Past projects 13
Special Safe Place
Funded Dec 29, 2021Thank you so much for your generosity. This year has been especially challenging and your kindness is very much appreciated. The students and I are very grateful. When the students saw the lounge chairs, they were so excited and immediately wanted to start using them as a place to relax, or read their favorite book.
The soft dodge balls allowed all students to participate in games without fear of being hurt or not being able to play. This has raised their confidence and I notice an increase in leadership skills. The lounge chairs provide a place where they collaborate on class projects in a comfy place to relax and have conversations with their peers.
Your generosity and kindness have shown students that their efforts are being rewarded and has taught them the poser of paying it forward as they think about ways they can give back and improve their community.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Moon
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and 3 other donors.Printing Power!
Funded Nov 10, 2021We would like to thank you for our new color printer. It is used every day and has truly impacted instructional growth in our classroom. Our school has developed a Newcomers Academy where 38 students with limited English skills participate in a pull-out program and receive targeted instruction in oral communication, phonics, and reading comprehension. This is where they come to get individualized instruction and support. Students in our lab speak a variety of home languages, mostly Spanish, Armenian, Russian, Bengali, Lao, but a few others. These students range from grade ETk-5th grade. Their English development range from level 1 and 2. Most of them have been in the country for less than 6-8 months. Here we help them learn to navigate their transitions of language acquisition and usage, cultural differences, social-emotional coping and building instructional pathways.
Having a printer in our classroom has allowed us to create our own print-rich environment. One that is also represented in multiple languages. We are able to print out encouraging messages in multiple languages and post them in the classroom. We are able to label objects in the classroom with nice bold font so that it is easy to read from across the room. Purchasing these labels from Lakeshore is so expensive, but we can custom or own and translate them in the languages familiar to our students.
Our students have been really excited about our new printer since the day it came in. It has made our classroom more interactive in so many ways. Students now get to experience writing short stories/greeting cards and adding clip art for illustrations and printing out their work to share with others. They truly feel like authors and feel motivated to write more and publish their work. The approach to differentiated practice has become much easier to manage now having a printer in the classroom. Now we can print out activities on demand and provide tasks with target-specific skills in the moments instead of running off wasted copies in advance. For math club students are able to print out word problems in multiple languages and annotate over each other's work.
After our kids have been home for so long, they became used to reading online a lot! The positive part of that is there are so many differentiated leveled texts they had access to. Now that we are back in person, students are mostly reading from the anthology. However, with our new printer. We do not have to rely on textbooks that usually have text that is way too difficult for our newcomers to decode. Instead, we can just print out more intersecting stories and annotate over those pages on the spot. Our students have also been practicing how to write complete sentences and identify nouns and verbs. They use their Chromebooks to type their sentences and color code the nouns and verbs. We then print out thor work and exchange papers with peers. Because our printer uses color ink, students can clearly understand the work of their peers and give feedback.
Overall, our new printer has really transformed the overall structure of our Newcomers program. They are so curious now about how a printer works, that they are self-exploring the concept of digital tools and their contributions to society as a whole.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Moon
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made.Flexible Seating
Funded Nov 11, 2021The flexible seating alternatives which you so generously helped fund allows my students to learn in a fun comfortable space. Many of my students that have attention and sensory processing difficulties are able to optimize their learning because of their new seating options.
They can't wait to come to use the ottomans and colorful stools. I have noticed that the bright colors of the furniture has boosted their mood which contributes to them reaching their full potential.The flexible seating options have turned my classroom into an inviting, fun, and comfortable space. The students are proud of their surroundings which contributes to their learner agency and pride.
Thank you so much for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Moon
Yoga for Mind & Body!
Funded Nov 10, 2021The yoga mats were an instant hit as soon as the students saw them. They couldn't wait to use them. The colors and softness offer a safe, fun space. The mats are versatile, as we use them to exercise, meditate, and also work in groups.
The mats are used by 46 students, as I am a reading intervention teacher and see 5 groups daily for 40 min. At the 20 min mark the students have a routine where they spread the mats take their shoes off and then take a 10 min brain break. The activity depends on the mood. Sometimes we do jumping jacks, push ups and sometimes we meditate, or perform yoga poses and even Tai Chi. The students take turns being the instructors. So we are working on their physical well-being, but also leadership skills.
