You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Ms. Jess Hinds' Classroom

Support her classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

  • Monthly
  • One-time

We'll charge your card today and send Ms. Jess Hinds a DonorsChoose gift card she can use on her classroom projects. Starting next month, we'll charge your card and send her a DonorsChoose gift card on the 17th of every month.

Edit or cancel anytime.

cancel

Support Ms. Jess Hinds' classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

  • Monthly
  • One-time

We'll charge your card today and send Ms. Jess Hinds a DonorsChoose gift card she can use on her classroom projects. Starting next month, we'll charge your card and send her a DonorsChoose gift card on the 17th of every month.

Edit or cancel anytime.

Give to a project to support this classroom.

Your custom url is https://www.donorschoose.org/jesslovesherlibrary

Gift Ms. Jess Hinds' classroom the essentials

$7.56 markers

for Ms. Jess Hinds in
Astoria, NY
show projects from all time

Past projects 134

  • Dr. MLK, Jr. Performance, Black Lives Matter Day Part 2

    Funded Nov 29, 2018

    Thank you so much for your generous support of our second annual Black Lives Matter Day of Action. "Prayers for the People" was a powerful, interactive theatrical experience that helped us enter into the text of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter to Birmingham Jail." The singing component helped convey emotion and deeper layers of meaning, helping the words leap off the page. The students were all very engaged and serious during the performance, and seemed open to the new experience. I think it's incredibly important for students to have a wide variety of cultural experiences and to learn about different religious experiences. It was truly an eye-opening event, and one of our most striking experiences during BLM Day.

    Thanks for making it possible!!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jess Hinds

  • Art and History: A Visiting Novelist Speaks About Slavery

    Funded Oct 17, 2018

    It was incredible to meet Ms. Coleman Foote and hear her story about becoming a writer, and her process of writing "Killing Gra' Coleman" (which was published in the Missouri Review, and which several English classes read). She spoke about writing her family story, drawing inspiration from stories from her mother and siblings. She also talked about her decision not to show her story to her family until after it was published. It was interesting to hear about her experience of studying in Ghana and learning about the first African man to earn a Ph.D. in the 18th century, and her decision to write a novel about him. She also spoke about the collection of stories that "Killing Gra' Coleman" will be in. Finally, she discussed the merits of writing residencies where you can be supported for several weeks or months to focus on your writing, and eat gourmet meals. She wrote "Killing Gra' Colmeman" during one such residency in Georgia, and tasting a blackberry during that trip helped her write the story. Overall, it was really exciting and inspiring to meet a working author. She asked us to raise our hands if we are writers or want to be writers. And then she told us we should all write and take it seriously if we love to do it.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jess Hinds

  • A Visiting Author/Artist Series in the Library!

    Funded Oct 6, 2018

    It's amazing to meet an author after reading her work! Bushra Rehman is a local author who grew up in Corona, Queens, not far from our school. She writes poetry about being the child of immigrants, and blends fairy tales into her stories. It was really inspiring to hear about her experiences as a queer Pakistani author and poet. Her parents did not approve of her writing and publishing her work. They thought she would call too much attention to herself and the family. Her home has been wire-tapped, even before 9/11. She spoke about some other challenges Muslim-American people face today. It was interesting to hear about some of the supportive people in her life who have helped her be a writer. She has found a community through the Asian American Writers Workshop and other places. It was a great experience to meet Ms. Rehman and learn about what it takes to be a writer and poet.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jess Hinds

    This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Arts Funder and one other donor.
  • Essential College Guides, Research Materials and a Bit of Fantasy!

    Funded Sep 18, 2018

    Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in helping fund our college book section and adding to our young adult and fantasy collection! Our budget is always limited for books, and your donations made it possible for us to supply our students with exactly what they need, when they needed it. Our school ordering system can take almost two months, which would have meant that if we ordered the usual way in September, students wouldn't have gotten the books in time to study for the SAT exam in October. (Ordering over the summer isn't an option, unfortunately). DonorsChoose gift cards allowed us to get books from Amazon within mere days, so students could prepare and make wise college application decisions. It is wonderful to see our college book collection being used, and students having the resources they need to succeed in the world beyond our school. Decisions about the future can be very daunting indeed for students, but when they are equipped and empowered with the right resources, they can begin this very important journey with confidence. Thank you for believing in our students and helping them succeed!!!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jess Hinds

  • The Magnetic Book Club

    Funded Sep 15, 2018

    When a group of students came to me asking to start a book club, I was enthusiastic but also worried. How would we afford to buy copies for each and every book club member? Our library budget covers library books, but doesn't allow for a lot of extracurricular reading. Then the parents at my school came through for us in a huge way, donating gift cards to fund future projects. I was thrilled to be able to spend part of our funds on a fantasy reading group, the Magnetic Book Club, which any student on campus is welcome to join. So far, the students have had several meetings and are reading "Songs of Achilles." Students meet in the library after school once a week, and I can tell they are very excited to have their own space to talk about books that they have chosen themselves. The library is full of joyful voices and paging turning. I absolutely love seeing a group of students in a circle with books, brows furrowed, deep in discussion. We've never had the opportunity to have a book club before, and I can tell students are fully embracing this experience. Thank you again for supporting public schools and helping us build the next generation of readers!!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jess Hinds

  • A New Diverse Library to Foster Lifelong Readers

    Funded Sep 12, 2018

    Thank you for your amazing generosity and visionary spirit in supporting a NYC public school and making a new diverse library possible! I was deeply moved to see that one of the donors was one of the very FIRST founding library interns back in 2009. It was touching to see that the library made such an impact on her that she wanted to give back to it (yet again!) I was also touched by a donation from a former teacher -- how generous of you to make such a substantial donation and to keep the library in your heart. Thank you also to the parent who donated (we love your child!!) and the people who donated who I don't even know personally, but whom I am so grateful for.

