Past projects 10
Magic in Magnets and Motor Skills
Funded Nov 28, 2023It is with immense gratitude and excitement that I express my heartfelt thanks for your generous donation of magnet blocks and palm grip crayons. Your thoughtful contribution is making a significant impact on the learning experiences of my students and I couldn't be more grateful.
Your donation of blocks and crayons goes beyond being a simple gift; it represents a key tool in fostering creativity, imagination, and cognitive development in my students. These resources are not only educational but also provide endless opportunities for my students to express themselves, collaborate, and learn through play.
Your generosity is helping to create a vibrant and engaging learning environment where my students can explore their creativity, develop fine motor skills, and build a strong foundation for future academic success. The colorful world of crayons and the endless possibilities of building with blocks will undoubtedly inspire a love for learning in my students.
When my students saw the magnet blocks they were immediately excited to start working together to build and construct neighborhoods, cities, cars, spaceships, robots, bridges–the list goes on. These blocks have been a versatile tool in their imaginative play and also a way for them to work on social skills.
The palm grip crayons are used with my youngest group of learners and they were delighted to start coloring, writing, and expressing their thoughts and feelings through drawing. They are working on fine motor skills and these special crayons help them control handwriting movements and give them a sense of success when writing.
I am truly fortunate to have individuals like you who understand the importance of supporting education and the positive impact it has on the lives of young minds. Your kindness has not only filled our classrooms with essential supplies but has also filled our hearts with gratitude.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Vainio
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 2 other donors.Diversity, Equity, and Characters That Look Like Me
Funded Feb 14, 2022Thank you so much for your generous donation to my students. They now have even more books in their classroom library written by authors that look like them and feature characters that look them too.
My students have enjoyed listening to these stories and looking at the wonderful illustrations. Some of the stories are written by or are about real life people that we have had a chance to learn about like Ibtihaj Muhammad, Lupita Nyong'o, Stacey Abrams, and Mary Walker. My students thought it was so cool to be in a book that they were inspired to write their own.
The books you have provided my students have allowed them to learn new things about others and about themselves. Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Vainio
This classroom project was brought to life by Munchkin and one other donor.Pull Up a Chair!
Funded Dec 16, 2020Thank you so much for our new classroom chairs. My students were just thrilled when they open the enormous box (it was almost more exciting than the chairs). We use our new chairs at our horseshoe table every day. Everyone has his or her own space and can be responsibly distanced.
The chairs are gray and go nicely with the calm-colored theme of our classroom. They are also lightweight enough that even my smallest students can push them in. Additionally, they are easy to clean. They get wiped down several times a day and continue to look great.
Your donations have made our little space even more delightful and comfortable. The classroom is our home away from home and we are so happy that something as simple as chairs can make such a difference in how the classroom looks and feels. Thank you for helping us!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Vainio
No "Horsing" Around...We Need Horseshoe Shaped Tables
Funded Jul 14, 2020I want to thank you for giving to my classroom during these unprecedented times. We started the school year remotely, but students started coming to school face to face about two months into the school year. When they arrived in their new classroom they were greeted with our wonderful new tables. The light grey color of the tables adds to the calming colors of their classroom.
Our two new tables serve many purposes this school year. Due to new responsible distancing guidelines we not only learn at our tables, but we eat breakfast and lunch at them as well. These tables have provided us with a sense of community when sharing meals. Additionally, as a small class of students with disabilities, they are also learning how to use utensils, open their own food, and clean up independently.
Having two tables has allowed each of my in-person students to have his or her own space where they have increased their reading levels, learned how to write their names, and listened to their favorite stories. I love that the new tables have wheels so they can be easily moved around the classroom which offers more opportunities for students to participate in small group activities. When more students arrive at school, I am confident that these new tables will provide plenty of space for everyone.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Vainio
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 10 other donors.Voice and Choice in Their Learning Environment
Funded Jul 30, 2019When my students saw a box arrive that was bigger than them, they were so excited! When we opened the box and saw a squished up couch we quickly became surprised when we cut the plastic and the couch began to grow! My students started placing the couch and pillows on the carpet and immediately started having fun.
My students love their new couch that is just their size. They love to sit on the couch to read, but they really enjoy taking breaks on it. They play together, imagine together, and most importantly, have fun together on this couch.
