Past projects 8
Keeping It Clean
Funded Nov 23, 2024Thank you so much for your donation. It really has made a difference in my classroom. Not only is it clean and fresh, but also my attendance has been stellar.
With a room full of 9-10 year olds it is hard to keep a fresh smelling room. With the wipes and steam mop, we have been able to keep it smelling amazing all year. My classroom rugs have also stayed nice and clean with our great little vaccuum.
I know a room that looks and smells clean is not the best part of this project. I really think the wipes and mop have allowed us to keep the germs at bay, which in turn keeps my classroom full. I truly believe our great attendance is partly due to these cleaning supplies.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wilson
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 5 other donors.Festive 4th Graders
Funded Dec 3, 2024We are so grateful for your support in this wonderful project. Many of you made donations to help fund our 4th grade project. We put together gift bags for the students in the entire elementary, including PK/EC and K-5. We did this project last year as well, and the students really seemed to enjoy it. We would like to consider making it a yearly 4th grade project. Each student received a hat, socks, water bottle, candy cane, pencil and hot cocoa packet. We somehow managed to recieve everything we needed to deliver before Christmas, except the simple giftbags we had ordered. We decided to improvise and use lunchbags, which were just the right size to fit the goodies into. We have saved the gift bags for next year, so that is one thing we already have for the next project.
Anyway, preparing the bags is kind of a big project in itself. I really noticed how some students were able to step up and help orgainze, making sure we had checks in place to prevent anyone from being missed. I loved watching them work together to fill these bags and load them into boxed to prepare for delivery. We rotated students after every grade level was completed so everyone would have a chance to work in the "shop" preparing the gifts, then take the order down to deliver at to the classroom. Some groups liked to go in and sing a couple of Christmas carols, when time allowed, and the kids really seemed to love that as well.
I am attaching a few photos of the bag filling process. We did make some additional videos of delivery as well, but I wasn't sure about media releases, so I decided to hold of on those. I know PK really enjoyed the recieving and singing, and even sang a song for us.
It truly is a great feeling to give. I hope these 4th graders remember this activity and try to channel the spirit of giving in the future. I thank you all for you support and I know the little ones appreciated it more than you can imagine.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wilson
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 8 other donors.Mrs. Wilson's Fantastic Fourth Grade
Funded Aug 12, 2024I am writing today to thank you for your generousity in the donation you made to our project. It really means a lot to these kids to have the supplies they need and an environment they feel comfortable in. This project allows both!
Our small community has a large number of families who struggle to provide all of the "extras" our school work sometimes requires. Rather than put that burden on an already tight family budget, we are able to provide notebooks, folders, wireless mice, whiteboard erasers and nameplates to each student. They don't have to share, or try to come up with their own and this has been a blessing. Another great thing about these supplies is that all but the notebooks can be reused for years to come. That is making your dollars last!
Finally, seeing the looks on their faces when they walk into my classroom for the first time is always priceless. My room is full of colorful decor and helpful posters. It is so important for kids to feel like they "fit in", and my room helps them with this by being able to match our school's patriotic theme. It connects us all and really shows them we are just part of the big picture.
Thank you again, so much, for being such a huge asset to our classroom, and our school. It means more than you know!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wilson
Far-Out Fourth Grade
Funded Nov 28, 2023I wanted to take a few minutes to let you know how the support you have provided has benefited the learning experiences of my class. As you may know, our little community has a very high rate of members who live far below the poverty level. It is so important for us to be able to provide that little extra to make our classrooms, and beyond, feel welcoming and make our students feel safe and happy.
My students were thrilled to see all of the fun and educational posters and educational helps that covered our walls. Our elementary school selects a theme each year and our "groovy" decor made my class feel like they were really part of the whole group, and the compliments we received from other students and teachers really made them feel good. Along with the decorative aspect, we fulfilled the need to have quality supplies for stapling, gluing, labeling and hanging work. I was able to hang string lights from the ceiling that allowed us to work in a really pleasant atmosphere. Students LOVED reading during our silent reading time by the light of our string lights and small lanterns. It really added to the enjoyment of reading.
File folders allowed me to be more organized, giving the students the opportunity to develop routines for turning in work. The headphones really allowed for focused listening and noice cancellation, which was invaluable during our state testing toward the end of the school year.
Again, I can't thank you enough for considering our project worthy of your support. We had a wonderful year, and your donation was no small part of that. Thank you from Mrs. Wilson's 4th grade class.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wilson
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 4 other donors.Fourth Grade Philanthropes
Funded Dec 8, 2023We were really excited to be able to complete this project. It was a sudden inspiration brought on by one student voicing her wish for every student to have something for Christmas. Knowing that some households may not recognize all holidays in the typical way, we still wanted to do something for everyone. It was a huge undertaking, but the support of our donors took away most of the hard part.
