Past projects 41
Poetry Give Us Wings
Funded Oct 31, 2024Thank you so very much for our poetry books. As part of our morning meeting each day we read a new poem. These books are giving the kids so many more options and a lot of them have been taking them to their seats to read during independent reading time as well. It is so best to see them so excited to be reading poetry. Thank you for making that a reality for us. Understanding poetry and figurative language often frightens young learners, but with the right attention and resources these little ones are soaring. They are loving the figurative langue and making feelings and images in their minds. We all love to feel deeply and you have helped us do that in our class. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becky Bistrow
Being Heard Matters!
Funded Oct 16, 2024This is remarkable. These headphones work incredibly well, so that I can accommodate my learners. I am amazed to see their progress through the Amira program where they are able to receive individual tutoring for reading fluency, phonics and word formation. The headphones are helping to make individual needs met in our room. It is wonderful to see these kiddos enjoying learning to read and getting better at it daily. Your donation makes a difference in little lives so that they can be included in our classroom and don't need to be pulled out one by one to use this essential program. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becky Bistrow
Printing Power for Panther Pride
Funded Feb 7, 2024This has been a wonderful tool for our school. We've been celebrating students and their accomplishments in many colorful ways since receiving this grant. Thank you for helping us with our Panther Pride! One task has been adding positive messaging in our hallways and classrooms to make sure that students have Social Emotional Leaning and Strategies readily available to them throughout the school. This effects everyone in our climate and brings a common language for students here. Although the pictures are of some of my third graders because I have their photo release forms the students from PreK through 8th grade thank you for bringing more color into our lives!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becky Bistrow
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 13 other donors.We See Ourselves in Folktales!
Funded Dec 21, 2023This grant is so exciting. My students just lit up as they saw all of the books arriving. I was able to give them to the students this morning, and they all crowded around hoping that their name was chosen first/next so they could choose one of these amazing books! What a treat to give each of the children something new and exciting to read. As we are deep into our character study unit it is awesome to give the students folktales. Each of these folk tales has a strong character at the center with lots of character traits they can prove. They were immediately engrossed in these stories, and excited to see books about people who come from their cultures. Thank you so very much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becky Bistrow
Building a Thinking Classroom Organization
Funded Sep 10, 2023This has been supremely helpful in organizing the students' materials! We are loving being part of the thinking classroom, and having our whiteboard materials at the ready is so wonderful. Each container has an eraser, a marker to share between the thinkers, and a bottle of board spray for when its needed. Having these materials right at their elbows makes it possible for my thinkers to get started on their thinking tasks right away, without having to search for whats needed. Thanks for helping us organize our classroom needs!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becky Bistrow
Sittin' in Style
Funded Aug 3, 2023Thank you so very much! The kids love the new reading chairs and our small group chairs too. The kids have been partner reading in the scoop chairs and it helps them stay focused together. They even decided to use them during indoor recess one day to play school! The small group stools have been amazing too. They really enjoy small group time and so do I! So much learning takes place during that direct instruction and now we all have comfy bottoms too! I really appreciate your kindness and generosity to our classroom. You've helped to make it a more comfortable, special place to learn. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becky Bistrow
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.Sittin' in Style
Funded Aug 9, 2022Thank you so much for making us comfortable in our learning! We really love singing and having our mini lessons on the rug each day. It makes our classroom feel more homey and defines a space for learning. One thing that I hadn't anticipated, is a safe space. Children ask all the time if they can go work on the rug. They love to use it as a space to work with different partners as well as our daily lessons. Also, the daily rug vacuuming is a coveted job! Some students will ask me throughout the day if they can just take a break and vacuum the rug. What a fun outlet, that adds a lot of comfort to our room. Thank you so very much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becky Bistrow
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 7 other donors.Keeping It Cool! (Air Conditioning for Cool Kids)
Funded Aug 9, 2022This was a godsend! The first month of school is always scorching, and students are doing their best to learn routines and procedures, as well as new concepts, and create a classroom culture of joy and understanding. This year it was so much easier as we were all comfortable. The cool air helped us cooperate without getting cranky. It gave us a refreshing environment after running energy off at recess. It helped us to get into school mode without being exhausted and thirsty at the end of each day. I know it will be amazing at the end of the school year as well, when it gets to be beastly hot. Thank you so very much for making our classroom tenable, and a place that we enjoy being with one another!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becky Bistrow
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 14 other donors.Happily Hearing
Funded Aug 31, 2022Thank you so deeply! We use headphones for several of the daily sites that the kids enjoy. It makes such a difference in the classroom when kids are able to focus on what they are doing. Thank you for all of the focus and quiet work in our room. We really appreciate your donation. One of the learning games that the kids love to play is called Prodigy, where they can cast spells and earn pets based on the math problems that they do. It is such an interactive game, and they love the music and sound effects that go along with this game and the headphones makes it work in the classroom! Thank you so very much for your help to make this work for all of the kids!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becky Bistrow
ABC Countdown Fun!
Funded May 6, 2022This has been so much fun! The kiddos come into class excited each morning to see what we will do for each letter. It has been a fantastic way to create classroom community and excite kids. We've been on a giant treasure hunt, had a noodle battle, a water balloon fight, worn mustaches, thrown frisbees, drawn with chalk and so many others. Thanks to you this class has had a super exciting end of the year! I can't wait to come in tomorrow on our last day together and help them paint their faces like zombies!!!! The class favorite said their very favorite day was name change day, when we all called one another by a new name. We had "Darth Vader", "yourfavoritekid", "Princess Petunia" and many other creative names that we all memorized together! Thank you for helping us go out with a bang!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Becky Bistrow
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 6 other donors.