Past projects 9
Drumming Is Our Cardio!
Funded Aug 14, 2024Thank you for making this happen! I am so excited to be able to bring this fun and engaging learning opportunity to my students all thanks to YOU! I can't wait to get students excited about exercising in this fun and unique activity that they are all sure to love.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martinez
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 6 other donors.Physical Education....at a Distance
Funded Sep 16, 2020I have been able to bring energized PE into the homes of all my students! With your donation, I have been able to use this better camera set up to get active with my students, while also being able to manage myself safely in my home environment. The kids are really excited to be able to see me doing the exercises with them and they can hear my directions clearly, thanks to the better microphone on this camera. Some of my younger students are amazed at how my camera can show them my head to my feet...they really enjoy being able to see that I don't wear shoes inside my house, just like them!
Thank you again for this generous gift and making my content area accessible to some many during these challenging times.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martinez
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose 20th Anniversary Fund and 3 other donors.Learning to be Healthy Through Reading!
Funded Sep 29, 2019My students and I have been having a blast with your generous donation! We have been working on our balance, using the new balance beam; which I have called the "rainbow bridge". We have also spent some time reading our books to learn more about how our bodies work and how they function.
When they first saw the materials, they were very excited! They have enjoyed using the balance beam and they have loved the wonderful stories from all the books that were purchased. They have even gone as far as to reread the stories to each other! They have been improving on their balance and I have seen many of them better able to move on to more dynamic forms of balancing!
The next steps for my students will be to build upon their balancing abilities by adding more items for balance; maybe adding some of my other balancing tools to the end of the rainbow bridge. We will also continue to build on our knowledge of our bodies and how proper nutrition can lead us to having a better life!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martinez
We Have FUN Reading and Doing Math in PE!
Funded Apr 18, 2018Thank you again for your generous donation to my students! They have been enjoying doing their reading and math while getting in their exercise!
I started with the usage of the math pieces first. My students in the lower grades (K-2) were running relay races, rolling the dice, adding the two dice together, then doing the sum in jumping jacks. It was a huge success and a LOT of fun! I loved how the dice have the dots, so for my students who might struggle mathematically, they were able to touch each dot and count on to get the sum.
When the students first saw all the materials they were in shock; they didn't know that they made dice THAT large! They were so excited to play with them and use them that they didn't object when I explained that they would be using their math skills to play the game...they EMBRACED it! I could not have been more proud of the little scholars that they are!
My students will continue to use all of these materials for years to come. I explained to my 2nd grade students that next year, they will be challenged by having to multiply the numbers on the dice, instead of adding; a challenge they all gladly accepted!
In closing, I just want to say again how grateful I am to have people like you all who support young minds and teachers! Thank you for helping to give my students every advantage possible!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martinez
Quiet Children Have the Loudest Minds!
Funded Nov 12, 2017My students have been in awe of this new piece of technology! It is hard to be heard in a large gymnasium, but through this ball microphone, it is possible! Students are able to communicate clearly and effectively to all their peers during instructional time in PE. Research shows that this peer-to-peer interactions help students learn at a more indepth level than just being lectured to by an adult.
This product was funny on first introduction to the students. They had never seen nor held a microphone that was placed inside of a ball! They are always told to be gentle with technology, but with this microphone they can actually throw it back to me; a task that has increased participation greatly.
I have seen a larger portion of my class actively participating since the introduction of the Q-ball microphone! Students are excited to learn and speak in PE and they are now learning so much more about their own health and wellness!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martinez
Get Sweaty!
Funded Nov 26, 2017We are loving the new equipment! We have begun using the majority of it from the moment it arrived. We have utilized the kettle bells, basketballs, and hippity hops; the giant beach ball and parachute will provide fun for all in the Spring for our all school field day! We have spent some time learning proper ball handling techniques with the new basketballs. Students, particularly younger ones, have a hard time dribbling. With these new balls, we were able to have everyone practicing their dribbling skills at the same time! It was awesome! In years past, I have had to break kids up into groups and have them take turns practicing, limiting how much practice time they actually get in our short PE time. The addition of the new balls allowed me the freedom to have ALL students participating the whole time!
When I first showed them the new equipment, they screamed for joy! The couldn't believe that people they don't even know cared so much for them to give them the proper tools to succeed in life. It was really a humbling moment; the children at my school live through so much trauma on a daily basis, that the thought of someone loving them enough to buy them a basketball, blew their little minds. It truly brought a tear to my eyes; these little kids deserve the world and I am going to help them get it! They were also so very excited to get their pictures taken using the new equipment; I do have many actors in training who love the spotlight on them.
The next steps for this project include continued use over the next few months of the basketballs in practice and game settings, the kettle bells in stations to build proper muscular strength and endurance practices, and the hippity hops to continue building the leg strength of all the students school wide. I am so excited for the spring and our all school field day to introduce the parachute and the giant beach ball. We will now be able to play parachute games during field day and play human foosball with the giant beach ball....SO excited and I know my kiddos will be too.
