Past projects 9
Quench Our Thirst for Knowledge During Difficult Times
Funded Jan 21, 2021You can not imagine how difficult it has been to work in a classroom during a pandemic! Between social distancing guidelines, hand washing protocols and schools closing without warning, we have been doing our best to be patient and flexible! But, to have no access to the water fountains?!?! Gah!!! I tried my best to provide the students with water by filling up small cups throughout the day, but that strategy proved to be more of a challenge than a help!
Then, our new water bottles arrived! The students were cheering! They had fun choosing their favorite color and now keep their bottles right at their work stations.
Now that we have these cool water bottles, my students no longer have to wait to be served! They have been enjoying the freedom to tank up on water all day! Thank you so much for your generous donation!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mahoney-Kertes
Paddling Upstream: Help Us Get Supplies for Virtual Learning!
Funded Dec 15, 2020Thank you for your generosity!
Having a document camera helps me with writing, math and read aloud books. My students can see what I see, with ease! I can demonstrate different skills without having to turn my book around, write backwards or anything else!
Having dry erase paddles will now help my students in the classroom, answering questions easily and without having to share materials.
In such a challenging time, having such basic materials enhances our teaching and learning, across the content areas!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mahoney-Kertes
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 12 other donors.Back That Class Up: Physical Health for All!
Funded Dec 29, 2020Teaching and learning virtually has been challenging for everyone- students and teachers alike. It has been a great challenge to take care of my students, and myself as well. Spending so much time at a computer is detrimental to everyone's health, as necessary as it may be!
With these materials- an ergonomic mouse, keyboard and lap desk, I will be able to rehabilitate my hands, elbows and back.
I am outfitted to give my students the best version of me. They need not just a teacher, but a friend, cheerleader, dance instructor, yogi, DJ and so much more!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mahoney-Kertes
Don't Judge a Book or a Person by Its Cover!
Funded Dec 29, 2020Thank you for your generosity!
With a wider range of classroom books, my students see mirrors of themselves!
These mentor books assist me in teaching author's craft, as well as writing and reading skills.
Other books provide rich discussion material and accountable talk!
We're able to link our life experiences to those with people across the globe- fostering global citizens, instilling empathy and kindness.
With new read aloud books, our unusual school year is sprinkled with opportunities for connection and meaning.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mahoney-Kertes
Adventures in Yoga and Mindfulness: Puppets, Pom Poms and More!
Funded May 4, 2019Greetings! My students are really enjoying all of the resources that you helped us bring into the classroom! We had a great time reading, Bark George, and using puppets to act out all of the different animals that appeared in the story. The puppets are of such high quality and will last for years to come. They are soft and so realistic! The kids L O V E D meeting each and every one of them! (I think the big sheep dog is their favorite! You can't imagine the screams they let out when he bounced around the room for the first time, wagging his fluffy tail!) These puppets really help young children build context and interest around the yoga poses we practice. We are having so much fun as we connect, breathe, move, focus and relax together. My hope is that the practices of mindfulness and yoga will give our students tools they can access for the rest of their lives. We look forward to using these resources to go on many more yoga adventures in the future! Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be peaceful.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mahoney-Kertes
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 10 other donors.Music & Yoga: Move, Focus, Drum, Strum, & Have Fun!
Funded Feb 16, 2018Thank you so much for your generosity and support. The students are having a great time creating music and exploring the practices of mindfulness and yoga with their new instruments. The egg shakers, drums and singing bowl were a big hit! And the "little guitar"??? You can't imagine how much they loved hearing it sing! It was incredible to see children who are usually very, withdrawn and quiet, come right out of their shells once I started playing the ukulele. (I've only had it for three days and my playing is a bit rough, but they didn't seem to mind at all!) At first, they quietly swayed back and forth, smiling as I played a song that explored colors and emotions. Then, they chimed right in on the chorus - "I'm a rainbow, today! All the colors of the world are in meeeeeeee!" (We wound up having a big dance party at the end of our time together!)
Amazing! Can you imagine their surprise when I pulled all of the instruments out of my bag? The colorful instruments really caught their eye. They "OOOOed" and "Ahhhhed" with joy. We will continue to move, shake, drum, stretch, sing, strum, dance and learn together with these resources in the future, thanks to you.
By contributing to our project, you provided us with resources that we would not have been able to gain access to, as school budgets are very limited. Your kindness and thoughtfulness has made a great impact on us. The students have been learning mindfulness and yoga since September, in ways that are developmentally appropriate for young children. The instruments you helped us to buy will continue to allow kids to gain access to attention skills, explore stillness vs movement, creativity, and joy, while having fun building community in their classroom.
May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be peaceful.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mahoney-Kertes
Help Us Set Up A Mini Yoga and Mindfulness Studio!
Funded Mar 14, 2015Thank you from the bottom of my heart. What an incredible outpouring of support! The yoga and mindfulness room is a very special place thanks to you. The students were overwhelmed with joy when they saw the new signing bowl. They share the responsibility of being the leader of the group and love ringing the bell to signal the end of our practice. The mats have given them a place that defines their own space to stretch and relax. We love all of the books, too! The Moody Cow was the biggest hit of all. The children created unique mind jars to help them calm down, focus and get ready to learn. This project created a special space with resources for students (and teachers!) to use that allows all of us to feel safe, happy and focused.
Big, big, big hugs to each and every one of you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mahoney-Kertes
Help Us To Be Mindful, Focused, and Kind!
Funded Dec 12, 2013Thank you so much for your generous donations. We are all so grateful to have these wonderful tools in our classroom. The day our forest green yoga mats arrived, I dragged them into the classroom and told the students that we would finally be able to do yoga with our very own mats! They were so happy to help unwrap each mat from the packaging and unroll the mats out all by themselves! These 5 and 6 year-olds were ready to get right to work!
We laid the mats down carefully all over the classroom floor. The students took off their shoes, sat down on their mats and smiled from ear to ear. The yoga cards and yoga book helped us to make the most of each pose. We tried to stand tall like mountains, took in a breath of joy and tried balancing on one foot like trees swaying in the wind. The meditation bowl sang, signifying the end of our first session! (What an amazing experience!)
The project will really help us to learn mindfulness yoga as we focus on our breath while we change poses. I'm reading, The Mindful Child, the amazing book you've put into my hands. I am learning how to strengthen my practice as I research how to help my students use these tools to "manage stress, become happier, kinder and more compassionate". With budgets so limited this year, I truly appreciate this incredible gift. Thank YOU for being so K I N D. May you be happy. =)”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mahoney-Kertes
Adopt a Senior! Art Gallery of Love!
Funded Apr 3, 2010Thank you so very much for your generous donations.The children had a great time creating works of art with the seniors! We loved reading the books, using the watercolor paints, cray-pas, paper, and glue sticks.These works of art will remind the seniors that they are thought of and respected, every single day. The students were filled with pride as they took a step back and viewed their special art gallery. At a time when school budgets are being stretched to the limit, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for allowing us to read, paint, create, color, cut, paste and GIVE. =)”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mahoney-Kertes
This classroom project was brought to life by Give & Learn and 5 other donors.