Ms. Curry's Classroom Edit display name

Current requests

Past projects 19

• Phonics Focussed: A Book Request Project

  Funded Jan 16, 2024

  Phonics Focussed: A Book Request Project

  Over the years I have worked to curate a classroom library that brought me joy. I included high interest topics in both fiction and nonfiction; books that exposed students to people of different cultures, ages, shapes and even abilities; and even books ranging from early readers to more advanced chapter books. However, after learning about the Science of Reading this year, a methodology that heavily focuses on using phonics features to help students learn to read, I realized my library was incomplete. I needed a completely different volume of books, known as Decodables, that ranged from consonant vowel consonants, all the way up to multisyllabic words. Thanks to your donation, I was able to stock my classroom library with books that highlighted these skills.

  When my students saw these books in the library, they were thrilled. Typically the initial allure of newness usually wears off, however, the fact that students were able to read these books independently, and without frustration, kept them coming back for more. And since there were multiple copies of each book, students could read with a partner, making them even more appealing. These books had such an impact on many of my students; like Brayan, who started the year struggling with reading words with short vowels, but ended it reading words with magic e and jumping multiple reading levels; and also Annaleah, who hated reading and would not sit down to read anything without heavy coaxing. Not only did she gain confidence in her reading abilities, but she also moved multiple reading levels as well. These are just two of my many students supported by these books. Now that we are "phonics focussed," I am sure that that list will grow for years to come.

  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for not only giving my students new books, but for also helping them to grow their confidence, stamina and abilities as readers.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Curry

  This classroom project was brought to life by Someone who cares about New York City and 9 other donors.

• Hooked on Phonics: Books for Me

  Funded Dec 6, 2023

  When my students saw the brand new books come into the classroom they were intrigued. Not only were they colorful, but they were also easy to read. Some of my students almost thought there was a catch. As I put them in the library they asked each and every time; "Ms. Curry can I book shop in the decodables?" My answer each time was an emphatic "Yes!" Sometimes the allure of a new book quickly wears off when students open them to see that there are too many words they are unable to read. However, this was not the case. After carefully curating the library, I made sure that there truly was something for everyone. For my students with beginner phonics acquisition there were books that focussed on consonants and short vowels. For my middle group there were more advanced phonics features and for my on grade level students the books serve as a way for them to practice their fluency. Thanks to your support I can truly say my students are "hooked" on phonics.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Curry

  This classroom project was brought to life by Townsend Press and 10 other donors.

• "I'm Ready, I'm Ready, I'm Ready:" Back to School Excitement

  Funded Sep 2, 2023

  For as long as I can remember, the beginning of the school year has been filled with excitement. Becoming a teacher has not changed that. However, realizing that not all families are able to provide the resources needed to support their learners, it also comes with some angst. I wondered how I would be able to get my classroom ready for the new school year, while also ensuring that students had the materials needed to learn. Thanks to your generosity, I was able to provide a clean and welcoming environment for my eager second graders and give them the tools needed for a successful school year.

  The students loved seeing their name tags on their desk when they entered their classroom and thanks to the sleeves it made swapping seating arrangements a breeze. The photo paper was a huge asset in making sure students could see themselves in the room. The magnets were perfect for holding student photos and served a visual (who is in the room vs out of the room) management tool. Finally, all of the back to school tools such as pencil cases, pouches, folders, pens, glue sticks, and post it flags were definitely put to good use. They not only set the students up for the year, but being able to supply individual items, instead of community supplies helped hold them accountable and fostered independence. Your support truly means a lot.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Curry

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 10 other donors.

• Bugging Out!: Text Sets on Bugs

  Funded Mar 30, 2023

  First, I want to start by apologizing for how long it has taken me to share this thank you message. The end of the school year was a blur and I had to take some time to get my thoughts together.

  Although I went into the unit with less than enthusiasm considering the subject matter, I knew that it was a necessary topic for students to learn more about to better appreciate the world around them. Students were grouped into mini insect clubs and studied two different insects including; grasshoppers, ants, praying mantises, crickets, lice, fireflies, dragonflies, bees and cockroaches. In each club students used the books to do research about their insect's life cycle, diet, habitat and their body parts. Students enthusiastically showed me pictures of insects taking on impressive feats like hovering in the air, building amazing structures and using their bodies in ways that seemed impossible daily and that enthusiasm is what made me more willing to engage. The students learned so much from the books they read that when we took them on a culminating field trip to the Museum of Natural History insect exhibit, Students spewed so much knowledge about the subject matter, that other patrons even listened in to gain some of their knowledge.

  Thank you for giving my students the tools needed to help them "bug out." The knowledge they now possess can not be compared.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Curry

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 2 other donors.

• What Our Class Needs Now, Is Books, Sweet Books

  Funded Dec 13, 2022

  When my students and I opened the brand new books, the reaction was so powerful. It was as if Santa had arrived in our classroom, and at that very moment, the joy on the student's faces was so overwhelming, I almost cried. The oohs and ahhs over books with characters from shows and movies they've watched, made reading so much more exciting.

