Past projects 10
Headlines Capture Our Interest
Funded May 28, 2018When I submitted this proposal, I could never in a million years have predicted that in just one semester the whole structure of the teaching and learning would be upended by a global pandemic.
Your contribution proved to be invaluable -- it provided each child with remote access to Scholastic New's engaging content. The digital resources allowed me to bring topics to life -- for example, we taught our second graders all about community helpers; thereafter, students completed annotated illustrations of people in our community who we framed as "heroes".
Without this resource, we would have been very hard pressed to find a comprehensive online platforms that offers content for young learners. Furthermore, since Scholastic New is compatible with Google Classroom we were easily able to post assignments so students could interact with the content from home.
This year we've subscribed to the magazine, and use the resources at least once a week, if not more often. Your generous contribution to our students' success is truly appreciated: together, we can help each child reach his/her full potential.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clune
Games Are Good for the Soul
Funded Mar 3, 2018Thank you so very much for your generous donation to our classroom - the board games, as well as the document camera have served the children well each and every day. This past Tuesday, our school hosted a family game night, and it was during that event when I had the good fortune to play board games with not only my students, but with children from across the school. The experience brought the community together and served as a vivid reminder of the importance of play for a child's social and emotional development. Especially as we increasingly move into an age dominated by screens, connecting in-person with others is critical to interpersonal growth.
The document camera is permanently connected to our class' computer and offers children an opportunity to track and annotate documents in real time. The visual reinforcement helps children to record accurate notes on their pages, and in this way, students are able to apply their skills in order to retain content knowledge. The children are consistently amazed at how the document camera works, and this feature alone serves to augment engagement during lessons and small group activities.
Our classroom community is so very grateful for your generous donation -- with your contribution, I am truly encouraged and inspired to continue bringing a sense of wonder and joy into the classroom. Thank you, so much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clune
Warby Parker Pupils Project
Funded Apr 25, 2017On behalf of the students and families at Bronx Little School (BLS), we wish to express our immense gratitude for your contribution to our Warby Parker Pupils Project. Thanks to your generous donations, twenty-six students at BLS were able to obtain a new pair of glasses, many of whom had never owned a pair. The event was truly a success - we supported learners as their vision was screened, then as they selected a pair of stylish glasses to complement their individual "look". On the very last week of school, a representative from the National Eye Care revisited the school to properly "fit" each frame, and this was truly gratifying to watch; in the morning, students tried on their brand-new glasses, and for the remainder of the day, youngsters wore them. The impact of this project was truly direct and immediate.
We know how very important eye sight is to success in school, and due to your support of our project, we were able to set the stage for academic achievement for each and every third grader who needed glasses. One of my young students Genesis, (I will always recall), spent an inordinate amount of time selecting her frames - she tried on nearly every pair available, and finally settled on a purple frame. It was a lot of fun to watch her carefully select and try on all of the different styles, only to then decide that they did not "suit" her. The event allowed our school-wide community to demonstrate just how much we care about our learners as individuals.
As the students prepare to transition to fourth grade, our pupils project was one of the most lasting gifts we could provide to our young scholars. Thank you, so much for contributing to this project: your donation means so much our students and their families.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clune
This classroom project was brought to life by Warby Parker and 9 other donors.Water, It's Essential
Funded Feb 10, 2017Our third graders cannot thank you enough for your generous donation! Each and every student greatly values her water bottle. The young scholars proudly bring their lovely purple container to and from school each and every day to use both during the regular school-day, as well as during gym and New York Road Runners (NYRR) Young Runners practice. Your gift to each student was truly a expression of our care for the health our young athletes and learners.
The high-quality bottles have also created a sense of community and commonality among all of the learners: there is indeed a sense of pride with which each student carries her shiny Manduka Water Bottle. Beyond this, it provides our students with a time-saving item helping each learner to sustain attention throughout the instructional day by reducing time outside of the classroom. In this way, the bottles have directly contributed to an increase in engagement during practice, lessons and learning activities.
We are immensely grateful for your contribution to our young runners! Each student values his bottle more than we could have ever imagined when the project was drafted many months ago. Thank you so much for contributing to the success of our developing learners.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clune
This classroom project was brought to life by DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation - Sports Matter and one other donor.Hello, Computer. A New MacBook for Our Blossoming Learners
Funded Dec 24, 2016The speed and efficiency of the new computer is just incredible -- its wonderful design and processing speed simply makes working, not only more possible, but also more enjoyable. Thanks to your contribution, I can now easily develop lessons, communicate with colleagues and parents, as well as track student-progress data on sharable spreadsheets.
With a class of twenty-nine third graders, some for whom English is a new language, and others, who need a specialized (or "differentiated") educational program, using a slow computer was unsustainable. In order to meet the needs of my learners I aim to use each and every moment efficiently. At school, my focus is solely on teaching, then at home grading and developing lessons. On my walks to and from school, I communicate with parents by phone (often using a NYC DOE interpreter) to share updates and strategies to support learning at home. As Gretchen Rubin says: "Our years are short, but our days are long."
The new MacBook computer, is in an of itself an inspiration to me. It is new and high-quality, and this alone has proved to be very motivating. To illustrate, over the past two months, I have found that my professional output and overall engagement in my work has risen. When a new idea arises, I can immediately move the initiative forward: whether it might involve emailing colleagues, drafting proposals, or designing new curricula. The ability to quickly express and develop ideas is vital, and is precisely what drew me to the field of education. As a teacher, I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity to learn, share, and make a difference. This computer is truly marvelous.
