Past projects 62
Clean, Cook, Eat! (And Clean Again)
Funded Jan 26, 2019Our cooking club is working like a well-oiled machine! Except that thanks to these amazing cleaning supplies, there is no oil to be found on the counters when we are done! When the last bell of the day rings, students head straight to the chem lab, often times beating me. They know they pull out our rack of equipment, and our boxes of supplies. 4 students immediately grab the paper towels and cleaning products and get to work at the counter spaces while a few other students set up the extension chords to our hot plates. Once the room is prepped students know they are then allowed to pick which recipe their group will be completing, and begin working! These extension chords have been a life-saver. It turns out the power that hot plates pull is pretty high and we have had to use different outlets to make sure we don't blow a fuse.
Once the food is done, we sit and eat as a family, enjoying each others cooking and company. This is such a great opportunity for our students to be interacting together, not on their phones, celebrating the results of the work they put in. At the 15 minutes to dismissal mark students know the drill. Dishes should be cleaned and dry by now, so we re-pack our containers, return our equipment to the rack, and grab our cleaning supplies once again to make sure there are no traces of food or grease when the science classes enter the next day.
We can not thank you enough for your continued support of this program. We are so grateful to have been able to expand not only the size of the program, but the amount of week throughout the year we run, and your donations have had a positive impact on that. Thank you again for all you do!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Allocco
Back to Basics
Funded Dec 27, 2018There is such an excitement to opening a box of paper! Often times basics like dry erase markers or paper are so easily overlooked. We get a limit of 2 packs of paper per month, all white, and colored dry erase markers are virtually non-existent. And the thrill isn't just limited to my inner nerd- students saw the music color coded on the wall by instrument and were so excited!
The metallic markers have found themselves many uses already. They have labeled many pieces of black equipment, been used on instruments, furniture, and most recently, a one of our senior art students used them to decorate the front of his new black sketchbook.
The favorite however, has been the baby wipes and hand sanitizer. You always need to expect the unexpected. On Friday one student opened a bottle of soda and it exploded all over his leg. He was SO grateful for the baby wipes to clean is leg. (He was also grateful the jeans had holes in them so the soda just got on his leg, and not his clothes...) Several students now come in and head straight to my desk to sanitize their hands. And I was a total hit during this past cold season for being one of the only teachers with tissues on my desk! It seems silly, and small, but students want to feel valued, and having these materials on hand gives them a sense of home, security, and love. So thank you for providing more of these resources for my students, and thank you for continually supporting my classroom!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Allocco
This classroom project was brought to life by Someone Who Cares and one other donor.Philharmonic Fun!
Funded Oct 12, 2018Today was such an exciting day! We brought 13 students to the New York Philharmonic for their first time. As we walked past the fountain to the front door, one of them said, "Oh man, I feel so bougie walking into this place!" And after the long walk up to the third tier we took our seats. Students instantly started looking around and talking about the different things they saw, the set-up on the stage, the risers that the last two rows of the violin are on, and the set of giant timpani on the back of the stage. When the first song began most of the students were literally on the edge of their seats, mesmerized by the sound coming from the stage. At the end of the first song the students all looked around, making sure they weren't the first one to clap. While the stage was being reset 2 students went to the bathroom, and came back exclaiming about the bowl of Halls Throat Lozenges in the bathroom.
As the second song began our senior piano player was ecstatic to watch the guest artistic solo on a beautiful grand piano. For the last two songs students carefully counted the movements, making sure to not clap at the wrong time, and quietly giggling at the coughing that happened in the silence.
After the performance, we headed across the street to Central Park where a few students who had brought their own guitars played music and we spent some time in the beautiful weather. Thank you so much for providing this experience to these students. They said it was "better than the music in movies." This is an experience that brings so much value and culture to these students, and this has definitely been an experience these students will never forget!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Allocco
Light the Stage
Funded Nov 24, 2018Our first theater production was the light in the darkness before break. With the end of the semester only a few weeks away, and that time of year when sickness runs rampant through a school, these rehearsals and the performance were such a positive ray of hope. Our stage crew showed up for tech week and ROCKED the house! In one hour, one of our senior girls learned how to use the mixing board and control the 8 wireless mics for our performers. The spotlights were run by one freshman and one junior, and two other juniors worked the flood lights.
After the performance was over one of the teachers approached me and said they students were great, BUT the stage crew was amazing! She noted watching our freshman (the only one in the entire production) stand on his step ladder, with that giant light on his shoulder and that his concentration was on point. He didn't move, he didn't slouch, he took his job seriously, and showed such dedication to what he was doing.
The theater provides skills that go way beyond singing, dancing, or holding a light. Theater helps kids work as a team, it allows them to receive criticism in rehearsals, and gives them an immediate opportunity to do it again and fix it. Theater helps kids understand commitment; you miss one rehearsal, you miss a lot of details. Students are in rehearsal for an hour and a half, which is the same length as most college classes, providing them with the practice of being on one task for an extended period of time. So many adults who I've talked to about this production have launched right into stories of when they were in drama club in high school. There is no greater feeling than being part of something so successful. And we cannot wait until the spring to do it all again, only this time EVEN BIGGER! Thank you for providing this opportunity to our students, and for creating an atmosphere so close to the real thing. These students will never forget it!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Allocco
Clean (and New) Underwear
Funded Dec 10, 2018I can not describe the gratitude students felt when they were handed a holiday package before break that included basics they needed. Being able to take the stress off teens and their parents by alleviating the cost for new items, or the embarrassment of second hand items was amazing. We have also been able to create a "store" with extra items such as pads, tampons, deodorant and toothpaste in the guidance office and students who know they need something can go get it for free. The students who this has already impacted have shown improved attendance over the last few weeks, and we hope that this will be the beginning of a trend in our school where students know their needs will be met.
