Past projects 6
Synergetic Scholars
Funded Dec 17, 2021Thank you for your generous donations! Your support has promoted student engagement and collaboration in so many meaningful ways! When students first saw the large sticky easel pads, markers, crayons, and colored pencils, they gasped in awe! The hands-on materials engaged tactile learners like never before and students were able work together in creative ways! The pencils, notebooks, sticky notes, index cards, and highlighters really support our text analysis and annotation strategies. Students are able to dive into the text in an organized and effective manner. Going forward, we plan to use the construction paper to enhance our word wall!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Berger
This classroom project was brought to life by Clorox and 11 other donors.Supplies to Make Students Smile!
Funded Aug 29, 2021Thank you for supporting our classroom community. Because of you, student and teachers feel joyful, organized, and supported.
For example, during group work / whole-class collaboration, the sticky easle pads really come in handy; students are able to share their insight and ideas in engaging and visual ways, really making the content more tangable! Also, the folders help students stay organized and support their executive functioning skills, both of which are really important after a year of remote learning. The post-its enhance close-reading skills and annotation and the index cards help teachers gauge pre and post knowledge (formative assessments). Because of you, both students and teachers are enjoying school more!
Thank you for bringing joy to the lives of our community, we are very lucky to have your support!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Berger
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 3 other donors.Summer Reading Sizzler
Funded Apr 5, 2021Thank you for supporting an at-home library for students. Because of you, students had a bookshelf full of highly relevant texts to choose from and dive into over the summer. My goal has been to foster a love for reading and reinforce independent literacy practices, and you have supported that goal; thank you for helping students to develop identities as readers.
Moreover, many students at Dean are currently enjoying independent reading on Wednesdays, and thanks to you they have a wide array of texts to explore both inside and outside of the classroom. It's really exciting to see students invested in their reading and talking about it with peers and teachers.
Independent literacy practices are important and students are working to be able to articulate parts of the books that stand out to them and how they connect to the books they are reading. Thank you for bringing joy to the lives of our high school students, we are very lucky to have your support!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Berger
Connecting Career/Vocational Technical Education and Community
Funded Jul 17, 2020Thank you for your kindness and generousity. The students at Holyoke High School, Dean Campus will benefit greatly from your support when they return back to in-person school. In the future, students will be able to work hands-on and dive into meaningful, creative work. As Career Vocational Technical Education students, they prefer project-based assignments; these resources will bring them so much joy and help to ease their transition into back into school.
Students will thrive as they work passionately to propose ways to improve the quality of life for community residents, connecting Career/Vocational Technical Education and Community. Their inspiring ideas will come to fruition because of these supplies!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Berger
Cultural Exploration, Identity, and Self
Funded Jul 25, 2019Thanks to your support, students have been able to explore their cultural identity, ethnicity, and race through readings, research, and most importantly hands-on projects. Through these reflective experiences, our classroom community has come alive. We have been able to celebrate our unique differences as well as the experiences we share. Students have grappled with stereotypes, different types of conflicts, and continue to consider new perspectives. Going forward, students will be completing a creative project where they can either write a poem or create a self-portrait. As they depict their cultural identity through art, students will participate in a gallery walk in order to honor one another's cultural heritage and cultural inheritance. Students will continue to use the spectacular supplies you have helped us attain as a way to express themselves. Without you, this all would not be possible. Thank you so much for your generous contributions.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Berger
Creativity and Critical Thinking Supplies
Funded Aug 22, 2018Thank you so much for helping to support my students and our classroom this year. We are so grateful for all of the new resources and materials. When the students first saw the new materials they were in complete shock! Smiles spread over their faces and they expressed their gratitude and excitement. Then, I took the opportunity to share with my students how we were able to receive such amazing new materials (thanks to you). We continually use the materials for many engaging projects, all of which employ the materials as manipulates and involve students in movement and kinesthetic learning. The students are more engaged and invested in the content. Students are also more motivated to get the work done more efficiently!
More specifically, we have been able to use gallery walks as a specific classroom routine once a week. Because of the resources we have received, students are able to "become experts" on specific topics and then translate their learning onto posters. They are able to decorate the posters and make them engaging in order to teach their peers in more meaningful ways. Using construction paper, markers, crayons, Post-Its, scissors, etc. students get to physically commit themselves in the creation process while learning content simultaneously. What a killer combination!
Going forward, we plan on using the materials for more craft-based projects, such as Realia word walls. These vocabulary "walls" will make the content come to life and the content will jump off the page, literally. When students use the materials, they will be able to visualize the words and associate them with the objects/ materials on the "wall". This will help with comprehension as well as investment in the content. Currently and in the future, your donations will continue to make learning more fun and interesting for the young adults in Holyoke, MA.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Berger
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 12 other donors.