Past projects 239
Plant it, Grow it, Experiment & Eat it!
Funded May 31, 2015Thank you so very much for supporting my classroom. Our garden space is very special and your generosity is helping it to continue to thrive!
At my school my students and I have created a Literacy Garden, a space where children learn about seeds, plants, and the wild life they attract. It is also a place where my students go when they want to do some independent quiet reading or meet with group during a project. In the beginning of the school year, my students prepare the soil, plant and observe the goings on in the garden. It is a project that lasts all year.
When the supplies arrived to replenish the garden my students could not wait to get to work! They recorded where they planted their seeds and keep careful records and observations as they germinate. This outdoor space is an extension of my classroom and the children in Room 18 are very proud of it as they maintain the grounds and share what they observe with other students and their parents.
Thank you again for your generosity. This project will be one that my students will cherish for a very long time and will provide many, many learning opportunities as the year progresses.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and 5 other donors.Comfy Seating for Independent Reading, Part 2
Funded Aug 16, 2015Thank you for supporting my classroom by donating to this project. As you can see by the photos, my students are really enjoying the carpet!
In my classroom students are engaged in independent learning centers throughout the day. If you were to visit my room you would see students all over the place participating in many activities from working on science projects, to independent and paired reading. Our library space needed a boost, and this project did just that!
When the carpet arrived my students got scissors and almost demanded that I let them help me open the package! It was wrapped pretty tight, so they finally let me finish! When it was opened they were so excited. They love the science theme the rug has and started right away trying to identify the animals and plants that were represented! What a wonderful teachable moment that was!
The library area is one of the favorite spaces in my classroom. Now that there is a carpet there, my students often spend time reading, working on projects and just relaxing. It is an awesome addition to our learning environment!
Thank you again for your support and your generosity. You are helping me create an environment that will help my students succeed and enjoy learning.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
Full "STEM" Ahead: Young Scientists Need Technology!
Funded Jun 24, 2015Thank you for supporting my classroom with your donation. I am humbled and thankful for your generosity and your support.
My students are 21st Century learners who use technology every day. While my school has a dedicated computer lab, we can only visit it once a week for a limited amount of time. My goal is to provide my students access to the technological tools they need, when they need it---in the classroom. This grant has helped me increase the number of devices my students have access to in my classroom! It is wonderful when wait time goes down and productivity goes up!
When the computers arrived, my students were anxious to open the box. When they did they screamed with delight and could not plug it in fast enough! "Unlock it so we can use it" was the command, so I did just that! Now half of my class can be on a device at one time to conduct research, play educational games and write stories. What a great resource and learning experience.
Thank you again for your generosity. My students and I are grateful there are people like you out there who care enough to help students they do not even know succeed. I appreciate your gift and it will be used by my students with diligence for many years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Infosys Foundation USA and 5 other donors.Literacy Centers Help Us Learn!
Funded Feb 13, 2015Thank you so very much for funding this project. Because of you I was able to attend an excellent conference that will enhance my teaching skills and provide additional opportunities for me to help my students learn and achieve.
In July, I went to the "Daily 5" conference, one that teaches teachers another method and additional strategies to teach Reading. What an eye opener! Not only were we lead by two fabulous presenters who developed this method, we were also given tools to use in the classroom, ensuring our success. I had been wanting to go to this conference for years, but was not able to because of financial restraints. Your gift was so very much appreciated!
Our school year has just begun and I have already implemented the tenants of the "Daily 5". My students caught on to the routine right away and I can say that I am seeing success already! My students have learned (and are still learning) to make choices about what activities they will and must complete during the day and the week. They are becoming independent thinkers and are taking control of what activities they complete and who they do them with. And lastly and most importantly, they are LOVING the literacy block! Seeing my student find a corner of the room, curled up and lost in a story/book is a joy and is priceless!
Thank you again for your generous donation to this project. It takes a village, and I am so happy that there are people like you in mine, he”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 2 other donors.Making Mathematics Meaningful
Funded May 25, 2015Thank you so much for your donation in support of this proposal. I am very appreciative of your support!
This professional development proposal gave me the opportunity to attend the "Engaging Students in Learning: Mathematical Practices and Process Standards" institute in Anaheim, California. The conference has just ended and it was great! Participants from all over were in attendance, so it gave me a wonderful opportunity to network with not only educators from California, but also from Canada, London and various other US states as well. Discussing best practices and getting ideas from a variety of perspectives was priceless.
The conference itself was phenomenal. There were wonderful keynote speakers and excellent hands on workshops were I experienced mathematics like never before. We were given the opportunity to "think like our students" and were provided resources that we will be able to use in our classroom starting on day one.
This workshop has enhanced my understanding of mathematics and has given me additional strategies that I will use and incorporate in my classroom and also share insights and activities with colleagues at my school site. I am very thankful that I was able to attend this conference. Thank you again for your donations. Because of your support I was able to expand my knowledge and I will start the school year with new activities and lessons to share with my students that will help them succeed.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 19 other donors.Don't Blink! We Need More Ink!
