Ms. Bridgett's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 20

• Diverse Biographies: Past Inspirations & Future Possibilities

  Funded May 4, 2021

  I cannot even describe how amazing it is to be back on campus, to hear the halls & classrooms filled with young voices, and to see our students holding hard copies of books in their hands once again! It's even more impactful when the texts they are holding provide them with increased access to learning about the lives of others, and help them to envision future possibilities for themselves. These biographies and autobiographies are inspiring, interesting, and filled with potential.

  I have heard teachers reading these texts aloud to their students, observed excited dances when children have flipped through tubs and discovered a book they've connected with, and discussed with my colleagues how refreshing it is to finally have a wider range of options that reflect so many more ways of being in this world.

  Your donations have made it possible to broaden the scope of what our students learn, see, and embrace as inspirational and possible. I am so thankful for your support, generosity, and kindness. You are creating a more just and equitable space in our school, with endless potential for the future.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Bridgett

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 8 other donors.

• Broaden Our Bookroom View and Show That Black Books Matter

  Funded Dec 6, 2020

  Thank you so very, very much for your generous donations and for getting these new book sets into our school's shared book room collection!

  As we transition back onto campus, we will be able to use these texts as part of our themed reading units for our more fluent readers, as well as have them available for teachers to use for interactive read-alouds.

  The Undefeated is such a phenomenal book, with beautiful illustrations. When I read it aloud to my youngest students (via Zoom), I focused on the main text, and then with my fifth graders, we were able to read all of the supplemental information and delve in much deeper, spending a week on the book. Then, it led us to doing further research into some of the topics that really sparked their interest.

  Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO was very popular with my first through third-grade students. One of my readers commented on how much she appreciated the humor in the book, and how she liked when Tallulah "gained perspective from all of the other tooth fairies because she had never known anyone who lost the tooth that they'd lost before. Mostly it was really funny and I liked all of the illustrations, and Tallulah's syle . . . especially her tooth necklace."

  All of the artwork in Parker Looks Up is remarkable, and was great exposure to those particular works as well as a catalyst for thinking about the ways that art can impact us so profoundly. We had some wonderful discussions about how art can give us windows into different experiences, times, and places. It is also compelling to think about how the art that we choose to give a place honor tells so much about our culture and its values.

  Lastly, many of my students were already familiar with Misty Copeland and several are dancers themselves. Bunheads is beautifully written by Ms. Copeland herself and was a great segue into our biography unit as well as a wonderful book in its own right.

  I am so excited to shift from being the only one with access to these phenomenal texts to being able to share them with all of my colleagues, and their students.

  Many thanks again for your generous contributions, and the difference that you are making as we give students access to these texts. Just like the artwork that we give a place of honor is telling about our society on the whole, the images that we give honor to in the texts we share with our students is telling about our school culture and its values.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Bridgett

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 5 other donors.

• All Students Deserve Access! iPad for ELD and Literacy Intervention

  Funded Dec 9, 2020

  I hope that you are all safe and healthy, and doing well. I would like to thank you immensely for your generosity and care. The iPad has made SUCH an incredible difference in my teaching over the last couple of months! I have been able to use it as a document camera, as a tool for taking digital running records, and it has also allowed me to have a second screen to use in a variety of ways while still being able to see & interact with all of my students in full screen during their virtual book club meetings.

  Having a document camera to share clear images with my students has been a game-changer in so many ways! I can now read and access paper texts without having to hold them haphazardly up to the webcam. I can share a variety of items with my students while still allowing them to see my face, and for me to see theirs.

  Because I can now take digital running records on the iPad, with the Apple Pencil, I have clear data that I can refer back to, and easily share with my colleagues (generally the student's home-room teacher). These cut-down on paper waste and can be an invaluable tool as we prepare to send some students back to school, and others remain online, but will have new teachers.

  I can also use the iPad as a whiteboard to do sight-word practice, and other word work with my students. This will continue to be a great tool as I work with some students online and others who need to remain distanced within the classroom. And, as we return to the classroom, I will have the iPad for students to use for additional learning opportunities.

  I have already used the iPad and Apple Pencil for a variety of tasks, and look forward to continuing to discover new ways to use them with my students. If this last year has taught us anything, it is that we are all resilient, flexible, and incredibly creative. Thank you so much for your generosity, and your belief in my students and me!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Bridgett

  This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 15 other donors.

• We'll Keep on Reading (Digital) Books From Home!

  Funded Sep 15, 2020

  Thank you so much for your generosity and ongoing support of my classroom projects!

