Ms. Cvetkovic's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 36

• Engineering Challenges in 4-5 Grade Materials

  Funded Aug 19, 2024

  Thank you for your kind and thoughtful donation. These materials were extremely valuable when working on the projects we worked on the first five weeks of school. Many students were so excited to receive access to the necessary materials we needed in order to complete the projects that were assigned. Many students in fourth grade used the materials to create their cardboard designs in class during their science block. Many students were able to use the crayons to color their models shown in the pictures. The hot glue sticks were also important when gluing the projects together as well as the color construction paper. Students were also able to have access to the necessary cardboard to cut and build their designs. All the students had different ideas and designs. This allowed them to collaborate and create their final product. Thanks to this project we also have our first STEAM Exhibition Night where students were able to present their projects. Students used the materials to create posters and create their project to their families as well. Thank you so much for the support and supporting our future scientists for this project.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cvetkovic

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

• Lego Essential Kits for Coding

  Funded Dec 26, 2023

  Thank you for these new additions to our classroom coding kits. These kits have allowed students to build, learn and code and potential enjoy a collaborative learning environment. Many students who did not communicate or collaborate before were able to do so with the Lego Education Essential Kits. For example, in my fourth grade, the class is comprise of 50% Spanish speakers and 50% English speaks. These students were able to work together to build a Lego creation and watch it move with the materials provided in the Lego Education Essential Kit. Students were able to see and build Ferris wheels, amusement rides, tents with this kit. The most amazing part about this was students were able to code and create songs and see how different tools/pieces allowed them to see how the objects moved. Many students did not need additional support because the visual support was provided and the love of learning was incorporated in this learning environment. Not only that but students felt like their learning mattered and their voices mattered when they built their designs. Some students wanted to build their own creations and see how they moved. The next step is to continue to promote this learning environment and potentially allow students to create their own designs that move with these Lego Education kits. Thank you for supporting our classroom and creating a collaborative learning environment for all students. Thank you for also creating the next generation of scientists, coders and engineers.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cvetkovic

• Coats for Our New 3-5 Graders

  Funded Dec 16, 2023

  Thank you so much for your generous donations towards this project and allowing my students to have the resources they need to commute to our school. With these materials, our school was able to provide the resources and coats for our students who recently enrolled in our school. The third through fifth grade students and their families were so happy to receive these new coats and have a warm and comfortable coat for the cold winter months in Chicago. Many were able to also pack their coats in a safe area as well. These resources definitely made an impact for many students and you definitely made a difference in our students life as well as their families. This coat drive was a success and allowed the school to have readily available coats for our new students who enrolled into our school. Thank you for making a difference and allowing our students warmth and comfort during the winter.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cvetkovic

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

• Coding in Our Classroom

  Funded Dec 11, 2023

  Thank you for these two new amazing resources in our science classroom. These materials have been a great resource when teaching the 3-5 grade students about coding and the principles of STEAM. Students were able to apply their knowledge of Lego and building with Lego to create a functioning system which in turn allowed them to code and determine how different parts moved. One group of students who embraced this Lego Education kits was my fourth grade students. In class there are different levels of learners and the majority of my students love hands-on activities which promote critical thinking skills. The first day my fourth graders were extremely excited to receive additional resources and Lego Education kits. Many students were able to easily follow the step by step instructions and follow the coding process. Some students even told me, "We are going to do the Lego Education Kits and you can't stop us." This was a great motivational moment for all students in the classroom and their excitement was evident for building and seeing the process for coding. There were even some students who decided to create their own inventions to code and determine the process for coding. This promoted creativity and critical thinking skills my students needed in the classroom. Thank you for supporting my classroom and creating the next generation of scientists, engineers and coders. My students are definitely happy and enjoy these wonderful new resources in our classroom.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cvetkovic

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 3 other donors.

• Lego Education Kits for 3-8 Grade

  Funded Dec 4, 2023

  Thank you so much for this new additional resources in my science classroom. These resources made a huge impact on many of my students who visual and hands-on learners in the classroom community. These Lego Education Kit allowed students to explore the world of coding through Lego and the world of engineering. Students were able to apply the concepts of STEAM through a resource and building "toy" that everyone is aware of regardless of the languages spoken in my classroom. Many English Language Learners were able to log into the Lego Education website and follow the step by step process for building their Lego builds and use their knowledge of Lego to build a robot or mechanism that could move through specific functions provided by the Lego company. My third graders were especially excited to build with these materials and explore coding and engineering that were above their grade. This was exciting to see the joy and excitement this new resource provided for my students during their Engineering Days in the classroom. This also allowed more students to explore coding and hopefully inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and coders. Thank you again for this exciting and engaging resource for my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cvetkovic

• Complex Engineering Kits for Fifth Grade

  Funded Oct 13, 2023

  Thank you for this kind and generous donation and new addition to our classroom that allows students to apply their critically thinking skills. My students were definitely excited to receive these new complex kits and immediately asked if they could start building the new kits (STEM kits) we received in the classroom. In this in turn promoted a positive learning environment where all students were able to collaborate with one another when building the complex kits. Many students were able to build and determine where each piece went for the the wooden engineering kits that were present. One group in particular who excelled in this were the English Language Learners, they were able to use the directions and visuals to build the complex kits that were presented. Many students were able to share their ideas and explain their reasoning for where each part went for the the science kits that many received. This in turn created a positive learning environment for all students in the classroom and promoted a positive collaborative learning environment. Thank you for creating a positive learning environment for my students and creating the next generations of engineers.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cvetkovic

  This classroom project was brought to life by United Airlines and 6 other donors.