Funded Jan 27, 2015Thank you so much for donating to this project. My students and I appreciate your generosity!
My students produce many wonderful projects and pieces of art. I have a printer in my classroom (as a result of a previous DonorsChoose grant) and am able to print documents and student work when needed! The problem....having enough toner! My students want to print EVERYTHING!!! I don't want to stunt their creative juices so I usually let them! It is a wonderful way to have them publish and it validates their hard work!
Having these resources has made a big difference in my classroom. My students are more independent and take charge of their learning. Getting children to write narratives and stories is always a challenge. To add to that, they are 21st Century students, and are using technology more and more. Getting them to type their work is an added challenge. However, knowing that they will be able to print color copies of what they create makes all of difference! What a great motivation having this resource is!
Thank you again for your support! I am so very glad there are people who share my vision and want to help me help my students to succeed!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Quill.com FY15 and 8 other donors.S.O.S.! Save Our Student Work!
Funded Mar 21, 2015Thank you so much for supporting my classroom project. My students and I are very appreciative of your support!
In my classroom my students are involved in many project based learning experiences where they have to express their ideas in many different and creative ways. Having a laminating machine handy in the classroom makes all of the difference in the world because we are able to preserve student work samples in an instant, and not have to wait for me to take it to an outside service (where I have spent hundreds of dollars!). We do have a laminating machine in our school, however, it always seems to be in need of repair when my students and I want to use it. Thanks to you, we no longer have to worry about that!
My students LOVE using the machine! They want to laminate everything!!! They are so motivated to produce quality work because they know that is the only thing that is "lamination worthy"!
In addition, your generosity will help me to preserve our classroom games and centers, so that they can be used by many different sets of students. This makes ME very happy and helps me remain organized. Yay!
Thank you again for donating to our classroom. Because of you I have a tool that I will be able to use in my classroom for years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
Painting a Garden: The Art of Science, Part 2
Funded Nov 17, 2014Thank you so very much for supporting this project. My students and I are so very appreciative of your support!
My students have been chomping at the bit to add color to the walls that surround our literacy garden. They have been practicing painting techniques and making decisions about what they want on the mural. The overwhelming vote was to do an animal theme. Therefore, the mural depicts the highest vote---dinosaurs, and animals of Australia! What an interesting group of students I have!
The muralist was fabulous! She worked with the students and helped to make their drawings a reality that will live at our school for many years to come! In addition, my students will conduct research projects and become experts on all of the animal and plant life that is on the learning wall. Their ultimate challenge is to teach others, both students and their parents, about what they are seeing when they visit the space. They are our Learning Wall Ambassadors!
Thank you again for your support and donation to this project. You have helped to bring a dream into reality and have inspired not only my classroom students, but our whole school community!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and 12 other donors.I Listen, I Read, I Learn, Pt. 2
Funded Jan 7, 2015Thank you for supporting my classroom with your generous donation. My students and I really appreciate your kindness.
Instilling a love for Reading is one of the most important jobs a teacher has. With all of the technology available to the students today, getting them to sit and read an actual book can be a challenge. This project brought technology and real books together in a way that my students truly enjoy!
Our literacy center is one of the busiest places in my classroom. This project helped me provide additional titles and CD players so that more of my students can read and enjoy good books anywhere in the classroom. The portability the CD players provide is wonderful! My students can take their books out into our literacy garden, sit on the rug in the classroom, or enjoy stories at their desk. In addition, the books on CD help my struggling readers and my second language learners so much! Having stories read to them with proper intonation in a fun way is an invaluable teaching and learning tool. Thank you so much for helping me provide these resources for all of my students.
I am very grateful that you chose to help my students. Thank you for sharing my vision of student success for my students. Thank you for being an advocate and an angel helping me to prepare my students for the 21st Century.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
I Dig Dirt! Our Literacy Garden Continues to Grow!
Funded Jan 19, 2015Thank you for supporting this project. My students and I really appreciate your generosity.
My young scientists LOVE their literacy garden! After the holiday break they were so anxious to their hands back in the soil to rejuvenate and replant the garden. It was neglected for 3 long weeks and they wanted to give it some love!
When the materials arrived at our school my students were overjoyed! The only activity that could go on in my classroom that day was garden maintenance! They grabbed their science inquiry backpacks, garden tools and got to work weeding, turning soil, adding new soil and amendments, and planting seeds. The joy in their faces was priceless! This space has become an extension of our classroom and my students take great pride in taking care of it. I teach lessons in the literacy garden, students go there for independent and partner reading and they bring their friends and family to the area and "teach" them about the space as well. The garden is an accomplishment that will stay with them for a very long time.
Thank you again for donating to this project. You have helped me give my students a learning space that they cherish and love. You have helped me create a space that our whole school community can learn from and enjoy for many years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gaiter
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 31 other donors.