Past projects 49
Let Us Listen to Books
Funded Nov 30, 2019I am so appreciative of your gift. My students loved listening to books on the MP3 players before covid-19 took us away from traditional learning.
A favorite was Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. I had read it to them earlier in the year and I could see how much they enjoyed the ability to play it again and again. They also enjoy Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes. This was also a class favorite.
We had planned to record the students telling stories and teachers and parents reading our favorite books as well but the time was stolen.
I can't wait until it's safe enough for teachers and students to return and utilize this gift once again. Thank you for the opportunity to help my littles learn and have success in their education.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Landino
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 3 other donors.Letters for Learners, Learning at Home
Funded May 5, 2020The Covid-19 pandemic separated me from my students but did not end our learning. I was able to read them stories, do activities and teach lessons via our classroom learning page on social media, we talked over zoom, I took phone calls from them and I even made stops by their homes and stood outside on sidewalks to wave and bring learning packets and activities.
Having a tangible learning materials such as these magnet letters will be a key in keeping my students on track for kindergarten. One of my main fears was not being able to provide my students with the learning materials needed to thrive in kindergarten if we could not be in school. With these magnet letters children will be able to play letter games, find letters in their names, they can hold them and feel their shape, they can pair uppercase and lowercase, they can teach their siblings, they can be taught by their siblings.
I can tell you that of the materials I brought to each child, magnet letters seemed to really excite them. As I was standing on a sidewalk talking to a child and his mother he suddenly noticed the magnet letters in the bag. Then he disappeared and we heard the magnet letters tumble out on the floor and heard "Oh my gosh" and then he came running back with letters in hand!
Thank you for helping my students prepare for success in kindergarten! Thank you for supporting me and thank you for supporting education! I can do so much more for my students when I have support from friends like you! Thank you for being an integral part in our education.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Landino
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 4 other donors.Basically We Need Some Basics!
Funded Dec 20, 2019Thank you so much for helping me to give my students some necessary basic materials.
This project provided hand soap and that proved to be very necessary during the time of pandemic. It gave me many opportunities to talk about proper hand washing and when we should wash our hands.
The lightbulbs we asked for in this project were so helpful in creating light in our room that was not as harsh as the florescent ceiling lights; they are so hard on my eyes and my student's eyes. I am so pleased when I can turn on our table lamps and provide a warm light that is not harsh on our eyes.
This project provided us with a side table with a basket under to store our tablets in our computer center and one to store our listening center devices in our book nook. A table may not seem exciting but it has been a wonderful and much needed addition to our classroom.
Finally, this project provided dry erase markers. We go through them very quick in my classroom as we use them to write our names each and every day. In addition, children use them during free choice to practice, letters, numbers, drawing, writing words and so much more so they go through them quickly. It gets expensive to replace them so frequently and having help funding them has been so amazing. During the closure, I was able to send some home with students for use with a whiteboard I purchased each of them so I was thankful that I had them on hand to send home!
Thank you for recognizing the importance in basic materials and helping me to provide them for my students!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Landino
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 5 other donors.Keeping Kids and Things Clean
Funded Feb 8, 2020Wow! We needed cleaning supplies more than we ever could have imagined at the time. I'm truly heartbroken the school year ended so abruptly. I want you to know that even though my students are out of school for the year that my job as a teacher has not ended.
I have created a page for parents to visit and each day I post activities, ideas and videos of myself. I tape myself reading a story, singing a song, playing a game or teaching a new letter and so many more videos to come. Parents send me videos to post of their children engaged in learning. We are not together but we are still united.
When I am able to return to my room again, it will be a life saver to have the materials necessary to sanitize and get ready for the next group of students. Writing that definitely makes me emotional and makes it really sink in.
Thank you for supporting my students, it always means so much to me and to them. I hope you will continue to follow our journey and see what magic we create during this stressful time!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Landino
Creating a Coral Reef
Funded Dec 28, 2019It has been so much fun learning about the coral reef environment with my students. I have learned a lot right along side them. I hear the students sharing with their parents all that they have learned. They show the coral reef books to their parents and tell them the names of animals and plants living in the coral reef. It has become part of our regular discussion.
We learned that coral polyps make up a coral reef and although it looks like a plant coral is really tiny animals!
We learned about clown fish and how a sea anemone and a clown fish help each other. We learned that Nemo is a character that is a clown fish and he also lives in a sea anemone.
We danced to songs about the coral reef and read so many stories about the coral reef. We played with the fish we received from our project in the water table. We sorted fish and shells while playing surf shop and labeled the bins to sell in our centers.
We created and oh did we create! We made fish, sharks, coral, water, sand, octopus, sea turtles. We used paper, glitter, chenille stems, we used recyclable materials too like toilet paper tubes, plastic bottles, buttons, fabric scraps.
We learned that recycling is important because when we toss out things that can be recycled that they can end up in the ocean and hurt the coral reef. We learned that we can reuse and repurpose things like we did with our pieces for our coral reef.
