Past projects 3
Rediscovering the Discovery Center
Funded May 12, 2023Thank you so much for donating to the project Rediscovering the Discovery Center. The children are enjoying the new books for the center. We are still in the beginning of our school year, so new materials will be rolling out slowly. Once the students have gotten used to the new learning centers, they will be introduced to all of the materials you donated to our school. Students will be given the opportunity to explore the new bug collection. They will also have time to explore the skies with their new binoculars while they play outdoors. In the spring we will be starting our Gardening unit. During that unit students will use the root viewers provided by this project. Students have already begun to explore the new materials and cannot wait to participate in the activities.
Thank you again for your amazing contribution to our PreK, 3k, and special needs children.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mendolia
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Foundation and 7 other donors.Give a Child a Book and See What Happens!
Funded Dec 7, 2022Thank you so much for donating to the project Give a Child a Book and See What Happens! The children are really enjoying their new books. The books have been extremely useful additions to our classroom libraries. Students were able to choose their own books to read during the Signs unit. Giving the children the opportunity to choose what they want to read has helped them develop emergent reading skills. Teachers have been able to utilize the student's favorite books during read aloud. Many conversations have happened around these non-fiction and fictional texts. Students have learned how signs not only helps us navigate our communities, but are a way for people to communicate with each other. Students learned the alphabet in American Sign Language, as well as basic words like water and play.
In addition to the books on Signs, students have been using the materials to help regulate their emotions. If a student is having a difficult day, they may take a book to use to calm themselves down in the cozy area. It helps when a child can see that they are not the only one feeling a certain emotion. Giving the children the opportunity to work through their emotions is a very important portion of our program. It helps them become more independent with their self-regulation skills. Even read during a whole group read aloud, a book on emotions can help all of the children understand how one might be feeling. This has helped students be empathetic towards one another. The ages of the students in our program range from 2.9 to 5 years old. Self-regulation of any emotion is an important skill for them to harness. Being able to realize that you are sad, angry, or overly excited is part of these skills. These books being available to the students have helped them notice how they are feeling before the feeling escalates. Having this skill is helpful regardless of age, culture, language spoken, and/or classroom placement. The languages in our community range from Chinese- Mandarin and Cantonese, Bengali, Nepali, Thai, Spanish, and English. Emotions are a universal language that everyone speaks. That is another reason why it is so important that these children learn about them. They are able to communicate with one another even if they do not speak the same language.
Other books donated will be used later in our school year. Our center plans to use these materials for years to come. Thank you again for your amazing contribution to our PreK, 3K, and special needs children.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mendolia
Future Scientists & Engineers
Funded Jan 17, 2019Thank you so much for donating these materials to our PreK Center. The children are really enjoying their new STEM kits. The kits have proved to be extremely useful with our last two units of study: Buildings and Transportation. The students challenge themselves daily by trying to create different types of buildings and vehicles.
The water table is new and exciting again with the water STEM kit. The children build up the pipes to find different ways to make the water flow. Building boats is another activity the children have taken to. They enjoy trying to make boats to keep the "water table family" afloat.
By participating in these activities, the children are strengthening their critical thinking skills. These kits have also enhanced their love of the STEM world. I see them applying the skills and strategies they have acquired from using these kits in different parts of classroom.
Our center plans to use these materials for years to come. Thank you again for your amazing contribution to our PreK children.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mendolia
This classroom project was brought to life by Con Edison and 8 other donors.