  Honestly, when it was time to sit down and read, the only problem I had was getting them to share. We're still working on that. The most notable impact from this project has definitely been their reading stamina. One student that comes to mind in particular is a little boy who disliked reading so much that he would pretend to read during independent reading. After seeing the new Pokemon books, that definitely shifted. The very first day that I introduced the books, he actually sat down and read two complete books. I was delighted! As someone who knows the power of finding a good book, I was so grateful that he finally found something that he actually wanted to read. Not only did he find quite a few books that interested him, but his reading completely took off. It was no longer a question if he would read, but instead, what would he read.

  Thank you so much for helping me to get new books into the classroom library, and for filling it with books that the students actually wanted to read.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Curry

  This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 4 other donors.

• There's No Place Like Home: Organization and Tools for Centers

  Funded May 3, 2022

  In your own space it is easy to know exactly what you have and where everything goes, because you bought it and you have made sense of how you would like store it. However, in a shared space with children and even other adults, without organization, everything ends up everywhere. This year I have worked extremely hard to teach students that everything has a home.

  Our word study program supplies are now much more organized with a rod to hold all of our charts, bins to organize our cards and pointers and even new centers to keep engagement high. Students love being able to do sight word centers and enjoy when they can use more tactile ways to make the learning stick.

  Our math centers also received a necessary revamp with new dice and spinners to support fluency as well as make games more engaging. All these tools have been extremely helpful in not only making learning more impactful, but also giving students ownership of their materials and helping me to drive the message that everything has a home. Thank you once again for making that possible.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Curry

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 3 other donors.

• All We Need is Paper. Paper's All We Need!

  Funded Nov 28, 2022

  Any educator knows that the one school supply you simply can't live without; is paper. Paper is a necessity for not only worksheets and writing, but for a whole host of other things. You can use paper for making mini charts, bookmarks and reading logs for reading. It can be used for playing cards, game mats and even more charts in math. It can be used for all types of purposes for writing and in a pinch it can even be molded into party decorations, especially when you decide to throw a pirate themed publishing party and don't have eye patches or a banner, true story :-)

  Students will never open a box and say "ooh, paper," but they will definitely reap the benefits. I consider myself to be a creative person, so with paper the possibilities are truly endless. Recently the students have used this incredible gift to start making posters advertising the book series they have recently read. And less glamorous, but equally important, we use the paper consistently for charts students need to support their reading and writing studies.

  In the near future, students will be showcasing their newfound knowledge of insects through a learning expo, where they will design booths and artifacts to help teach about their insect and display them to an audience around the school. And although, to some, it may not seem like a big deal to have a supply of paper in the classroom, I definitely don't downplay the importance. Thank you once again for ensuring we have a tool that can do so much.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Curry

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Walt Disney Company and one other donor.

• Gotta Go Back, Back, Back to School Again

  Funded Aug 23, 2022

  I'm sure you already know that in a classroom, having the right materials means everything. Your donation really has supported us throughout our classroom, but the biggest impact has been seen in writing and math.

  In writing students now have fully equipped writing folders that contain two writing pens; one black for quickly writing down ideas, and one blue for going back and revising and editing. Students love seeing the two colors on their page because it shows them that they are thoughtful writers who really go back and think about how to make their work even better. This year I have used the post it flags to have students "level up" in their writing. We used color coded flags to see if they could include their opinion, reasons and examples. The students love it! I have never seen the writing volume so high.

  In math ,the tools have really supported us with our centers. The cardstock has made it easier to create number cards for math games and the card cases have been perfect for holding them. The pencil cases have definitely supported students for housing their writing utensils. Their pencils, color pencils and dry erase markers all have a home and it makes it easier for students to have everything they need all in one place for their independent work center. The cardstock has also really been important in our problem solving station where students are using talk prompt cards and I create flashcards to support them in answering questions.

  Although you have seen a snippet of how we use the tools, our usage really spans throughout our day. Thank you once again for your generosity in providing my students with the tools they needed for going back to school.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Curry

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 6 other donors.

• They're Going Back!

  Funded Aug 13, 2021

  As a kid I remember seeing a Staples commercial with a mom being so excited that her child was going back to school. She glided on her very full cart of school supplies, as she shouted through the store, "they're going back!" As exciting as school shopping is for parents, it's equally as exciting for me. However, the major difference is the number of students our purchases will benefit. Whereas a parent's purchase serves roughly 1-5 students, as a teacher, my pockets must stretch to purchase supplies for at least 20 students, which is not always possible on my own.

  I want to thank you for making sure my class had all the tools they needed for going back. The folders, paper and sheet protectors were essential for making and holding all of their reading, writing and math worksheets and minicharts. My students also loved having the additional supplies to support each content area like: tiny topic notebooks and editing strips for writing, file folder reading mats and dry erase markers for math. And of course no learning can occur with runny noses, so the Kleenex were a major asset. Thanks to your support, my students were well equipped and had everything they needed for "going back" to school.a”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Curry

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 7 other donors.