I wanted to reiterate how appreciated your donations were to my project. Our students start their day at a disadvantage due to emotional stress, socioeconomic stress, or other stresses that we as adults might not have to live with ever. I try to impart on them that you can do and achieve anything you want to as long as you give it your all and never give up. I find that many students understand this best in the PE arena and can translate it to their classroom to be more successful students in their too. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martinez
This classroom project was brought to life by National Fitness Foundation and 2 other donors.Let Them Be Active!
Funded Dec 19, 2016I want to reiterate my sincerest thank you for your donations to my project! The generosity you all showed my students and myself will never be forgotten. We have received all the materials and right away, we began utilizing them!
I was so grateful to receive the equipment before the end of winter! We began our hockey unit in the time we did because I like to connect my lessons across multiple curriculum; an example would be my hockey unit connects science and PE. We learn about how real hockey is played on ice and how in winter, in many places, lakes freeze and people can use ice skates to play hockey on the ice! Here in Washington, it has been an exceptionally cold winter so far, with some snow and lots of ice; students were able to appreciate this game all the more because of the firsthand experiences provided to them.
All of my students were finally able to finish up our hockey unit with the pillow polo sticks donated! They were very excited to be able to play an actual game of hockey! With your donation, students were able to experience the thrill of playing hockey, while learning a lot about sportsmanship, their motor skills, how to follow rules, as well as many other Washington State standards pertaining to physical education. One of the most important things that my students learned from your donation is generosity. They learned that others around the country care about THEM! They learned that there are many wonderful, kind people in the world who believe in them and their education; a lesson that is the most important one of all.
When they first saw the new equipment, they all started hooting and cheering! Everyone was so excited, it took me a bit to reel them back in. They were so overjoyed because they love to interact together; with the inadequate equipment we had, students were limited to working alone, now they can play together or in teams! Research shows that cooperative learning (when students work together as partners or in groups) achieves the best results for student achievement. With your donation, students were able to play, safely, in teams against each other. They were able to remind friends about rules being broken, they used a variety of motor skills, and they even got another chance to practice good sportsmanship by congratulating the winning team.
Next steps for my students include a volleyball unit in the spring. With some of the other equipment that was donated, students will begin to learn about volleyball and the various rules associated with the sport. Younger students will use the non-sting volleyballs to practice their bumping and passing skills, while older students will utilize the Spikeball equipment to learn how to overhand spike and work as a team to compete in a game setting. The Rino-coated soft balls are used for dodgeball and are also being utilized on a weekly basis; dodgeball is one of the most requested free choice games! The exercise dice is also going to be used for centers-based partner learning about our muscles!
In closing, my students and I greatly appreciate your dedication to all areas of education; including physical education, which most often is left behind. I can't thank you enough for supporting our school and all our students. The joy and happiness that being at school brings these kids is the exact reason that I became a teacher in the first place. Children are our future and I thank you for making our future a bit brighter with your contribution to my project.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martinez
This classroom project was brought to life by Inspirus Credit Union and 10 other donors.iPads in the Classroom
Funded Nov 20, 2015Your generous donation to our classroom has already given my students a stepping stone to becoming more technologically literate citizens in our world. Once we opened the boxes, their eyes filled with wonder and joy! They we are so very excited to get to work on their new learning tools.
Since receiving the iPads, the students have been able to utilize many web programs that help to boost literacy skills (Lexia). In the brief time that we have had them, we have seen dramatic growth in everyone's sight word recognition and reading ability. The technology given to our class will help to prepare them for the world at large and, most importantly, for second grade.
In math, the students are able to utilize the iPads for different web based applications. Our district has purchased a certain math program (ST Math) that they now have equitable access to because of the introduction of the iPads. Students have been able to supplement their math instruction with extra independent practice with this interactive math gaming app. As like with the literacy app Lexia, student data has shown that, even in the brief time interacting with the iPads, their knowledge is dramatically increasing!
In closing, I just wanted to take another moment to thank you again for your generosity. You have made the "impossible" possible for many lucky little boys and girls for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martinez
Magic Carpet Time
Funded Oct 2, 2015The students were so surprised at the arrival of our new carpet! I had it ready for use when they arrived on a Monday morning. Once they saw the carpet, they were thrilled to have a larger space to safely house their body. I have now been able to create a seating chart for our carpet, helping to separate kiddos that need to stay more focused from the kiddos that are easily distracted. Students enjoy to be at the carpet even during times that are designated "free" times.
Since the arrival of the new carpet, we have been using it daily to read our morning message as a class, and we use it HEAVILY during mathematics instruction. For morning message, students sit in their designated spots and we go through our literacy routine, including going through their high frequency words that they need to know in order to progress onto 2nd grade. The movement from their desk to the carpet helps to curb the "wiggles" that typical 1st graders can have. This movement helps to create better focused learners during all times of the academic day.
In mathematics, the children were so happy to finally have the space to use their white boards without bumping their neighbors. In the lesson depicted in the pictures, the students were learning about writing subtraction equations. With large success, they were able to focus on the learning at hand and successfully write subtraction equations. The students had enough room to write their equations without having to worry about the distraction of a touching neighbors knee. This increased room has led to more productive math students, which will benefit them for years to come.
Your generosity has helped to create a safer, more productive learning environment for my classroom and, for that, I will be forever grateful.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martinez
This classroom project was brought to life by Inspirus Credit Union and 2 other donors.