Past projects 10
Literacy Tools
Funded Aug 15, 2023Thank you so much for supporting this project. Your generosity will help students grow into confident and independent readers. Thank you for supporting underprivileged students so they can have more equal opportunities to succeed at learning and at life. The ability to read will open so many doors for these students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 4 other donors.Structured Literacy Resources
Funded Aug 3, 2023Thank you for supporting structured literacy and for providing hands-on learning tools and opportunities for students in the classroom. Thank you for believing in young children and for supporting their reading journey. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Thank you for believing in the power of reading and for helping students crack the reading code.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by Ferrero U.S.A., Inc. and one other donor.Power Up with Technology
Funded Feb 17, 2022Thank you for your continuous support to provide students with chargers and cords for iPad use. Throughout the school day students use their iPads frequently to access various educational apps that our school provides, including Lexia for reading and Dreambox for math. Having the proper equipment allows all students' iPads to hold a full charge for a full school day. Students' learning is not interrupted by a dead battery.
In addition, students enjoy being helpers plugging in the iPads at the end of the day to charge overnight, teaching students about responsibility and caring for their belongings. These are life-long skills that are important to instill and foster in young learners.
Technology has become an important learning tool for students and having the proper equipment is very helpful to ensure students' success throughout the day. It provides peace of mind to all so students don't miss out on time-on learning. Thanks again for your support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
Learning Center Puzzles and Games
Funded Oct 21, 2021Thank you for generous donation towards the project "Learning Center Puzzles and Games." My students were so excited to receive all the new items from the blocks to the magnetic tiles to the word building puzzles and items for counting. It has been a joy watching students work together as they build, create, and learn.
Students use the materials often at centers, recess, and the end of the day. They are so excited when they have built a tower to create a three-dimensional masterpiece or when they read a new word for the first time. There is such joy in being able to play through learning and being able to use one's imagination to manipulate parts of a whole and explore new ways of representation. It never gets old!
For next steps I would love to invest in more STEM or STEAM resources for my classroom in order to provide my students with more opportunities for hands on exploration. Students do not get enough opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, and I would like to find ways to ensure that that is possible. I will continue to lead the charge to ensure students get a wholistic education. Thank you for believing in the children of the future.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and 3 other donors.Keeping Kids Safe With Privacy Shields
Funded Jul 20, 2021Thank you for giving my students privacy shields! All students now have access to their very own "office space" where students can focus on their learning. Students love the bright colors and the fact they have a little window to see out of. It is important for students to learn when they need to work independently free from distractions. These privacy shields are helping students learn to self-regulate their individual needs.
I continue to try and find ways to give my students the best tools to create a safe and comfortable classroom environment. Perhaps future projects will include ideas for flexible seating or designing a reading corner. The possibilities are endless and I look forward to continuing to support my students with help from the community.
Thank for supporting students and their needs.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and one other donor.Books for Racial Diversity
Funded Jun 25, 2020My students love to read. The joy that comes from reading cannot be made possible without generous donations of books to our classroom library. This set of books is particularly special because the stories contain students of color. Several of my students are of mixed race and have darker skin completions. The students see themselves in the stories...the characters look them. Students can relate to the characters and their feelings. Students read these stories and can dream of possibilities. Like Misty Copeland who became a ballerina, nothing for my students is out of reach. The books teach students that the color of ones' skin doesn't mean they can do less or be less in life. This is an important message for students to learn at such a young age.
These stories are filled with rhyming words and pictures of everyday activities like apple picking and going to the pumpkin patch. Perfect for fall, these stories allow students to engage in the text and tell stories of their own. These books allow for conversations and for students to strengthen their reading and writing connection. The books are a wonderful addition to the classroom.
Thank you again for supporting students as they learn to read and tell their own stories. Thank you for understanding the importance of making sure all students are represented in the literature that young students read. Let us hope these books encourage students to see themselves and all the potential they bring. I am grateful for your donation to the students of the future.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 4 other donors.Literacy and Beyond!
Funded Aug 13, 2019Reading is alive and well in my elementary classroom. Students read several times throughout the day. The Osmo reading app has been a big hit with students as they practice isolating and listening for beginning and ending sounds. It has especially helped those students who are hands-on learners as they get to manipulate letter tiles to build words. Students, at first who were not readers, have been making good gains through the use of this technology. Rather than being a chore, reading has become lots of fun.
