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Ms. Best's Classroom

  • South Grand Prairie High School
  • Grand Prairie, TX
  • More than three‑quarters 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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show projects from all time

Past projects 18

  • Shelving Our Household Task

    Funded Sep 16, 2023

    Thank you so much for valuing a non-traditional way of teaching and for seeing the importance in hands on training. As an 18+ Transition teacher, these task boxes become part of our everyday learning and are important for our students to learn activities of daily life. This shelf has allowed us to house our task boxes in one place, and given us room to add more task boxes. It has also given us the added activity of daily life to keep the shelf organized and dusted. Every task housed on this shelf is something that you and I do on a regular basis. How much more important can something like this be? Again, thank you for caring about my students and for always providing the best. I appreciate every one of you and hope you have a blessed holiday.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Best

  • Wiping Away The Germs With Our Laundry

    Funded Sep 2, 2023

    As you can see in our pictures, we are already using our supplies! Unfortunately, sick season has already begun in this classroom and those cleaning supplies and Kleenex arrived just in time.

    Your generosity has allowed us to provide Kleenex at the table with our students who are feeling a little under the weather right now. They have been able to freely use a Kleenex anytime they need. Not only is the Kleenex helpful during allergy season, but it also provides the supplies needed for lessons that include facial hygiene, germs, and taking care of illnesses.

    The table sprays are used in lessons about daily chores, germs, and chemical substances. Additionally, which is an important part of our classroom, keeping as many areas germ free as possible to prevent spreading anything to our more fragile students.

    Washing hands is always a lesson and one that we practice everyday so having the extra soap and a hands free dispenser helps tremendously.

    Speaking for our classroom, I am sending our many thank you's for now, and through the winter season. We want you to know that we appreciate your support and need more people like you. May you have a blessed season.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Best

    This classroom project was brought to life by Quill and 2 other donors.
  • My Choice is Learned by Drinks

    Funded Jan 18, 2022

    I want to write and express my gratitude for this project you helped fund. This project was solely about making choices, trying different items, finding our likes and dislikes, and simple recipes. By helping my classroom of 18-22 year olds with different drink products, you provided so many opportunities for learning and growth. One of the the major areas of growth this year was the ability of one of my students to communicate that he preferred to have a fruit punch drink every day at lunch over the normal chocolate milk. This was a huge accomplishment for us as a classroom, as this student does not speak often and was not absolute on his likes and dislikes when given choices. However, for the past few weeks, he has been saying "Fruit Punch please." This same student asked us for hot chocolate when it was cold. This is an accomplishment for communication skills, making choices, but also the bigger picture of advocating for himself. These might be simple tasks to some, but to my students these are monumental. For me as a teacher, these are the moments that I wait for. Thank you sincerely for always supporting my classroom, and for finding value in a task that most take for granted.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Best

    This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 2 other donors.
  • Trying to Beat the Hunger Games!

    Funded Dec 23, 2021

    This project was so important and vital for this year. Our students are grown adults. This project served our students in ways that we would have been able to otherwise. Grown adults usually eat more lunch than an average Kindergartener. Our lunches are the same as Kindergarten. This allowed for our students to have snacks and drinks with their meals. During the pandemic, our families have struggled and this helped us supplement those hunger needs. This allowed our students life long learning of making choices, and be allowed to choose our likes and dislikes. This allowed them to discover different textures and flavors. What an amazing project, right? This covered choices, textures, tastes, satisfied hunger, discovery, and supplemented our meals. Thank you, sent in a big way, from me and my students.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Best

    This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and 4 other donors.
  • Specialty Products Promote Independence and Wellness

    Funded Oct 8, 2021

    Thank you so much for these donations. This project was designed to ease the challenges of my students with special needs. This project was to help increase independence skills with sanitary and cleanliness in mind.

