Past projects 27
Joey! Joey! Joey!
Funded Aug 16, 2010Thank you so much for our classroom set of books! My students absolutely love the character "Joey Pigza." Many of them can relate to him--the antics, troubles, worries, and problems that many 4th graders face. In many ways, the book is realistic, and they realize that they aren't the only kids with problems at home. We read the book together and listened to the CD. Listening to someone (other than me) read to them is something they look forward to very much. Future classes will also benefit from the books and CD--you have truly made a difference in my classroom! Thank you so much for helping me make school a place that my kids WANT to be! I love to teach, and people like you remind me that many people value and education, which is important to me. This is so helpful for me to keep in mind--it helps keep me motivated to go above and beyond what is expected of teachers. Thank you again so much! ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
Making Math Meaningful
Funded May 1, 2010Thank you again so much for our math games&manipulatives! We have already used two boxes of them, and I plan to pull out another box of measurement activities this week. Many students really become discouraged when faced with worksheet after worksheet....after worksheet! It becomes so tedious. Of course, as a teacher, I must give my students the practice the need, but having resources like the ones you have provided to us makes such a positive impact on my students' willingness to give math just one more chance! I utilize every chance I have to offer opportunities for hands-on materials and/or working in cooperative groups, but I wouldn't be able to do this without your help!
On a personal note, your help motivates me to work even harder at my job. I really love teaching, but honestly it is too easy to feel overwhelmed! Just knowing there are people who value education just as I do is so motivating! Thank you so much for caring about my classroom, my students, and me! You have made a difference!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
The Gift of a Story
Funded Jun 2, 2010I can't even begin to tell you how much my students are LOVING the books on CD that you provided for my classroom! We have recently read Sarah, Plain and Tall and Charlotte's Web, and my students enjoyed them immensely (I did, too!). E.B. White, the author of Charlotte's Web was the reader for his book, and it was just amazing to hear the book read in his unique voice! It was one of my favorite books when I was a child, and I'm so happy to be able to bring the story to my kiddos here at school. A teacher introduced Little Women to me in 6th grade, and I distinctly remember that it was the book that inspired . I'm not sure what is so cool about listening to a book, but it really is a nice to sit back, relax, and really get "into" the story. My students are really learning to LOVE to read! That is a huge accomplishment in today's time when reading is so often considered a chore. If only one of my students develop a true love of reading this year, then I consider my job a complete success! Reading for fun isn't for everyone, but some kids never are simply never exposed to it! Thank you for making it possible for my students to have the opportunity to develop a life-long love of reading.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
Creeks, Streams, Rivers, and Brooks...
Funded Apr 23, 2010The river ecosystem is such a great addition to any classroom! Thank you so much for making it possible for our students to enjoy this fabulous resource! We are sharing our river ecosystem with another classroom (7th graders), and they enjoy it as much as we do. We can roll the tank from one classroom to the other. All of our students enjoy feeding the critters, helping clean the tank, and seeing growth and change just as in a real river environment. We have added additional animals to the tank such as guppies (which we love), and hopefully they will breed and have babies soon.
The frogs are our favorite animals because they have such cute personalities. You can see one in the last picture we posted--he is very bashful and in the corner, as usual! Needless to say, we're truly in awe of the little ecosystem right in our classroom. This is so much more interesting than reading about it in a text book. You have truly made a huge difference in our class. Thank you again so very much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by Pershing Square and one other donor.Real World Math--It's What Matters!
Funded Feb 6, 2010Thank you so much for our hands-on math station resources! What a fabulous set of activities to have for my classroom! We've used them on many occasions this year, and I'm happy to say that I'm thrilled regarding how my students worked together to solve the problems--plus they really enjoy the opportunity to work with friends. (For some reason, if they are allowed to work cooperatively they don't consider the assignment "work.") These resources really help me create an environment that encourages social skills of working together, a skill needed to be a successful adult. This type of activity is exactly what I need when I give the kids a break from book work or worksheets. I love that we're learning about lots of math skills that they can really use in real life, too. They even realize this themselves; they don't ask "why do I need to know this?" I have recommended the set to other teachers--I hope they're lucky (like me!) and are able to get the resources for their classrooms.
On a personal note, thank you for making my job more enjoyable. It's wonderful knowing that there ARE people who value and care about education and about what my kids need. You have made a difference in my students and in me. Thank you again so much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by * and 3 other donors.Urgent! Students Are Begging for This Science Lesson!
Funded Feb 23, 2010Thank you so much for your help in my classroom this year! We worked on our owl pellet lessons last week, and the kids absolutely LOVED the opportunity to participate in this memorable activity! They didn't want it to end (really!). A few students even asked for a baggie so they could take the dissected pellets home to show their parents! It's very seldom (never, actually) that our kids here get to experience a "luxury" lesson such as the owl pellets. I know they will always remember it.
