million thank yous for helping me purchase sewing machines for my students!
The four sewing machines arrived and we broke them out right away, even though the curriculum for the current semester's class obviously does not include machine sewing. Students were super excited (and a little afraid) to try the machines out. To finish out this semester, we focused solely on learning the basics of operating the machine to complete simple straight stitches. They had been working on hand-sewing zipper pouches, and we were able to utilize machine stitches to help the slower students finish more quickly. The machines also helped me differentiate for struggling students (a couple of my special education students, for example), who had serious difficulty with hand-eye coordination but found success with the machine. Students ended up completing gorgeous, fully usable zipper pouches that had been combo hand and machine sewn by them.
I am incredibly excited to begin incorporating machine skills into the curriculum for next semester's class. I'll include setting up the machine (winding the bobbin, threading), the straight stitch, the overcast stitch, and sewing button holes! We will continue to learn how to hand sew, of course, but these machines will allow me to include more ambitious projects in my next class without the tedium of spending so much time hand sewing. You guys made it all possible! An extra shout-out to the Donors Choose Community whose willingness to match donations helped give my project the extra push to get to the finish line. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. McMurdo
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 11 other donors.Stories for Students
Funded Aug 21, 2010Many many thanks to you, my incredible donors, for being generous enough to help my students get the books they needed! There has already been a visible impact on my students. I have a class of English language learners, and in the past two years I've spent a great deal of time rewriting texts so that they are both more interesting and at the appropriate reading level. These books are wonderfully readable, and I often hear students react audibly to the history-turned-soap-opera texts (Apparently the way the British imperialists treated the Indians was "OD, Miss!").
There've been practical benefits, too. Having a small-sized paperback that they can easily transport to and from home has been crucial for my students in the use of these readings for homework and review on their own. In class, if they need to refer back to a reading, they just flip back a few pages. No longer do they have to search a messy notebook for a packet that probably went missing a week prior. It sounds small, but my students are often held back by the little things. I even have students reading ahead now! I can't thank you enough for taking the time and spending the money on these students. I want you to know just how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
With gratitude,
Ms. McMurdo
Readable History Books For ESL Students
Funded Sep 2, 2009It's been about 2 months since we received the books you helped purchased, and I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on how we've used the books in class. First off, I can't tell you what a time-saver it is for me to not have to make photocopied packets every time there's a reading from the book I want to use. I'm also making my principal happy by using less of our already limited supply of paper (they've started locking the reams away in the supply closet and delivering a set number of reams per day).
There has also been a visible impact on my students. I have a class of English language learners, and in the past two years I've spent a great deal of time rewriting texts so that they are both more interesting and at the appropriate reading level. These books are wonderfully readable, and I often hear students react audibly to the history-turned-soap opera texts. At the same time, students have ownership of their books, and I see my students taking time to highlight and make notes, something they are usually loathe to do. If they need to refer back to a reading, they just flip back a few pages. No longer do they have to search a messy notebook for a packet that probably went missing a week prior. It sounds small, but my students are often held back by the little things. I even have students reading ahead now! I can't thank you enough for taking the time and spending the money on these students. I want you to know just how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. McMurdo