Past projects 2
Classroom Library for Third Graders
Funded Aug 31, 2024I cannot thank you enough for your generous contributions to our third grade classroom library. The students squealed with delight when the boxes arrived and one student even kissed his favorite books.
You have given these students a true gift: exciting books that help instill in them a love and excitement for reading. The books are helping the students work on their decoding as well as their comprehension skills. Each week they take 3 books out of the library and must complete a book report on at least one book to be able to take out 3 new books. In addition, many students in our class are English language learners and these books are helping to build their vocabulary and background knowledge.
The books are read with love every single day. I hope you all appreciate what a real difference you've made in these kids' learning -- and lives. We appreciate you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Murray
2nd Graders Wiggle While They Work
Funded Aug 13, 2018My students and I cannot thank you enough for your generosity in funding our flexible seating project. My students love the wobble stools and the "bouncy" seats. They were so excited when they first saw these flexible seating options, they wanted to use them right away -- but first we had to go over some rules for use to ensure that everyone used the seats safely.
The seats are brightly colored -- blue, orange, and green -- so they add a special touch to our classroom environment and make it look bright and homey for the students. One set of parents literally cried when they saw the seating options we had for the children (thanks to you!) -- they knew their daughter was in the right classroom because she's the kind of kid who needs to move when she works.
If you are not in education, these seats may seem like something that's just "fun" for kids, but they have real educational value. Many of the students in the classroom in which I teach have difficulty focusing on their work. When they can sit in a seat that rocks, wobbles, or bounces, they are better able to focus because they can get their wiggles out in another way. In addition, some kids who are having emotional issues will use the chairs to calm themselves down. If a student is having difficulty sitting still on the rug when we have our classroom community meetings, they can sit on the side of the rug on a wobble stool and get their wiggles out without distracting their peers.
I always allow my students to use the stools when they are taking tests so they can be in the most relaxed seating possible to take away some of the stress of test taking. In addition, we sometimes use the chairs for behavior management. We have more students than flexible seats and so students can earn their way into one of these seating options. The wobble stool "perk" gives them an incentive to follow the classroom rules and routines and treat their peers with kindness.
And yes, the chairs are FUN too. The students all love them and ask to use them every day. We have a group of 8th grade "reading buddies" who visit our classroom every Friday and they all love to use the wobble stools and bouncy chairs, too. It's hard to imagine our classroom without these seats and we owe it all to your generosity. Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Murray