Past projects 8
Classroom Beautification
Funded Aug 14, 2024Thank you so much for helping provide our classroom with some much- needed supplies. Our classroom will be much more beautiful with our new wall hangings. And having our own vacuum will be so helpful for cleaning up after our art and baking projects.
We greatly appreciate your kindness and generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Welch
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.Classroom Rug and Pillows
Funded Aug 1, 2024Thank you for helping to fulfill our classroom wish list. We will greatly enjoy our new comfortable rug and seating options. My students love learning and young children learn best when they have the freedom to move their bodies as they need. Thank you for helping to make that happen.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Welch
Fun and Relaxing Preschool Environment
Funded Aug 1, 2024Thank you so very much for funding our project! I can't wait to use these resources in our classroom. I'm especially excited for all the wonderful music we're going to be making and listening to this year. Thank you for your generous support of early childhood education.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Welch
We Are Busy!
Funded Nov 30, 2022We are so grateful to have these materials. The students love the work they're doing. Sorting and organizing is something many Montessori students love to do, and our class is no exception.
When the rainbow came out, that was the most popular work on the shelves! The kids really love using the tongs to work on their fine motor skills, while also practicing sorting and color identification.
These materials have been in use daily, and it is fun to see how the students have used them differently as their experience and skills grow.
Thank you so much for your support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Welch
This classroom project was brought to life by The Arizona Department of Education and one other donor.We Are Readers!
Funded Nov 30, 2022Thank you so much for funding our project! I cannot wait to get these books into the hands of our kiddos. Your support is so special to us, and I know the kids will learn and grow so much because of your generosity. Thank you to contributing to the success of the next generation.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Welch
This classroom project was brought to life by The Arizona Department of Education and 9 other donors.Needed Classroom Supplies
Funded Aug 25, 2022THANK YOU to the state of Arizona department of education for funding needed projects. It's so important to fully fund our schools and help our students. Teachers appreciate the support and not having to buy these items out of pocket. Thank you Superintendent Hoffman for supporting this initiative and our students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Welch
This classroom project was brought to life by Arizona Department of Education.Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief
Funded Apr 16, 2014My students were so excited and thrilled to see these books come in to our room. They do not often receive new books, so it was very special indeed when we opened that box and looked at the pristine covers. They even smelled the new-book smell! Many of the students said that they had already watched that movie, but when I asked if they had read the book, the answers were always "No!" I think it's important for students to know that the movie is not always as good as the book (there are exceptions, of course!) and that watching a movie is in no way a replacement for reading high-quality literature.
My students are in the process of using this book during our English Language Arts time. We are learning about characters, Greek and Latin root words, and using literature to compare themes and archetypes. We just finished reading "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and I'm excited to make connections between these two texts. There are many similarities that Harry Potter and Percy Jackson have between them, and there are also many ways that those main characters are similar to the students I teach. Some do not have any parents, some only have 1 parent, and almost all of them have felt behind or singled out at one point in their life.
I hope to use this book to not only teach the Common Core standards and the love of reading, but to show kids that sometimes the right thing is not always the easiest thing. The character development and social skills that we discuss throughout Percy Jackson will help these students (hopefully) learn to make good choices in their daily life, whenever they are confronted with problems that trouble the youth of today.
Thank you again for your generous gift.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Welch
Harry Potter and the Common Core
Funded Nov 6, 2013Thank you so very much for your kind donations to help my students get "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." When the box came, my students were very excited and anxious to see what was inside. They have seen me get Scholastic book orders, so they know how excited I get when I get a box full of books, but this time I told them that what was in the box was for them! When we finally opened it, they were so excited. They jumped, screamed, even commented on how good the books smelled! I made them wait a few months, though, to read the books, and they were very impatient.
When January finally came along, and I passed out the books, my class couldn't wait to get started reading. In fact, the whole book took less time to read than I planned because they kept begging me to let them read ahead! I have never seen so many kids as excited about reading. They talked about the book in the morning, in the cafeteria, at the end of the day, even in their other classes! My students read about 2 chapters a week, completed graphic organizers, self-guided projects, writing assignments, and in-depth analysis of the novel. They also interacted with their favorite characters and scenes by performing plays, puppet shows, and creating dioramas.
Yes, we used Harry and his friends to learn about theme, characterization, sequencing, main idea and details, vocabulary, and clarifying words, but more importantly, we treated Harry like one of our own friends. My students were concerned about the characters, laughed with (and at) the characters, and made judgments based on their choices (important and, I think, increasingly relevant in today's society-- when is it OK to break a rule given to you by authority?). The discussion, focus, reading stamina, and enjoyment given by these books to these students was countless. Now, I have several students who have even gone out and procured the 3rd novel in the series, because they just can't wait to find out what happens next.
One of my favorite moments from our work on this novel was during the reading of the last chapter. When we read about Harry Potter freeing Dobby with the gift of a sock, there were actually two students (and one teacher) with tea rs in their eyes. All the others yelled so loudly that the teacher next door popped her head in to see if everything was OK. That, to me, is what reading is all about. This gift of books will help students in the years to come, as well, and for that I am truly thankful.
I hope to have some more projects up that will continue to expand the knowledge and experience of the kids at my school.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Welch