Past projects 6
Words That Connect Us
Funded Oct 18, 2022WOW! My students will be SO EXCITED to receive these books for our classroom. It would not have been possible without your incredible donation!!! It means so much for them to know others in the world care about them and want them to feel seen and heard. You are AMAZING!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clarke
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and one other donor.Rising With The Muse: Transporting Children Through Multicultural Poetry
Funded May 4, 2021The multicultural books of poetry could not have come at a better time. When our students came back to in-person learning after nearly 1.5yrs online, they needed books reflecting their language and cultures. They needed to be surrounded by familiar images, sounds, and creative expression.
Some of the books they particularly enjoyed included, Follow the Recipe: Poems About Imagination, Celebration, and Cake. Our students LOVE anything related to cooking and baking, and the poems in this book captured what delight they find in those activities. Additionally, with a year and a half away from their classmates, it was necessary to refresh student expectations around consent and respectful interactions. Many students appreciated feeling seen and heard in the poems of "Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship. Giving students a variety of formats to discussion their feelings and share insight into their cultures was invaluable. The students and I were so touched by all you did for our library. Your generosity will bless students for years to com.e.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clarke
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 10 other donors.All the Feels: Helping Littles With Their Big Emotions!
Funded Mar 16, 2021Thank you so much for your contribution to my project seeking books to help students process their complex emotions. The books purchased with your donation were a BIG hit. Coming back from nearly 1.5yrs of online learning, many students were sorely lacking in social skills. Being online during Covid, they hadn't been around classmates for over a year. They didn't have the chance to practice the skills necessary for successful, respectful social interactions.
One thing always strikes me about the phrase "social skills." We seem to consider them something you're either born with, or you have a natural ability with them. Covid online learning reminded us they are skills that must be built over time, but everyone can learn them in one manner or another.
The books I chose for my project focused on a number of areas I felt would be pertinent in our post-Covid school. The sad reality is many of our students returned to in-person school having lost family members to Covid. I wanted to have resources available for students to help them identify and express their grief. Books such as, One Wave At a Time, do a marvelous job of helping students connect with and express the variety of ways grief can manifest. Additionally, the library was sorely lacking in books to help boys recognize and feel validated about their emotions. The students showed an impressive depth of compassion and empathy when I read them, Milo Imagines the World.
The books you helped add to the library at Prairie Mountain will continue to help students for years to come. Thank you so much for your vital role in our students learning and thriving”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clarke
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 6 other donors.Books That Look Like US!
Funded Mar 2, 2020Over the course of this Covid-centric school year, my Kinder-8th grade school has been holding classes via online platforms. As such, the students have not had the opportunity to handle the delightful books associated with this project. However, I have used the opportunity to share the books with the students when I visit their classes online.
Your gift to our library meant that at one of the most difficult times in these students' lives, they got to see and hear stories with characters who look like them. Even the familiarity of a character or author's name can bring comfort to our students at this time. I've watched kids perk up when similar names are mentioned, "Miss, that's MY last name!"
Add to that, I regularly converse with staff in other libraries around the country. At various times, they might ask for good examples of books with diverse characters or authors. I lavish praise on these books ALL THE TIME. People are probably tired of hearing me rave about the Yasmin series. Without your generous donation, I wouldn't be able to make recommendations of these fabulous books. You're literally, literaturely (sorry for the bad pun), helping students across our country!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clarke
This classroom project was brought to life by A group of anonymous donors and 4 other donors.Try A Little Empathy: Books to Bring Us Closer
Funded Sep 17, 2020Over the course of this long and stressful 2020-2021 school year, our Kinder-8th grade students have been doing online distance learning. The disconnect they feel from each other, and from the staff, is palpable as I look at blank Zoom screens. Even when working with our Kinder-5th grade students, we often have to remind them to have their videos on, so we can see their sweet faces. I have to admit to a certain level of naïveté about the ability to connect with students in a virtual world; it's just not the same as in person. I now understand how much of our ability to empathize with each other comes from reading facial expressions and body language...both of which are sorely lacking in this online world of learning right now.
One thing I CAN read has been your amazing books! When reading to classes, I've attempted a variety of techniques...holding the book up to the camera...tilting my laptop, so the camera points down to the book, etc...whatever the format, the effect is still the same. Zoom video cameras are all on, bright faces and eyes engaged in the story. Where before, a student's expression on Zoom might have appeared slack or emotionless, now I could see their facial expressions following the emotions of the character or plot. They are fully immersed in the experience.
Thank you so much for your generous contribution to the intellectual and emotional education of our students. You have helped future generations stay connected to each other and the world around them. The impact of your gift will continue to ripple throughout our school and the lives of our student.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clarke
Books that Sound Like Us!
Funded Aug 24, 2019Your contribution to my project, Books that Sound Like Us, is greatly appreciated by all the students who use the elementary library. It has been utterly delightful to watch the kids get excited to see beloved books like Charlotte's Web (or Dog Man!) in Spanish. One thing I hadn't anticipated was how many of my English speaking/reading students would checkout the Spanish language books. The students checkout the same book in two languages to compare the dialogue and learn new words. Your gift has reached so many children!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clarke