Past projects 10
Diversity and Math!
Funded Apr 21, 2023My vision was to use these books and resources to start to build a "math library" where scholars can sit with their friends and learn about math in a non-threatening way. I want to help young scholars develop a love of math! I want my scholars to see math in their everyday lives. I want them to never be afraid to tackle any math problem. I want them to learn that math is all around them and we are constantly doers of math.
In our reading block I provide explicit instruction on strategies to support comprehension of text and adequate independent time for students to apply said strategies to books of their chosing. This choice allows students to pick books they enjoy whether it's about a specific character, a genre, or a book about math. I want reading to be a time students enjoy rather than one students fear. With your donation my students have more books to choose from and with this the experience is further enhanced.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ringler
Mathalicious Centers!
Funded Dec 6, 2022My students thoroughly enjoyed the new additions to our small group math centers. I try to create an environment where math is fun and engaging. Many students have poor experiences with learning math and previous teaching styles. In 3rd grade fluency is important. They were really excited about the digital pens to test their own fluency with the math fact cards. They liked that they could use this activity as a thing to do when they completed classwork.
My students were super excited to have new resources available to them and they loved that they got to explore these materials. My next steps are to enhance the math manipulatives that students access during independent practice as tools to support their understanding. Many different tools are outdated or not available within our building so I want to make sure our classroom is equipped with all the necessary resources.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ringler
This classroom project was brought to life by Optimum.Back to School Basics: We Won't Share Because We Care!
Funded Sep 4, 2020This was one of the hardest and most important projects this school year as students were unable to share communal supplies. My students used these resources on a daily basis to complete classwork, assignments and projects. For many of the students who lack excess materials at home this also, was used at home work blended learning (headphones).
On the first day of school all of my students came into the classroom and were beyond thrilled too see that they each had their own set of school supplies. It also alleviated the pressure from families and parents to purchase materials and so I know many parents were grateful for this.
I will continue to be in awe of the support donors contribute to my classroom and my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ringler
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 5 other donors.Warm and Cozy in the Classroom!
Funded Dec 21, 2020This contribution has been a great asset to the classroom! Due to the circumstances of COVID-19 and the lack of proper ventilation systems windows and doors must stay open during all seasons including winters. During the winter the students struggled with staying warm while maintaining safety with PPE equipment and so the heaters were a great asset. They kept the students comfortable and warm and they were all entirely grateful to this project. Thank you for your continuous support of public education and classrooms.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ringler
This classroom project was brought to life by The Peterson Family and one other donor.So Fresh, So Clean: Healthy Environment to Support Learning Minds!
Funded Aug 17, 2018During the pandemic safety and health is the upmost priority for my scholars. They take pride in knowing the steps we can take to ensure the safety of themselves and their peers. These resources are used daily to ensure that all materials are safe to be used during daily tasks. To ensure that they are able to be in a comfortable, germ-free environment all tables and desks are sanitized at the beginning of the day, after lunch and at the end of the day. My scholars sanitize when they come into the classroom, before lunch and after lunch then, at the end of the school day. By having these systems in place we are able to minimize spread of bacteria and ensure that we may continue in-person learning.
My scholars were thrilled when they first found the materials. They were eager to see all the PPE supplies that were donated due to your generosity! They started using the materials right away.
This current classroom project was intended to supply our classroom with the necessary PPE materials to keep our safety and health as a priority and that is how it will continue to be used.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ringler
This classroom project was brought to life by News Corp and 2 other donors.Masking Up Against COVID-19!
Funded Dec 7, 2020This PPE project was so important for my students this year as we unpacked the importance of a safe, healthy, clean environment being a part of a happy, welcoming environment. As this is my second year with this group of scholars they were so excited to see masks that they can use both in school and home as well as sanitizing wipes to keep their learning spaces clean.
They truly take ownership over their environment and recognize how much your project is really reinforcing the ability for them to continue to learn at school because they can clean their desks, chairs and other materials they use throughout the school day.
Thank you once again for all you do to support classrooms during these unprecedented times.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ringler
This classroom project was brought to life by Arnold Ventures and 2 other donors.Basic Supplies for a Successful Year
Funded Sep 6, 2018My students and I are getting so much use from these new resources. Since this project is including some basic, essential materials that students use from day to day. The pencils have been so extremely helpful in supporting students in completing in class assignments and completing homework. Although post-its have been a classroom resource I pry myself on using to give feedback to student's work I have shifted my classroom environment to more student ownership. One of the instructional practices I enjoy using in my classroom is a "Gallery Walk" in which students observe, analyze and give feedback to each other's work either individually or in groups. One moment I found the post-its to be very purposeful is when students solved a CGI/exemplar problem and explained their thinking. Students used a class created rubric to give feedback to each other's work on post-its. This allowed the original student's to read 'glows and grows' in a more student-friendly language.