We ended the unit by inviting families to go on a coral reef scavenger hunt that we created ourselves. We gave clues like "Look for something orange, white and black that is about the size of your hand" and "Look for something blue and wet that fish live in." The students created the invitations by writing out the details and creating pictures. They made signs to tell people where to go and to welcome them to our coral reef.
It was so much fun and such a great unit! I am excited to recreate this learning experience for future students in years to come!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Landino
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 2 other donors.Creating Literacy in the Casa (Home)
Funded Aug 23, 2019My students, their families and myself truly appreciate your donation of these wonderful books. It has been such a joy hearing families talk about using the books and enjoying finding the correct rhyme or letter sound.
I was able to get one of each book for the classroom as well and it has been fun using the books at school as well. I can tell my students have been using the books at home as their letter sounds skills and rhyming skills are very progressed.
We have been playing rhyming games and I think that my students are more progressed than in past school years and I know this is thanks to these books!
One mom mentioned to me that at first she felt her son needed to work on these skills as he wasn't able to find many of the words on his own but now she has seen that he is really progressing and is having an easier time finding the words. I am so pleased that these books have been a tool for parents to use when practicing these important literacy skills.
I thank you with my whole heart for valuing education and choosing my project to support! I am so blessed.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Landino
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 2 other donors.Being Prepared For School is Cool!
Funded Aug 4, 2019This project has been such a blessing to my students. Each child was able to receive a personalized backpack; I added their names. It was incredibly special! I filled each backpack with books and educational games that could be done at home with families!
The students really enjoyed looking for their names and the parents were equally excited.
In addition we were provided markers in this project. I am grateful that my students have real working markers. We are still working on putting the caps back on when we are done but that comes with the age group!
Each year I create portfolios for parents to show student's progress throughout the year. We were provided binders that I had students personalize with a self portrait or picture they created. My students really enjoy adding to their portfolio and flipping through them to look at the things I have added such as photos. I am so blessed to have been provided the materials to give my parents this gift again this year! It can be a lot of work but it is so worth it!
Through this project I was able to give students their own set of lacing beads to be used at home. I provided parents with learning objectives that could be met using these beads and students got right to work! These beads are building their fine motor strength as well as providing opportunities to talk about colors and counting.
Thank you so much for giving my students materials to prepare them for learning.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Landino
This classroom project was brought to life by Neukom Family Foundation and 5 other donors.Step Up and Be Heard
Funded May 23, 2019We love our step stool and microphone. The students really enjoying hearing their voices louder.
At conferences, many parents asked, "What is recall? My child says it is their favorite thing about school." Recall is the time students get to stand on our stool and use the microphone to share what they did that day during choice time. Children get to ask their friends questions and it becomes some what of an interview.
As you can tell this has had a great impact on my students who say it's their favorite.
This project has helped to provide confidence in students who are shy. Every student loves that microphone and it has really opened them up to talking and sharing about their day.
Thank you for believing in our project and making it a reality in our classroom. This project will have a lasting impact on students for years to come and I am so grateful to you for seeing it's value!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Landino
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 5 other donors.Sense You Asked, We Sure Could Use a Sensory Table
Funded May 31, 2019This project provided my students with a sensory table that has a place to attach the lid on the side of the table.
Having this table has been a true gift. The table this replaced was falling apart and very well loved. The previous table had been apart of this preschool program for over 20 years. I hope this table will spend 20 years providing students with sensory experiences as well.
At this table, my students have learned turn taking, sharing, they have engaged in many conversations. We have counted and scooped, measured and laughed.
This table is changing our education!
I continue to come up with ideas of what to put into the table next. The possibilities of a sensory table are endless.
We love water play and have been exploring the coral reef and we've enjoyed scooping fish out of the coral reef. We have cut paper into confetti. We may fill the table with snow and use spray bottles to paint it!
Thank you for believing in our project and donating to make it a reality for students for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Landino
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 7 other donors.Puppet Up!
Funded May 9, 2019I truly am grateful to you for gifting us with these puppets and puppet theater. The project was meaningful at the time I wrote it and has evolved and become more meaningful now that we have received it and the year has gotten underway.
We changed curriculum this year. The curriculum makes use of puppets to teach children letters and numbers. I am grateful now more than ever that the children also have puppets they are able to use so that they understand how to care for and use puppets when we pull out the puppets that teach us letters and numbers.
Children regularly use the puppets to put on puppet shows and express themselves creatively. It is heart warming to see my students working together and coming up with a show together. It is incredibly impactful on working together as a team cooperatively.
The puppets have also helped us to learn self control. We have learned that our puppets should not hit our friends. The puppets have helped my students to better understand gentle touches. If you can imagine, the first few weeks the puppets second job was boxing mitts. We have learned that the puppets are a character and we can come up with voices for them and we can make them say things that are different from what we may say. For example a firefighter puppet make like to talk about using water to put out fires but a dinosaur puppet may like to talk about how he likes to stomp around.
I am so grateful that my students have this opportunity thanks to your donation. My students will be better prepared for kindergarten through use of our puppets and puppet theater. Thank you for making our education more enriching.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Landino
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and one other donor.