Past projects 56
Tech for ZOOM and Online Learning
Funded May 6, 2020I am rocking my videos. My green screen is making my Zooms so much better for my students. The green screen has allowed me to make some very unusual back grounds. i have made part of our reading book. I am becoming like the weather forecasters on TV using the green screen background to point out different things on a page. I am no where near as competent as them yet. I still have a lot of practicing.
I have recorded some great videos and the ring light has made it much easier. And the best for me, the laptop stand. What a wonderful tool, in keeping my screen at a good level for my neck and head. The kids never get to look up my nose while we are zooming either. Which is helpful.
So thank you for supporting my online teaching and my student online learning. We all appreciate it. I would not be as amazing as I am without you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Helgeson
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and one other donor.Whiteboards, Pencils, Notebooks and Cards
Funded May 6, 2020Thank you for supporting my students learning. They were so excited to get their own supplies for home. I drove to many of my students' homes to deliver these supplies and they were so excited. They loved getting supplies but they also loved seeing their teacher again.
The whiteboards and markers were a huge hit. I labeled each white board using my donated Cricut and each student didn't have to worry about siblings taking it and not having it labeled. The ability to personalize each one made a difference.
Many students continued to use it during the summer and many are using these supplies this fall as we are still not face to face.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Helgeson
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 3 other donors.Battle of the Books
Funded May 6, 2020Thank you so much. I can't wait to get these in the hands of my students. Every year I see such growth in my students reading skills as they read through all these books. I am going to work with my school librarian to create a checkout plan as we are not back in Face to Face learning.
Battle of the Books is such an amazing program. I am so glad that you were willing to support my students reading. My class is going to rock the competition. They are always so proud of their accomplishments even my reluctant readers. The students often surprise me with who choses to participate. Thank you for giving them the opportunity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Helgeson
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 2 other donors.Balls For Recess
Funded Oct 21, 2019Thank you for your patience. The students have very much enjoyed having balls at recess. They ask to borrow them on a regular basis. We went out and played with the giant Kickball on Friday and the kids had a great time coming up with their own games.
The cards have allowed the students to play a lot of games during our inside recess. January was an extremely cold month. Students go outside to recess every day unless it is colder than 10 degrees below zero. Which means January was very cold if we had mostly inside recesses. The students played a lot of games of speed and we are now set for a speed tournament when the rain comes and it is too muddy to play outside again.
Thank you again for such wonderful resources for the students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Helgeson
Whiteboards for Learning
Funded Oct 24, 2019Thank you so much for the lovely whiteboards and markers. We have been using them regularly. The boards being double-sided has helped with math answers and questions. We use the whiteboards so much more often with the new erasers and markers. They practice writing answers to their reading questions. The students have to write their answers but they do not feel as committed as they do when they write on paper or type their answers. The selection of colors or markers has been so much fun for the students. They enjoy picking out their favorite colors and writing their answers. We use the whiteboards 2-3 times a day almost every day.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Helgeson
This classroom project was brought to life by An anonymous classroom supporter and 6 other donors.Successful Back to School
Funded May 13, 2019Thank you for the basic school supplies. The students are using their pencil pouches daily. They turn them in on Friday and if they still have 2 pencils, then they get a small prize. The notebooks are a huge help. As we go through the curriculum, the students fill them out.
The blue composition books have been replaced with dry-erase markers and mechanical pencils. The students will all get new pencils at winter break, both a mechanical one as well as two Ticonderoga pencils.
While it seems simple to have basic supplies, it can be difficult when you move to a new school. But when the teacher has everything you need to start, the day you arrive, it takes the stress off both the child and the parent.
Thank you so much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Helgeson
This classroom project was brought to life by Craig Newmark Philanthropies and 4 other donors.Send Ms. Helgeson to Summer School
Funded Jun 13, 2019This is some of the best professional development I have received. The students are always excited when it is time for Junior Botball. While starting the project can take a while, things really get moving once the students start actually programming.
The students have gotten farther with their programming since their teacher is more advanced. Last year my students were able to get to drive their robots around. This year they have already surpassed the students from last year.
Last year's students are going to get a chance to continue as I start a lunch club for them. They will be zooming along very quickly. This is an amazing program that teaches both the students and the teacher. I have learned so much.
The students are going to be computer scientists by the end school year.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Helgeson
This classroom project was brought to life by Infosys Foundation USA and 3 other donors.New Desks After Fire
Funded Feb 13, 2019New desks don't show great excitement. However, I am thrilled. As the school year comes to an end, the next school year could have a large increase in students. This means that more than 30 kids in my small room. The room was designed for a much smaller class. These new desks allow for more flexible seating options.
Just this last week, I had to move a student away from the rest of his group. Because of the desks, I could temporarily move the student away from his group. Then once he was able to be back in control, he returned to his group.
As more tables in my room are replaced by these desks, more flexibility with seating will occur. These will allow the students to be grouped in more configurations.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Helgeson
Raspberry Pi For Back To School
Funded Aug 22, 2018Thank you so much for the Raspberry Pi computer parts. The students have enjoyed putting together a computer. We have not yet played the retro gaming system but they are very excited to do so as the end of the year approaches. We are able to have more free and open time now that state testing is finished. The students have learned a lot about circuits and we will continue to learn more.
They are ready to download some new games onto the Raspberry Pi. Thank you so much for your generosity in helping us have amazing supplies for computers and computer programming in our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Helgeson
This classroom project was brought to life by Craig Newmark Philanthropies and 4 other donors.Interdependence In Our Classrooom
Funded May 8, 2018We have tomatoes and lettuce growing in our aquaponics system. Also growing is an avocado tree. One of the students will be lucky enough to take the avocado tree home. The lettuce had a very rough start as the Nov 30th earthquake and aftershocks shook the seeds and kept them from taking firm root and growing. However, the tomato plants started growing quite quickly. Since the lettuce had such a rough start, I had to start over. Now we have some nice micro-greens growing. While we could eat those, we are going to wait to have a tomato and lettuce salad. Some of my students had never seen an avocado before, nor had they seen any vegetables growing.
The students have very much enjoyed watching the fish as well as the plants growing. The fish have been interesting as well. We started with 5 goldfish and a plecostomus. The goldfish quickly made the tanks pH level low. We lost 2 goldfish and the plecostomus. The class learned about the pH of water and that goldfish pee out of the skin. We also had two of the goldfish bullying the other fish. One of the students has the responsibility of feeding the fish.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Helgeson
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and 3 other donors.