Past projects 6
Wiggly Butts Need Cushions
Funded Feb 15, 2019Our wiggly butts are so much more focused because of you! We opened boxes right when they arrived, but the real excitement came after they were pumped up and ready to go! Jose loved it instantly, asking to take a picture of him sitting on one with the box it came in to send to his mother so she could add it to his birthday list! I didn't consider how much they'd fight over them, so I was compelled to assign a new classroom job: Seat Manager. The seat manger made sure the focus wiggle seats were rotated fairly around each table group, and the two extras were awarded to students of their choice for the following day. As you can imagine, students were extra focused just to earn a focus seat for the day! What an unexpected bonus!
Our students can't help their 9 year old energy level, but your donation helped them focus that energy in a positive, non-shameful way. Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Voss
Spectacular Science Supplies
Funded Feb 3, 2019Our science units were a total success because of you! Our kids were thrilled when they opened the boxes, knowing these were the supplies we were waiting for. One group was so excited, they accidently tore open a pack of lids, spilling them across two table groups. One student suggested, "Well, since it's open already, can we do the experiment that goes with this one now?!" You can't fault their enthusiasm, right?
In our sound unit, we used the rope you donated to show physical waves and perform experiments about frequency and distance. Students laughed at the wriggling rope on the tile, yelling, "Higher frequency, higher, higher!" as the rope wrangler attempted to increase the number of waves sliding across the room. They all aced that concept with the added tools this year.
In science, we can spark curiosity, problem-solving, reading, writing, listening, speaking, and collaborative skills. It's our favorite subject and we learned so much more this year from your donation. Thank you so much, and future classes thank you, as well!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Voss
Terrific Tolerance Titles
Funded Oct 18, 2017I'm at a loss for words for what it means to my students to have books that represent their race, language, and culture. In our efforts to create community in the classroom, finding authors and illustrators of color are vital in helping students understand one another and that we are more similar than different. Each Friday, we circle up on the carpet to end our day in a class meeting. We discuss current issues, bold questions, and challenging topics like race, religion, and emotional regulation. The books you provided our class will help be a springboard for those vital conversations that bring us to understand one another better. They allow students to connect to differences in their own lives and share them safely with their classmates, creating tolerance.
These books will be available for students to read at their leisure and as a discussion point. I already have students "fighting" over who will get to read which book first. I will also be using these books to spark questions that will precede guest speakers. Our students are so naturally curious, I want them to feel safe asking difficult questions, and these books will help set the tone to do so.
It was so heart-warming to hear one of my students exclaim, "The Best Eid Ever"?! Not even our library has that book! I love that one!" and hear another ask, "What's Eid?". I can't wait for students to be able to share their culture with one another! Another student said, "Yo Soy Muslim"? Why is she saying that in Spanish?". The girl beside her said, "Because she's Muslim, and speaks Spanish," to which she gasped and responded, "There are Muslims who speak Spanish?!". Can you see why books with diversity are so vital?
You have helped bring awareness, understanding, and tolerance into our classroom. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Voss
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 3 other donors.Make Our Homeroom a Chrome-room!
Funded Sep 18, 2017Do you know how hard it is to be 9 years old and NOT jump up and down screaming when you're holding a computer for your classroom that was just donated? Take a look at these photos and you'll have a good idea. What a wonderful struggle to contain!
When we return to classes in January, students will launch into a Biography book club unit, which students will need access to computers to gain knowledge of the historical times and culture of their subjects. Later in the day, students will begin drafting their literary essays on Google Docs, getting them into the practice of typing school assignments to support their budding keyboarding skills. My English Language Learner students, like BaoThy who has been exposed to English only 4 months, will be pulling one of these computers daily to plug assignments and questions into Google Translate so she can understand concepts in her home language, Vietnamese. This is especially valuable for her since she has only two classmates who speak basic Vietnamese. She will use the language building programs prescribed to her to increase her English skills every day during reading.
Specifically, these two computers will make access to quick questions, translations, and content so much faster than the four aging desktops in our classroom. The quick internet search we so take for granted with our smartphones can take up to 10 minutes on old computers, or not at all for half of my students who don't have reliable access to the internet at home.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting our class and their thirst for knowledge!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Voss
Put WWII Books in Our Hands, "Lest We Forget"
Funded Apr 23, 2017"We're starting BOOK CLUBS?!" my class yelled when I pulled out the colored book bins and set them out, already grouped and waiting to be read. "Oh! Look at this book! I hope we get that one!" students whispered and pointed as I introduced our new Reading and Writing unit on WWII Historical fiction.
That moment was created because of you. You helped put rich and engaging stories into the hands of my 26 eager ten-year-olds. They dug in with voracity! The only sound was the rustling of pages as students melted into the lives of their characters dealing with life's challenges among the backdrop of war abroad and at home. When I rang the bell to end reading and begin group discussions, they all protested and begged to take their books home. My heart is soaring!
I really can't thank you enough for helping to spark interest in history and cultural awareness to help them become better-informed citizens, "Lest We Forget".”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Voss
"Growing" New Ideas About Eyes and Erosion
Funded Mar 2, 2017When my 4th grade class came in from recess, two of them spotted the Amazon boxes with science supplies right away. "Did they come?!" Brady asked excitedly. "We can do Science right now?!" Zainab proposed, looking at the schedule on the board. A chorus of "awwwwww's" when I said we'd open them after lunch.
During science that day, they crowded around their Oso Landslide models with grow lights hanging above, willing the plants to grow faster in their engineered solution to erosion. "They're so pretty!" Vanessa commented, looking at the difference in landscape the colors made with her new magnifying glass. This prompted a discussion with her group about light spectrum and how plants will photosynthesize, a teachable moment! After their plants grow this next week (while the NW weather continues to rain and snow), students will "rain" on their landslide models again to see if their purposeful planting helped slow down erosion of the hillside and save their town below. Fingers crossed!
My only problem now? I can't keep them away from checking their models every 15 minutes. :) Thank you for helping me create a love of learning, questioning, and science in our low-income school!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Voss