Past projects 8
Class of 2021 College Necessities
Funded Apr 28, 2021College Signing Day has always been such a special event, this year you made it even more impactful. Your generous gifts of backpacks, binders, lanyards, and water bottles really set my students off on the right foot. Not to mention, they had a chance to come together and celebrate for the first time in a year.
My senior class is always impressive, this year they triumphed over so much adversity. So, there was no better way to celebrate them than with this special event with gift bags. You made that happen! Thank you!
Students were surprised, impressed, excited, and all-around thankful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. McCrillis
This classroom project was brought to life by Optimum.A Cooking Club We Can Taste!
Funded Jan 1, 2021Although we haven't been able to gather yet to use the amazing supplies that you helped provide my cooking club, we have been meeting to brainstorm recipes, commune, and get excited about the future.
Really, that was the purpose of this grant - to give my students something to look forward to. Thank you so much for granting me the ability to do so.
So far, students are gathering recipes for all the things they want to make next year. We have spring rolls, lasagna, and a taste from The Great British Bake Off all on our list. Students are also thinking of ways we can use food to give back to the community that has been hit hard by this pandemic. Just this week someone suggested baking cookies for front-line workers to say thank you.
So, I am going to end this by saying thank you. Thank you for letting my students dream of a brighter future when we are together again, cooking, eating, and celebrating.”
With gratitude,
Ms. McCrillis
This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 7 other donors.College Necessities for the Class of 2020
Funded May 22, 2020During this very difficult year, I was so proud of my students and how they rose to the occasion, traversed obstacles no one saw coming, and soared. I wanted to thank them for their hard work and send them off to college with all the things they needed. You helped me do that and I will be forever grateful for your kindness.
You purchased things that most of us who have gone to college think of as simple: a shower caddy, a lanyard, etc. But to my students, most of who are first-generation college students, these are things they will forever be thankful for having while on campus.
Speaking of campus, only about half of the students who were accepted to live on campus are this year and that has been hard. All students have told me, however, when these see these small token in their room they think of our school and their support back home. You are a big part of that sense of relief and home.
So, thank you! Thank you for supporting my students and sending them off to college with some of the things they need but, most importantly, with a sense of home and love.”
With gratitude,
Ms. McCrillis
This classroom project was brought to life by #GraduateTogether and 17 other donors.Necessities for College Signing Day Celebration
Funded May 17, 2019This year College Signing Day at Hyde was an especially momentous occasion. We had our first students accepted to Ivy League schools, we gave out a scholarship in memory of a former teacher who passed away, and there was so much joy in the room. Thank you for your part in all of this. The donations you made went towards the gift bags each of our seniors received. They included items such as a bathroom caddies and ID holders for our students who are living on campuses and Uno cards for fun. This small gesture of sending such deserving students away to school with some necessities wasn't lost on them. They were shocked and overjoyed by the gifts and immediately began talking about what else they were planning on packing and how nice it was that we got them started.
Overall, it was a moment to truly revel in 13 years of hard work by my students and staff. There was dancing, singing, crying, and lots of excitement about the future. The biggest impact, however, was on the underclassmen. They left the event talking about where they wanted to go to college, curious about the gift bags, and happy. When you can see someone like you acheiving things you maybe hadn't dreamed of before, that is powerful. Thank you for supporting this experience for my students and helping them see the power within.”
With gratitude,
Ms. McCrillis
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 15 other donors.First Generation College Essentials
Funded Aug 22, 2018As you can see from the photos, my students are going big places! Thank you for setting them on their way to this new chapter of their lives well prepared. You provided for them some of the basic necessities that can be difficult to acquire/think of for first-generation students living in poverty.
These pictures were taken during their college signing day. It was a time of celebration but also of fear. Fear that they would be leaving behind the worlds they knew and entering higher education. When this grant was funded over the summer I knew just who to call to come in and get their supplies. Students who had been reaching out to me for help. Students I was trying to gather funds/resources for, for months.
In stepped you guys. You provided a resource, yes, but also peace of mind for me and my students. There are good people in the world here supporting them from afar. This new place might not be so scary now. Maybe they will meet other good people on campus who will support them too. So thank you not just for your physical donation but also for giving me and my students a bit more faith in the world. Lots of doors have been closed on them / to them but there are millions of others that they will step in front of in the future and now they hold a key.”
With gratitude,
Ms. McCrillis
This classroom project was brought to life by News Corp and 6 other donors.Help First Time College Kids Fit In
Funded Apr 17, 2018This past Friday my students celebrated College Signing Day. Thanks to your generous donations they walked away with a shower caddy full of letters from their teachers, an alumni t-shirt, reusable water bottles, and Hyde hats. That is what they physically carried from the event, but the impact it had is wide-reaching. As mostly first-generation college-bound students, this celebration brings about excitement during an otherwise scary time. Braving a new world that doesn't traditionally accept students like them, can feel lonely. There isn't always time to celebrate while completing documents to submit for financial aid or trying to figure out how to complete loan paperwork when you don't have references to use. But, this small moment, gave my students time to feel celebrated and recognize that all the work they've put in will pay off, has paid off, and is important. So, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. McCrillis
Help My Talented Kids Build College Portfolios
Funded Dec 1, 2017I asked for a camera because my school didn't, at the time, have the technology to support students who needed to put together digital portfolios for college. This was fulfilled and my Juniors who are currently building portfolios are eternally grateful.
What I did not expect to have happened when I asked for a camera, was how much it would help my students with things that were entirely (or maybe not entirely) unrelated to college portfolios. I have junior photographers learning how to use it with me. I have been able to document events throughout the year including dance showcases, music performances, open mic nights, English and History projects, sporting events, and school meetings. These are things that our students frequently film or photograph on their phones but it is a special experience to have a professional photo fo you printed and hung on the wall.
Finally, I am thankful because this camera has allowed me to get to know certain students in a new way. I am seen as their teacher and counselor always but with the camera, I have been learning alongside my students. We watch YouTube videos together to learn how better to capture moments. We look through photos searching for the best shot. I have worked with students on a creative level that has allowed me to grow as a person and a teacher.
So, thank you for that. This small gift has blossomed into a growth opportunity for not just my students but also myself.”
With gratitude,
Ms. McCrillis
College Signing Day Celebration
Funded May 3, 2017After our college signing day celebration there was a buzz about my school that is rarely seen or heard. Seniors walked a little taller, proud of their accomplishments and excited by the cheers and gifts they received to send them on their way. They impact, however, was felt most for our underclassmen .
While sitting in the audience the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors watched as students they've known their entire lives dispersed advice and announced where they were going the following year. They whispered to each other things like, "I want to go there." "I can't believe he's going all the way to Buffalo." "If she can do it, I can do it!". They could, maybe for the first time, see themselves graduating and going off to college.
Thank you for being a part of that. Thank you for helping me build the excitement around college success. For our students, it's never a lack of ability or desire, it's often a lack of resources. That includes not only financial resources but also knowledge about college. Most are the first in their families to attend college. Being able to see students just like them get sent off to college with fanfare and excitement helps make these dreams a reality.”
With gratitude,
Ms. McCrillis