Mrs. Thompson's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 14

• Humpty, You Don't Have to Fall Off the Wall

  Funded Dec 2, 2020

  Thank you once again. The materials from this project are used by at least half of our students daily during the virtually school day. As you know, each child received their own set of Melissa and Doug blocks. We have used the blocks in various math, science, art and projects. The children are sometimes divided in a special block room virtually to play with blocks and talk to friends who are using blocks at the same time virtually. Thanks to you we were able to have a virtual block center.

  I wish you could see the grins on the children's faces when we challenged them to open the block box and gave them a challenge. The parents are always willing to send pictures of the block creations.

  We have created so many hands on math and science lessons using blocks. The children learned about patterning, measuring, counting and shapes just to name a few lessons.

  Thank you agin.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Thompson

  This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and one other donor.

• Do You See What I See?

  Funded Dec 2, 2020

  Thank you again for donating the funds to purchase this document camera. This piece of equipment helped enhance teaching virtually. Preschoolers are very visual people. It is hard to describe things to them without them being able to actually see it or being able to touch it. The document camera allowed the children to all see everything I saw in a book, on an object such as a bug or toy at the same time while we were learning virtually.

  I teach an inclusion class with children who have speech disabilities, English as a second language and children who have not had the opportunity to experience new things. Two favorite activities the children enjoyed were having me place a book and read it using the document camera and placing an I spy picture or "That's Silly" picture under the document camera. Everyone could see the pictures at the same time and I was able to circle, point or place an object on what they were talking about. We were also able to observe a bug and flowers (alive as well as dead) with the help of the document camera.

  We are now planning activities that we will be able to use the document camera in small groups when we return to the classroom. Thank you again.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Thompson

  This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 3 other donors.

• Let's Practice! How To Treat A Friend In-Person

  Funded Dec 1, 2020

  Thank you so much for the social emotional books and Social-Emotional Match up cards. The books were colorful and easy to present virtually this year. The materials were multi-ethnic which helped the children identify with the characters. The children were able to discuss and identify with the emotions and feelings of the characters in the story. The children were also able to share examples of how they felt.

  The books helped us to discuss titles such as being brave, being healthy, being a friend, being creative and other self-esteem building ideas. Each page had a very detailed picture and no more than two sentences. This allowed me to have the children tell the story and comment. The books triggered so much conversation. We would discuss what was happening in the pictures, how we thought the child in the story felt and how we would feel about the situation. We also discussed what would be a better thing to do about the situation. We also used the match-up cards to help the children review the best choice for situations. We used a puppet to talk to them while they were listening to the book.

  This year I had many children with"big feelings". The books helped the children put a label to their feelings and also to realize that feelings are a part of life. The children would often identify with the characters and say things like "That happened to me!" Or "that makes me sad too". Thank you again.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Thompson

  This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 3 other donors.

• I Choose the Art Center at Home

  Funded Nov 30, 2020

  My classroom is a preschool inclusion class in an urban school district. The art center is a favorite daily center for preschoolers at school. Due to Covid, our children had to experience their first year of school virtually. Thanks to your donation, each child received materials to create their own art center at home. Each child received watercolors, finger paints, different types of paper, chalk, crayons, and other materials that you would find in a typical preschool art center. The students talked about their art creations during sharing time.

  The students were excited to receive such a wide variety of art materials. This was the first time many of the children experienced using paint and other art materials. They were excited to own their very own art center. The parents were also appreciative and many displayed their children's first art work around the house.

  Our students have learned about mixing different art media, mixing various colors and taking care of their belongings, just to name a few benefits. They have also learned at an early age that they can express their feelings and thoughts through art.

  Thank you again.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Thompson

  This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 6 other donors.

• Game on.........Bingo! At Home and School Tools for Prek

  Funded Dec 27, 2020

  Thanks to your generous donation our students were able to play a traditional game together while learning basic phonological skills. We were able to purchase alphabet bingo, rhyming bingo, beginning sound bingo and word bingo. Each child received 4 or 5 of each type of card so that they were able to play the game at home with other family members thus receiving extra practice on these skills. We were able to place the cards in a see thru binder so they could keep up with them. The children learned social skills such as attending and listening to others, taking turns and being polite to others.