• LEGO Education: Coding Essential Kit

  Funded Sep 20, 2023

  Thank you for this new interactive and engaging resource. My students have been excited to use this kit and explore the world of coding. Many of the English Language Learners found this particularly interesting and engaging. For example, the fifth grade students were amazed to explore the world of coding and see how a Ferris Wheel that was built by them moves with specific commands provided by the Lego Education website. Many students were collaborating and even showing a sense of ownership when they finally built a build. Not only were they excited to show their build, they were also excited to code and explore the coding when building. My third graders were also introduced to coding and were excited to see different parts being built and the coding. Many students were exploring how the Ferris Wheel could move faster or slower with different commands on the Lego Education website. This has been a truly wonderful addition to our classroom and experience for many of my students. Thank you for providing a fun and engaging resource for students to use during our Engineering Fridays.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cvetkovic

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

• LEGO SPIKE Prime Set for the Fifth Graders

  Funded Aug 31, 2023

  Thank you for this wonderful new addition to our classroom and providing the necessary materials students need to be successful in my classroom. Initially when I first introduced the Lego Prime Education Set, many students found it challenging and difficult. The reason being that the concepts were new for students and this was a fairly new concept. At first I had to help students but then they started becoming more independent and more engaged. For example, many students were excited to build the new designs that were presented in the Lego Education Spike Kit. My new comers and English Language Learners absolutely loved this set because they were able to explore the world of coding through a hands-on and interactive approach. Many students enjoyed the challenge as well as watching the creations that they created move with a push of a button and even through the website. It was amazing to see this transformation which allowed my students, especially the girls in my class, embrace this new concept that was above their grade level and learn about coding. I am excited to see students enjoy this set as the year progresses and see the love learning come to light when they have this opportunity to explore. Thank you for creating the next generation of scientists and coders.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cvetkovic

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

• Lego Boost Mindstorms Class Set

  Funded Jul 22, 2023

  Thank you for this new addition to our classroom and our Engineering Friday experience. My fifth graders were so excited to receive this new resource and activity to explore the world of engineering as well as robotics. Students were able to follow the directions and able to build robots or Legos during our Engineering time especially the girls in my classroom. Many girls in my classroom took on the role as engineers and were exploring the engineering component of building the Lego Mindstorms and beginning to understand how the robots worked and how they moved as well. This helped when they were building the Legos and even encouraged them to build with Legos the robots and create creations that they never thought existed. This led to them helping their classmates who may have needed help when building the Lego robots. The girls in my classroom were so excited to build Legos without the boundary of Legos being for "boys" only which excited them and they were able to think of themselves as builders and innovators as well. Even students who did not speak English were able to build the Lego Mindstorms and explore the world of engineering as well as robotics. Thank you for inspiring my students and helping my students become future scientists, coders and engineers. With your help you made a difference for many students in my classroom and I hope that they are inspired to explore coding, engineering and even building these Legos. Thank you for this opportunity and creating the next generation of scientists and engineers.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cvetkovic

• Little Bits Engineering Kits for 3-5 Grade

  Funded Jul 22, 2023

  Thank you for your kind and thoughtful donation and the new resources we have in the science lab. My students were so excited to receive these new materials and see coding come alive in a variety of ways. Many students loved how they could use the Little Bits parts to make a guitar and play the guitar in class. In class, during Engineering a Fifth Grader made the guitar and was able to use the Little Bits parts to make the guitar make a sound. When a teacher came into the classroom, she had a sense of ownership and pride when showing what she created and how she made her creation. Other students loved the Little Bits Coding kit and were able to design a system that would light up using the Little Bits coding app. Many fifth and fourth graders were so amazed and loved building these systems using the parts in the Little Bits box provided in class. This inspired me to reach out to more students in my school and allow other students to experience coding and a love for coding using the Little Bits box in class. In particular, there was one middle schooler who had a interest in coding since fifth grade and her parent wanted her to be challenged in school. When she was introduced to the kit she was so excited to get started and learn the major components of coding and how coding worked in class and see how each part had a specific function. I would like to thank you for creating a new generation of learners and allowing my students the opportunity to learn about coding. This encouraged many students who wanted to explore science come alive. Thank you again for this resource and allowing my students to experience this and thank you for inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers and coders.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Cvetkovic