Past projects 4
Music Production: How to Make Beats
Funded May 7, 2024Thank you so much for making this project possible. All of the students that created beats through soundtrap, really enjoyed expressing themselves musically. It can be difficult to play an instrument at a young age, and tools like soundtrap make students feel like they are in control of creating music that they enjoy. Soundtrap is such an incredible tool because of its user accessibility. All of the students that were taught about the software were able to create incredible works of music. This would not have been possible without your generous donations. I look forward to creating new projects with you all in the future.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Tobia
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 31 other donors.All Booked Up
Funded Mar 31, 2023My students will tell you that my favorite vocabulary word is "altruism." According to Merriam-Webster, it's defined as "having or showing an unselfish concern for the welfare of others." To strengthen their empathy skills, we look for examples of altruism every day.
Your donation toward our classroom is a fantastic example of altruism, and one that was explicitly pointed out when the items began to fill our bookshelves. Some students took the books home and read them. Others cuddled up with them on the beanbags after they finished their work in Synergy Squads. And others followed your example of altruism and donated books to our library.
Thank you for not only donating to our little classroom family, but for also modeling what authentic altruism looks like in a community. With your help, we can work together to ensure that our children become the empathetic adults that our world so desperately needs.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Tobia
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 6 other donors.Getting Comfy and Cozy in Our Reading Corner
Funded Sep 30, 2022I am forever indebted to everyone who helped me create a "home away from home" for our classroom family. The rug and beanbags are used daily during our Synergy Squad rotations, and sometimes for a comfy place to practice mindfulness. The library is also home to our class "pet," Hopscotch, and the students love that he has a comfortable and welcoming place as his "digs." :)
The colorful bins are used to store our laptops. They also came in handy during on January Family Friday STEAM activity, as they held the hundreds of marshmallows the students used to build freestanding "snowmen."
One of our classroom Sanford Harmony goals is to "always be altruistic to others." Thank you for modeling a real-life example of altruism for my students. Your donations were not only in the physical sense, but in the social-emotional capacity, as well. I appreciate each and every one of you.
LOVE,”
With gratitude,
Mr. Tobia
Help Our Students Achieve Their Goals!
Funded Dec 31, 2015Dear Donors,
Words cannot express my deepest gratitude for your generosity. You have single-handedly provided our students with the tools necessary for success, something they did not have access to prior to your donation. We are located in a Title 1 school in Queens, New York, and have the pleasure of educating 250 beautiful children whose families have unfortunately fallen on hard economic times. Of the 19 students Ms. Siegel and I call our own, 70%+ of them are under the poverty line by New York City standards. Because of this, most of our students came to school without any supplies. Ms. Siegel and I purchased as many supplies as we could, but as you know, elementary students tend to use supplies at an exponential rate!
When I came across Donors Choose, I was surprised that there were so many good-hearted souls willing to donate to classrooms similar to ours. I spread the good news to my students, who immediately rejoiced at the thought of being able to color a picture to support their writing, or no longer having to be embarrassed that they did their homework on napkins and paper towels. One student exclaimed "Now I can do my homework on a piece of paper for once! My mom's gonna love this!" It broke my heart to think that something as seemingly simple as a piece of paper was worth millions to our ten year olds. Their happiness made me appreciate your donation even more than I thought possible.
Since your donation, our students have increased academically in both math and writing. 80% of our students are on-grade level in ELA, and 78% are on-grade level in math. They use the donated materials to draw illustrations to solve math problems, highlight important information, cite text evidence, annotate their passages, and solve non-routine problems. Subsequently, their confidence in academics has grown tremendously. It warmed my heart when my students insisted that school is now the best part of their day. It gives me great pleasure to be able to provide my students with the tools necessary for academic and social-emotional health, and I owe that solely to your generosity.
You will be happy to hear that your donations have recently helped our students create thank you letters to our servicemen stationed abroad. The attached pictures show our students illustrating "Pictures of Peace" and writing heartfelt letters. Among all of the projects they have created this year—this was their favorite. We are patiently waiting a response from these service members! Additionally, our class has also created "Your World is Our World" multicultural posters that are displayed around our school, and have presented research to their peers on the importance of accepting people of all creeds and color. Their newfound generosity and spirit is due largely to your grand act of kindness.
Again, thank you kindly for your supply donations. You have enabled us, as teachers, to provide the best education possible, and them, the students, to reach previously unachievable heights. Your altruism is appreciated beyond expression. I wish there were another way to thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Tobia