Ms. Cotta's Classroom Edit display name

Current requests

Past projects 5

• Disney Planet Challenge Recycling & Composting

  Funded Mar 6, 2012

  I must first state that I was completely floored by your unexpected generosity. As a great number of teachers published projects in this time of constrained budgets; a number of worthy projects goes unfunded when their time ends. Thank you for finding something worthy in our project and believing in us to help out the environment as much as we possibly can.

  Our recycling program only begun last year after a call when out to all of the teachers about beginning of a recycling project at our school. I already had several responsibilities as the school including yearbook and lead teacher for a group of teachers at our school. However, I feel very strongly about the environment and recycling, and was very disheartened that a school of 1400 students did not have a recycling program. I had some thoughts about how best to implement it and incorporated into the yearbook students' duties and we began in earnest. This year, we brainstormed about how we could do more and increase the reach of the program. Making use of the food waste from the cafeteria was a natural fit as there is a great deal of leftover food that is just being thrown out. We have taken the fruits and vegetables that are past their use by date and we are cutting them up and tossing them into our brand new composting bin. It is still early days for us and we are learning the tricks of the trade, but we hope to improve on it next year and begin using the compost in a school garden and sharing it with the staff for their homes as well.

  As I still consider myself a new teacher that is trying her best to not just teach the students science standards but also life skills and about the world around them. The recycling program has definitely made the students more aware of the world around them and more thoughtful about what they do in their own homes and will hopefully help them create lifelong habits that benefit our environment. Thank you so much again for your support of our program and our effort to expand and improve it. It is a struggle to keep programs going when you do not receive support from the school and take care of all aspects on your own, but with help from generous benefactors such as yourself, it gives me hope.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cotta

• Chemicals Need A Safe Home

  Funded Jan 28, 2012

  Thank you so very much Wasserman Foundation for funding the match project for LAUSD. It was heaven sent this year as each year, the funds seem to dwindle more and more. It is especially difficult as a new teacher as you struggle to properly stock your classroom. In my classroom, I attempt to do as many hands on lessons as possible. I teach physical science which includes chemistry, astronomy and physics. It is essential during a chemistry unit that you use some chemicals, which I do regularly with my students. However, we did not have a place to store them in a secure location. Now thanks to this donation, we have a safe acid cabinet that can contain our acids in a locked, secure cabinet. It definitely gives some piece of mind to have these chemicals safely stored.

  In addition to teaching science, I also am in charge of the recycling program at the school. Students from several of my classes help out and actually run the program for the most part. We also use the gloves for the recycling program; especially when we are cutting up fruits and vegetables for the composting program that we started this year. I am very proud of how far our recycling program has come in only one year and hopefully I can keep it going next year as it would be a waste to throw everything away. But in these uncertain times, you never know what the next year will bring at your school site.

  An immense thank you to everyone who donated to my project to help a new science teacher become a better teacher. A big thank you to all of my students who donated through the Wasserman Foundation. Please continue to support public education as we absolutely could not do it without all of you.

  ”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cotta

  This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 30 other donors.

• Creating some real chemistry!

  Funded May 3, 2011

  I cannot express how much the donations that I have received from all of you have meant to our classroom in these short paragraphs. Everyone is well aware how incredibly difficult it is to fund classrooms in California. I do not even remember how many times we ran out of paper this year and could not get any copies made for weeks. These donations will greatly help me to have labs in my classroom for the next couple years if I manage the materials well.

  In my classroom, I try to have as many laboratories and demonstrations as possible. It has most definitely shown in my classroom that students will buy in and become more engaged when they are doing hands on activities. My students definitely learn a great deal more from the activities in my classroom and their scores back this up. In this day an age, students are less interested in class as they become more and more immersed in technology and have shorter attention spans as a result. Laboratory activities, however, are a tried and true way that will grab and hold almost every students' attention. At the end of the year, every student will remember the demonstrations and laboratories in my class and they will hold these memories for years to come.

  As I completed only my second year in the classroom, I am grateful that I have been able to remain in the classroom and teach my outstanding group of students. My first year was filled with much success at the end of the year testing results and this year's students will surely match or hopefully surpass these achievements. Though testing is definitely not the only standard by which a classroom is measured, it is the one that is most obvious and looked at by everyone. It definitely can determine whether you keep your job or are hired for a new one in this day and age. It is important factor to me, but it is not the only one that is for sure. My students come from a very tough neighborhood and for some of them just being at school is not an easy task. I try to support and show them I care as much as possible. Some of my students are with me more than their parents during the week due to work commitments. My classroom door is always open before, during and after school if my students need somewhere to go. I spend a great deal of money every year to buy snacks and lab materials, but I cannot do it all on my own. The help that has been provided by donations this year has been invaluable. Thank you for continuing to believe and support public education and I will continue to have 110% commitment to my students to help make them better citizens and ready for the challenges of high school.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cotta

  This classroom project was brought to life by AT&T and 7 other donors.

• Yearbook is Growing and Expanding

  Funded Jan 14, 2011

  It has been an exhilarating and exhausting first year of yearbook at our school. As it is the first yearbook in seven years, it has been challenging, but very successful. I did not know quite what I got myself into but the staff's hard work has paid off.

  Our first challenge was to have photos taken of all of the students, so we hired a photo company to take the students photos. Even this simple process has not been done at our school in many years. This somehow also led our group to be in charge of distributing the photos, but it does help you recognize many of the students in the school that I do not teach. This started us on the first important step of having photos of every student for the yearbook.

  The next challenge was actually selling a yearbook when most students have not seen one previously. We set a modest sales goal and we surpassed it, so we were able to order beyond our initial goal. Another successful goal to put in the plus column.

  The most difficult challenge this year has been doing all of this work on our own. We have not received any money or equipment from our school and have managed to do all of this on our own. The year started with no cameras or memory cards and now we have five cameras and several memory cards. Of course, the most important goal was putting the yearbook together and this would not have been possible without the help of the generous folks who donated through Donors Choose. As this is my second year teaching, I am still learning the ropes and Donors Choose has been invaluable to helping the yearbook get off the ground.

  My students have worked extremely hard to put together a yearbook that our students can be proud of and I think that they have succeeded. It would not have been possible without the generous support of all of you. Thank you so much for me and each one of my students, we will continue to keep the yearbook running at our school and use our donations for years to come.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cotta

  This classroom project was brought to life by American Express Members Project and 5 other donors.

• New Yearbook Needs to Develop Photographers

  Funded Sep 8, 2010

  I am absolutely stunned that my project has been completely funded in such a short period of time. Myself and my students cannot thank you enough for bringing this to fruition. This will be the biggest surprise for my students when we start school on Monday. As this is my first yearbook class and we do not have any supplies, I was anxious if we would even be able to put a yearbook together!

  These resources will be used immediately as my class looks forward to putting together the first yearbook that our school has had in years. The best part is that we will be able to use these cameras for years to come. My students are from a very low-income area in Los Angeles and this class will be able to make a difference in their lives. It is not simply academic support that my students require, but they also need to develop leadership skills and confidence in themselves. This experience will help to lead them in the right direction on a path to becoming better students and citizens. I also hope that it will improve the morale at our school as well as there have not been a great deal of activities for students to participate in previously and we aim to amend that this year.

  I cannot possibly thank you enough for your support in making my project possible. I am truly touched and extremely grateful for your generosity. Be on the lookout for extremely grateful student thank you notes in the near future!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cotta

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Eisner Foundation and 5 other donors.