Past projects 10
Booking Up Book Club!
Funded Sep 17, 2024First, let me say how much I appreciate your constant support and encouragement as I continue to try and promote reading to my middle school students. This is the age where students either learn to love reading for the joy that it can be, or they turn away from it forever thanks to the rigor of the classroom.
My constant goal every year is to show students that reading can be enjoyable and a form of relaxation and escape, not just something done for the sake of an A on a paper. Through the help of my book club, I am getting more and more students to pick up novels instead of short stories and excerpts so that they can experience the pleasure of reading something cover to cover.
It's a commitment and it's a thrill of accomplishment. It's something I hope every single one of them learn and take with them into high school and beyond.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Aglialoro
Just One More Chapter
Funded Apr 6, 2023My students have GOBBLED up these new books for our final unit of the year. The theme is "oppression and morality" and books like these have given them more of a well-rounded view of oppression throughout history and in multiple countries. They also were able to read and learn about incredible, ordinary people who took a stand and became EXTRAordinary people that made the world a better place.
I am so thankful for your donations so that I can spread the gift of reading to these students who LOVE to learn.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Aglialoro
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 30 other donors.[Almost] All Booked Up
Funded Feb 21, 2023I cannot say "thank you" enough times for your generosity. My club members range from 6th-8th grade and DEVOUR BOOKS! I hate to admit it, but in this day and age, that seems to be a rare trait with every passing year. These bright individuals begged me not only to start this club but also to open it to all grade levels. On top of that, upon our first meeting, they came ready with titles and genres they were so excited to read. My instant reaction was that I needed to make sure I kept this passion for reading alive and allowed them to continue enjoying reading.
Every month we read a new book. During our meetings, I suggest a skill for us to focus our discussion on (i.e.: characters, setting, point of view, dialogue, etc.). These skills match and reinforce the skills they learn in class...even though they don't realize that. The conversation flows from there. They only take a few minutes before making connections to their own lives and interests, a skill many older students still struggle with. Each meeting ends with us discussing a thematic topic we connect to in the text like love, respect, greed, individuality, or friendship.
One of my club members stated, "I speak for the entire book club when I say how grateful we are for your contribution. The love of reading that children like myself hold should know no bounds". He is in 7th grade.
Another 6th-grade student believes "Books are awesome, perfection, and basically God's gift to humanity. So, basically, you gave us the best gift possible."
Again, thank you for your help with furthering the curiosity of these middle school students and helping teachers like myself promote reading.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Aglialoro
This classroom project was brought to life by Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation and 17 other donors.Stay Focused!
Funded Sep 4, 2020COVID disrupted many things in a typical school year. We weren't able to have a normal graduation ceremony (two years in a row). We weren't able to have prom or class day or senior week. There were no field trips or social events of any kind. For my particular group of students, this was especially trying since we are responsible with creating the school yearbook.
I started at Olympic High School this year and took on being the yearbook adviser since I have done it for many years. What I was greeted with was not only remaining virtual almost the entire year, but I was told there would be no underclassmen pictures, no students on campus, and that our yearbook class had no equipment.
Thanks to your generous donations, my students were able to begin learning photography as we slowly re-entered the school in March. Even though I only had about four students return to our yearbook class, some of them had never used an actual camera of any kind before. They are so conditioned to use their cell phone for everything that this opportunity truly gave them something new to learn.
Thank you to everyone that donated so that I can continue to grow this program in the years to come in hopes that many young photographers can begin to explore their passion.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Aglialoro
This School Year is all Booked!
Funded Aug 13, 2019First and foremost, thank you so much for your generous donation to this project to help boost an interest in reading. Students are so glued to technology that they forget there is a whole other world out there that doesn't require a plug or WiFi.
When these new novels arrived in my classroom, I genuinely saw my students get excited. They looked at it as a gift just for them, and some of them needed that. Many of them selected the same books to read and now are encouraging each other to finish them quickly so that they can read it next- that gives me chills!
Each one of these books shows my students that novels are written every day with the desire to gain an audience. They want to be read and they want students to form connections about the material discussed in them. We have even started talking about forming a book club after school so that more students can get involved.
Thank you again for this amazing gift that has opened the door to so many other opportunities and possibilities. My students and I thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Aglialoro
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader
Funded Oct 20, 2018These books have been a game changer in my classroom!!! When they arrived, I immediately saw that my excitement infected all of them. They were so curious about what titles I chose and that they could read novels together. Some of them even finished the books they were reading faster because they wanted a new book to read! I have never been more excited by their enthusiasm for reading.
Now we have started doing book talks as well as using these independent reading novels to discuss writing styles, vocabulary, and topics that interest them. I am beyond thankful for this opportunity to get my students reading.
Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Aglialoro
Read What Your Teacher Gave Ya!
