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Ms. D.'s Classroom

  • Brooklyn Technical High School
  • Brooklyn, NY
  • More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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Past projects 21

  • Return to Learn!

    Funded Dec 20, 2024

    Having durable and professional supplies allows us to do our job with added ease.

    The previous book drop box was from Amazon. It had limited capacity (it was designed for home-use to avoid porch pirates) and the key jammed in the lock frequently. Oh, and in the spring, it would jam when too many students returned books at the end of the semester!

    Needless to say, we are thrilled to have a much larger, more appropriate book return bin. We selected a cheerful red color and know that this will be used by the school library (and our massive student body of 6,000+) for years to come.

    Thank you so much for your support and generosity!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. D.

    This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 8 other donors.
  • Library Creature Comforts

    Funded Aug 13, 2024

    We are so excited for opportunities to bring fun and comfort to our students, whenever possible. Having a wheel to use for library giveaways is just...fun! Our students enjoy this kind of whimsical thing, which they don't always experience in their academic schedule.

    Similarly, being able to offer a chance to clean our eyeglasses to a student body with MANY glasses wearers is such a nice offering. Having a charged device helps our students to feel safe and in-contact with their families.

    Thank you so much for your support of our library programming. We really appreciate you.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. D.

    This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org Teen Mental Health Initiative.
  • A 2024 Library Glow-Up

    Funded Dec 18, 2023

    We have a new problem in the library these days. A librarian will set out a new, sparkly, cozy-themed puzzle in the Peace Corner, confident it will keep students busy for the next few days. After all, 1000 pieces takes quite some time, right? But then she will turn around only to discover that the puzzle is swarmed with happy students, and at her next glance, the puzzle is fully complete.

    Your generous donations have added such a warmth to the library and our options for student activities. I hope the photos we include can help to demonstrate that. Donors Choose has given us options beyond what the school is able to provide, and we can obtain items in a timely way, at competitive prices.

    Thank you for your support and generosity. We really appreciate you.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. D.

  • Makerspace Adventures!

    Funded May 4, 2023

    Having community support has allowed our Makerspace to flourish, with each season bringing new materials and activities to our space. A student who works on quilling in her spare time as a hobby may lead a workshop for other students and we are able to collaborate with the embroidery club as students practice different stitches and styles.

    Our library monitors, more than 100 of them, then help us to promote our activities and materials through social media, blog posts, and the daily announcements, helping to spread the word throughout our (huge) school.

    Thank you for supporting our students with different creative pursuits, which would be helpful in ANY setting but is especially vital in a school with so much focus on academic rigor and achievement.

    We appreciate you.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. D.

  • The Library is a Breath of Fresh Air, Literally!

    Funded Jun 8, 2022

    Can you imagine the looks of delight that students have when they discover our little cleaning robot vacuum? On Halloween we even dressed it up like a small ghost and sent it out to clean about the library floor! This donation has had a significant impact on the air quality in the stacks, which we pass through multiple times each day.

    Because there was a change in price of the final purchase item, we were able to use the remaining balance to start to purchase items to support a new library initiative, the Library of Things, which allows students and faculty to borrow non-book items from our collection, to support their academic needs. Items like art supplies, graphing calculators, instruments, yoga mats, will all be available for circulation in the coming weeks, thanks to your generosity.

    Your ongoing support of our library program deepens our motivation to provide students and school community with new and exciting resources, and centers the library as a vibrant school center. We appreciate you!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. D.

    This classroom project was brought to life by Optimum and 11 other donors.
  • Library Makerspace: A Welcome Creative Outlet

    Funded Nov 13, 2021

    Who knew that high school students would be so enthusiastic about beading and embroidery? Well, we certainly all do now! Our Makerspace has been building in momentum for months, and students in March (and now into April) have gotten increasingly loyal and excited to create! We've seen students who have embroidery experience sitting alongside students who were anxious to hold or thread a needle, working together or encouraging each other.

    The thrilling piece about jewelry creation is that it is almost immediately usable--with students wearing their creations out of the library that day. You can see in our photos that students used our materials as well as bringing their own, recycled materials from home.

