Past projects 8
Dramatic Play is for Real Life Boys and Girls
Funded Mar 15, 2024I want to start by thanking you again for your generous donation and your commitment to helping our young students be successful.
I must tell you that when the students saw all the items that we received, they were beyond excited!! I immediately put them to use, starting with the camping tent and related materials. We created a space that would look like a camping site with a "mountain" nearby and they were all in. I loved the part where they would sit around the campfire to "toast" marshmallows. Some of these experiences had to be taught, since most of the students had never been camping before. The learning moments we experienced were priceless.
For the next school year, I already have a plan on when to use the materials as they relate to our curriculum themes, so we can really maximize the use of vocabulary, make connections to previous experiences and practice social skills with the kids. This year will be marvelous, thanks to you all.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Menchaca
Tidy Classroom for Tiny Students
Funded Aug 16, 2023I would like to start by saying Thank You! Without your help, this project would still be on hold. We are so grateful for the support you showed us!
Our project "Tidy Classrooms for Tiny Students" is successful in ways you cannot imagine. The fact that our classroom is organized is so impactful, that I don't see us going back to a less effective way to work. The kids have flourished and they are becoming independent little beings due to the fact that now they believe that they can do things, because it's becoming easier for them achieve things without the help of the adult.
When you are little, many people tell you that you cannot do this or that because you're small or that you have to wait because the adult is busy, but in our classroom, we all can do things on our own and that boosts our self esteem. This will definitively lead to many greater things as they grow up, just because they had a few boxes and some pockets in the classroom, isn't that amazing??”
With gratitude,
Ms. Menchaca
This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 4 other donors."E" For Excitement With STEM
Funded May 3, 2022If only you could see the impact your donations have made in our classroom. I apologize if this Thank You package didn't reach you sooner. You see, I was recently diagnosed with cancer and I have had to make many changes. It has been a blessing having all these materials so our kids can keep on learning through hands-on experiences while I have been out.
All materials are being used during center time and also when we go for outdoor exploration. The kids were so excited when things first got here and then when boxes were opened, they could not keep their curiosity at bay.
We plan on using these materials again and again, creating lastful memories and impactful lessons that will enrich our students lives and, hopefully, entice them to pursue careers in Science and STEM.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Menchaca
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and one other donor.SEL Equals Taking Care Of Our Pre-K Friends
Funded Apr 1, 2021We cannot be more grateful of your generosity and the faith that you put in our classroom when making the donation to fund our project. My students were elated when things arrived and we quickly moved to have them ready to go into their little hands.
Even though the items requested seemed simple, they have been a great resource in my classroom for my students to regulate emotions and work through their frustrations by using them. I am happy to say that I have been able to spread the goodness with another teacher by providing her with one of our weighed dogs for a student with autism that was having a hard time in class.
Kids have had it so hard this past year, but your kindness was received and acknowledged. You all definitely made a great impact and we felt it loud and clear. After the success on the implementation of these materials in our room, we definitely want to move forward in expanding our SEL exercises and resources in our class.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Menchaca
This classroom project was brought to life by Allstate Foundation and 2 other donors.Engaging Learning Experiences in a Box!
Funded Oct 23, 2020Your generosity towards our classroom and the students that are still at home due to the pandemic is beyond words. Every single student in my Pre-K received a box with supplies to help them be able to participate and engage in the lessons just as much as if they were sitting in front of me. We use the materials every day during our morning message, when we are reading and writing, to make connections and use tools to achieve a deeper understanding during Math and Science or when we are learning through play during our center time. The students were very excited to receive the boxes and the parents were very grateful and relieved.
These boxes makes the students at home feel included and active participants when they can retrieve materials to copy the activities, in real time, to do what we do in the classroom. A perfect example of this was two weeks ago when we were rolling a dice to count and I could ask students at home to roll it, and then help me count, because every single one of them had one, or every time we do a read aloud and they have journals with pencils or crayons to write about it. These moments are priceless...they have helped me be close to my kids by making them feel that they belong, even from home.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Menchaca
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 6 other donors.Young Readers and Young Explorers in Our Pre-K Classroom!
Funded Jan 4, 2020I want to thank all of you for making our dreams come true. After a devastating tornado that have turned all of our lives around, causing uncertainty and leaving us bare without materials to work with, your donation has come to fill a void and make us believe in good again.
Our kids loved the new books. They are so excited to listen to all the new stories and use their imagination to travel to new places! All the supplies were perfect to stimulate my young kids minds and fulfill their sensory needs.
We will be using all of these materials in cross curricular ways to maximize their use and explore different ways of learning.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Menchaca
STEM-tastic Classroom!
Funded Dec 27, 2019My students have been enjoying all the resources you all have provided for them. Everyday we use the STEM materials to enhance learning and stimulate all the learning modalities through their senses. We were working on sorting and the shells were a great resource for this because they really paid close attention to the different attributes of the objects.
The students were so excited and happy about getting the materials. They were jumping all over the place and wanted to explore and use everything at the same time. We lost so much during the tornado, so this was a really great surprise for them to have all new things to play and learn.
We are planning on expanding the use of all these materials by integrating them in cross curricular ways. I can't wait to maximize their use in my classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Menchaca
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and one other donor.STEM for Boys, STEM for Girls!
Funded Nov 15, 2017First of all, I want to thank you again for believing in education and supporting our classroom with your generous donation. My students could not believe what was happening when they opened the boxes with me and saw all the things inside. They jumped out of sheer joy!
The STEM materials that were donated have been used in wonderful ways. For example, right after receiving our materials, we were covering a unit on "Giants", with some of these "giants" being bridges, roller coasters and large construction vehicles. My students used the materials to create "giants" in the classroom using the Engineer-a-Coaster set and our Design and Build set. The kids were very excited as I encouraged them to replicate the giants they had seen in the book, and at the same time they were brainstorming ways into creating giants of their own. It's very rewarding to see them having conversations of what to build and how to do it, cooperating on the activity and supporting each other when encountered with a challenge. You can see the excitement in their faces when they are creating and problem solving, and the satisfaction when showing me their product. It is an overstatement to say that the construction center is their most favorite center in the classroom now, everyone wants to be a part of it!!
What I enjoy the most is seeing how the girls enjoy playing with the materials as much as the boys. I truly hope that the love of creation never stops and that my girls will grow to be equal participants in our future as scientists, architects or engineers. I want those emerging interests to develop and translate into meaningful careers in their future. It's the least I can do for my students, so that they can beat the odds and be successful in life.
We will continue using the materials to explore new ways to do things and take risks while learning from the mistakes we make and working together to fix them.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Menchaca
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 2 other donors.