Thank, so much, for your generous support,
Amelia”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clune
Lift the Eyes of Our Children Toward a Book
Funded Sep 9, 2016Your impact on the learning in my classroom has been remarkable. On the third day of the 2016-2017 school year, each student in my third grade class had the good fortune to receive a brand-new book pouch. Since that day, these "totes" have been indispensable.
Every week, students visit our classroom library to "shop" for independent reading books which they can enjoy throughout the week. They visit the library with their tote in hand, thereby returning finished books, and collecting new ones. The routine has become a part of the classroom culture, and the pouches serve as a centerpiece for this weekly activity.
When my students first received the items, they were immensely excited. Each child was overjoyed to learn that it was thanks to generous contributions from donors like you who deeply care about education that made our purchase of the items possible. The baggies were distributed on the very day that they were received in the mail, and put to use that afternoon.
As we evaluate how we express our values, the way in which we care for books is indeed a statement about how we view learning. I do not want to ask my students to store books in plastic bags each and every day, because plastic connotes disposability and learning -- and more specifically, engendering a love of reading -- is priceless.
Thank you, so much much for contributing to my project: your donation fills me with hope, inspiration, and a brighter vision for our future, and the future of our children. Thank you for supporting me, and my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clune
Play Enriches the Soul: Board Games for 6th Graders
Funded Feb 23, 2015My students and I are so grateful for your generous contribution to this project. While most students have an opportunity to participate in music, art, and athletics after school, your donation helped to create new opportunities for scholars during the regular school day. The board games afforded students a chance to collaborate with one another, to use communication skills, as well as to access their imaginations during recess and free periods.
On very cold or rainy days, scholars often joined together in room 327 to play board games; as you might imagine, some students gravitated toward certain games, while others enjoyed coloring books and card games. It was wonderful to see students gathered alongside one another fully immersed in an activity. The resources purchased for this project were enjoyed by all of the scholars in the sixth grade, and everyone came to truly love and appreciate the games.
Thank you again for your generous contribution. In the course of a school day, as teachers we are always thinking of ways that we can engage and inspire students - your donation helped to fund a project that did just that.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clune
Humanities iPhone
Funded Jan 1, 2015I am truly grateful for your generous donations to my classroom project: Humanities iPhone!! Throughout the school year, scholars had the fortunate opportunity to listen to not only music, but also to thought-provoking podcasts and audiobooks which complemented the units of study and helped students to access the content in novel and inviting ways.
During classes, writers and thinkers listened to classical music as they worked on independent assignments, and even had a chance to listen to jazz during Social Studies and English Language Arts lessons. In the early part of the year, we completed a unit of study on the school's surrounding Harlem neighborhood. For example, scholars learned about Langston Hughes through shared readings, and we also studied selected chapters from Walter Dean Myers' memoir "Bad Boy", a novel about his experience growing up in Harlem. Once while composing a final essay, jazz music filled the Humanities classroom as the community enjoyed the music of legendary artists who launched their careers in Harlem.
Like most young adults, students enjoyed the opportunity to have an Apple device and came to expect portions of the lessons during which material would be presented orally. This format helped students to visualize and synthesize information, and in the process the teaching methodology supported comprehension skills while bolstering interest and enthusiasm for the subject.
Thank you again for your generous contribution!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clune
"Focus" on Learning: New Document Camera
Funded Feb 14, 2015Every student, all forty-eight sixth graders, were just thrilled when we unveiled the new document camera. Our old one was clumsy: the few parts that held it upright no longer functioned, and the image it projected was poor. A few of our more tech savvy scholars were especially impressed with its slim and sturdy design. Laquin called out, "Oh, that is so cool; let me check that out!" Once it became a part of our everyday use, students welcomed the clearer presentation and were able to fully participate during lessons.
The resource is used constantly. Every class opens with an entry task – a five to seven minute assignment to engage students, and prime them for instruction. We project this timed "do now" onto the whiteboard using the document camera. Thereafter, when we go over and discuss the work, annotations and notes are projected so students are able to see the rendering in real time. In recent classes, we have been using the document camera to push students to improve their writing by teaching revision strategies. During lessons we display a writing sample, and use it to identify two or three ways the paragraph could be improved upon; all of the scholars are then encouraged to use those teaching points to craft a well-written draft.
The document camera displays a sharper and larger image. These two features have given students access to the material being covered at the front of the classroom. Previously the image on display was unfocused, and thus, difficult to read. Now that students are able to see the annotations on the material, they are able to easily capture those notations on their own assignments. In sum, all of the students in the classroom can now participate in the learning process, not just those scholars in the front of the classroom or those with excellent eyesight. Thank you for your contribution -- it is greatly appreciated.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clune
Adding Journals to the Mix
Funded Jan 9, 2007Dear Donors,
I am thrilled! I was on the phone with a colleague and interrupted the conversation to tell them the incredible news. My students will be smiling ear-to-ear when I tell them the good news.
Tomorrow the class is completing Day 2 of the standardized English Language Arts test --some magazines in the future will surely bring them joy, information, and foster a love of reading and learning. I cannot thank you enough for your contribution.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Amelia ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clune