    One of the items in this group was some specialty cups that have lids and two handles along with a straw opening. These cups have allowed a student of mine to hold his own cup during lunch time and drink without having to depend on the caregiver to give him a drink. This skill might seem small to some, and often a skill we take for granted, but to my student this luxury that was met with a small specialty device has provided him a drink when he is thirsty. Imagine not being able to drink when you are thirsty because your hands were not stable or strong enough to wrap around a glass or plastic cup?

    Additionally, this group of specialty products have provided bibs that have allowed my students clothes to remain clean and free of judgement from others. We have been able to wrap our large bean bags with mattress covers so that any accidents did not delay, or prevent comfort at any given time. The waterproof pads have allowed us to cover furniture that would otherwise would not be able to sanitize in the event of an accident

    This was a needed project, but to most doesn't seem important. This classroom depends on these products for the success of our students. Thank you for caring about the health and mental well being of my students. Please know that there are not enough words for the gratitude I feel. May you all be blessed as you have blessed my students.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Best

    This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and 8 other donors.
  • Dial to Stay Healthy!

    Funded Oct 18, 2021

    Let me just take a moment up front and say "Thank you." When this package was created, there was no way of knowing that we would need all these supplies for the pandemic for an extended period of time. The supplies you generously donated to our classroom has allowed our students, and our staff to remain healthy throughout the last few months.

    The hand soap was a double lesson. The hand soaps allowed me to teach my students about hand washing skills, and to enforce this type of hygiene for our classroom during a critical time, but also teach them how to use the pump type hand soap that these students probably see at home. This allows the skills learned here to transfer to home.

    The laundry detergent and laundry sanitizer has allowed us to teach laundry skills with supplies similar to the household items used, but also to ensure that the blankets, bibs, clothes, bean bag covers, and teaching items such as, matching socks were clean and sanitized on a daily basis.

    The sprays for our changing table proved to be extremely useful and allowed for us to sanitize the table after every use, but also with a smell that was more appealing to our sensory sensitive students. Those sprays were safe for student use and gave us an alternative to the harsh chemicals the school provides so that our students could do the cleaning also.

    My students, and their families truly appreciate the extra help in keeping our students healthy. Their time for graduation is nearing and every opportunity to learn a new skill is critical for their independence.

    Please know that my classroom has special needs and you have contributed to the success of my teaching, and the health of my students. Thank you again for all of your help.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Best

    This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and 4 other donors.
  • Cooking Food For Better Mood

    Funded Aug 26, 2021

    This funded project was such a gift to my students. The supplies in this project was all supplies that my students could learn multiple lessons.

    My students were very excited to see the popcorn oil and popcorn seasoning. We had received the popcorn maker, but did not have the supplies to make it. My students were very excited to see the easy type skillet meals because this is a meal that they could attempt to make with just matching skills. The Instant Pot was an added bonus that allowed us to utilize the apples we receive in our lunches. Some of out students need pureed and this kitchen cooking device allowed us to cook the apples and then puree them for those that need this type of food.

    Very recently, one of the cake mixes was utilized for several lessons. Those lessons included matching products with the products needed to make the cake, matching supplies with the materials needed to make the cake, trying new things and learning names, and then decision making about likes and dislikes. The cake was a hit, and it also allowed everyone despite their eating needs to enjoy a treat that they themselves had contributed to the creation.

    I express my extreme gratitude for myself and my students to all my donors. Without your generosity, our learning experiences would be limited.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Best

    This classroom project was brought to life by Emerson Collective and 7 other donors.
  • Our Special Needs To Be Clean And Soft

    Funded Sep 29, 2021

    I want to write and let you know that we have already implemented lessons that are inclusive to all my students, and allowed for all of our special needs to be addressed and differentiated.

    Due to medical needs, some of my students need pureed or soft foods. The jello and pudding provided that special request. The jello and pudding allowed for me to find a visual recipe with pictures so that my students who have intellectual disabilities could follow the picture recipe with better ease, and they were able to match kitchen utensils needed. Additionally, the jello and pudding provided a sensory item for those students that can not generally feed themselves, but could touch and feel this with little worry about getting anything toxic, unhealthy, or dangerous in their mouths. For those students that just have enjoyment tasting, this was so helpful and fun for them. Before and after our jello lesson, we were able to use our cleaning supplies to clean up the area that was going to be used for all of these special needs. The containers provided us a way to store our extras so that the next day our students could again enjoy their creations.

