Past projects 5
Keeping Hands Busy with "Hands-on" Learning Supplies!
Funded Apr 7, 2022It was very exciting in my classroom as the resources funded by this Donors Choose project started arriving. All of my lessons were impacted because of your generosity for the remaining portion of the year with so much more to come next year! Opening the boxes and setting things up was a lesson on its own! We assembled the new cart immediately and it was literally "up and rolling" around the school building within days. This new cart is lighter and easier to maneuver through hallways, across classroom thresholds and onto elevators. We have more of our disabled students able to push it due to this updated design. This means even more students are benefitting from this piece of equipment. New tablecloths were put on the cart for our vocational and life skills studies. We make coffee, baked goods, assemble bagel orders and then sell them! What a treat to have all new materials to pursue these lessons!Throughout the year my students supplement their studies in the academic subjects with drawings, cards and posters. We used the art materials during the Spring of '22 on science, vocational, and social studies projects. I am greatly looking forward to see what next year holds thanks to your generosity since this year was vastly improved!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Poza-Schwarz
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose community & an Anonymous Partner and one other donor.Real Fun & Learning in a Virtual Classroom!
Funded Nov 30, 2020My students have greatly benefited from the two subscriptions I received through Donors Choose, Kahoot and Time for Kids.
The upgraded subscription to the educational game site, Kahoot, has become a daily activity that all of my students enjoy. My goal is to engage my students in activities that are educational, but also FUN. Since upgrading my subscription, I have created over 85 games. These games reflect all areas of our curriculum. Danbury Schools were operating through distance learning up until February 1. Our daily ritual of participating in Kahoot games continues! I have 1/2 of my students working online at home and the other half in the classroom. Kahoot has provided continuity that is so important to educators and students. With every game, Kahoot also provides a report that can be used to track student progress in curriculum areas.
Since receiving the subscription to Time for Kids, we have been able to monitor the many events our nation is experiencing. As we deepen our knowledge in these areas, student questions can be easily answered through their direct and honest reporting.
I'm grateful for the generosity of the Donors Choose community for supporting my students and me during the pandemic and the unknowns of distance and hybrid learning.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Poza-Schwarz
Chromebooks At Our Fingertips
Funded Jan 22, 2020I am most appreciative for your generous donation to my classroom. The impact of having easy access to chromebooks is tremendous. My students no longer have to leave the room in order to work on a computer project! They now have more time to focus on their learning assignments. They can access the multi-dimensional lessons in their individual on-line folders. At their fingertips, they can now perform reading, writing, math and watch educational videos. Our school year was drastically altered due to Covid-19, but my appreciation for your support is deeply felt. I am hopeful that we can begin again at the start of the new school year with our new chromebooks!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Poza-Schwarz
Crazy Cafe Cart! (Motorized Meals on Wheels)
Funded Jul 22, 2019From the moment the BIG box arrived with the remote control cooler, it's had a major impact on my students. Each and every student in my special education classroom has played a role in getting it up and moving! It was a whole lot of fun opening the box and discovering what was inside, even though I told them what to expect, nothing could prepare them for the surprise when they saw the size of the cooler! I have one student who is especially talented with all things mechanical, and he jumped into action ... I didn't have time to prepare a lesson, he grabbed his tools and had it assembled within the first 30 minutes of having it in our possession! Then a second student stepped forward with another set of tools and tightened everything up. As they were working, another set of students went to the refrigerator and retrieved some bottles to put inside the belly. There was another pair of students who set about making signs! Within a day of getting it, the cooler became an integral part of our selling routine. We're now a welcome sight every morning as we roll through the halls of the high school selling breakfast items with a cart and motorized cooler! In a few weeks we'll be celebrating the Winter Holidays with our new cooler that also has a bluetooth set up! We can play holiday tunes while rolling around our school! Can't wait to see the school's reaction! More students are involved in our breakfast sales, thanks to this cooler!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Poza-Schwarz
Fishing For Skills, Caring For Fish
Funded Jul 24, 2018It has been an exciting start to the school year thanks to your generous donations! From the moment my students walked in the classroom, they were engaged with working on the aquarium project. They were greeted by boxes with new equipment and now, one month into the school year, we're up and almost fully running as I planned. It felt special to know that others were looking out for my wonderful group before the year had even started! I imagine that the kids felt the same way too.
The Donors Choose donation has provided the equipment for 3 new aquariums, so that we could have some new work sites. During the first few weeks of school, the class was busy setting up the first tank in the building Principal's office! Our hard work has paid off, the principal and his immediate staff now have a relaxing view of an aquarium and my students have a new job site. They oversee the feeding of the fish, the functioning of the equipment, the cleanliness of the tank and most importantly they interact with staff and students all over the building.
The next tank is in the process of getting ready for new fish in the school's Library Learning Commons space. Everything is ready, except we're awaiting the fish. My students set up the tank, using the donated pebbles, filter, thermometer, heater and 10 gallon tank. They poured water in and have been having it adjust before the fish can be added. Since this tank is in a very public area, we had a student who visits the library offer to donate guppies that she owns and breeds. We're now waiting for her to bring in the baby guppies!!
The last tank from the donation is in my classroom, this tank will find its home in another special education classroom surrounded by a dynamic and fun group of students. My students are now at the stage of testing the equipment and washing the pebbles. In the next day or two, they'll put water in the tank in order to help it start adjusting its temperature. Maybe by next week the tank will be up and running!!
In my donation request essay, I wrote, "They'll be learning how to care for animals, improve social interactions, and impart information to others. Most importantly, this project will provide my special needs students with new jobs where they will be active, knowledgeable, and independent workers on a busy high school campus." I can honestly report that having the equipment waiting for us at the start of the school year, everything that I hoped for in that statement is occurring! I've observed some "hard to reach" kids, respond quite favorably to their new responsibilities on the high school's campus! Thank you donors from the bottom of my heart!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Poza-Schwarz