Past projects 3
Listening Center
Funded Oct 24, 2011 I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your donation to my classroom. The students are really enjoying the MP3 players that I purchased with your donations. It is a privilege that students are working hard to earn and I love hearing them laugh while reading the books. Having students listen to an audio book gives them a positive example of fluent reading with good expression. Because of this technology, I see kids experimenting and trying out expression and voices while reading. This has become a valuable piece of our reading program.
I just want to thank you one last time and let you know that you have truly contributed positively to this classroom. You are helping to create a community of readers.  ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Cavanaugh
The Coolest Listening Center Ever!!
Funded Feb 12, 2010Thank you so much for your generosity. The MP3 players have really helped to make my listening center more inviting and enjoyable for the students. It is such an improvement from our old CD players.
The students love how portable they are and how they don't break as often or lose battery life as quickly as the CD players did. I love them because I'm not using my own money replacing the players and the batteries every week. We are now the talk of the school and other teachers agree that it is a wonderful way to interact with the literature in our text.
Thanks again for everything. In tough times like these it is great to have caring and generous people like yourself to help out with educational needs.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Cavanaugh
Geocaching 101
Funded Dec 7, 2009I want to start off by saying how truly thankful my students and I are for your generous donation. We are just starting to use them more and more as the weather improves this spring. I've connected orienteering lessons with math by making different waypoints and at each waypoint a math question to answer. I've been able to do this about four times now and will be challenging them more in the weeks to come. I'm currently working on other lessons connecting other subject areas. There are so many possibilities that I've not even scratched the surface yet.
Outside of the classroom I have even more plans for these units. One plan is to organize an after school program for students and parents to join. We would learn how to use the units and go on short outings around town. My hope would be for parents and students to take what they learned in the program and continue it in their own lives. I've enjoyed geocaching as a personal hobby and I think it would be a great activity for families to partake in. In this time of video games and TV it seems like families aren't enjoying the outdoors as much as they used too. I truly hope to inspire a few kids that wouldn't have gone hiking before to take on the challenge of finding a cache. I see this as a wonderful bonding opportunity for parents and kids.
In the next few weeks I am planning a staff get together using the GPS units. I have organized an "Amazing Race" around our town at different businesses. The staff is so excited and I couldn't do it without your donation. The possibilities are endless and I'm so excited to keep working on these and many other projects. ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Cavanaugh