Past projects 8
Breakfast Bites and Midday Snacks Restock!!
Funded Jan 16, 2025As we inch closer to the end of the school year, I wanted to thank you again for your contributions to our snack bin. This year we have been able to provide students with everything from cereal bars to pretzels and crackers to start their day or make it through the midday slump. The regulars are always as grateful as our first time visitors. There was initially an inventory learning curve where some of the favorite snacks would run out quickly. With the help and input of students we incorporated a system which requires students to utilize kickboard (behavior incentive) points for snacks. Kids are also responsible for restocking the bin, which is done on a monthly basis. I am looking forward to expanding our offerings and continuing this program into the upcoming school years. Thanks again for your support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tann
Social Reality: Building Social and Emotional Regulation Skills Through Vr
Funded Sep 18, 2024Thank you again for your contribution to our project. My students have been utilizing VR in their weekly sessions to help with their emotional regulation skills. Some enjoy the guided meditations which help them to self soothe and calm down when feeling anxious or overstimulated. Others like the more physical activites which help them release energy so they can focus on the important academic tasks throughout the day.
While we are still learning the platform and discovering new apps to use, this technology is truly changing the way students are engaging in counseling and translating the skills into real life outside of my office. It is my hope that intigrating new modalities into my work will not only challenge me as a professional, but keep kids invested in their emotional growth and make the process fun as well.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tann
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and 6 other donors.Breakfast Breaks and Midday Meals.
Funded Aug 14, 2024Breakfast Breaks and Midday meals has been a success!! As I previously stated, sometimes a meal or a snack is all students need to get over the hump. It can be the difference between being engaged in class or hitting a slump and sleeping through a lesson.
When word got out that this was being offered, my office became the place to be in the building. Students I hadn't ever interacted with were finding their way and asking for snacks throughout the day. So much so that I had to place some perimeters around accessing the snacks in order to control the flow of students. It also became evident that the need was overwhelming and we plan to continue this initiative throughout the remainder of the school year. Programs like these are sustainable because of people like you!! My students and I appreciate your support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tann
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 5 other donors.Painting the Pain Away
Funded Nov 28, 2023Thank you again for your generosity and supporting my counseling vision for my students. Unfortunately, many of our students are coping with complicated trauma that affects not only their daily functioning, but their ability to learn. My primary job is to help mediate some of those barriers to learning and help students obtain the skills they need to be successful beyond high school. Projects like this allow me to connect and engage with students outside of the traditional counseling perimeters.
There is tons of research documenting the advantages of art therapy. Projects like this provide further proof of the benefits. The kids were so proud of their final products even after feeling completely overwhelmed when they first opened the kits. Watching the joy they exhibited upon completion was indescribable. The photos will give you a glimpse into what the process was like for them. Those smiles are the reason I do this work and hopefully will encourage you to donate to Donors Choose in the future.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tann
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and one other donor.Hygiene Helps
Funded Aug 3, 2023This year we started an initiative to support students needs beyond the classroom. Hygiene was an area that I identified as I often see students in my office because they are being teased or bullied about things that can be remedied fairly easily. Thanks to your generosity, I was able to place hygiene kits in each of the 8 student bathrooms throughout the building. They are replenished weekly and students also know to come to me if they need supplies that are out of stock in the kits. As a result, I've had less incidents of class disruptions because of odor and fewer students requesting to go home for those hygiene related personal emergencies. I plan to continue providing our students with this support as long as I can.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tann
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Summer Camp Customization
Funded Jul 29, 2023Summer went by super fast and now we're diving back into the academic rigor of the 23-24 school. However, thanks to your support, our summer was filled with joy and fun through the sneaker customization camp. Two cohorts of kids were able to display their artistic abilities in the form of wearable sneaker art. Each group participated in a weeklong session that reviewed a brief history of sneaker culture, allowed time to create a mock up of their design to submit for approval. Then they were taught the painting process and ultimately brought their designs to life on their shoes. The pride and sense of accomplishment they displayed when they finished their shoes was the highlight for me. Hopefully I was able to capture some of that joy in the photos I submitted. Your contributions made this all possible, so again, we offer our thanks for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tann
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Foundation and 13 other donors.Play Changes Things
Funded Nov 29, 2022Thanks to your donation my students are utilizing games and play to improve their social skills, identify feelings and emotions using appropriate language, and work on general life skills including communication, conflict resolution and anger management. I allowed students to select a package with the agreement that they had to engage in whatever activity they selected. They enjoyed that process and genuinely light up with excitement every time they enter my office and see the new selection of activities. We were even able to take all of the students who met their goals to play ping pong at the end of the report period. Your contributions to our program will continue to impact students for years to come. Thanks again for your support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tann
This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 7 other donors.Helping Kids Cope!
Funded Dec 29, 2021Thanks to your generosity my students have been learning healthy ways of managing their emotions while in and out of school. As I stated previously, many of our students and families have been impacted by loss this year. Whether it be community violence or Covid related deaths, the number students coping with grief is astounding.
Many students become overwhelmed by their emotions and find it difficult to resume their daily lives following the death of a friend or loved one. My project has offered some options for managing this grief and loss through both individual and group counseling sessions. I am allowing them a space to process that emotion, connect with others who are dealing with similar experiences, and teach techniques for identifying and facing said emotions head on.
The Calming jars is one item they utilize to cope during when necessary. They create the jars during a session and are able to utilize beads, colors and other items that remind them of their loved one. The jars have become such hot commodity that other teachers/staff have requested them for their classrooms and offices to assist students who become dis-regulated. In addition, students that I don't typically work with are reaching out and asking if they can join groups and make jars as well. It's amazing how something seemingly so small can impact an entire community. We certainly appreciate your contribution to our project.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tann