  The Literacy Footprints Digital Reader platform has been such a wonderful way to support my students and families during our continued distance learning. I have been able to access a wide range of high-quality texts, accompanied by lesson plans that support reading, writing, and word work aligned with each book. The consistent lesson framework, and gradually building text and lesson complexity has really helped my students to grow as readers and writers.

  Students are able to read the books while I share the screen, and then return to the site to reread the books and build fluency, as well as watch videos of the lessons if they missed a session or if they'd like to review what we learned. They are also able to access a wide range of other texts on the site, guided by their interests. This increases the number of books they can access, as well as the likelihood that they will spend more time reading.

  My first-grade students, in particular, have been so excited to "meet" the characters in several of the series on the site. This helps to increase their engagement and provides scaffolding for them as they learn about character traits and make connections and predictions while they read. All of my readers have demonstrated excitement while reading, and have shown impressive growth over the last few months of using this resource.

  I am so grateful to have access to this digital library. Thank you for making this a reality for my students and their families, as well as for me as a teacher. Whether we remain in distance learning, or are able to return to campus, this will continue to be an invaluable resource! Many thanks again for supporting us.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Bridgett

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 8 other donors.

• Diverse Books: Mirrors For Students & Gateways to the World

  Funded Mar 2, 2020

  Thank you so very, very much for your generosity and for helping to give children access to these phenomenal books! Unfortunately, they arrived just before our school closed for distance-learning last spring. However, I brought them home with me and read many of them to my small groups, during our Zoom lessons. I also recorded myself reading them, and embedded literacy lessons for students throughout our school.

  As we move into another year of distance-learning, as well as heal from the aftermath of wildfires that continue to burn in our community, these books feel more relevant than ever. They help us to see ourselves as unique and worthwhile individuals, as well as help us to understand our integral roles within our local and global communities.

  I sincerely look forward to the day when students are able to hold these books in their hands! Until then, I will continue to read them, as well as share them with as many of my colleagues as possible.

  Thank you so much for making this possible, and for helping to validate all of the ways of being in this world!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Bridgett

  This classroom project was brought to life by A group of anonymous donors and 12 other donors.

• Gerald and Piggie Teach Empathy and Kindness...While Building Confidence

  Funded Dec 4, 2019

  Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity! We are all so excited to have sets of the fabulous Elephant & Piggie books for our book-room collection. These have long been a favorite of students, teachers, and families at our school, and it's so wonderful to see how well they work as an instructional tool.

  Students love graphic texts, and it is encouraging to see more teachers gravitating toward using them in their instruction. Beginning readers and those who may struggle through longer books can feel successful reading both the words and the pictures to construct meaning. I have seen Gerald and Piggie become the gateway to more challenging reading experiences for so many of my students, and I am so glad that our school will now have access to so many sets of them.

  This will allow students to read them in class, as well as bring them home to share with their families. I believe that they will help students to become more confident and brave readers, while also learning important lessons about friendship, patience, and perseverance from each Elephant & Piggie book.

  I sincerely appreciate access to these books as a teacher, and many of my colleagues have expressed their gratitude as well. And, as a parent of two students at our school, I feel thankful that my children will be able to read these books now, and for years to come. Many thanks again for your generosity and support--you are making a difference in the lives of children, families, and educators!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Bridgett

  This classroom project was brought to life by An anonymous classroom supporter and 7 other donors.

• Comic Books+Struggling Readers=Kids Who Won't Put Down Their Books!

  Funded Dec 8, 2016

  Thank you so much for helping to add these amazing TOON books to our classroom collection! Every single child who I work with, from my own preschooler up to my fifth grade students, is excited about reading these comics! Readers at all levels are able to access these books because the pictures convey so much of the meaning, and then kids are motivated to attempt to read the speech bubbles that accompany the fantastic illustrations. Even my most reluctant readers have their book boxes filled with these titles, and are making huge strides as they invest the energy to read them.

  I have also been extraordinarily impressed by the partner reading that I've seen with these books, and how excited they are to share them with their friends. To see kids poring over these books, halfway out of their chairs, is heartwarming! They, somehow, also remember who is on the waiting list for each book, and respectfully pass them along to the appropriate person.

  One of the unexpected results of adding these books to my collection has been the wave of comic-book writing that has hit my room. It started with a few of my most struggling readers wanting to read some of the higher level books that came in this set, but since some of the words were out of their reach, they began creating their own. We cut out sticky-note speech bubbles and they added these to the book. The collaborative writing, and reading that came out of this activity was incredible. And, because they wanted to share their words with others, it raised the level of their writing. Which, in turn, created more reading opportunities for these young learners.

  Thank you again for your generosity, and the difference that you are making in the lives of my students, as well as the positive impact that you are having on my teaching!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Bridgett

  This classroom project was brought to life by TOON Books and 6 other donors.