  The families were so surprised when they received more than one card. A few parents even played along with the class thus making the class time a family school event. Many of our families were introduced to the idea that children can learn thru games. We were able to help families select other games that their preschoolers could play at home.

  Half of our class will enter kindergarten with pre-literacy skills thanks to your gift despite being taught virtually. The other half will return to our school preschool classroom ready to attend when we play games together in small group.

  Thank you again for caring.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Thompson

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 2 other donors.

• Rhymes and Words in Our Hands Go to Our Brains

  Funded Dec 27, 2010

  Thank you so very much for supplying the manipulative kits that the children are now using to learn rhyming words. letters and sounds. I wish you could see and hear how eager my class is to call out the words of the miniature objects.They love the idea of touching objects that rhyme and placing them on the table, in boxes or on the paper.

  We have started playing a game in which the children tell me a funny story involving two or three manipulative's that rhyme. Each child says a sentence and holds up a manipulative for the other children to find the rhyming manipulative. It is such a joy to see them grin as each child has a turn holding up the object for the other children to say the rhyming word.

  Thank you again for helping the children in my class and making learning sooo much fun.

  ”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Thompson

• Tag Your It... Please Read To Me

  Funded Oct 18, 2010

  I personally want to thank you again for the Leap Frog Tag pens and reading materials.

  I wish you could have observed the smiling expressions of the children as they learned to independently touch each page of the Tag Readers and answer questions or listen to the book being read to them by the Tag Reader.

  I purchased some cheap earphones and allowed each child to select and listen to a Tag Reader book. The Tag Readers allowed three children to work independently on pre-reading skills such as reviewing letters and rhymes. While the children listened to the Readers I was able to work with another small group at the same time. I don't think my words are enough to tell you how much easier your donation helps me to spend time with each child on a daily basis.

  Thank you again.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Thompson

  This classroom project was brought to life by LeapFrog and 9 other donors.

• Weekly Readers Allow Us to Take School Discussions Home

  Funded Aug 26, 2010

  I can't begin to tell you how much the children enjoy the Weekly Readers. They look forward to reading them. I explained that they were like the newspaper. Now they call the Weekly Readers the newspapers for the class.

  Each child receives the Weekly Reader during small group time. They follow along while the teacher reads and each child has a turn to comment on the pictures. They become so excited when I tell them to put them in their book bags to read to someone at home. The parents enjoy them also. The Weekly Reader allows the children to see so many things that they do see or observe in their immediate neighborhood.

  As a teacher I have been able to save the large copies of the Weekly Reader and use them as posters, part of a learning center or make a book from the large pictures.

  Thank you again for caring enough to purchase the Weekly Readers for our classes. ”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Thompson

• Real Math at Home and School Without Preschool Worksheets

  Funded Dec 7, 2010

  My project is funded because of your care and generosity. I am so very excited about planning activities around the materials that you have purchased for my class. The children will be so excited to count and learn other math concepts using some of their favorite things.

  I am planning to make a video to share with parents about how to use the manipulatives to teach math concepts to the children. The best part is their children will be the stars in the show. I am hoping that the parents will realize that their children can learn without having practice worksheets. The parents will be able to see and repeat the things I do with the children.

  Thank you again.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Thompson

• Help Us Create Our Own Music and Rhythm

  Funded Mar 23, 2010

  On behalf of my class that loves to make music, I would like to thank you for your generous donation. I wish you were able to see the smiles on the faces of the children when I displayed the new instruments during music time. The children were so, so excited to have drums, tambourines and multi cultural instruments. They were so attentive to the instructions on how to treat and play each instrument.

  I used the instruments during our literacy time also. I asked the children to only play the instruments when they heard the /t/ t sound in the story. I actually had 100% participation and everyone's attention.

  Words cannot express how much your generous donation made my lessons a very lively, interactive and enjoyable time. ”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Thompson

  This classroom project was brought to life by Pershing Square Foundation and one other donor.