Past projects 16
Fine Motor Strength
Funded Jan 19, 2022I am floored with the improvements that I have noticed in my students' fine motor skills. They have been enjoying feeding the animals, sorting by colors using the blocks and keys, being engineers by building and taking apart the vehicles, and using the putty to destress. The students that were struggling with opening materials (i.e., uncapping markers, twisting open water bottles) and had a difficult time holding writing utensils, are now about to control their muscles to do these easily overlooked life skills. The materials from this project have given my students the resources that they needed to practice their fine motor skills in fun and engaging ways.
My students were excited to get to play with their new toys. They especially enjoy feeding the animals just like we feed our classroom fish ("Give food like fish!"). These materials are not just helping with their fine motor development but also with learning how to take turns, color recognition, sorting, and using their imaginations by creating their own designs and taking apart the vehicles using tools like their daddies and mommies.
We thank you once again for your generosity. My students were impacted due to the pandemic and not having access to many of these educational materials while zooming at home. This had severely impaired their development but they are now on the right track. They have improved so much since they started using these materials and I have noticed that their enjoyment of learning/school has increased because they get to play with such "cool toys." Thank you once again. We truly appreciate you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ramirez
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 6 other donors.Literacy through Sight, Sound, and Touch
Funded Jan 13, 2022My students were really excited to open the box of materials that we received thanks to your generous donation. My classroom had many outdated materials and overly loved items that needed to be replaced. My students are now able to draw on their magic boards as we go on a walk around the school for exploration and documentation of specific concepts such as "What animals live in trees?" and "How do trees look? Describe the parts of a tree." They are able to express themselves using a different medium and have been enjoying the process.
My students are also enjoying the fishing for letters game as it helps them recognize uppercase letters. Depending on the student's level, the adults will make the sound of the letter and the student will fish for it. For those who are in the pre-literacy developmental stage, the adults will play with the students and say the letter of the fish that the student caught. This ensures that all students are being met where they are and are being challenged when they are ready to move forward. Repetition and exposure to the alphabet are essential for developing reading skills. The materials are play-based which helps my students remain engaged.
The materials that we received have multiple functions like letter recognition, pre-writing development, fine motor skills, and receptive language development as they manipulate the objects and listen to the stories being read to them. I have noticed that my students have greatly benefited from these items and have made progress in their literacy development. Thank you once again for your generosity. My students and I are very grateful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ramirez
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 4 other donors.Math Through Touch
Funded Jan 9, 2022My students were overjoyed to receive our new math manipulatives. We have been working on number sense (counting), matching numbers to quantity, sorting, and color recognition. My students have started to recognize numbers 1 to 10, and are enjoying using the different nuts and bolts.
When we received our materials it was right after winter break, and their response was priceless. "Wow, Santa came!" "Thank you Santa!" Were some of their excited responses. They have especially enjoyed using the cookie jar, number locks, and the nuts and bolts.
We are currently working on sorting items by color and size using the different sorting trays. Their math skills have improved so much because they enjoy playing with the math manipulatives. You have enriched my students' learning. Thank you for helping me make school fun.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ramirez
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 3 other donors.Social Emotional Learning is An Art Form.
Funded Apr 16, 2021Thank you for your generosity. My students may still struggle with managing their feelings however, they are now able to recognize some of the emotions that others are expressing. For example, "The Feelings Book" has helped my students recognize the types of feelings associated with specific situations and the playdough mats have helped them explore what those feelings look like. These new books have helped bring to life the different types of emotions that we feel, the causes for those feelings, and the appropriate ways to manage the expression of feelings. The books are colorful and engaging which is immensely helpful in capturing their attention. My students especially like exploring their feelings by using the props from the "Strictly No Elephants" Storytelling Kit.
When we first started the new school year, I introduced the books "Bye-Bye Time", "Clean-Up Time", "Calm-Down Time", "Sharing Time", and "Listening Time" to help my students transition from the home environment to school. This helped them learn the classroom expectations in a kid friendly manner. I started by reading the book in a dramatic way then as time went by, the students would act out the scenes (not all of the scenes but specific ones like sharing a toy with a peer). Once most students grasped the message, I placed the books in different interest areas (blocks area, dramatic play, library) for them to explore. This has helped in providing my students with visual representations that they can act out and practice.
I am grateful for the donation of the sensory items as they are used daily by different students to help them cope with their feelings (which can be overwhelming for some). Each student has their own calm down box with kinetic sand, a stretch tube, a sensory bean bag, playdough, and slime to be used whenever they need something to help them cope. Since implementing the use of the calm down box and the visual representations from the books, I have noticed a decrease in disruptive/inappropriate behaviors (biting, kicking, and hitting). This has been a positive experience for my students as they continue developing their social emotional skills. Thank you once again for your support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ramirez
This classroom project was brought to life by Oak Foundation and 8 other donors.STEAM to the Extreme!
Funded Apr 13, 2021My students and I are eternally grateful for your generous contribution to our STEAM learning endeavors. My students are loving the magnet building tiles, tube locks and pipes, and gears. They have created castles, water systems (when used during water play), and robots using a mixture of these manipulatives. With the plastic pattern blocks the students created their favorite pet while working on shape recognition. The sensory items are being used daily in our calm down boxes. Each student has their own box with kinetic sand, playdough, water bead bean bag, and stretch tube to be used when they need a coping mechanism to assist in regulating their strong emotions. The art supplies have been used to create colorful student directed pieces of art (finger-painting, using leaves and twigs as painting tools, and making collages). The trays have been especially useful in helping my students manage their own art supplies thereby creating independence by providing free access to art materials. My students love using the dry erase boards in our dramatic play area to represent restaurant menus and just to doodle (which is great for building their pre-writing skills).
When I first introduced the boxes of items they were blown away. One thought that it was Christmas! They were overjoyed to know that they had new materials to play with and explore. One of my students immediately used the tube locks and pipes to create a dinosaur like the one he had at home. To this day, my students will recall the day that we received lots of presents.
We are currently exploring trees and my students are using the art materials to create their own representation of what a tree looks like as well as what kind of animals live in trees. They are having fun creating trees with the gears and "watering" them with the water systems created from the tubes and pipes. I am amazed to see how creative my students are in their exploration of the materials donated. Thanks to your donation, my students are able to have their own set of manipulatives, art materials, and calming boxes that help in all areas of their development...and make learning fun. Thank you once again.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ramirez
This classroom project was brought to life by Oak Foundation and 9 other donors.Virtual Learning Can Be Fun!
Funded Sep 5, 2020There are no words to express how grateful I am for your generosity. Thanks to your donations, I have been able to provide my students with a more engaging virtual learning experience. I am now able to print and laminate props to make my read-aloud and story retelling more visually appealing for my students. I have noticed an improvement in my students' behavior after implementing a visual schedule (printed and laminated pictures that show what activity is next) and an overall increase in engagement.
The flashcards have helped my students practice and begin to recognize their letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. The playdough mats that I printed with the amazing color printer, have been a great addition to our classroom activities. All the materials that I have been able to print and laminate have provided my students with hands on activities that are engaging, fun, and help them in their developmental growth (i.e., fine motor skills using the playdough mats, emerging writing skills by tracing the laminated alphabet flashcards, social emotional development by using the emotions flashcards, and much more).
I once again thank you for helping my students remain engaged in their learning. You have brought smiles to my students' faces during these uncertain times and for that, I am grateful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ramirez
This classroom project was brought to life by AT&T and 8 other donors.