    My students were thrilled to begin a new school year with new books on the shelves featuring characters from all over the world, and representing a variety of religions, cultures, sexual orientations and gender identities. Our goal is always to choose books that students can connect to, and see themselves in. You helped us achieve this mission through this tidal-wave of books that came pouring through our doors. It was quite a plentiful bounty of books, and all of them were carefully selected from awards lists and reviews, as well as vetted by students. I always want to make sure students actually want to read the books I buy for their pleasure reading--otherwise, what's the point? My interns are highly involved. Thanks to you, many students who say they don't think of themselves as readers have begun to identify themselves more as readers. Our book displays are fresh, new, colorful, and dynamic. We always want our books to reflect new ways of seeing the world, new perspectives, new ideas. A stagnant library is not one of our goals!

    Thank you for helping us grow, and for building the next generation of readers.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jess Hinds

    This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 6 other donors.
  • Italian, Moroccan & World Folktales

    Funded Aug 22, 2018

    Students in the Fairy Tale class were thrilled to receive the new books in our collection. The professor of the class was very eager to make copies for students for her class, and to circulate the book to everyone to browse the beautiful illustrations. I was glad that the professor was able to make immediate use of them. Clearly, they are a much-needed part of our library collection that will enhance the Fairy Tale class. Some of my library interns are current or former students in Fairy Tales, and one former student is a teaching assistant. She was excited to receive the new books, and was eager to hear about how students will use them in their research projects. Every year, students conduct research for the fairy tale class that they present at the school's annual Symposium Day. Sometimes they present their research while wearing mermaid fins or crowns. I love seeing the students' creativity! Thanks to you, we are well prepared now for this amazing project and school event.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jess Hinds

    This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 5 other donors.
  • Research Superheroes! Great Books & Social Sciences

    Funded Aug 22, 2018

    It is challenging to run a college-level library program with the financial resources of a public high school, and DonorsChoose is a godsend for making resources possible. Thank you so much for your vision and passion for innovative public school programs!

    One of the most celebrated parts of our curriculum is the First Year and Second Year Seminar class. We read Freud, Nietzsche, Marx, Woolf, Darwin and other great authors and students conduct a research project on their masterpieces. Your generosity helped fund a new wave of books to support this research project. You also helped us secure more books on American history that will be instrumental to student success in the Cold War class and others.

    I am so happy to welcome these books to our library, thanks to your generosity and commitment to public school education. I know that when you go onto the DonorsChoose website, there is a vast selection of excellent teachers and projects, so I am truly honored that you chose my project.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jess Hinds

    This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 2 other donors.
  • Igbo/Nigerian Research for Chinua Achebe Project

    Funded Sep 12, 2018

    Thank you so much for making our Igbo/Nigerian research project possible! It was so heartening to begin the school year with a bookcase full of excellent books in our African history section.

    Our students began the year with the resources they need to do advanced scholarly work. Recently, three students embarked on a research project on our African and African-American history collection (which we will be presenting at a national academic conference). We consulted the new Igbo resources, and my students especially enjoyed and appreciated the new titles. Our 9th grade English teachers are also thrilled to have these books available.

    I am so happy to welcome these books to our library, thanks to your generosity and commitment to public school education. I know that when you go onto the DonorsChoose website, there is a vast selection of excellent teachers and projects, so I am truly honored that you chose my project.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jess Hinds

    This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.
  • Author, Author! Master Class with Sigrid Nunez

    Funded Dec 14, 2017

    It was a distinct honor and pleasure to have Sigrid Nunez speak at our school. Nunez is the acclaimed author of eight books. She spoke to us about her novel, "The Last of Her Kind," which is about two Barnard roommates in the 1960s--one of whom becomes a radical. It is a story with deep resonance with today's social issues. Nunez spoke about her writing process and about youth in the 60s compared to today's youth. She answered many student questions and engaged in a dialogue with students. Over 60 people attended. It was an inspiring and eye-opening talk for all of us. Thank you for making this possible, #Giving Tuesday!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jess Hinds

I am the librarian of the Sojourner Truth School, a Title 1 school that services students from age 3 to grade 8.

About my class

I am the librarian of the Sojourner Truth School, a Title 1 school that services students from age 3 to grade 8.

About my class

{"followTeacherId":352395,"teacherId":352395,"teacherName":"Ms. Jess Hinds","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp352395_272x272.jpg?width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1448978067785","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"vanityURL":"jesslovesherlibrary","teacherChallengeId":35476,"followAbout":"Ms. Jess Hinds' projects","teacherVerify":-554322746,"teacherNameEncoded":"Ms. Jess Hinds","vanityType":"teacher","teacherPageInfo":{"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"teacherHasClassroomDescription":true,"teacherClassroomDescription":"","teacherProfileURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/classroom/jesslovesherlibrary","tafURL":"https://secure.donorschoose.org/donors/share_teacher_profile.html?teacher=352395","stats":{"numActiveProjects":4,"numFundedProjects":134,"numSupporters":423},"classroomPhotoPendingScreening":false,"showEssentialsListCard":true,"teacherNamePossessive":"Ms. Jess Hinds'","essentialsTopItemSummary":"markers","essentialsTopItemImageUrl":"/images/essentialslist/supplies/markers-color.jpg","essentialsTopItemPrice":7.56,"essentialsListLength":4,"essentialsListUrl":"https://www.donorschoose.org//donors/essentials-list.html?teacherId=352395","state":"NY","stateFullName":"New York","city":"Astoria"}}