My students have autism and sometimes struggle with social interactions. This couch has helped create a safe and fun place for my students to play with each other. It makes me so happy to know that a simple piece of furniture can have such a positive impact on our classroom community. Thank you so much for our Nugget couch.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Vainio
This classroom project was brought to life by Yellow Chair Foundation and one other donor.Emergent Readers for my Emerging Readers
Funded Jul 17, 2019These leveled readers are perfect for my kindergarteners and first graders. The books are not too easy or too hard, but just right for instruction as my students are just now learning to read.
My first graders are able to read the level B books with success and that makes them feel brilliant! My kindergarteners are starting out at level A and are using their sight word knowledge and picture cue skills to read the books with success.
After reading, my students enjoy writing and illustrating about what they were able to read either on their own or with my help. The stories are engaging, fun, and relevant to their young lives. They especially love the book about mud!
Thank you so much for providing my young learners the opportunity to read engaging stories on their level...it really makes them feel special.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Vainio
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and one other donor.Look for the Bare Necessities
Funded May 23, 2019My students were so excited to open the big box when it arrived. When they saw the bright colored paper they "ooh-ed and aww-ed" with delight. The students use the Astrobrights paper everyday in their interactive math and writing notebooks. They love to choose their favorite color to complete their tasks.
My students have also gotten a lot of use from the Expo markers. My youngest learners are just learning how to write their names and these markers allow them to practice over and over. If they make a mistake, they can just wipe it away and try again. My older learners love doing math with dry erase markers because they can draw pictures and add and subtract easily...sometimes right on the table! It erases so easily.
Thank you so much for your donation to my classroom. I know that my students will get continued use from the items that you have provided them.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Vainio
Do "U" Need a Horseshoe Table? We Do!
Funded Feb 9, 2017Thank you so much for our horseshoe table. We previously had two rectangle tables pushed together in a "v" shape so that my paraprofessional and I could both be able to work with all 6 students. Even with this configuration, it was difficult to help everyone. We had a kidney shaped table that we could comfortably seat one teacher and 4 kids. With our new table all 8 of us can sit together!
The kids were so excited when they first saw the table and everyone's name was on it and everyone had a seat. The kids are able to work with an elbow partner, a teacher, or independently when needed with this configuration. My para and I can access one student at a time or everyone at once.
Our table is both a work space and a place to be together, whether that is at snack or lunch time. We can see each other and be social when needed and when it's work time, each student can be helped easily.
Your donation has helped us be together as a class more easily. Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Vainio
All the Books!
Funded Jul 15, 2016Dear Donors,
My students are loving these books! We use one a week as a mentor text for writing. This mentor text allows us to see what great writing looks like and we learn how to create our own sentences. We also get to do a special hands-on craft that goes along with the story. We've made some really cute pigeons who don't want to stay up late, otters who are kind to others, and dragons who love tacos.
We read another book that strengthens our skills as beginning readers by looking for new sight words that we are learning, CVC words, and uppercase and lowercase letters. My students love to also talk about the illustrations discuss what they see, what they think might happen next in the story, and then create their own.
With your donations, my students have been able to hear and see some great stories that they otherwise may not have been exposed to. They have a lot of fun during story time and it's wonderful to see them engaged and smiling and laughing. In the few weeks that we have been in school, I have already seen improvements in their abilities to identify words and even form new ideas of their own based on what was read to them.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Vainio
This classroom project was brought to life by Neukom Family Foundation and 8 other donors.The Building Blocks of an ASD Classroom Community
Funded May 29, 2016Dear Donors,
Without your help, my first project dream would not have become a reality. The blocks that were donated have been a huge success in my classroom. When they arrived in their big, clear package the kids "oohed and aahed." It was such a delight to see the smiles on their faces.
My students are kinderg�rtners with Autism Spectrum Disorder. They are new to school and each other and sometimes need help with social interactions. These blocks have helped form new friendships. I love to see how they work together to build castles and towers and whatever else their imaginations allow. One student was hesitant to play with the group at first, but she soon was playing along side her peers reaching one of her individual goals.
My students also received a magnetic ten frame set with your generous donations and those have helped my students tremendously with number sense. They are practicing one-to-one counting correspondence using the ten frames. It's a wonderful tool to keep items organized to count.
Your donations have made my classroom community truly a great one.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Vainio