Past projects 5
Save the Earth While Quenching Our Thirst!
Funded Apr 8, 2022My entire 2 classes of last year received a water bottle from this project, and they used these water bottles day after day at school. This year, I had a few left over and have given them as prizes for good behavior. For many students, they had told me they had no water bottles at home to bring water to school in. For others, their parents would pay for single use bottles for them to bring. Because of your support with this project, we saved many single use plastics from being used and made sure everyone had a way to drink water through the school day.
The clear pencil boxes have also worked wonders for keeping my classroom clean this year. Students are very respectful and aware of their supplies since they are now stored in clear, snapping boxes. My class LOVES these organizational supplies (perhaps even more than I do!), and all students are vying over the job of checking the pencil boxes at the end of the day to make sure supplies are taken care of properly.
Thank you so much for your effects on my classroom and my students. They are such grateful, resilient beings, and they are very aware of the donors who make a difference in their life. From all of them and myself, THANK YOU!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Trenkamp
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose community & an Anonymous Partner and 3 other donors.Snacks and Syntax: Fueling Our Bodies and Our Grammar
Funded Dec 1, 2021Using the materials from this project, I have been able to bring motivation and joy to my resilient spring semester third graders. The snacks have lasted weeks and weeks, and every time the students earn the snacks as a reward there are literal CHEERS of happiness in my class.
My students are so grateful for you feeding their love of learning as well as their hungry tummies. Takis are both of my classes' absolute favorite choice of treat, so your donations have made their dreams come true.
As for the letter kits, my students have been making incredible progress with phonics, letter recognition, and reading. These bilingual students are striding through the second half of third grade-- an incredible feat!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Trenkamp
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and one other donor.We Need a Laugh: Introducing Humor Into Third Grade!
Funded Oct 21, 2021Wow, this project may have been the biggest hit yet with my third graders! Their obsession with graphic novels like "Dog Man" by Dav Pilkey was evident before, but I wasn't ready for the cheers that erupted when I unboxed the graphic novels I ordered in this project! Both my classes take turns sharing the books. With the copies I received, over half the students within one class have a "Dog Man" book they love in their hands during read to self any given week.
Students in my class have time to read to self almost every day. These graphic novels have sparked discussion of figurative language during this independent time, which is direct application of the content we're learning during lessons. The "Dog Man" books have fantastic demonstrations of onomatopoeia, which now all my students have seemingly mastered the recognition of!
While all students request the graphic novels, the other materials of this project have also changed the culture of our classroom. The reading highlighters motivate students of all reading abilities to participate during our ESL program and during read alouds. The toys and snacks have been greatly appreciated rewards for responsibility and integrity in the classroom, and students have even shared their rewards with others. Thank you so much for truly bringing smiles and motivation into my daily classroom activities. My students are so grateful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Trenkamp
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 7 other donors.Black Literature Matters: Bringing Representation Into Our Classroom Library
Funded Aug 12, 2021My students were absolutely thrilled to receive the beautiful literature included in this project. With access to literature about black families and culture, my students and I were able to engage in conversations about perspective, author's purpose, and the genre of realistic fiction.
In my class, students get time to read to self almost every single day. Their main access to books is that of my own classroom library. These new books (centered on people that look like them or their friends and classmates) brought an excitement and interest to read to self time that I hadn't quite seen before.
With many of my students, the beautiful illustrations drew them in but the powerful messages had them hooked. One of my students was particularly interested in a graphic novel exploring a young black boy's journey in a mostly white school. Being a black student surrounding by almost all latinx classmates, it was clear she could relate to feeling like an outsider because of something out of her control. She recommended the book as a class read aloud and we explored this conversation together with her classmates. It's those meaningful moments that I'll never forget. Thank you for being a part of creating those moments.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Trenkamp
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 8 other donors.Summer Stories for Soon-To-Be First Graders
Funded Apr 19, 2021Because of your generosity, my students each received 6-7 books (plus activities, toys for social play, and snacks!) to enjoy at home with their families this summer. For children in this population especially, the money you donated provided the special opportunity for each of them to have books to call their own! This ownership of literacy tools is incredibly important for students of this age.
By the end of kindergarten, most of my students had begun reading one syllable words and were familiar with their letter sounds and blending these together to read words. However, many of them were without books at home. These new books will be cherished for a long time and will contribute to the literacy development of not only my students but their siblings as well, as they went home with their families.
Thank you so much, from me and my students. They now see that books can be special gifts and that reading and literacy are activities that can be shared and full of love. We all appreciate your kindness and are choosing to pass it on to those around us!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Trenkamp