We also use the mats as a place to practice reading using Reader's Theatre scrips. The colors define the specific group, and they are able to work with their friends. They have the option to sit, or lie down. Their engagement has increased and the giggles tell me they are happy. Thank you so much for helping me provide this experience for my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Moon
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made.Online Teaching Templates
Funded Sep 24, 2020Thank you so much for providing us with the funds to purchase a gift card from Teachers Pay Teachers. The information I was able to purchase helped me develop my own slides to enhance my teaching and make my lessons engaging during distance teaching.
The students loved the choice boards that helps with their executive functioning skills. They were so excited that they can pick and choose which activity they can do and have fun in the process. They also loved the yoga room which provides exercise, meditation and coping strategies. This is just a few of the activities I created using the templates.
By having the templates from TPT I was able to create so many activities across grade levels and subjects that were FUN and educational.
I can't tell you how this has been a life saver for me and so much FUN for my students.
Thank you so much for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Moon
Learning With Legos!
Funded Oct 15, 2020Thank you so much for providing the funds so my students can all receive their own mini lego set. Not only have these sets provided numerous hours of entertainment but we have been able to use them as part of our language arts and math lessons. The students are self-motivated to participate in the lessons because they think they are playing while learning at the same time.
We use the blocks with a book called "Six Bricks Book" Each student has six lego bricks in different colors. The lessons provide time for them to be creative, imaginative while building their own design. Then they pair up with a peer where they give them oral directions on how to recreate the same design. We also use the designs for the students to write a step by step manual on how to build it, or they can write a creative essay about their object. The possibilities are endless.
These legos have made online learning fun and have provided so many hours of constructive learning. My students were very excited to receive them; although, it did take some coordinating to get them to each child. Nonetheless, it was worth it and possible because of YOU!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Moon
Early Readers Are Life Long Readers!
Funded Apr 23, 2020Thank you so much for allowing my students to have access to these wonderful books.
In order for the students to access the books I copied & pasted the pages of the books in Google slides so each student can have their own copy at home. They read the text aloud; as they record themselves, to later self reflect on their own fluency and decoding skills.
I also added links to read alouds where they can watch and hear from good readers, provided by the publisher.
We use Jamboard to compare and contrast as well as a place for them to interact with each other about their own thoughts/ideas about the books.
The students love the stories and the versatility online learning has provided, as they all can access the text at their own reading levels.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Moon
This classroom project was brought to life by TOON Books and one other donor.Bring Text to Life With Graphics & Comics
Funded Feb 14, 2020I can't thank you enough for your generous donations. Shortly after we received the comic books we left school due to the stay at home order. I was able to bring a few of the books home with me so I can share them with my students via Zoom. We start off each session by reading a few pages and that get's the students engaged and ready to learn. It also makes them curious as to what will happen next, so they can't wait for the next zoom session.
When we go back to school I plan to use the books as part of my reading program where the students will form comic reading circles, where they will discuss the characters, events, and also decide whether they would like to change any of the events or ending to the stories. I can't wait to start implementing the books, as I know that my students will love them!
Again I am so very grateful for your support,”
With gratitude,
Ms. Moon
This classroom project was brought to life by TOON Books and one other donor.Flexible Seating Elevates Learning
Funded May 19, 2019Thank you so much for your generosity. In my intervention class we see 15 students each grade level (K-5). When the students arrive they have to check the board to see whether they have bouncy balls for their session. As we have 15 students and 10 bouncy balls, the 3 groups (5 students per group) rotate in terms of whether they have balls or not. If they do not have the bouncy balls, they have chairs with rubber bands where they can rest and bounce their feet.
This gives them something to look forward to when they arrive daily for their designated time. Their faces light up when they realize they have balls, and if they do not they are still happy to bounce their feet on the rubber bands or take a seat cushion. Not only are these tools helpful during instruction I feel it sets the day on a positive tone and a sense of responsibility as they have to check the board upon arrival.
The bouncy balls, rubber bands, and seat cushion all provide a sensory stimulation which allows them to focus and enjoy learning. As they bounce they are more relaxed when tackling a task that has been an area of difficulty for them in their general education classes. Thank you again for the bottom of our hearts!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Moon
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 5 other donors.