• Book Room Books--Help Our Students Read at School and Home

  Funded May 7, 2015

  Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity! Students, teachers, and families at our school have all benefited from your gift of books! It has been so wonderful to start a new school year with access to such a large number of leveled book sets in our shared book room.

  Because we now have complete sets of texts that accommodate full groups of six students, we have been able to utilize some titles that had either been sitting untouched or required students to share copies and therefore not take them home to practice after reading them at school. This helps students to increase their reading fluency, gain confidence as readers, and enables families to be sure that they have appropriate reading material at home for their children.

  It it often challenging for families to know exactly which level is "just right" for their child to read at a particular point in time, and the leveled books that you helped to purchase take the guesswork out of this decision. Not all families have the ability to visit the library and some have very limited access to books outside of school, so this helps to create more equitable access to learning material for all of our students, both at school and at home.

  I have appreciated access to these books as a teacher, and many of my colleagues have expressed their gratitude as well. And, as a parent of a first grader at our school, I see some of the titles that you helped to purchase arriving home in my own son's reading envelope. It warms my heart each time I see that one of the books that had been sitting, unused, in a crate is now in the hands of children.

  Many thanks again for your generosity and support--you are making a difference in the lives of children, families, and educators!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Bridgett

  This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 9 other donors.

• Accessing Our World By Reading and Writing with Chromebooks

  Funded Sep 17, 2014

  Thank you so much for your generosity and willingness to help my students, as well as for enabling me to find new and exciting ways to enhance my literacy instruction!

  My students have used their Chromebooks to write, to conduct research, and to create a wide range of innovative projects. They will now also have the opportunity to access a variety of audio and text books with a one-year subscription to a leveled e-book library through Benchmark Education. While I value and will continue to use hardbound texts, the Chromebooks that you helped to purchase will allow my students and I to engage with many more books than we would otherwise have had access to.

  I have really valued having an increased number of ways to bridge what my students are working on in their classrooms with what we are doing in our intervention groups. For example, students can begin a project with their classroom teacher and then receive the increased level of support they need to complete the assignment when they come to my room. I have even been able to loan Chromebooks out to parents who do not have computers at home, in order for them to help their child complete their homework that they otherwise would not have been able to access electronically. Your generosity has worked to increase both the home-school, and the classroom-intervention connections. This is making a direct and positive impact upon our young learners.

  I have also been able to share the Chromebooks with the Special Ed. team, so you have touched many more lives than I'd even anticipated when I first wrote the proposal. There are many students who find keyboarding a much easier task than writing with a pencil and this is an accommodation that some children have written into their educational plans. However, there were not always enough computers to go around to serve all of those who would benefit from this intervention. Now, you have added six more to the mix and thus made a difference for so many.

  My students often enter the room and ask, "Do we get to use Chromebooks today?!" I could go on and on about all of the ways that these small devices have improved my teaching, but ultimately the most important outcome is that students are engaged, empowered, and able to feel successful as learners.

  Many thanks again for making this dream a reality! I know that there will be so many more success stories with Chromebooks to share in the future!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Bridgett

• Building the Foundation of Literacy with LEGOs

  Funded May 22, 2014

  Thank you all so very, very much for your generosity and support with this project! I would love to share a bit about how your gift of LEGOs has impacted my students' learning, as well as my teaching. Over the last few months, my students have been growing in their oral language and writing skills as they've constructed stories with LEGOs.

  We have created new endings for texts we've read, constructed LEGOs as a way to develop students' writing, and taken our own writing and then represented it with blocks. I feel like this is just the beginning and there are still so many more options for us to learn, develop, and create using LEGOs as tools.

  I hope you know that you have positively impacted the lives of my students and helped me to become a more creative and flexible teacher through the generosity that you have shown.

  The discussions that students have while they are constructing their models, as well as the share-outs that they do afterward are providing wonderful oral language development opportunities. This is benefiting my English Learners, as well as all of my other students, with listening, speaking, and writing skills.

  Most importantly, the students are engaged and enjoying learning! If they could, they would probably spend all of our lessons building with LEGOs, but as this is not an option, I have opened up my room during recess and lunch for an informal LEGO club where kids can come and build and play. This social opportunity was an unanticipated benefit of your generosity, but has provided a way for some young friends to connect with others and form new friendships, and for some of them this had not been easy to do on their own.

  You have made a difference on so many levels, and I am so very appreciative of your willingness to help make this project a reality! I have shared some photos of some of my second grade friends building their stories and then putting them onto paper. If you are interested in seeing more images, I'd be happy to share--just let me know.

  Thank you again!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Bridgett