Funded Jan 24, 2017The books that were funded for this project are strictly for independent reading. We have started doing an independent reading challenge called the 40 Book Challenge to encourage students to read what they life. The hope is that even if they read 1 book more than they did last year, they are a winner. This will not only increase their reading level, speaking that many of my students are coming into the 8th grade with a reading level far below what they should, but it will also help build their stamina and interest in literature.
These books range from both fiction to nonfiction to graphic novels to poetry in hopes to spark the interest of even the most reluctant readers. I have selected books from series' that they like, such as anything written by Rick Riordan or the Bluford High Series. When the students saw these series, which are hardly ever available in our own library, they were overjoyed. It has been a battle just to give a student the book when another really wants it also.
Students have 20-25 minutes every day to kick back and read their book. This helps them relax and have some time for themselves. I even have a reading corner with a plush seat for someone who is doing exceptionally well in class. They enjoy the right to earn that spot.
This project is something I may do again and again to give them everything they could possibly find interest in. Plus, it gives us both something to talk about- I love when they tell me I HAVE to read something. It's ever English teachers dream come true.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Aglialoro
Read What Your Teacher Gave Ya!
Funded Jan 20, 2017The books that were funded for this project are strictly for independent reading. We have started doing an independent reading challenge called the 40 Book Challenge to encourage students to read what they life. The hope is that even if they read 1 book more than they did last year, they are a winner. This will not only increase their reading level, speaking that many of my students are coming into the 8th grade with a reading level far below what they should, but it will also help build their stamina and interest in literature.
These books range from both fiction to nonfiction to graphic novels to poetry in hopes to spark the interest of even the most reluctant readers. I have selected books from series' that they like, such as anything written by Rick Riordan or the Bluford High Series. When the students saw these series, which are hardly ever available in our own library, they were overjoyed. It has been a battle just to give a student the book when another really wants it also.
Students have 20-25 minutes every day to kick back and read their book. This helps them relax and have some time for themselves. I even have a reading corner with a plush seat for someone who is doing exceptionally well in class. They enjoy the right to earn that spot.
This project is something I may do again and again to give them everything they could possibly find interest in. Plus, it gives us both something to talk about- I love when they tell me I HAVE to read something. It's ever English teachers dream come true.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Aglialoro
Unbroken Young Adult Books for ELL Scholars
Funded Jul 2, 2016This book will be used to supplement the adult version of "Unbroken" for students with learning disabilities as well as students who are English Language Learners. We do not begin reading this book until the end of the 3rd Quarter so I will have to wait to share the impact this book has on my lesson but I can share what I foresee happening.
Our EC scholars struggled with "Unbroken" last year because the words were far above their reading level, making the content of the story hard to grasp. Some were able to read the words on the page at a slow pace but if our EC teacher didn't read it with them and ask them probing question, the message/morale's/meanings deep within the pages was lost. ELL scholars struggled in the same sense as some of them are still learning basic English but are expected to complete and be proficient in 8th grade ELA even though they are not yet at a 4th grade reading level based on learning this new and challenging language.
What I hope this book will do, will put the language in an easier to understand manner so that these scholars can grasp the concept of the story and, therefore, begin to make the connection to the state/common core standards that are going to be assess on the End of Grade exam they are required to take.
Eventually, they will be asked to read passages from the adult version, but by having the ground work assessed and completed, they should be able to understand this higher level book and move forward with grade level activities.
I am so excited to see what my scholars do now that they have this too and I'm hoping they will love this story as much as their peers do.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Aglialoro
Ms. A.'s Highly Capable Classroom
Funded Jul 8, 2016Even though this project was classroom supplies, most people don't understand the significance this has on the sanctity and functionality of a classroom.
As I enter my sixth year of teaching, I have made many errors in judgment when it comes to the maturity level of students. I don't mean this for behavior, but that things that are common to adults are not for students (and probably weren't for us at one point in life).
They don't have that habit yet of waking up in the morning and making sure their bags are packed with everything they could possibly need for a work day because to them, they're just going to school (and some don't even have supplies or a back pack to get ready!).
The bookshelf and storage bins have helped create a warm and nurturing class environment that makes everyone want to enter the room, stay for awhile, and get comfortable. Some students come from a troubled home life don't have a safe space all of their own and by creating that, a bond has now been formed.
The storage bins have also allowed for scholars not to have to be embarrassed if they didn't have anything to come to class with. They now have pens, pencils, paper, glue, a pencil sharpener, scissors, markers, etc., ready and easily accessible. They don't need to constantly ask or be reprimanded for not having something to write with when we're taking notes. They have now been able to work diligently without feeling ashamed, which generally leads to misbehavior as a form of acting out.
I'm so thankful for this project to be funded, and I'm so happy I can supply my scholars with a warm classroom environment to continue growing our relationship.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Aglialoro