Past projects 4
Gardening for Greatness Part 2
Funded Aug 19, 2022My students are able to use the multiplication flash cards DAILY during our accelerate time. We have learned some games to play with the cards, and my students' fact fluency is improving in leaps and bounds! We go outside once a week (if it is not raining) to use the flash cards by the garden. They love sitting outside, enjoying the pelican statue and benches to relax and learn. We have spread the word to other classes around school, and even caught some of the older students working in the garden the other day!
I saved the materials as a surprise, and boy - the kiddos went crazy for the new seating and cards! My garden club was ecstatic that we now have storage and seating for our supplies. They have taken more responsibility for the garden. Each morning I have a new crew asking to weed or water, and they make sure our pelican stays clean and presentable!
Our next steps are to write a grant for new headphones for our computer-based lessons in class. We also will continue to go outside to learn in our comfy space by the garden. The garden club (and our principal) also wants to expand this coziness to our courtyard as well. We have also partnered with Coastal Roots and will soon begin growing swamp grass to help with the coast loss in Grand Isle. The garden club will be able to care for this garden as well with the supplies sent. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Guidry
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 8 other donors.Creating Lifelong Learners in 3rd Grade
Funded Oct 22, 2021Since receiving our folders and headphones, my students have made great strides in academics. The headphones have allowed a razor sharp focus on our math program, Zearn, that directly correlates to our classwork for the day. These Zearn lessons allow the students to practice their new skills in a different way. I am also able to assign lesson for any "missing" learning due to the Covid pandemic, which is truly helpful during our short acceleration time each day. The folders have allowed the students a place to store their Zearn lesson trackers and know exactly where they are at in their lessons at all times.
My students are most excited that their materials are right there for them. No more worrying if their parents are unable to afford the materials at the time - we have them! They love the fact that all headphones are exactly alike - no one is singled out for not being able to have the latest, most expensive trend. I love that we all match, and with a solid, non-distracting color. All of my students now have a level playing field to focus on their additional resources online -whether it be in my math class or their other 3 classes!
One of my students has gone above and beyond since receiving our new headphones. This particular student went from not completing any lessons on Zearn to fully catch up to where we are in class. This was a total of about 20-30 lessons they were behind, and now this child is right on target! The headphones have allowed this student to focus more rather than be distracted by the outside noise and activity. What a change of events!
Thank you so much again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Guidry
This classroom project was brought to life by Perry and Donna Golkin Family Foundation and 3 other donors.Gardening for Greatness
Funded Oct 19, 2021Our journey began with securing a small garden spot in the front of our school. This area was desolate and full of dirt. Thanks to your donations, our garden now has a few plants, a welcome flag, and a lot of student pride put into it. Our club members truly enjoyed getting their hands dirty the first day with gloves, gardening tools, and the dirt and mulch to begin the beautification process. The students continually ask now "when is our next meeting? I want to weed the garden!"
The students squealed with excitement when I showed them all the new items to help garden - the tools, weed barrier, mulch, and gloves. Many did not know how to garden, and were excited to learn the purpose of each tool. The club members quickly divided up the gloves and tasks and got to work. As I explained each step - the weed barrier, then the dirt, then the mulch and plants - their eyes continued to widen with eagerness. Our garden has been a hit with all of the staff and students alike!
Our next steps are to continue to take care of the garden, and begin to plan for our next adventure - taking over beautifying the courtyard, as requested by our principal due to the quick work in our small space! Be on the lookout for our next project, coming soon to a Donors Choose near you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Guidry
This classroom project was brought to life by Perry and Donna Golkin Family Foundation and 2 other donors.2nd Graders Soar With STEM!
Funded Jan 4, 2019Thank you for your support! The tablets and cases are a hit in my classes!
The students in my classes are using the tablets in order to perform research in science. This technology has allowed them to learn about reliable and unreliable sources. They are also learning the steps to creating a scientific research paper by making claims and using evidence to back up their claims. For math, they are able to access different apps to help with their fact fluency, and many of our students do not have access to technology at home in order to assist in this task. They really enjoy using the Splashmath program, which also allows me to assign interactive lessons to hone their skills on the topic we are exploring in class.
The students enjoy the tablet aspect to the technology. We have a few computers in class, but the tablets are "special" for the students to use. I have had to create special center rotations to ensure that every student gets to access the tablets at least 3 times a week! They love performing scientific research and comparing with partners, and their fact fluency has improved through friendly competition as a result of having these tablets!
I have one student who absolutely LOVES Science, and he has been able to go above and beyond during our research projects. He has found multiple new websites with reliable information, including a few NASA sources. He has used this information to share out in class with his peers, essentially teaching them the information that matches our Science standards.
Once again, thank you so much for your generosity, it has impacted our classroom in ways I couldn't even imagine!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Guidry
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 3 other donors.