Similarly, the Step into Reading books have also been great for my students; the kids love the colorful pictures, rhymes, long and short vowels, and funny expressions found throughout the texts...Pete the Cat has been a favorite! The books can be read by my students independently and students have had the pleasure to read the books time and time again to their friends, teachers, and family members at home. It is amazing to see students' confidence grow as they take on one new book after another, especially those students who were, at first, hesitant about reading. The smiles on students' faces when they read a book with fluency and success is priceless.
What better way to open students' worlds than through the power and magic of reading! Thank you for believing how fundamental reading is for a child. You are changing students lives. Your generosity, as always, is greatly appreciated.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 8 other donors.Wobble Chairs for Wigglers
Funded Nov 21, 2018Thank you for your generous donation of wobbly chairs to our classroom. When the students saw the large shipping boxes delivered to our room they were full of excitement and wonder. Students asked me, "Is our present really in there?" and "When can we sit in our special chairs?" From the opening of the packages, to the assembly of the stools together, to reviewing how to sit in the stools without falling over, the students have been actively involved in the process. Now the stools are a preferred choice for many students as a seating option. It's a beautiful sight when I look up to see students reading in the stools, rocking their little bodies, while also learning at the same time. These stools allow students to move naturally without the movement being a distraction. The stools give students a seating option, something I may decide to explore further...the concept of flexible seating for all students. The stools are fun, colorful, and bring joy to the classroom environment. Again thank you for supporting students and their need to move and learn.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
The Listening Center
Funded Oct 5, 2018The Listening Center is up and running and my students absolutely love this station. Whenever this center is offered during reading time, students cannot wait to get their hands on a glossy covered book and the read-along CD to match. I notice how the students' whole bodies get into the rhythm of the story from the way they turn the pages to the way they nod their little heads to the text they hear. The students are swept away by the tales of the gingerbread man and Curious George, and for a brief moment all is right in my students' sometimes crazy and unpredictable worlds. The books, as small as they are, give these students hope.
The impact of the Listening Center is quite noticeable even long after the reading block is over. I've caught students singing Chicka Chicka Boom Boom as they walk down the halls and have overheard students talking among themselves about missing Ms. Nelson and the funny old lady who swallowed a fly. These books allow students to take part in different characters' silly adventures; the books teach students the importance of friendships along with basic skills such as learning the alphabet in a song. There is nothing better than to watch students be captivated by the words they hear through a good read-aloud story.
So it is with gratitude that I thank you for supporting this project and for believing in my students. We talk often about being great readers and my kids are doing just that. They are excited about reading and want to pick up a book and share what they've learned, even the most reluctant of readers. The power of beautifully crafted stories allows these students to use their imaginations and to wonder. Without your generous donations many of my students would shy away from books completely. Thank you for knowing the impact and importance reading can bring to all students within a classroom community. I hope you can hear their little giggles and laughs of joy like I do everyday.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 8 other donors.The Peace Table
Funded Jun 28, 2018I introduced my students to the Peace Table during the first few days of school. As they gathered around the gifts they had been given, I explained to my students that people in the community supported them and wanted them to do well with their learning. My students were surprised by the gifts as it is not often they have moments like this..the act of someone with a full heart paying it forward because it is the right thing to do. Many of my students were speechless as I showed them the mesmerizing colorful timer and how to safely open and close the Hoberman sphere. Everyone wanted to sit at the Peace Table. The students knew the Peace Table was going to be a special place in our room.
Throughout the next few days I watched students as they used the materials to calm themselves down when they needed to take space. Students who went into the area frustrated and angry left the space with a feeling of calm as they returned to their daily activities. Students were coping with their feelings in a healthy and proactive way. During our annual Open House I saw my students share the materials with great enthusiasm to their families and I smiled because I realized how far the impact of the Peace Table could go. I even received an email from a parent that they had created their own Peace Table space at home. Clearly this project has had a positive and meaningful impact on my all my students. My students and I are grateful for your kindness.
Going forward I would like to continue to build a classroom community where students feel safe and can do their best work. We are working on trying to set up a Listening Center so students can hear books on CD. My students deserve the best education possible with the best resources and tools. I thank you for your support towards students who are in need.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker