Past projects 239
Flexible Seating For STEM Thinking! Part 1
Funded Dec 21, 2016Thank you so very much for supporting my students and my classroom with your generous donation to this project. My students and I are very thankful for your support!
When we brought in the new year, my students were very eager to change our classroom. We are always involved in various cooperative group projects where students work in groups to collaborate and plan. Changing our room environment from the traditional rectangular tables to round ones made such a big difference, and my students love them!
The round tables also freed up additional space in our classroom, so my students have more room for flexible seating options. And, they just make our room "look so cool" as one of my students stated!
Thank you again for donating to this project. You have helped me to transform the learning environment in my classroom. My students and I are grateful that you share my vision for helping my students succeed.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
Quill You Keep Me Charged?
Funded Oct 10, 2016Thank you for supporting this project. My students and I are very appreciative and are humbled by your generosity.
I have been fortunate to receive grant funding to provide all of my students with their own computer to use in the classroom. They are becoming so technologically savvy and use their laptops every chance they get! One of the challenges we were confronted with was keeping them charged. My classroom is very old and only has a few electrical outlets. It was very frustrating to me and to my students.
Because of your help and generosity, we were able to obtain a wonderful charging station, where all 20 laptops can be stored and charged. I can't tell you how happy my students were when the cabinet came; how excited they were while they were watching my principal put it together, and how extremely happy they were--and are--now that it is assembled and working! They take pride in making sure they put their computers away after each use, knowing that when the”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
I Like to Move It, Move it...Healthy Mind, Healthy Body!
Funded Aug 19, 2016Thank you so much for supporting my classroom. Your generosity has made 23 wonderful and energetic third graders very, very happy!
In this age of technology, it is becoming increasingly hard to get kids up and moving, especially when you are competing with video games and other electronic means of entertainment. It is no different in the classroom. Most students hate traditional physical education, so when they asked if they could use the technology that they love to create exercise videos that they would be interested in, how could I say no?
The iPad we received for this project gave my students the opportunity to use programs such as MovieMaker to create physical education experiences for themselves and other third grade classes in my school. In addition, we downloaded Kid Yoga apps, and my students use it when they want to take "brain breaks" to focus and center.
Thank you for allowing me to teach my students how to integrate technology with movement. We are in the process of creating more experiences that will be burned to CD's or copied on flash drives so my students can share their "moves" with their family. Your donation means the world to us and I am very grateful that you were able to help my students vision come to life.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Target and 2 other donors.Wiggle While You Work...and Learn! Part 2
Funded Sep 9, 2016Thank you so very much for your generous donation to my classroom and my students. I am always humbled at the generosity of strangers that come together to help me get supplies and materials for my classroom.
My students absolutely LOVE the wobble chairs! I could not open and assemble them fast enough! My students just had to help so I let them! Once assembled, they could not wait to try them out. I must say that I am really amazed at how having a little bit of movement while they read and discuss makes so much difference in their concentration levels.
Because of this project, I now have a full classroom set, so every student has their own wobble chair! Whenever they need a "brain break" they go and get their chair and wobble away! It really is amazing how the movement on these chairs helps them to concentrate and focus.
Thank you again for supporting my students. This gift is wonderful and I am sure that my classroom will prosper and achieve.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Target and 4 other donors.Dirt Made My Lunch! Expanding Our Literacy Garden!
Funded Jun 30, 2016Dear Friends!
Thank you so very much for supporting my students and my classroom with your generous donation. I cannot tell you how super excited my students were when the materials arrived!
When school started I told the students that part of their third grade experience would be planting seeds and maintaining the garden space that is right outside our classroom door. The space has be transformed over the years, and is now our "Literacy Garden" where student conduct research about plants, seeds and pollinators, but is also a place where they can go to read and relax! A big part of the process each year is getting the garden beds for ready for planting. I informed them that as soon as the soil came that we could get started.
Now let me tell you that for some reason it took a VERY long time for our soil to arrive! Every day my students would ask "Has the soil arrived?" Every time the office sent for a monitor they prayed that it would be the soil! So please believe me when I tell you that when the day came and the soil was sitting outside our classroom, the screams of delight could be heard in every classroom in our school!
Needless to say we started right away and you can tell from the pictures that my students are very serious and love the garden. Just this week we had our first harvest...radishes!! Squash and carrots are not far behind!
Thank you again for donating to this project. You have made 20 third grade students extremely happy, and have helped me to enhance their love for growing and the Earth. I am so very happy that you share my vision for helping students succeed.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Tom's of Maine and 10 other donors.Write On, 2.0!
Funded Jul 26, 2016Dear Friends:
Thank you so very much for your donation to this project. My students and I are very grateful for your support.
Having these resources have been amazing! My students know that by the end of the school year they will be "published authors" and take home at least 6 books that they wrote and illustrated! We just completed the first one this week and my students are full of pride! The book topic was our garden, so they wrote a book to "teach" others all about plants and seeds. This assignment was not only fun for the students, but also gave me the opportunity to teach them how to conduct research and was a natural assessment for our unit.
Yesterday our Life Science unit was enhanced by the arrival of crayfish! After the initial excitement the next thing they asked was if they were going to get to write a book about crayfish! Music to a teacher's ears!
Thank you again for your generous donation to my classroom. You have given my students an additional learning tool--one that they will keep and cherish for a very long time. Thank you so much for believing in my vision for student success!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
Murals, Science and Art, Oh My! Empowering Students Through Art
Funded Jun 19, 2016Dear Friends and Family!
Thank you so very much for supporting this project. Being able to work with Jo Cobbett and complete this project was such a wonderful experience for my students and provided an awesome learning space that is both beautiful and educational.
When I first came to my school three years ago, the walls surrounding my classroom were dull and colorless. I have included a picture of how the walls looked with the this letter. Right then and there I had a vision to add much needed color and create a learning wall that my students as well as the whole school could benefit from. The added bonus was that not only would the amazing artist work on the piece, but my students would also be involved!
The first step was for them to meet and learn from Jo! They had "art sessions" where they discussed their vision for the wall and has mini lessons on drawing and painting techniques. They then produced drawings that included what they wanted and hoped the space would look like when it was completed. They observed Jo as she worked and painted for several sessions, asking questions along the way and taking notes in their science observation journals. Then, finally they got the opportunity to "leave their mark" on the learning wall space, closely observed by myself and Jo. I must tell you that it was amazing and my students are so very proud of what they produced and painted.
This is an experience that my students will have for a lifetime. The mural will be a permanent reminder of their learning experience--one that they will be able to relive every time they visit the space, long after they leave my classroom!
Thank you again for your generous donations and your support of my classroom. This project helped me to beautify my school, give my students the experience of a lifetime, and provide color and a wonderful learning environment for the entire school community to learn from and enjoy. Thank you so very, very much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 57 other donors.Write On!
Funded Jun 26, 2016Dear Friends:
Thank you so much for donating to this project. Your generosity has made a wonderful difference in my classroom already, and the school year has just begun!
Having the materials for my students at the beginning of the year is awesome. It allows me to "hit the ground running" from day one. My students are avid readers and writers. When I introduced them to their new writing folders the were so excited. Not only does it have four folder flaps for every step of the writing process, it also has great information and tips that is very helpful to students during their creative process. It really is a fantastic learning tool! They really do love it!
Thank you again for supporting my classroom. I am constantly reminded that there are people out there who share my passion for education and am humbled and so very appreciative.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
Full Steam Ahead! Materials Needed For The New School Year!
Funded Jul 26, 2016Dear Friends:
Thank you so very much for your generous donation to my classroom. I am humbled that there are people like you out there who are willing to help me be able to provide my students with the materials they need to learn and succeed.
School has been in only a few short weeks and already there is a real difference in organization and presentation of materials. My students having their own personal set of headphones when they are working on the computer or iPad during technology time has made all of the difference in the world! My students are more focused and no longer have to "wait for a turn" to use the classroom technology. I really cannot thank you enough and express to you how wonderful this is to implement and watch.
As the school year progresses, my students will be writing and publishing stories and compiling their work on the flash drives you funded, each creating a digital portfolio of their thoughts, research and writings for their time in third grade. They were very excited when I told them about this and are elated now that I have given the drives to them. They still need practice using and saving their work, but believe me, by the time you read this message, they will be well versed and be able to use it like pros!
Thank you again for your support. Because of you my students will thrive this year and have wonderful memories...and the work product to prove it!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
Wiggle While You Work…And Learn!
Funded Aug 3, 2016Words cannot express the gratitude I feel right now. Thank you so very much for your generous donation to my classroom and my students.
My students absolutely LOVE the wobble chairs! I could not open and assemble them fast enough! My students just had to help so I let them! Once assembled, they could not wait to try them out. I must say that I am really amazed at how having a little bit of movement while they read and discuss makes so much difference in their concentration levels. I only wish now that I had a complete class set!
Thank you again for supporting my students. This gift is wonderful and I am sure that my classroom will prosper and achieve.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Target and 2 other donors.