    We have loved using the Makerspace this year and it has served as a way to ease students back into library (IN PERSON) life here at Tech.

    We deeply appreciate the generosity of our donors and your contributions have enhanced our library program in very concrete ways.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. D.

  • Library Supplies

    Funded May 6, 2019

    Thank you so much for your generous donation to our project which allowed us to receive these much-needed supplies so speedily. These supplies had an immediate impact on our library.

    First, we were able to conduct a thorough inventory in the spring, which allows us to quickly see which books we have and which are missing, and then replace items immediately. Second, we swiftly labeled and shared the games we purchased.

    Students look to the library as a place where they can study, read, socialize, and unwind, and having engaging games that they enjoy is crucial. We truly appreciate community support which allows us to serve our 6,000 students as best we can.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. D.

    This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 2 other donors.
  • Unwind in the Library

    Funded Dec 11, 2018

    The minute that our games arrived in the library, students were delighted to see us rip off the cellophane, write "BTHS Library" and put them into circulation. UNO has been especially popular in our library this year, with (quiet) multi-day tournaments being played all across the room, especially as a way to relieve stress from finals and Regents exams. The nice range of games also means that there is something for everyone--the student who just needs a fun break with friends or the student who is feeling focused and ready for a mental challenge, playing chess.

    We really appreciate your generosity and support!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. D.

  • iPad iLearn iPhotograph iVideo iLovethelibrary!

    Funded Nov 19, 2018

    Having a sense of technological independence is such a big deal in our library, and with this new infusion of technology we are able to create many new products. We are excited to continue using our iPad to take photos.

    These photos can be used in many ways--Instagram posts, blog posts, library (or hallway) bulletin boards, or even on the emailed daily announcements, which are sent to the entire school community. We are also excited to use the iPad to create green screen photos. Our green screen, which was purchased with the generosity of previous Donorschoose donors, is a fun way for students to explore with creative (and fun!) library photography.

    Finally, we are excited to create student-made (or librarian-made) original videos, to highlight library resources or just show students enjoying their time in our beautiful space.

    Thank you for your generosity and support. We can't wait to explore all of these new possibilities!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. D.

    This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Arts Funder and 7 other donors.
  • Amazing Artistry Amid Lit Literature!

    Funded Oct 4, 2018

    At our celebration for library monitors this week, we spoke about the incredible contributions that our (more than 100!) library monitors make each day in the library. We ate pizza, socialized (monitors met other students who they don't usually work with) and played games.

    Students LOVE having games available in the library for them. I saw students playing Uno, two different games of Set were going, chess, checkers, and many other games too. These resources, which regularly make the library a more comfortable space for our monitors and more than 1000 students who use the library each day, are only possible due to the generosity of our wonderful donors.

    We thank you for your ongoing support--it makes a huge difference to our students and goes a long way toward making the library a comfortable and happy place.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. D.

Our library is a unique place. Students can visit when they have a free period or lunch, and they use our space to read, complete assignments, decompress in our Peace Center, work on the computers, print, borrow textbooks or browse books, magazines, DVDs, graphic novels. We also have a number of games we loan out as well as textbooks and SAT flashcards. We are excited to add a Makerspace to our library to further enhance the space. Our school has an admission test, so rather than being a neighborhood school, my students come from all boroughs of New York City. Students are diverse and SO interesting. One student will request a foreign language book "to improve my French," while another asks about my favorite Horror recommendations. It's never a dull moment! Working with this population makes my job thrilling and challenging.

About my class

Our library is a unique place. Students can visit when they have a free period or lunch, and they use our space to read, complete assignments, decompress in our Peace Center, work on the computers, print, borrow textbooks or browse books, magazines, DVDs, graphic novels. We also have a number of games we loan out as well as textbooks and SAT flashcards. We are excited to add a Makerspace to our library to further enhance the space. Our school has an admission test, so rather than being a neighborhood school, my students come from all boroughs of New York City. Students are diverse and SO interesting. One student will request a foreign language book "to improve my French," while another asks about my favorite Horror recommendations. It's never a dull moment! Working with this population makes my job thrilling and challenging.

About my class

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