Past projects 8
Help Me Build a Secret Garden
Funded Dec 31, 2023I am reading the book Just One Seed by Alma Flor Ada. The book tells the story of a boy named Miguel planting just one seed. "A seed is a gift wrapped in a shell. Plant it, water it, care for it well." The book describes the stages from seed to sunflower. Although those around him doubted the seed would grow, Miguel continued to care for the plant, telling them to 'Wait and see." This is the perfect book to accompany our classroom project. We planted our sunflower seeds and we are now seeing them start to sprout. It is exciting to see the pages of the book come to life in our little garden.
This project aimed to enhance sensory experiences and foster a sense of responsibility and accomplishment among my special needs students. The primary goals of the project were to enhance fine motor skills and sensory integration through hands-on gardening activities, provide a calming and structured outdoor activity that promotes social interaction and teamwork, and foster a connection to nature and an understanding of plant growth and care.
With your generous donations of a garden box, soil, seeds, water cans, and gardening tools, we set up a child-friendly garden space behind my classroom. Weekly gardening sessions were held where children participated in planting seeds, watering plants, and observing the growth process. The gardening project has had a profound impact on their developmental and social skills. The sensory experiences of touching soil, water, and plants helped the children show improved sensory processing. I am excited to continue this project and explore further opportunities to integrate gardening year-round.”
With gratitude,
Ms. S.
Help My Little Dribblers Score a Goal!
Funded Apr 27, 2020Early childhood physical development is an important component of preschool. With schools still closed due to the pandemic, my students have not had the opportunity to benefit from your generous donation. I know once the schools reopen, my students will be very excited to get outside and play with the soccer equipment, hula hoops, and balancing disks.
Each day at outside directed playtime, my students will enjoy having the variety of activities that our playground now has to offer. These new items will promote their hand eye coordination, sense of balance, and gross muscle development. I can't thank you enough for the experiences you have made available to my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. S.
This classroom project was brought to life by DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation - Sports Matter and 3 other donors.Comfy Carpet Calms Chaos
Funded Mar 27, 2018Thank you so much for your generosity. I cannot put into words how much your donation of a new carpet has meant to my preschool special education classroom. When they walked in and saw the colorful animals, they were so excited to sit down and touch the animal's faces and make animal noises.
We spend a lot of time on our carpet. Just today, we used it as a parking lot for cars, a place to build with blocks, for our music and movement activities (e.g. animal actions, rhythm sticks), a place to do puzzles, and for our morning circle time (e.g. calendar). This carpet helps keep my students organized while learning. It provides a room within a room. I have a space that is measured out, well defined, and easy for the kids to identify. A simple, "Please sit on the carpet" means that students know exactly where to go. Since the design of a carpet outlines itself, children know the boundaries.
Thank you again for touching the lives of my students. The carpet puts a smile on my face every time I look at it.”
With gratitude,
Ms. S.
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple.Educational Play with a Purpose -Special Education Preschool
Funded Nov 14, 2015When I first introduced the new materials, my students couldn't wait to help me unwrap the packages. Preschool children respond to the novelty of new toys with buzz of exploratory activity. Our theme the previous week had to do with emotions and what different emotions look like. For many children with autism, reading facial expressions in a struggle. The Mood and Emotion Mirrors were an amazing tool in an imitation game of "Guess the Emotion." We had a blast!
In a classroom of students ranging in age from 3 to 5-years old, it is important to have resources that provide age appropriate opportunities to develop individual skills. My 3-year olds are still working on developing their fine motor skills and the Fill it Up-Fine Motor Jars provided bright and colorful manipulatives, the perfect size for little hands. Magnetic Alphabet Maze benefits my 4-year olds who are just beginning to recognize their letters, while reinforcing their hand-eye coordination. The Magnetic Sight-Word Magnetic Board benefit my students who are beginning readers getting ready to transition into Kindergarten by manipulating letters and words.
Even though the school year is coming to a close, students with continue to benefit from your generous donation to my classroom for years to come.”
With gratitude,
Ms. S.
Preschool Teacher Wants to Go Paperless
Funded Apr 4, 2015Thank you so much for your generous donation to my project. As a second year teacher, it is important to collaborate in a professional development capacity with my colleagues.
The wireless scanner/printer allows me to have a nearly paperless meeting as documents can be scanned and then distributed to my colleagues through email for them to access online. Passing around paper documents for each team member to read can take time. During a recent SST meeting, I was able to scan documents and send them to the team's laptops so everyone would be on the same page. This expedited the process substantially. The printer also allows printing of picture schedules to support the children, as well as scan a student's work and email to the parent that couldn't make it to conferences or back-to-school night.
The wireless speakers have been very beneficial when conducting professional development activities. The speakers allow for clearer sound when watching educational videos and Webinars from the Council of Exceptional Children. They also serve a secondary purpose. I am able to have a larger library of music that can be played from my iPod. This eliminates turning my back to change CDs and reduces the opportunity of disruptive behavior.”
With gratitude,
Ms. S.
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Preschool Teacher Believes in Paying it Forward
Funded Feb 18, 2015Thank you so much for your generous donation to my project. As a first year teacher, it is important to collaborate
in a professional development capacity with my colleagues.
These resources allow us to keep up to date with the newest and most effective practices in our profession. We watch taped lessons from each of our classes in order to peer review and perfect our practices. After watching the videos as a staff, we share valuable insight that we normally could not, being we are not in each other's classes while we are teaching! We are also able to brainstorm as a group and voice alternative strategies.
This donation allows myself and my colleagues to grow as professionals and improve the quality of instruction given to our students in our individual classrooms. The laptop and tablet allows me to share students' digital portfolios, which showcases their learning over the year with the students and their parents.”
With gratitude,
Ms. S.
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.Art Sensory Through Exploration
Funded Feb 19, 2015My students were so excited to help me put the easels together and try out the new paints. They named every color and identified which one was their favorite. The roll of paper make set-up and transition between painters easy. My students were also anxious to open all the different colors of play dough, but I managed to have a vote, with the majority picking pink.
My students have the opportunity to select the art center after completing their table activities. Since space in limited, they had to double-up. Many decided to paint pictures for each other, while others were happy to use markers to create rainbows, flowers, and a robot. A concern of parents has been paint that did not wash out. The water-based paint was a welcome addition to the classroom. Also, the long sleeved protective aprons worked very well in the art center, as well as outdoors at the water table. The large alphabet stamps were great for spelling their name as well as their friend's name.
This project boosted cooperative play, peer support for children with special needs, strengthening of fine muscles, and free exploration of paint, water, and markers. Having a table top easel supports the children who can not stand for long periods of time by allowing them to sit while they painted.The large alphabet stamps with the handles allowed children with sensory issues to use the stamps without getting ink on their fingers.”
With gratitude,
Ms. S.
This classroom project was brought to life by First 5 LA and one other donor.Dramatic Play in Pre-K
Funded Dec 13, 2014For months, my students had no dress-up clothes in the dramatic play area. Thanks to you, they can pretend to be a firefighter, doctor, mail carrier, etc. etc. They were able to refer to the puzzles to visualize what community helpers look like and the pictures printed under the puzzle pieces are an excellent way to support my students with special needs. In addition to the clothes, each outfit came with tools of the trade. For example, there was a stethoscope, hammer, and oxygen tank. What a great way to open up a conversation between students. For example, "Why does a firefighter need an oxygen tank?" I think I am having as much fun as my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. S.
This classroom project was brought to life by First 5 LA and 3 other donors.