Past projects 6
Starting Off Strong!
Funded Aug 14, 2024Thank you so much for your contribution to my Donor's Choose project this summer. Because of your donation, my project was fully funded before the start of the 2024-2025 school year. This meant that all 23 of my students were able to start their year with all of the materials they would need to be successful. I welcomed them into our new classroom by having them find their desks that had their own individual boxes of crayons, pencils, erasers, folders, notebooks, and so much more. The stress and worry they felt about whether they would have the appropriate materials to start their day washed away instantly and they were all so excited to have these items that were THEIRS!
Along with my students benefitting greatly from your donation, I was also extremely grateful to not have to spend hundreds of my own dollars this summer on those necessities. It is often overlooked how much teachers contribute to their classrooms and what little resources and materials we are provided with. Thank you for supporting me in making sure my students could start this year off strong.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Iovanella
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.Making Our Classroom Feel Like Home
Funded Aug 3, 2023Thank you so much for your donation to my classroom. With the money donated, I was able to purchase a beautiful new rug, pencils, crayons, dry erase markers, tons of new books, and a brand new bookshelf to display them on.
I was able to create a relaxing and comfortable reading space in the classroom on our new rug next to our new bookshelf that has been fully stocked with seasonal books. It is such a special treat to my students to get to read there.
Your support has made a great impact on helping my students get the new school year off to a good start. Thank you!!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Iovanella
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 12 other donors.Books to Help Us Dream
Funded Nov 6, 2021Thank you so much for your donation to my classroom this year. With your help, my classroom received over 50 brand new books for my students to enjoy for years to come. Books provide students with the opportunity to enter into a new world - to use their imagination, to dream, and to get inspired. Your donation allowed that to happen.
Many of the books we received have had a significant impact on our social-emotional health and students have been used to teach skills that will enhance their relationships with family members and peers as well as help students learn how to regulate their emotions.
Your donation also allowed me to expand my library to provide more culturally relevant texts so that students could read more stories about characters they can relate to. We also received many books that paired perfectly with our English Language Arts curriculum, supplementing what they had already learned.
Thank you for your generosity and support!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Iovanella
Back to School for Grade 2!
Funded Aug 25, 2021Thank you so much for your generous donation to my classroom. In my five years of teaching, I have worked extremely hard to provide my students with all of the necessary materials they need to be successful. Being in an urban district with limited funding for supplies, I typically need to pay out of my own pocket or go without some of the most important classroom items.
Many of the books that my students had been reading were books that I have adopted from the teacher before me or were hand-me-downs that have seen better days. Aside from their physical condition, my students had been reading books that were old, dull, and uninteresting. The books they had were not getting them excited to read or learn and I knew I had to do something to change that.
With your donation, I was able to receive over 75 new books at a variety of reading levels for my students. Books that are new, fun, colorful, allows them to use their imaginations and make them excited to read. Thank you for helping my students foster a love of reading and learning!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Iovanella
This classroom project was brought to life by The Allstate Foundation and 7 other donors.The New Normal: School at Home
Funded Sep 10, 2020Now that we are in the thick of the school year, I can say now more than ever how grateful I am for the contribution you have made toward the purchase of the classroom set of headphones for my second grade students. It has allowed me hear them much clearer and it has allowed them to block out surrounding distractions and engage in our lessons in ways that would not have been possible without your help.
To say that this year has been challenging would be an understatement. Teaching and learning through a screen is not ideal, whatsoever. The headphones have allowed me to build deeper connections with my students because it makes it almost feel like we are learning together in one space rather than separated and surrounded by other noises and distractions of our homes.
The headphones have been beneficial for each and every student but especially my students who struggle with attention. Having the headphones on not only keeps them close by their computer screen at all times but they have become a necessity for learning. They have brought these students a sense of peace and comfort in our noisy environments.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Iovanella
This classroom project was brought to life by AT&T and 8 other donors.Bouncy Seats and Book to Read!
Funded Dec 29, 2019You should have seen the look on my students' faces when they walked in and saw 5 bright orange bouncy balls to sit on and brand new books to read.
I had never gotten too involved in creating "flexible seating" options in my classroom, frankly because I was afraid of how it would go. I used to think there was no way my students would be able to use these types of "seats" in a constructive way that wouldn't interrupt learning. After seeing my colleagues use them, I decided to give it a go. I am so glad I did. I have seen a huge change in my "wiggly" students and their ability to focus during lessons. They are using the bouncy balls to get their wiggles out WHILE they are working. It has made a world of difference for them and now we rotate the balls to new students each week so everyone has a turn to use them. They are a hit!
As sad as it may be to say, I don't believe my students had ever seen a brand new book that wasn't bent, torn, or written on. At least they had never seen new books that THEY were allowed to read. Adding the new Scholastic books to my classroom library has given my students and opportunity to fall in love with reading. There's no better feeling than jumping into a fresh, new book. There are some books that are slightly challenging for them, but we've incorporated those stories into our monthly read alouds. They love having the chance to sit, listen, and enjoy a story read by their teacher. Your generosity has made an impact on my class this year - THANK YOU!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Iovanella