Mrs. DeGroot's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 39

• Distant Learning Celebration Packs

  Funded May 5, 2020

  Thank you so much for your support to make this project come alive! I've been teaching for 19 years but this past school year was by far the most difficult year. However, my students tried their best to keep learning! Their smiles and enthusiasm that they showed over the Zoom meetings kept me going. I was so happy to be able to deliver the celebration packs to my students to congratulate their accomplishment this year. Their faces lit up when they saw a little goodie bag. I think the books and some fun stickers and bubbles kept them busy for a while:) I am forever grateful for your donations to make the end of the school year celebration more personal and fun!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. DeGroot

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 2 other donors.

• Awesome Ozobots!

  Funded Jan 7, 2020

  Thank you for supporting my project. I am passionate about bringing computer science into my first grade classroom. Computer science is not only fun and cool but also it's a great way to teach young learners creativity and critical thinking. When my students saw Ozobots, they were instantly curious and wanted to explore with them. I could see their little minds go wild with excitement and wanting to figure out what they could do. In the photos they are trying to match the emotions of the characters that were in the story they heard. They had a great time coding the robot and explaining why they used a certain color and movement (matching the emotions of the characters in the story). I feel very fortunate that I can introduce my students to simple coding. I couldn't have done this without your generous support. Thank you.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. DeGroot

  This classroom project was brought to life by Endless and one other donor.

• 3, 2, 1... Record! Headphones with Mic

  Funded Jan 24, 2020

  My students were so excited to receive headphones with mic! They are being so careful handling them and being very responsible. We record our voices on iPad all the time. Lately we have been having fun recording ourselves read books. We get to listen to each other's recording and leave a comment to give compliments and encouragements. They get so motivated to practice reading and record themselves. Because of the headphones you donated, the students' voice can be heard clearly.

  Thank you for your continuing support for my classroom. I can't express my appreciation enough.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. DeGroot

• Brain Power with Bal-A-Vis-X

  Funded Jan 6, 2020

  Bal-A-Vis-X is a series of Balance Auditory Visual Exercise. We use bean bags and racquet balls for this exercise. In order to become successful in the exercise, my students had to learn left and right. I have already noticed improvement in the students' body awareness. They also have been working hard to sustain focus in order to keep rhythm in the exercise. All of which are beneficial with their academic achievement.

  What I love about Bal-A-Vis-X is that it is a great way to give my students a break from work. They love using bean bags and racquet balls, and they think it's fun. At the same time the exercise is benefitting so many aspects of their development.

  Thank you for helping me bring in Bal-A-Vis-X into my classroom!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. DeGroot

• Wild About Nonfiction Books!

  Funded Dec 3, 2019

  My students enjoy reading all the nonfiction books you donated! Every Monday my students go book shopping to our classroom library. Most of the students go straight to the nonfiction book basket to select books that they want to read. They get so excited going through the books and talk about what they read. They also love Scholastic News. Every time I pull out a new edition of Scholastic News, they cheer! As a teacher I feel very energized when I hear signs of excitement from my students. First grade students are just beginning to learn to read. It is so great to have a selection of high interest books in my classroom library. Thank you so much for your generosity and support for education.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. DeGroot

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 4 other donors.

• Family Fun Bag

  Funded Oct 4, 2019

  Thank you for your generous donation to my project. My students and I were very excited to receive books and craft materials. It was like a Christmas morning to open each package. The students kept asking me what the projects will be every time they saw the materials.

  For this project, the students have to practice reading instructions for a craft activity. They will take the instruction and materials home to teach their family members how to create the craft. The first project was to teach how to make Jell-O. The students were excited about practicing reading then taking it home. The students journaled the excitement of the activity and reported back to the classmates.

  Learning to read can be tricky to some students. Seeing how excited they were about reading and sharing it with their families was very heart warming and rewarding. They cannot wait to do another project at home. Thank you so much for bringing this opportunity to my classroom.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. DeGroot

  This classroom project was brought to life by Carnegie Corporation of New York and one other donor.

• Go Green! Go Create!

  Funded Aug 22, 2018

  Thank you so much for helping me create a green screen studio in my classroom. My students were very excited to see the packages arrive and couldn't wait to start exploring with a green screen app!

  One of the projects that we tried so far is called a brave cape. After reading a story called "Nana in the City" by Lauren Castillo, my students put on a cape to go up against something they were scared of just like the character did in the book. The students enjoyed watching their drawing and themselves in a cape come together on the screen!

  Another project that they worked on is a puppet show based on Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." The students wrote about what they would eat if they were the hungry caterpillar, found a photo of the food for the background and recorded a puppet show. I loved watching students acting as a caterpillar as well as helping and working with one another to record the show.

  I am looking forward to seeing my students have fun creating more movies in this green screen studio. Thank you for your generous donation and supporting my students' education.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. DeGroot

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 7 other donors.

• Stand Up and Work!

  Funded Mar 19, 2017

  Thank you so much for your generous donations for my classroom. I was able to add two standing tables and two wiggle boards (Steppie) to my flexible seating setting. I believe standing option supports young learners' physical development. My students are aware of benefits that the standing tables offer. They choose to work there when they need extra focus and concentration. They like a little bit of freedom to move on the Steppie while they do their work. It makes me proud to see my students at young age know their physical and emotional needs to be successful.

  I cannot thank you enough for your support. A donor like you make a great difference in today's education.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. DeGroot

• Oh the Place We Meet and Learn!

  Funded Mar 12, 2016

  Dear Donors,

  I am writing this letter to thank you for your generous donation to my class' education. The money you donated was used to purchase a large rug for my students to sit during our large group learning time. When we received the package, my students cheered and couldn't wait to unroll the carpet!

  Young children are still learning about their personal space and respecting others spaces. This rug, which is divided into 24 sections has been a perfect guide to teach young learners how to control their bodies. Also, sitting on the same rug as a class has given us a sense of belonging to a classroom community. Now I can see everyone's engaged eyes perfectly from where I sit during discussion or reading time.

  Thank you again for your donation and support for education. You have made a big difference in my students' learning environment.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. DeGroot

  This classroom project was brought to life by #BestSchoolDay and 4 other donors.