Past projects 12
Books That Teach!
Funded Oct 3, 2024Thank you so much for your donation to our Room 2 library. The books we purchased are supports to a program that teaches grammar, punctuation and parts of speech as applied in picture books. This gives students additional exposure to well written text that they can also use as "touchstone books" or books that we have all been exposed to that can be used as references as we read and write together throughout the year.
Once we use these books for our lessons they become part of the classroom library. The books are then enjoyed by the students throughout the year, and shared with other classes as well as our second grade buddies. They are a cherished, and very special part of our classroom.
Thank you again for this tremendous gift of literature.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crosthwait
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Foundation and 2 other donors.Social Emotional Learning Through Journaling
Funded Nov 29, 2022Thank you for your generous donations which allowed me to purchase journals and sketch pencils for my students. When they arrived the students could not believe how lucky they were to have this resource. They love their journals and are so grateful, and I am too!
The students use their journals in many ways. They are sometimes a brainstorming tool as they decide how to show what they are learning. Other times the journals are a place to draw and create, maybe even escape the academic demands of 5th grade for a minute. I have seen students writing down their thoughts, while others have decided that maybe they want to author a graphic novel. All of these are incredible opportunities for the students to explore in ways they haven't before.
Thank you again for the support and recognizing this need for the students in my classroom. We are all so grateful!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crosthwait
This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and one other donor.Steam Supplies for Learning Engagement
Funded Oct 26, 2022Thank you so much for supporting our classroom with STEAM activity supplies. The students have utilized them many times and they are an important part of my students self expression as they show their learning. Most recently, the students had a project where they could create their own product to show their learning in a non fiction unit. Students selected a variety of projects, including everything from dioramas to clay models to puppets shows. All of the supplies we received were utilized. It was amazing to watch their imaginations take over and the excitement from the project was so special, thanks to our exciting supplies. Thank you again for your donation and for bringing this spark to our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crosthwait
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 2 other donors.Mindfulness is Important
Funded May 28, 2022Thank you for your generous contribution to our classroom. The "Mindfulness is important" grant has really made an impact as we started the school year. The resources are really making a difference in our classroom. The roll of paper is used to create positive posters which are placed around the room, and the song bowl is a welcome, calming transition tool.
Recently, I used the song bowl during a book tasting where the students quietly try new books for 5 minutes at a time, ultimately reading 9 books over the course of 90 minutes. During this time I used the song bowl to signal the transitions in a peaceful, soothing way. This led to the students smooth transitions, making the experience even more enjoyable for them. As we move forward this year, I will be using the mandala coloring sheets to create a calm corner, where students who are needing a break, can color for 5 minutes and regroup before returning to the challenges of 5th grade.
Thank you again for all your support in creating a welcoming, productive place for students to learn and grow.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crosthwait
Outdoor Learning! Keeping Kids Safe and Engaged!
Funded Sep 5, 2021The excitement from the students when we received our outdoor furniture exploded this teacher's heart! The students cheered as we unpacked the materials that would expand our classroom space to the outdoors. We are now able to work outside most days, which means we can remove our masks and communicate in a way that allows more connection. We can share smiles and laughter in a way that is impossible with a mask on.
Beyond the social connections, these materials also allow us to play math games, read together, and enjoy independent learning activities. This has broadened our school experience and we are so grateful. Thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crosthwait
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 8 other donors.Artists in Remote Learning
Funded Oct 22, 2020In a time of remote learning every special school activity has greater weight. Through your generous donations we have been able to supply a class of 28 students with special journals, watercolors, crayons, and a dedicated water cup. This has brought joy to so many of the students in our class, while giving them a creative outlet to explore on their own in addition to our class instruction.
We have used the materials for special projects, including crayon resist experiments with the watercolors, as well as taking advantage of online resources to learn journaling techniques such a doodling and how to create ideas to write about. Through a combination of in class instruction and out of school experimentation, many of the students have taken up journaling in their free time.
While our pictures reflect bags of supplies and a classroom with students represented by stuffed animals, there is a flurry of activity going on across our city because of these supplies. Thank you so much for giving our students an outlet to share their feelings and creativity in this challenging time.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crosthwait
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 7 other donors.Family Game Night! Making School Work Fun
Funded Oct 23, 2019Thank you so much for this amazing gift to our community. We have begun to prepare for our family game night next month and the students and I have begun to explore all the ways they can use a deck of cards and some dice for endless fun and engagement at home.
We are playing games that reinforce skills like addition and subtraction, while also expanding student knowledge with fraction and decimal games. We are utilizing dice as we make predictions and discuss probability and taking calculated risks in our game playing.
As we prepare to share these games with our families we are grateful for the expansion of learning that will happen beyond the school walls. Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crosthwait
This classroom project was brought to life by Carnegie Corporation of New York and one other donor.Real Life Writing!
Funded Dec 11, 2019Creating excitement around writing can be a challenge in fifth grade. However, when my students saw their journals and special writing pens they couldn't wait to write and haven't stopped! We are using the journals to write daily to a prompt, or a free write. Students share their writing when they would like, which has also helped to strengthen our classroom community. The students love the journals and even ask to bring them home on weekends!
Last week we also used the notecards to write a note of gratitude to someone on our campus who has made a positive impact on us. This resulted in some of the most precious writing I have seen from my students.
As we continue our writing journey this year I want to thank you for your gift to our classroom. You have made us all look forward to writing time, building a love of writing for years to come! Thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crosthwait
Rolling with Books!
Funded Oct 22, 2019Thank you for contributing to our grant for a rolling cart and enhancements to our fantasy book library for the 5th grade students at Sycamore. The fantasy unit that we teach at the end of the school year is always an exciting one for the students and being able to build our library with new titles always increases student engagement.
The titles and the rolling cart will allow us to have book clubs across the grade level and share resources for all students. Multiple copies of the same title gives students the chance to read with partners and small groups increasing the students' ability to connect to characters and stories through sharing with classmates. These small groups also gives an increased accountability to the students, knowing that they will be sharing and discussing in a group.
While unpacking the boxes, several students asked, "when can we read these?" and "these books look so amazing, can I take this one now?" When students are begging to read, you know you are taking part in something special. Thank you for making this happen at our school.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crosthwait
Let's Get Moving! Physical Education in the Classroom
Funded Nov 28, 2018Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and the entire 5th grade at Sycamore Elementary School with our "Let's Get Moving" grant. We have been so grateful to have meaningful and exciting activities for our classroom PE time.
When we received the boxes containing the yoga mats the students were so excited to help unpack and figure our how and where we would store the materials. Many students had never taken part in a yoga class and the squeals of, "they're so squishy! When can we use these!!?" The students were relentless until I told them the first class would be that Friday. I used the yoga deck to put together a beginning series of moves and taught the students what the movements were called as we tried some of the balancing and stretching maneuvers. The students were thrilled that afternoon as we laid out our mats and moved through our first yoga session together. At the end of the session when we lay on our mats in Savasana, also known as "the corpse pose" I instructed the students to try and clear their minds. We all decided that pose was the hardest! (Clearing your mind is harder to do than you might think!)
The students and I look forward to our "Fitness Fridays" and because of our new materials we are not only working on our balance and strength, we are also honing our mindfulness which we are learning can be even more difficult!
Thank you again for supporting our school with this generous donation.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crosthwait