When we recieved our notification that our project was fully funded, this huge weight lifted and our class was overjoyed to know that we might even be able to pull this off before the winter break. Our school is in a very rural district with many underprivileged families, and knowing they would be sure to have gloves, hats, and socks to wear was really an awesome feeling.
After recieving our supplies, which came in just a few days, we notified all of the teachers that we would be delivering their gift bags. We have 35 fourth graders, which we split into two groups. One group "filled orders" and got them ready for delivery, while the others shared hot cocoa and colored. After we reached the halfway point, the groups switched, and everyone got to participate in fulfilling our mission.
The students were thrilled to get a gift, and we saw almost every new hat on a head at recess that day. Our students who were delivering even sang a few carols while they were dropping the bags off. It was a wonderful project and we were so proud to reach 242 students with this Thank you all again for your support!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wilson
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 13 other donors.Learners in Lab Coats
Funded Mar 18, 2023We couldn't have done this without you!! Last year, I took on a really big project: Sixth Grade! I came from another school, teaching lower elementary, was given a huge class (27 in my homeroom), and they were wild! I did not know where to start, but I knew I needed some great supplies, and lots of things to help me keep their hands busy and their minds learning. Thanks to our donors, we were able to do so many science projects! When we received our supplies, the kids were over the moon. I had to reign them in, they wanted to do everything all at once. Lots of times, a students would ask when we would get to use different things like the scales, measuring devices, burners, and especially the escape room tools. We could cook in our room with the burners, we used the many types of manipulatives for math and science activities, and the escape room artifacts were a real hit.
I was able to focus on coming up with fun and exciting activities and projects, rather than wishing I could afford to buy the supplies we needed to do them. I also displayed much of our work out in the halls. I always wanted to be that teacher who had students and other teachers always popping in to see what in the world we were doing. I had so many students tell me they couldn't wait to get to 6th grade so they could do all the fun and interesting stuff we had been doing.
I was so proud of the effort these kids put in every day. I feel like they learned exponentially more than they might have if I hadn't had the resources to keep them engaged and excited about learning. Thank you again for giving us a hand up!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wilson
Harvey's Herpetarium
Funded Jul 13, 2023We are so glad you chose our project to donate to. Our classroom has created quite the buzz at Hartville Elementary, and my kids are beaming with pride. I first told the students about Harvey at the beginning of the school year. We were all so excited, except the terrarium arrived with a big crack in it, so we had to wait a few more days. Finally, we were ready for our new guest.
The first day, Harvey was a little shy, but he is pretty sociable, so the kids usually get to observe him several times a day. It wasn't long before other students and staff began stopping by, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gecko. He receives numerous "Ooohs and Ahhhs!" every single day. We also have a pretty solid number of return lookers!
Harvey has given the kids something not only to learn about, but also to feel proud of. All the kids want to have a class pet, but only ours has one! We have also learned about the responsibility of a pet, as well as the many interesting things about Leopard Spotted Geckos.
Thank you again for your support!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wilson
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and 4 other donors.4th Grade Is Groovy!
Funded May 13, 2023First, I would like to thank you again for helping make my vision for our classroom into a reality. As I mentioned in my request, our elementary school picks a yearly theme to help provide cohesion and show how we are all connected, from Kindergarten through 5th grade. We have decided on a repeating cycle that repeats every 6 years so that we can reuse our materials, making it more cost effective. This year's theme is "Groovy" with a throwback vibe and we love it. I taught 6th grade last year, which is now part of the middle school, and I had to scramble to come up with resources to transform my classroom into a welcoming place where everyone felt like part of a family.
Many of the resources I requested serve multiple purposes, and can be reused year after year. I wanted the room to be not only aesthetically pleasing, but also a learning rich environment. I believe that together, we have achieved both. My walls are covered with visual aides including math and ela vocabulary, processes and helps, as well as inspirational and cheerful décor. I strive to create a classroom environment that is "homey" and comfortable, and ours feels just that way.
But don't take my word for it, I have had many compliments from other teachers and staff on our room, as well as from students and parents. The adjective I have heard frequently is "cozy". I think that when students feel comfortable and cozy, it takes away some of the negative external stimuli that can impede the learning process. The kids look forward to work time, when we dim the lights, and use the lamps. I've had students from other classes come in and say they wished their classroom was as "cool' as ours.
I will just include a few last words. We have a new Reading program here, and it requires a lot of higher level thinking, which requires making graphic organizers, etc. The students have really enjoyed using the multicolored dry erase markers to make their work stand out, and the posters on my walls have been great resources for them to find information. We have also incorporated the daily math and language activities, which are an amazing and quick way to reactivate prior knowledge as well as concrete those skills to help us move forward.
Thank you again for your support. I could never achieve these goals without you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wilson
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Foundation and 4 other donors.