Ms. Nicholl's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 25

• Recess Equipment for All Students

  Funded May 8, 2024

  I am overwhelmed by your speedy generosity--our project was funded in one day! Thanks to you, so many children will have more options for recess activities. This will ensure that each child in our school will feel included and valued, regardless of age or abilities, and it's all because of you!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nicholl

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 11 other donors.

• Representation Matters in Art!

  Funded Aug 2, 2023

  Thank you so much for the Crayola Colors of the World colored pencils. Many of my students noticed that they felt included because of your generosity. All said that they have never even seen such a selection of skin tones in one box. I saw several students pull a few colored pencils out of the box to find the match for their own skin.

  We have used these skin-colored pencils often throughout this school year. We started with "All About Me" posters, complete with a self-portrait. We also did biography book projects, and each student was able to draw a picture of their chosen subject--right down to the appropriate skin color.

  Representation matters, and you have made my students feel seen.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nicholl

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.

• Exciting New Books for a New School Year!

  Funded Aug 10, 2022

  Wow, the school year has flown by, and the books your donation bought are still a big hit! Every day I see a kid sprawled somewhere, reading one of our new books.

  I purposely chose graphic novels for my students. I already have many chapter books, but they are less like to grab a students' attention from the first moment. The kids chose these new books over and over to read and share with their classmates. We even brought some to share with our second-grade reading buddies!

  I am sure that these books will draw in my students year after year. I cannot thank you enough for this generous boost to my classroom library.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nicholl

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 4 other donors.

• Book Group Books Worth Discussing!

  Funded Feb 6, 2023

  We are immersed in our "Track Series" book groups, using the books you bought for us. There are four different books in the series, with each book featuring a different person on a middle school track team. I gave a brief book talk on each book, and then the student got to pick which one they read. Having enough books to give students a choice is wonderfully empowering!

  Every morning, the students meet with their groups and read one chapter. They then discuss story-telling and characterization, using a template I created for note-keeping.

  It is wonderful to walk around and hear rich discussions about contemporary literature. Having plenty of new books to choose from creates life-long lovers of reading. I can't thank you enough.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nicholl

• New Books for Book Groups!

  Funded Oct 21, 2021

  Thank you so much for the books you donated to my classroom. Most of the books we have multiple copies of are old. Most are written by and featuring white people. Thanks to you, my classroom has several book sets for small groups that are new stories written by and featuring more diverse people.

  We read these books in small groups, and then each group created a multi-media presentation to share the book with the other groups. Kids wrote dialogue for important scenes and acted them out in from of the class. Other groups created posters and timelines to share. Because of you, we had joyous encounters with new books!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nicholl

  This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 3 other donors.

• Let’s Read Books About People That Fought for Social Justice!

  Funded Aug 12, 2021

  Thank you so much for buying these book about social justice warriors for my classroom. As we were going through our social studies topics this past year, students were able to further investigate the facets that interested them, thanks to you.

  So many amazing biographical projects were created with these books! Students made dioramas, slideshows, posters, and reports to share what they learned with their classmates. The discussions and learning just kept on spreading!

  Thank you , again, for your support of literacy and history in my classroom. The books, and the people they are about, will continue to engage and inspire my students year after year.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nicholl

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 7 other donors.

• Let's Have Fun in Serious Times Reading Frindle!

  Funded Dec 1, 2020

  Well, what a year it has been! And, thanks to you, we got to read a fun and inspiring book "Frindle." It was a lovely break from the seriousness of life.

  Frindle is the story of a boy who has an idea, and sees it through with the help of his friends, despite opposition from his teacher and principal. It turns out that his teacher is secretly cheering him on, which is the big reveal at the end of the story. This made my students yell, "I knew it!" and makes me cry every time (teacher stuff!).

  We were still in Distance Learning while we read this book. I delivered a copy (along with a study guide from Teachers Pay Teachers) to each student. Then, at the end of every day, we read a chapter together and discussed what happened. It was a lovely way to spend time together. Thank you so very much.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nicholl

  This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 2 other donors.

• We Want to be Inspired by Malala!

  Funded Oct 22, 2020

  Thank you so much for the class set of "I Am Malala." It was a terrific addition to my class reading library, as I am trying to build a collection of books that represent a more international range of experiences. Malala is a great person to inspire my students, as she was about their age when she stood up to the Taliban.

  This book in particular was timely, and we had just finished reading "Ground Zero," which tells the story of a girl whose village has been taken over by the Taliban. The autobiographical "Malala" was an excellent paired text to the fictional story we had just read.

  Thank you for being a donor to my classroom, and making it possible to provide students with books that inspire and interest them.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nicholl

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 4 other donors.

• Setting Up My Classroom From Home!

  Funded Aug 17, 2020

  What a difference your donation made in distance learning! Because of your generosity, I was able to re-create a virtual classroom in my home office.

  I used the white board all day every day. Because it is two-sided, I could write our daily schedule on one side, and leave it up all day for students to refer to (lots of coming and going in distance learning!). And if I needed it for a lesson, I could just flip it around and write math problems or vocabulary words, or whatever we needed. It was small enough to fit in my office, but large enough for the students to see on a camera.

  Now that we're going back in the classroom, I will still use it every day. I can do a quick mini lesson, or use it to hold chart paper. And when restrictions ease, the students can use it for brainstorming and group work. It's the gift that keeps on giving!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nicholl

• Fresh Perspectives on Westward Expansion

  Funded Jan 31, 2020

  Thank you so much for funding our project! Thanks to you, my students will have current and balanced materials to learn about Pacific Northwest Native Americans, Lewis and Clark, and The Oregon Trail. I am overwhelmed by your generosity. Because of people like you I can do my job so much better!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Nicholl