Past projects 7
The Best Way to Start Each Day!
Funded Aug 1, 2023To help improve overall attendance at our school, our administration started an attendance competition amongst all of the homerooms. Every month, the class with the best attendance percentage gets to choose a prize and house the school attendance trophy for the following month. Our class won for the month of September with 99.1% attendance! I think this was largely in part to our new materials.
I introduced the games and activities on the first day of school and it has made our mornings incredibly pleasant. The students come in, grab a school breakfast if they choose, then play and build while chatting with their peers. There have been little to no social issues during this time, and if anything does arise that needs my attention, I am able to handle it quickly and quietly while they are busy playing. When it is time to clean up, they are able to quickly transition without any pushback because they know they will have regular opportunities for this type of play.
This is a routine that I will implement in with all of my future classes because I am definitely seeing the benefits. Thank you so very much for your generous donations.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Chandler
Quiet as a Mouse
Funded Nov 14, 2020Many families have multiple children working in the same room while parents are also working from home. As you can imagine, it can get pretty loud! The headphones have helped block out some of the background noises from the students' home environment so they can focus on our zoom lessons. The computer mice have helped them manipulate their screens so they can look at multiple pages at once.
Most students were using old headphones borrowed from the school. They were so excited to receive a brand new pair that no one had ever worn before! In school, the students were familiar with using computer mice that are attached to the desktops in our computer lab. Many of them had never seen a wireless mouse, so they enjoy not having an extra wire. They are nice and small, so they can store them right in their pencil boxes for safe keeping.
These materials have been beneficial to all of my students. This year has been so chaotic and my students have had to make many transitions. It honestly feels like we have had 5 first days of school, and these headphones and mice have helped make all the changes run a little smoother for my kids. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Chandler
Come on in and Have a Seat!
Funded May 6, 2019Thank you for your generous donations! My students absolutely love the flexible seating. They especially love the powerpoint presentation I created to show them what to do and what not to do while sitting on the various pieces of furniture! They also enjoy the story I told them about how I fell off the wobble stool the first time I used it! Fortunately, they have learned from my mistakes!
I introduced the materials on their first day of third grade. As soon as they walked into the classroom, they noticed the bouncy balls and stools. I definitely earned some cool points for having these items in the room! The first few weeks we rotated through the chairs so everyone got to test them out and see where they work best.
By this point in the year, the students know which seats are best for their learning. Some like to wobble in the chairs while working on their math work. Others like to bounce on the balls while working in a guided reading group with me. It's nice to be able to give them options of where they can work in the classroom. I know I certainly couldn't sit at a desk all day, so I like knowing they don't have to either!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Chandler
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 13 other donors.My Love Bugs Need a Rug!
Funded Aug 22, 2018We use our brand new rug every day. It's where we hold our morning meetings, engage in hands on math lessons, and watch mystery science videos. It's where we celebrate students' receiving brag tags on Friday mornings, we listen to read alouds, or sometimes where students read just right books independently. Our rug is an essential part of our classroom.
When the students first saw the rug, they cheered! They commented how all the colors tie into the colors on our classroom walls. They noticed how much brighter it made the space. Most importantly, they appreciated how much softer and cozier this rug is compared to our previous classroom rug. To say they were excited is an understatement.
Currently, we are in the process of reading "Charlotte's Web." I read chapters to them as they sit on the rug. Sometimes, they enjoy reading a chapter or two on their own. Every student will be creating something related to the story. Some will create dioramas or posters. Others will write poems or songs about the book. Some are going to participate in different STEM projects related to the text. Parents will be invited in for students to present their work to their families and classmates. The rug will be our own little stage for these presentations!
This rug has helped make our classroom a warm and inviting space. Your donation helped create a positive learning environment. Thank you, so very much.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Chandler
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.Organizing is a Life Skill!
Funded Nov 3, 2017It might sound silly, but the materials we received through this project have had a major impact on our classroom. Since receiving these materials, I have gotten three new students added to my class. If this project wasn't funded, those three new students would not have had a place to put their coats and backpacks. Can you imagine coming to a new school surround by all new people and not even having a designated spot for your things? Just like adults, children need their own space and thanks to you, all 10 of my students have that now!
The bookshelf and rolling cart have helped improve my teaching instruction. I have 10 students with a variety of disabilities at all different academic levels. Each lesson I teach is differentiated to support the needs of every student. Depending on what we're working on, that could mean 10 different lessons for 1 subject. Having places to put all the materials each child needs for different academic tasks has helped me run effective working centers every day. Simple pieces of furniture have helped the overall functioning of my classroom!
When the students first saw the materials, they were ecstatic! My 4th graders offered to help assemble the furniture! My first graders will thrilled to practice hanging up their coats all by themselves! The paraprofessionals in the room were excited to have a designated spot for everything! Cleaning up has been a lot easier! Part of being in a life skills classroom is learning how to do things like hang up your coat and cleaning up after yourself. Now we are able to practice those organizational skills!
Again, thank you for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Chandler
Teaching With Technology
Funded Oct 27, 2015The iPads that were purchased because of your generosity are being used everyday by my students. During both reading and math they are used so that students may access iReady. This is a tool that assess each students' individual needs and creates lessons specifically designed for them. My students are currently working on "Expert Books" where they are asked to pick a topic and create their own nonfiction piece based on their own knowledge of the topic and research. The iPads have been very helpful with allowing students to research all their topics, especially the topics we don't have books on in our own school library.
The iPads are engaging and motivating to the students. Since a lot of them are so used to using technology at home, their loving being able to show what they know in class. I'm currently taking a technology course this semester just to be able to keep up with them!
All the students have warmed to the iPads, but one particular student has taken a special liking to them. He has a lot of disabilities and behaviors. The iPads have become something that motivate him to stay on task and his complete work. They are now a part of his behavior plan. When he needs a break from working with his peers, they're also a great resource for him to take a break socially, but continue working academically.
We absolutely love them!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Chandler
Horseshoe Help!
Funded Sep 28, 2014When the table arrived back in October, my students were thrilled. Their feet no longer dangled from chairs that were raised too high to meet their old desks. They no longer had to turn their bodies every which way to see different visual supports posted in the classroom. They no longer had to fight for my attention when they were struggling because there weren't big, clunky desks separating us. My students now have a comfortable and supportive environment to learn in and they love it!
What they love most of all is the fact that people who had never met them were willing to donate to this project. When I originally told them that we were getting a new table, they assumed it was from another classroom, donated by a teacher who no longer had use for it. When they saw the custodians unwrap and set it up, they were confused. If it came from another classroom, why was it wrapped like it was brand new? I showed them the donors chose website, and the kind comments you had left with your donations and they were absolutely delighted! "You mean strangers gave us this table?," one boy asked. "Generous strangers," I told them.
This table has improved my instruction, which has lead to improvement in all my students. All the students who see me for reading improved on their latest reading assessment. They are participating more in class discussions and are completely engaged at all times. There are times when I may be teaching math and reading at the same time. This is much easier to do when I have the students right in front of me. I can bounce back and forth between kids with ease, while still having an eye on the rest of my group. It has made my job easier, which as a result has helped my students improve academically.
Even though we have had the table for a few months now, the students still make comments on how "cool" it is. It has helped turn my classroom into a more productive environment. Thank you all for your kindness and generosity!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Chandler