    My classroom is so very grateful for this opportunity with donors, such as yourself. These are the kind of lessons that make me a successful teacher because they have addressed everyones needs in the class and therefore provided an all inclusive lesson. Thank you so much for trusting in me to ensure that my students get the best learning opportunities possible.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Best

    This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and 5 other donors.
  • Independence Can Be Served

    Funded Aug 6, 2021

    This package was an unusual request but offered so many learning opportunities for my students that it was received with great plans.

    Often my students are overlooked and given up on because they are adults in the eyes of the law. My students are 18-22 years old. The majority of my students are non-verbal and often do not get the average opportunity to make choices. This package that you so generously donated to offers my students choice making based on likes and dislikes, gives them an opportunity to learn a kitchen device that requires very little safety concerns, and gives them an opportunity to be included in what is normally viewed as an adult type drink.

    My students have been allowed to try hot cocoa, green tea, and coffee. A school breakfast is the same for a student in Kindergarten as it is for a student 18-22 years old. With this Keurig machine, my students can choose a beverage besides a 8 oz chocolate milk or white milk. This is such a privilege for us to have in our classroom, and such a tool that provides choice and a little more independence. I am so thankful that you chose our classroom to invest in, and I will forever be grateful. My students will be allowed to serve themselves a drink of choice for years to come.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Best

    This classroom project was brought to life by Emerson Collective and 5 other donors.
  • Activities of Real Life Placed in a Task Box

    Funded May 24, 2021

    This package that you so generously donated too has provided materials that are the basics, but completely necessary for our classroom. Some individuals might feel they are basic, but for our classroom these materials represent real life activities and the more skills that we learn, the more independence we gain.

    This package included items that I was able to place in task boxes so that my students could learn every day activities that you and I do. One task box was made with socks. These socks were all thrown in a storage bin, and the students are required to match them. This is a skill that is buildable, and can carry out to their homes. Another task box was salt shakers and salt. This skill teaches them to be able to use their fine motor skills and learn to refill things. At home, we often refill drinks, cleaners, sugar, flour, and other various items so this skill also becomes transferable to their homes. There were other bins that were filled with wash clothes to wash, dry and fold, and silverware with the sorting container for my students to sort and put up. All of the items were similar in nature, and necessary for our every day lives.

    My students enjoy these tasks because they allow them to pick their duties, and offer a visual when choosing a task. Also, the task box offers the illusion that their chosen duty will be quick and often students will be emotionally happy if it is something they can accomplish fast and accurately. This in return builds self esteem. Task boxes are a win win for everyone involved.

    I am forever grateful for all my donors, and know that sometimes the words thank you are just not enough. Please know that this teacher has her "cup runneth over."”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Best

    This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 11 other donors.
These materials will make a difference in our students learning by providing a place that is not only safe from injuries, but provides a small and safe comfort for a cool down. The mats would allow for many things. Personal hygiene can be managed with almost no risk. Cool down can be given without fear of self injurious behavior, and with little concern about the breakdown of materials and the hazards that might present. They can also serve as a safe space for those that might not sleep during regular hours due to various disabilities and family dynamics. The ball chair would provide an outlet for work to be accomplished at a table with the acceptance of fidgeting and movement.

About my class

These materials will make a difference in our students learning by providing a place that is not only safe from injuries, but provides a small and safe comfort for a cool down. The mats would allow for many things. Personal hygiene can be managed with almost no risk. Cool down can be given without fear of self injurious behavior, and with little concern about the breakdown of materials and the hazards that might present. They can also serve as a safe space for those that might not sleep during regular hours due to various disabilities and family dynamics. The ball chair would provide an outlet for work to be accomplished at a table with the acceptance of fidgeting and movement.

About my class

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