Ms. Strand's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 6

• Let's Find Out! Media Literacy for the Youngest Learners

  Funded Apr 23, 2017

  My students absolutely love getting their own magazine each week! The Scholastic classroom magazines have been a great non-fiction addition to our classroom. These are a perfect length to read with preschool and Kindergarten and the amazing pictures keep them very engaged. I was also pleased to find that they come with several posters throughout the year, I have hung several of these posters up to reference when needed. I also find that the activity on back is usually a good introduction type activity for all the kids, be it graphing or letter matching it is not too easy nor is it too hard. These weekly magazines are certainly a welcomed edition to our classroom!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Strand

  This classroom project was brought to life by News Corp and 6 other donors.

• Tiny Techies

  Funded Aug 12, 2017

  Thank you so much for the technology you helped bring into my classroom! The students were immediately drawn to these new items and couldn't wait to be given the opportunity to use them. Their favorite item is the Square Panda play set! This is an especially handy set because it allows the students to work by themselves or in a group without an adult but I can still be certain that the answers they are giving are correct ones. The Kindles were very useful not only for my class but for older students participating in a competition called Battle of the Books. Even students with lower reading levels could complete the assigned novel with help from an audiobook! As students become more and more familiar with technology it is important that they are given opportunities to use it for learning which is what this project has provided.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Strand

  This classroom project was brought to life by Sergey Brin Family Foundation and 16 other donors.

• That's So Gross (Motor)!

  Funded Jan 21, 2017

  Once again I'd like to thank everyone who donated to make this project a reality. The impact you've had on our gym time is simply immeasurable. For the first time we have enough materials that everyone can find something that interests them and this makes gym time more fun for everyone - especially the kids that take longer eating lunch or finishing their warm-ups. The rubber balls are excellent for their small hands - much better than the regular basketballs that we've always had to use before.

  As anticipated the real stars of the show are the new tricycles! They are better than I ever could have imagined, somehow the tallest and shortest students both seem to fit them perfectly. The four new trikes bring our schools fleet to ten - and since I can't imagine there ever being a class with more than twenty kids we've hit the magic amount! The students faces when they ride the new trikes is precious and it's all thanks to the generosity of donors like you!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Strand

• Coming in Loud (But Not Too Loud) and Clear!

  Funded Dec 1, 2015

  Thank you all for your generous help! Not only have you helped my Kindergarten children but a couple of older students as well. I use technology every day when I teach reading because the Lexia program is something a few students can do independently while I work with another group. Lexia let's students feel like they get to play games while still working on skills such as letter recognition, early vocabulary, beginning and ending sounds, and vowel discrimination.

  So many of Lexia's games require students to be able to use auditory discrimination - something that can be quite difficult when your classroom has other students reading aloud or discussing a lesson with each other. These headphones have been helpful for those students that find it hard to focus when they are certain something more exciting is happening across the room. I have seen my students' progress jump from”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Strand

• Please Be an Organization Donor

  Funded Jul 16, 2015

  I can hardly begin to describe the impact these pieces of furniture have had on my classroom. First and foremost is the aesthetic aspect. The large shelf replaced one that swayed dangerously each time someone leaned on it; this new one is sturdy, holds more items, and is short enough that even my tiniest three year olds can reach the top. The combination book display and shelving unit gives us a place for our large blocks that previous just sat in a decorated cardboard box in the corner. The small table, bins, and Lego sheets were combined to create a Lego play table. Finally giving our Legos a place to be! And the binder shelf is the envy of all the teachers, I've filled it up with units, assessments, and extra practice sheets.

  The shelving has really helped the students become independent in finding activities and cleaning up after themselves. Parents can hardly believe it when I tell them that the room is cleaned entirely by the students in five minutes! My students learn very quickly that if I have to pick something up it goes out of rotation for a week. Now it is easier than ever with actual places for everything to be, rather than just general areas.

  The biggest hit with the students however is the Lego table! I couldn't find any piece of ready-made furniture on the market that served our needs in the way I visualized - but I'm pretty sure this one beats anything I could have bought! Our school maintenance man helped me affix the baseplates to the table with some heavy-duty silicon and they've never shown any sign that they're coming loose. It is so thrilling to see them building more complex structures and creating stories to go with them.

  Thanks to all of you this is really a room that the children can call their own!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Strand

• Cooking with Creativity

  Funded Apr 27, 2015

  My students were all so excited about this kitchen set. I put it together in the evening and kids kept stopping by to look at it, I had a few eager helpers who tightened bolts and sorted pieces for me. When the rest of my class came the next week the new furniture was the first thing they had to check out.

  Making cake in the oven and washing dishes in the sink are their favorite activities. It is fun to watch them collaborate and turn the kitchen into a house, a school kitchen, or a restaurant. Because of their collaborations their language skills are blossoming, many students who didn't talk at the beginning of the school year began talking to their classmates and eventually myself and the aide when they began working in the kitchen. It also helps that these items look like the appliances they represent - now when I say that an item 'goes in the refrigerator' the children understand what I mean.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Strand

  This classroom project was brought to life by Perry and Donna Golkin Family Foundation and 13 other donors.