One of my goals in science is to get my students motivated and interested to learn--this is especially true for the girls in my class. Any type of hands-on lesson is a sure-fire way to get them to see their own potential and value what they learn. We even discussed careers in science that would interest them in the future. Many are interested in biology, so the owl pellets was a perfect way to get them involved in science.
Thank you again for your kindness--you have truly made a difference in my classroom! Also, you have made a difference in me! Having the opportunity to present my kids with a lesson that they WANT motivates me to go above and beyond for them. I'm really happy with my decision to teach, but you have helped make my job more enjoyable and meaningful. That means so much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
Learning to Respect Earth--The Three R's
Funded Dec 5, 2009We've been using our "Three R's" resources for several weeks now. The contents of the kit contain several activities related to literacy plus some awesome hands-on lessons. We started those last week, and the kids just love them! Lessons like these are so much more meaningful than just using the textbook alone. For instance, we created two "mini landfills" yesterday. We went to the playground and collected bits of trash and added this to our project. The kids are really anticipating which "landfill" will break down its garbage first. Learning terms like "biodegradable" is very helpful--especially in today's times when we should seriously consider what we should be doing for our environment! We are also growing grass and watering it with different solutions: water, a dish soap solution, an all-purpose cleaner solution, and an Eco-friendly solution (vinegar). They observe changes to the experiment everyday. I'll have to admit...I'm pretty interested, too!
Thank you again for these resources. I especially appreciate that future classes will have the opportunity to benefit from the lessons. You have truly made a difference in my classroom. Thank you so much! ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney's Planet Challenge and 4 other donors.Let Our Imaginations Soar--with Readers' Theater!
Funded Dec 15, 2009I can honestly say that our reader's theater scripts have been a wonderful addition to our reading workstation choices. We use them quite often. You can see from the pics I uploaded that we use them at our beanbag station. It's a nice, comfortable place to hang out and read. The kids love it! Each script is highlighted with the characters part which makes it so easy for my students to keep up. I teach 4th grade, but some of the scripts are leveled for 5th and 6th graders. Well, my students LOVE reading above grade level. It's challenging! We use the 4th grade scripts to focus on fluency. Also, having the choice of reading historical fiction, fantasy, or mysteries is a convenient way to teach my students about various genres of literature.
I wish you the best of luck in your career as an educator. I hope you love it as much as I do! It's a wonderful profession. Also, please tell your wonderful aunt, who made this project possible for us, that we appreciate her generosity! You're a lucky niece! Thank you again so very much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
Rub-a-dub-dub! Hands-On Science in a Tub!
Funded Sep 11, 2009My students absolutely LOVED the science activity tubs! Thank you so much for making them available to us. We've used 2 of the tubs so far this year; eventually we will use them all. My future students will also benefit from them. The photos that I posted show some lesson activities from we were learning about force and motion. That particular tub had several activities which I used to make cooperative group workstations--I gave clear and concise instructions regarding each workstation, but I was really proud that many of my students were able to read and think for themselves if they encountered a problem. They were just blossoming into little scientists! I imagine that because the activities were very engaging the kids really just tried to figure things out for themselves--I loved it!
Currently we are learning about cells, so I've pulled out another fabulous tub. Unfortunately, we've had so many snow days here lately, and we're behind on some of our activities. I was hoping to post pictures of our completed cell models by today (we got the cell molds in our Cells Activity Tub). The models are still drying; they will be beautiful when we finally get them painted. Tomorrow is our painting day--that is if it doesn't snow!
This statement will give you an idea about how much my kids love the cells activities: They DIDN'T want a snow day this week...they WANTED to come to school! It's amazing what a hands-on activity can do for a class! ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
The Holocaust
Funded Jul 22, 2009Thank you so very much for the Holocaust materials! The books are a fabulous resource that will be used for many years to come. My Holocaust unit isn't one of my state standards, but I feel it is extremely important for students to be aware of. We read "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, and it seems that when we finish the book they have more questions than before. These books will really help remedy that situation. I have also been able to obtain a book from the University of Tennessee which was written by survivors from Tennessee, our own state. Their stories are special, and this book will be used with the many resources you gave to us.
I can honestly say that people like you who have touched my classroom through providing resources and materials have made a difference in me as a teacher. I imagine you would expect the difference made in the students, but it is a tremendous help to me as well. Knowing that someone cares about education--and about my classroom in particular just really gets me energized to go above and beyond for my kiddos! I guess I get motivated to come up with new strategies and ways to make learning fun! I LOVE to teach, and I will continue to do my very best by providing a classroom where students WANT to be each day! Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic