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Mrs. Ortega's Classroom

  • PS 30 Westerleigh
  • Staten Island, NY
  • More than a third of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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We'll charge your card today and send Mrs. Ortega a DonorsChoose gift card she can use on her classroom projects. Starting next month, we'll charge your card and send her a DonorsChoose gift card on the 17th of every month.

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Make a donation Mrs. Ortega can use on her next classroom project.

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Past projects 3

  • Let's Make the iPads Safe to Use Every Day!

    Funded Nov 13, 2024

    It is hard to put into words the way your generosity has shaped the learning of over 400 students in my building! I see most of our K-5 elementary school once a week as a "math lab." It is my job to support the classroom learning in hands on ways that encourages our students to love mathematics.

    Last year I began trying out some websites and games to foster a little friendly competition in the context of math fact practice. The students loved it when we ended our 50 minutes with a 10 minute game. This year I focused on the game Kahoot! and started incorporating it into each period.

    Student excitement, and subsequently their confidence and success, all soared. I started to notice many of my students, especially those with special needs struggled to use the iPads when they were flat on the table. They would try to prop them up, and ultimately they would fall. This frustrated the students, and stress fractures began to appear on the devices.

    When I asked for cases for the iPads I never imagined the project would be funded, and done so quickly. There was an audible gasp from the children when I explained that the cases were ours and had generously been donated by those we were strangers to them. The kindness was overwhelming. They are careful with these gifts as they play with confidence.

    Thank you for your role in supporting our future mathematicians!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Ortega

    This classroom project was brought to life by Young Sheldon and 5 other donors.
  • Kindergarten Students Learn By Doing!

    Funded Dec 30, 2023

    My Kindergarten students feel so valued. I had to explain to them what a donor was, and a bit about this website. I knew they understood when one called out, "The donors chose us!" while others cheered. This was repeated through each of the 5 kindergarten classes I see weekly.

    So far we have explored the hands-on manipulatives, counting, and generating patterns. Some of the most shy children are excited to share their explorations and to count proudly for me.

    The biggest hit so far has been the puzzles. Too many of these children are seeing puzzles for the first time in my classroom. They are excited to be learning about numbers greater than 10 and they were thrilled to rotate through puzzle stations to practice.

    These new materials have excited my students and energized my lessons. I appreciate you so much!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Ortega

  • A Good Book is a Friend for Life!

    Funded Jul 4, 2021

    I was put into the role of 4th grade teacher, working with 27 fully remote 4th graders. Previously, I had been a math cluster teacher in my school for over a decade. The transition was rocky. I had to learn the classroom curriculum used by 4th grade in my school for subjects I had not taught in a long time, and modify it for our virtual success. The students had no textbooks, only slides of our books from photos I took. The time on the computer was draining, and reading on the screen was hard for them.

    I started out reading to them every day. I set apart time, and watching them in comfy places, away from the screen, truly listening, motivated me. We went through two novels like that, reading for the love of a great story. Then I realized if I put books into their hands I could meet the 4th grade reading skills in a whole new way. I set them up with Matilda, by Roalld Dahl. In this first book we worked on elements of fantasy. We analyzed characters and talked about interpersonal relationships. We built vocabulary.

    We read Harry Potter - books 1 and 2 together, and by the time we were through, they were masterful at citing text evidence. There are so many ways to teach through a good book, we have only scratched the surface. But most importantly they LOVE books. And that was my dream.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Ortega

Putting books in their hands allows them to read for the pure joy of reading. Working on-screen all day can deter even young eyes from wanting to do one more thing. Letting them hold their own books gives them a sense of connectedness to each other and to the characters. It also allows me to teach key literary concepts in such a way they barely notice they are working! They eagerly await our "novel time" each day, and many have told me it is their favorite part of all we do!

About my class

Putting books in their hands allows them to read for the pure joy of reading. Working on-screen all day can deter even young eyes from wanting to do one more thing. Letting them hold their own books gives them a sense of connectedness to each other and to the characters. It also allows me to teach key literary concepts in such a way they barely notice they are working! They eagerly await our "novel time" each day, and many have told me it is their favorite part of all we do!

About my class

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