Past projects 8
Life Skills Strikes Again!
Funded May 31, 2024I want to thank you for your support these past years. Your dedication and commitment to supporting children with the most challenging needs warms my heart. It saddens me to announce that I have stepped back from being lead teacher of the life skills class. I have chosen to adjust my career and leave my class in the hands of a future rock start teacher. I believe that the material purchase will be into utilized and students will continue to receive sensory breaks and differentiated instruction. Thanks for contributing to my class and those of other classes.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Tega
This classroom project was brought to life by Oak Foundation and 4 other donors.Life Skills Sensory Corner Rocks!
Funded Feb 22, 2024I would like to thank you for your support these past years. I have felt so blessed knowing that we have people in this world that truly believe in our students. Being a student with severe and or profound needs requires maximum support, differentiating learning and staff that are willing to put the time in to navigate each students learning.
I am sad to announce that I am no longer working with this class. I have had to make a difficult decision to step back and refocus on make adjustments on my career. I'm hopeful that the new incoming teacher and staff will utilize and move forward with the program and utilize the sensory corner and individual items used to encourage learning. Until next time!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Tega
Life Skills Sensory Corner
Funded Sep 20, 2023Sensory Corner is a HIT! Best decision ever made, and thanks to you all, my team was able to create every students sensory dream corner. During rough mornings, transition times, or an incentive the sensory corner has helped students work on regulating and helping them become successful.
At first staff and I weren't exactly sure how it was going to work and we were nervous about how the kids would react to seeing our sensory corners. Not sure if we would struggle with complying with rules and boundaries around the area. Our kids were and are amazing, they quickly learned how to access the corners and have not taken advantage of the space.
We cannot that our donors enough for this dream space. The pictures do not capture the positive and safe space the corner provides. Muchisimas gracias from my students and Staff. We are one lucky class.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Tega
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 8 other donors.Life Skills Class Strikes Again!
Funded May 23, 2023These chairs and speech incentives are a hit!
Our students are wiggle worms and sitting in standard chairs are sometimes hard for them. These chairs that we received not only help in core strength but allow kids to sway back and forth in a natural way that allows them to focus and sit during lessons.
We purchased several items that would encourage speech and WOW did we get it right! These items are what our kids are interested in and they are encouraged to communicate and interact with the "toys" they don't realize they are working and learning, because it's in the context of their interest.
We started the school year on a positive note and the kids are so happy with the new items.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Tega
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Supporter and 11 other donors.Life Skills Rock Stars!
Funded Aug 26, 2022The Life Skills students at Ranchos Elementary would like to give a HUGE shout out to YOU for helping us explore our community. With your help, we're able to practice our goals in Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapy. Your donation helps us continue to grow and learn. Thank you for helping our teachers make these fun activities possible!
I would like to extend a standing ovation to all that supported my goal in getting my students out. My staff and I were able to have all needed supplies and required items readily available by having the materials purchased. Our outings were successful and eventful! Thank you for believing in my students and trusting me in exposing them to community adventures.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Tega
Life Skills ROCKS!
Funded Dec 14, 2021We started the school year learning about School, Friends, School Materials and Places within the school building. We have learned what materials do, what we use them for, we have learned to recognize letters that pertain to school materials. We have covered lessons in Fall in the Farm, All Around Town, and now we are starting a new lesson on Space Exploration.
Each Language Art lesson consisted of Reading; Literature, Informational Text and Foundational skills lessons that included lacing, matching/comparing pictures, coloring, matching colors, sorting colors, sorting sizes, stamping letters (coloring or tracing), critical thinking and beginning sounds. Writing lessons consisted of Tracing, connecting dots, and sorting colors, Speaking and Listening lessons involved, following left-right, sorting colors, completing mazes, Matching, cutting and gluing. Language lessons incorporated completing puzzles, matching pictures, coloring pictures and tracing words/letters.
Math/Counting and cardinality lessons focused on counting and identifying numbers, matching sets/matching numbers, counting items and coloring numbers. Operation and Algebraic thinking lessons consisted in one-to-one correspondence, completing patterns, and identifying symbols/tracing equations. Number and Operations in base ten lessons focused on counting to 10, making sets of 10, matching, identifying numbers and coloring sets. Students were exposed to Measurements and Data in the form of sorting colors, telling time, measuring lengths, and sorting by types. Geometry concepts were introduced (Recognizing shapes, identifying shapes, matching signs, and tracing/coloring shapes). We also exposed students to fractions (recognizing fractions, matching halves, and coloring fractions).
I ordered two major components to the second half of the school year items through Donor Choose. Which I will use for the years to come. I purchased a Circle Time interactive wall center that I have wanted to have for years! This Circle Time Center is located in our morning circle area where we review the days of the week, colors, numbers, months, Letters, shapes and weather!!! I use a communication board where kids have to choose what they want to "do" during circle. During circle time, we go over Months of the year, Days of the week, numbers by 1's, 5's and 10's, identifying number magnets 1-10, one to one correlation, and writing numbers. Every week we have 2 books on the weeks lesson that focus on learning targets, and we work on reading, predicting, identifying focused letters and questions- these books will have number concepts that help reinforce numbers that we have been working on. Students enjoys participating in circle time and really likes to sing. Having this new Circle Time Center has brought our morning circle lessons to life.
