Mrs. Van Kirk's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 198

• The Better to Hear You

  Funded Nov 10, 2023

  Thank you so much for supporting this project! The earbuds have been such a great resource in our classroom! Students are no longer digging through headphone bins. They just pull the earbuds out of their carry-ons and we're good to go! I have also noticed that students take better care of their earbuds since they are not getting them out of a shared bin. I love this so much! I have also noticed that students are choosing audiobooks more often just so they can use their earbuds! I love audiobooks because students hear how each word should sound!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Van Kirk

• The Worst Book in the Whole Entire World

  Funded Oct 6, 2023

  Thank you so much for supporting this project! These book are great for days when students need to relax and laugh! I'm thinking about using them on testing days to help them get rid of their nerves! I have laughed out loud at these books each time I've read them! It's going to be so great to share them with students! I know they are going to get a kick out of them just like I do!

  I can also use these books for individuals who are looking down. I could hand one to them during choice reading time and hopefully get a smile on their face before our lesson begins!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Van Kirk

• A Picture Book a Day

  Funded Sep 20, 2023

  Thank you so much for supporting this project! Classroom Book a Day has been a wonderful addition to my classroom this year! Students are loving all of the stories we get to share, as well as benefiting from the conversations about these books that they engage in with their shoulder partners. They get to practice identifying the main idea, theme, author's purpose, and many other skills they need with a text that is not as intimidating. I love hearing their ideas about these pictures books! I can't wait to share even more with them!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Van Kirk

  This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares.

• New Shelves Need New Books

  Funded Aug 31, 2023

  Thank you so much for supporting this project! These books have been a big hit, especially the Catstronauts series! I love being able to get my students hooked on a series! Students are able to read a book of their choice during the first fifteen minutes of each class period. Catstronauts has been making its way around the room as students finish and pass it along because they enjoyed it so much!

  Students are also very excited about learning about ancient civilizations right now. They loved seeing the beautiful book about the Aztecs and the Incas.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Van Kirk

• Relaxed Readers

  Funded Sep 6, 2023

  Thank you so much for supporting this project. These chairs have been great options for my students. Some students need to be able to move around and these chairs allow for twisting and turning. The movement allows students to stay focused during class and remain engaged throughout our lessons. They are also easy to move, which helps us collaborate if needed or move apart for individual activities.

  Students were so excited when they walked in and saw our two new chairs. They couldn't wait to give them a test run!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Van Kirk

  This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 3 other donors.

• Awesome Audiobooks!

  Funded Sep 9, 2023

  Thank you so much for providing these audiobooks for our classroom. Students love having the option of listening to a book during our choice reading time. It is so helpful to students who struggle with decoding skills. They are able to listen to grade-level text instead of stuck reading things they are not interested in. Audiobooks also help students learn what fluent reading sounds like. They can hear pacing, emphasis, and tone. Thank you again for bringing these amazing resources to my classroom!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Van Kirk

• Optimistic for More Options

  Funded Aug 2, 2023

  Thank you so much for adding these options to our book club choices! Kids have been so excited about getting to read them! I know that these two books are strong texts that will help students add to their love of reading, especially since they get to choice the book that they are most interested in. It is so important to me to be able to provide a wide selection of book club books so that students don't feel like they are stuck with a book they don't really want to read. One of these just might be the book that sticks with students for the rest of their lives!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Van Kirk

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 5 other donors.

• I'm Hot, They're Cold!

  Funded Aug 15, 2023

  You wouldn't believe the difference these blankets make in my classroom! Students love to wrap up in a blanket during choice reading time. Well, really, any time they are in my classroom, they love having a blanket on their lap. It's also fun watching them learn how to fold the blankets at the end of each class period! It's always so interesting to so which kids know how to do things like that! It means the world to us that you made this possible. They are able to stay focused because they aren't shivering! Thank you so much for your support.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Van Kirk

  This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and one other donor.

• Feeling Seen

  Funded Apr 9, 2023

  This book is going to be a great book for our book clubs. I can't wait for students to find it and connect with it! Finally Seen is a book that can change lives!

  We are going to start book clubs as soon as we finish our class book. Students will be able to choose from my small group sets to read a book with their peers and then discuss it weekly.

  I think Finally Seen will be an important book for any student who has not felt like they fit in. So many students will relate to Finally Seen. Thank you for bringing it to our classroom!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Van Kirk

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 3 other donors.

• Restarting with Restart

  Funded Mar 30, 2023

  I love sharing Restart with students. So many of them love it so much! Thank you for replacing our falling apart copies so that this group can enjoy brand new copies! I always hated being handed books that were falling apart when I was in school. We are listening to Restart on audiobook while everyone follows along in their own copy. I love being able to provide a copy for each student to be able to hold in their hands. It also helps for writing assignments that every student has a copy so they can look back for evidence. Thank you again for making this possible for us.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Van Kirk

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 5 other donors.