Past projects 16
The Sad Non-Fiction
Funded Oct 3, 2011We are in the book business!
The boxes arrived and it was a real party unpacking them. We pulled them out and labeled the very handy plastic crates that they came in. We filled our shelves with great non-fiction collections. Not only did we get new books but they are leveled so all of my students can have access to them. Everyone was so excited that we had to have a little contest to see which groups of students would be the first into our new library. There are so many modern titles and it is wonderful to see them on display. Guests in my classroom have also noted how eager my students have become about sharing their new learning.
I truly appreciate your interest in my classroom. The donation you made has had a direct and positive impact on my students. I could not say that it will be the key to their academic success but it will certainly help them open that door. Really, good books and engagement at a young age are so important. Your gift through Donors Choose is real and it is important. Thank you so much.”
With gratitude,
Mr. McNew
This classroom project was brought to life by CenturyLink and one other donor.Ratty and Tatty
Funded Oct 5, 2011We have new books!!! Boxes and boxes of them. Even unpacking the books turned into a big event. The books came in very nice plastic books crates that display them effectively and fit on the shelves very well. They all are very cool additions to the classroom. The authors are varied and the stories all seem engaging. We had to have a little contest to see which group of students would be the first to pick new books for their book boxes.
Now the students have a greater variety of texts to choose from and the different reading levels have much more depth. This means that all of the high and low students and everyone in between have a better selection. This has led to a higher engagement and interest.
There are so many donors and only so many ways I can say thank you. Your contributions to my classroom have had a direct effect on my students reading. My classroom is better equipped and easier to use. Thank you for taking the time and putting forward the money to this purpose. I hope you all continue to support Donors Choose when you can. I can attest to how well it works.”
With gratitude,
Mr. McNew
This classroom project was brought to life by CenturyLink and 17 other donors.Button Up
Funded Oct 13, 2010BUTTONS!!!!!. We love you all. We are having so much fun with our buttons. I had to make a Button Brigade at lunch just to get the kids to stop asking for more button time in class. At this point we have made fun buttons (our first project), pass buttons (bathroom and office for three different classrooms), guest buttons for school visitors, and our next project with be camp buttons. We will be making 85 identification buttons for all of my kids attending an environmental camp at the end of January. Can you donate some good weather?
Here is what I have seen so far. It is fun and the kids love it. They have gotten very creative. They found that the untreated polished surface can contrast images cut out of magazines. I am sure they will find much more to do as the year goes on. The need to make a bunch of buttons has been replaced by the desire to make a few good buttons. They are also working together. Groups work together to mass produce identical buttons and artists are emerging who specialize in different areas of button design. We now have flower, face and handwriting specialists.
We are also working on planning our first fund raiser. We are thinking of making buttons to sell at a Math Night so we can buy an electric pencil sharpener. After that we are fight Leukemia. Exciting stuff.
You all made this possible. Thank you for thinking of us and making these fun and educational opportunities a reality. I hope your New Year is one filled with friends and good fortunes.”
With gratitude,
Mr. McNew
Masters of the Mediaverse: Owning the Anti-Ad
Funded Aug 7, 2010I am sure you are aware what a hard time schools are having with funding I am also very aware of how non-profits and charities are also struggling across much of America. With that in mind I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate that you choose to fund our project. My class has been going crazy with the cameras. We are filming every event that comes up and the plans for commercials and even short movies are very exciting. We have a high school group come in on Tuesdays to host interactive science activities and we have documented some of the coolest building challenges you can imagine in any 5th grade classroom. We are doing a lot of work with technology, but we always try to balance it with active learning and social interactions. With this in mind we are imagining working with some of the local community to document living histories.
A surprising outcome of these new cameras is how it is allowing some of my newly immigrated students who are still struggling with English to express themselves. The same is true of one of my students who has always struggled with writing. They now have another medium for self expression. Working on story boards also is a place to find some investment in the written word.
So, the cameras are a great benefit to my class. They are a hot item right now and I imaging that will still be the case in June. I bet that many new uses will continue to be revealed as we proceed. I am imaging lessons about reading with expression as well as documenting some math and science work to see if fair tests are really fair. This is all because of you. Keep you eyes and ears open for future Oscar speeches that start with, "I remember the first time I used a camera in the 5th grade." ”
With gratitude,
Mr. McNew
Protecting the Poets
Funded Mar 26, 2010So, we have had our new Flash Drives for about a month now. The kids love them. Even though we have been using them almost daily, there is still a burst of excitement every time I take the drives out. They have become integral to our writing program. They make saving and printing documents a breeze, editing less stressful, homework and research easier to share, and they provide protection against outside unwelcome editors (computer vandals). I am so very relieved every time we go into the computer lab and I do not hear three or four kids cry out "Oh, mannnn!" as they access their folders.
A bonus I did not anticipate is how the class has begun to take this tool and use it for personal expression outside of the room. You are all responsible for a new love of song writing among my students. My class suddenly realized that there is not much of a difference between writing poetry and writing songs. Writing at home is suddenly fun. Right now, the most often listed purpose put down on the check out list is song writing. I am hoping that some of them will work up enough courage to perform for the class.
My students are greatly benefiting from your generosity. They are excited about learning and sharing their writing. They are confident and becoming comfortable with new technology. Even though we have not met, I want you to know that we speak of your contributions often. We have had many discussions about what charity, service, and responsibility mean. Both during the recent Earth Day and then during a subsequent service learning project your contributions were referenced as examples of people working together for the greater community. You made a very strong impact. ”
With gratitude,
Mr. McNew
Ants in Pants
Funded Dec 15, 2009My room is now styling in comfort! The only problem is that all of the kids sitting on the standard plastic chairs are jealous (me too), The four cushions arrived just before the New Year so we were able to come back from break with new classroom tools. I gave three of them to the students who I was specifically targeting as being needful of help and then I presented the fourth to the class. It is rotating all around the room. The cushions are not magic but I really do notice that my target students are spending more times in their seats. Not one has leaned back and fallen of their chair! This benefits all of the class.
The next step is to present my experiences to the staff and see if we can get some district funding to purchase some more. With budgets like they are I will be surprised it they show up. Still, at least my class is covered. It is because of your contributions that we are set up so nicely. Thank you again for valuing my students. I hope your New Year is as cushy as ours.”
With gratitude,
Mr. McNew