When my students first saw the materials they were very excited to see the materials in this project that would support them in the editing part of the writing process (flair pens, highlighters and post-its). My students were never given the opportunity to self-assess their own writing with colored flair pens so they were extremely happy. Students used highlighters and post-its during close reading and to annotate classroom texts.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ringler
This classroom project was brought to life by Neukom Family Foundation and 2 other donors.High Interest Literature for Terrific Third Graders!
Funded Dec 29, 2018This project which consists of many series books and chapter books for 3rd and 4th grade gave my students the opportunity to practice a wide array of skills from lessons as well as build their reading stamina. The reason series books do so well particularly with our younger students because they can make connections between different books, and talk about how certain characters develop. In 3rd grade we try to focus on identifying main idea with supporting details. By having a variety of fiction and non-fiction students are able to apply taught skills to their own independent books at their level.
Reading in my classroom has changed from year to year. When I was asked to pushed my group of students I decided to use the workshop model with my students for reading. My lessons would explicitly teach strategies students will use not only us that day but whenever they need them through various novels and texts. Students would engage in the text through discussion and questioning. After, a reading lesson students would get the opportunity to apply what strategies they learned that day in their own text.
My goal in this project was to extend and build my library for both my female and male students. One of the greatest things that has begun to occur in my classroom is that male students are beginning to find series books and literature that they are interested in, that they want to read and that support them in building their reading stamina. As students are able to find engaging, high interest texts they are building the skills necessary to be life-long readers.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ringler
Cozy Up in Our Library!
Funded Aug 22, 2018Literacy was such an important component of my classroom instruction this school year and my goal with my third graders was to create an authentic love for reading. As an educator and avid reader myself I understand the importance of having engaging literature that pulls you in. My students were so excited to see a library that now allowed them a space in the classroom to get comfortable and just engage in all the wonderful books they had access to.
My students used the carpet and bean bags as a space to complete their independent reading, choice center games and use technology. Academic tasks automatically became more enjoyable for my students and they were more eager to do work when given the opportunity to work in this area of the classroom.
I loved that they took pride in this being apart of their classroom environment and maintaining it's cleanliness and organization so that it would always be made accessible to them. This will continue to be a safe, comfortable, learning area in our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ringler
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 7 other donors.Engaging Library- We Series-ly Love To Read!
Funded Oct 6, 2017Reading is a big part of the everyday life of children and adolescents. The questions always ask when they are teaching with literature is how can we create proficient, powerful readers? Reading stamina is important for students to simply engage in the act of choice while independently reading with texts. Some of the major reading skills that my students have practiced with these texts is identifying story elements, summarizing, identifying the main idea with supporting details, and describing characters with use of character traits.
This year our school has committed to a reading program for the lower grades K-3 where reading is emphasized through the implementation of guided literacy which is small guided reading groups and literacy centers. Students in my classroom vary in their literacy needs and ability levels. As a result, it is necessary to provide opportunities for students to read, write, and participate in meaningful experiences, and collaborate with others. One of the centers that I incorporate into our daily routine is nonfiction and fiction read to self and reading for stamina. During this center students are held accountable for monitoring their own stamina with a timed timer and responding to their reading using a choice menu with thinking maps to show how they are thinking about their reading. In this center students are working on both their proficiency and comprehension.
Many of my students have taken a great liking to the wonderful selection of series books available in our now updated library. One of my students Branden has taken a liking to the series, Totally True Adventures. One book in particular addressed the Red Sox and Babe Ruth he was able to discuss with me a lot of the baseball statistics he learned and was very inquisitive about the historically relevancy of the text which led us to research Babe Ruth. It was amazing to see how engaged my students can be in their reading when it is a topic they are both curious about and interested in learning more about. Many of the young ladies in my class will pick up Judy Moody and never depart. It seems to be due to the self-to-text connections that they are able to make with her character as they are able to read multiple stories about her character and her persona stays the same so the students feel an interest and comfort in reading this series knowing that they can consistently expect certain characters.
This donation has been such a wonderful addition to my classroom. There engagement in these texts make me hopeful to looking forward and seeing how they grow as readers. It is donors like you that help students in our country continue to prosper.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ringler