After winter break, I had a lesson on "All Around Town" that focused on things you see around town, from people, buildings, cars, and different types of areas around your town. We learned about different types of workplaces, where to go if you want groceries, watch a movie, buy household items, need money, or where to go if you like to ski. In this lesson we had a section where we learned about different types of jobs or careers that you may find in a town. WHICH is the 2nd most important item purchased through Donors Choose- Our Community outfits/costumes. Every child had an outfit that were represented in several different community books. Kids were able to participate by standing up while we read about them in our books, students were able to point to each other when they heard a community worker. This is the first time that I have had actual costumes for the kids to wear during a community lesson. It was so nice to see the kids get excited to participate while wearing their outfits. Students wore different outfits every day and were able to be different community workers. They enjoyed this lesson greatly!
I also purchased a character Kid book and costumes and a red phone. I intend to use the character kid book/costumes for the beginning of the school year. Our community lesson took an extra couple of weeks, and we are starting a space explore lesson. As for our play phone, during circle time, we use the phone while we sing 10 little monkeys'. Every child is a money and while one holds the phone to call the doctor, they pass the phone around as moneys fall of the bed. We have been singing this song and kids didn't understand the concept of calling the doctor- so now that we have a phone, it helps with the song. It's all about the little things.
I want to thank you all for your support in my class and for my students. This second part of the school year has been filled with so much color and laughter. The items that were purchased were a hit and I am excited to use them for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Tega
Life Skills Rockstars 2!
Funded May 17, 2021We start everyday with smiling kids and tons of laughter, singing and most morning crying. Because my students face many obstacle through the day, it's the resposibility of myself and staff to ensure their day is ready from the moment they walk off the bus. Their schedule's are set, their lessons for the day are ready, songs and dances are queued and it's ready set go!
Because my students are working on being independent, we have build in time for snack and meal preparation. Students are learning to make a list of items needed for snacks, what is refrigerated and what isn't, they are learning to make simple snack and also set the table. The fridge that was purchase has come in handy! We are able to keep food in our class. We have always been limited to what types of snacks we could have because we didn't have a fridge. Now that we have a fridge we can have a variety of snack and actually cook and bake.
Our class motto is if we go home clean, then we didn't do our job. Every week we work on a new snack or meal and man do we get dirty! We have been able to practice the same snack and meal for several weeks and can see that students are growing and retaining the steps needed to make themselves something to eat. This is our goal- for our students to be as independent as possible.
Our class is none stop learning, non stop working and non stop laughing. We push our kids to do their best and encourage them daily to reach for daily goals. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the money donated to purchases these items. They may seem like little stuff but in the bigger picture they are stepping stones to provide my students the resources to become strong independent kiddos.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Tega
Life Skills Rockstars
Funded Mar 28, 2021Good morning! Good morning! Hello and how are you? Early in the morning, I say "good morning" Hello and how are you!
We start everyday with smiling kids and tons of laughter, singing and most morning crying. Because my students face many obstacle through the day, it's the resposibility of myself and staff to ensure their day is ready from the moment they walk off the bus. Their schedule's are set, their lessons for the day are ready, songs and dances are quede and it's ready set go!
The folders that were purchased for my project houses the weeks lessons. Each color of folder represents a subject (Language Arts, Math and Science). Every kiddo has a visual schedule and when they get to a Red Letter Symble they know they need to get their red Folder. Each folder is represnted with a red etter, green number or blue square. Students are able to navigate independently by following their visual schedule.
Because my students are working on being independent, we go through lots of folders. They are learning to pull out papers, put papers in and opening and closing. They can be rough at times, trying to navigate papers and folder. It may be hard to imagine the skills used to manipulate papers and folders being pulled out or being put away. There is lots of eye hand cordination and patience. We allow each studne the time to go through the steps. By having extra folders, it allows us to replace them when they get torn, or when they wear out from being handled. Students deserve to have materials that are in working condition. So when they get torn or start falling apart. We have the ability to replace.
Our class motto is if we go home clean, then we didn't do our job. Every day we have multi-sensory lessons where we have paint, bingo dabbers, glue or sensory imput item that brings awareness to our students. We use these items to support occupational therapy goals. Helping students focus on their fingers, eye hand cordination and hand manipulations. In a class where students are working on functional goals, we work extremely close with our anciallary providers (Speech Language Pathologist, Occupational therapist, Physical Therapy, Teacher for Visual Impairment). Paints, bingo dabbers and glitter paints are all used to help support not only our occupational goals but we work on speech language goals too.
Our class is none stop learning, non stop working and non stop laughing. We push our kids to do their best and encourage them daily to reach for daily goals. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the money donated to purchases these items. They may seem like little stuff but in the bigger picture they are stepping stones to provide my students the resources to become strong independent kiddos.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Tega
This classroom project was brought to life by T-Mobile and 6 other donors.