Creating an environment where students can build trust in the adults around them and know the are visible, they are seen, and they are heard is vital to growth. Thank you for being a part of that and allowing us to make a safe and nurturing space for our students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Allocco
This classroom project was brought to life by Someone Who Cares and one other donor.Pop-Up Theater
Funded Nov 24, 2018Thank you so much for providing our theater program with the set up to have our first cabaret! These curtains allowed us to section off the cafeteria and provide a backstage area for students to set up and prep, and create a designated stage for the performance.
Students and staff attended our after school performance as a final event before break. After four weeks of rehearsals, dance practice, and vocal training, the students were so excited to perform for a very receptive audience! The stage crew and the cast huddled behind the curtains before we began for a beginning pep talk. The students navigated everything from the soundboard, to microphone assignments, to set changes, all with a look of professionalism, thanks to our pop up set!
Theater provides such an amazing set of skills to our students, and helps to build confidence like no other after school activity. After the performance we had to literally kick kids out after our thirty minute breakdown period. Kids were so excited to take photos in front of the silver star background. Once the kids were all dismissed staff approached me with nothing but positive reactions. One teacher told me that her co-teacher didn't recognize one of the students, and did a double take when she began singing because the student is so quiet in class. Another teacher told me it was the first time she had seen one of the girls, who studies with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, perform in front of her friends. The stories of growth these teachers shared were incredible, and reminded me that theater is a place to express yourself and come free. You provided that opportunity for these kids, and for that I will be forever grateful. Thank you for making this dream a reality!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Allocco
Split the Sound, Not the Work!
Funded Nov 2, 2018Learning a new instrument can be intimidating. Learning a new instrument in front of all your peers can be downright scary. Providing students with their own set of headphones has been a game changer for many of these students. The 5-way splitters and AUX cables allow students to put their headphones, piano, and iPad all through one source, and still leaves room for me to plug in and work with them in private.
When we did this unit last year there were many challenges. Students who were uncertain would just choose not to play so no one could hear them mess up, other students would put their piano at full volume and drown out everyone around them, the room was a little bit chaotic. But now, I can have all the lessons available through an app on the iPad, students can follow along, pause, and rewind as needed until they are comfortable with the music. I can walk around freely, plugging my headphones into the splitter to listen, help, and give feedback. Students are learning more skills at a faster pace compared to last year, and this technology is why!
Our classroom is in a wonderful piano routine, with incredible results. The only sound you hear now is the quiet tap of keys, and students excitedly calling me over to hear what they have learned. Because of you, our digital learning classroom has become a reality! Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Allocco
This classroom project was brought to life by Yamaha Corporation of America and one other donor.Piano Tech Workshop
Funded Sep 28, 2018Our piano sounds so good! Our ninth grade class was so excited to see what the inside of the piano looked like, and enjoyed their mini-lesson on the workings of the different parts. Then, my advisory class spent their time with the piano tuner, learning about the industry, how to advance within it, what internship opportunities are available, and what other career opportunities there are. They got to watch the process, ask questions, and test their own ears throughout the process.
Exposing students to careers other than the traditional "rapper" and "producer" that they automatically think of is so important. Our students do a project that exposes them to 22 different music careers, including a piano tuner. The company we brought in has a young staff, which enables students to see the possibilities. We learned about the degrees our visitor had received, and the types of internships and training available for this position. It was wonderful to watch students interact with him, and talk about a career other than performance.
Students are still talking about this experience weeks later. While they were always respectful of our pianos, they view them with an extra sense of awe, knowing the intricate workings of it, and feeling like they have some ownership in it's sound and state at the moment. We are so grateful that you provided us this opportunity, and hope that we can continue the exploration of other music careers throughout the school year. Thank you so much for your contribution to this!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Allocco
Stand Up and Play
Funded Sep 21, 2018Unless you have tried to unfold an "X" stand, you may not fully appreciate the gratitude I have for you right now. Before this shipment of stands came in, we had 5 keyboard stands for students to share, and desks for the rest of the pianos. There is a pull release to let the stand open, and the stands were so old you have to be MacGyver to get it to close, which often resulted in me running around at the end of every class closing each stand myself.
BUT- these stands are so smooth to open and close, and have allowed me to take the extra desks out of my room. The piano class is literally a pop-up class now, with students coming in, taking a stand, and setting up their spot. The pianos that don't have a music folder, kids can grab a Manhasset stand from the rack, and they no longer wobble and spill the music sheets off the side.
My classroom is less cluttered, more organized, and students have really taken responsibility for their piano stations. This has been such a blessing to my daily routine, and while it seems silly, putting a piano on a stand feels more professional than on a desk, and the students are responding in that way to the gear. Thank you for giving us the tools to better our practice!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Allocco
High School Musical: Real Life Edition
Funded Jul 31, 2018This is quickly becoming a year of firsts! Not only will we be doing our first musical but we will be hosting our first cabaret, and have the school's first ever show choir! This sound system started as a supplement to our new mixer to support our musical, but now that we have opened it and integrated it into the classroom, all of the potential uses are coming into play!
The size allows it to easily be transported, meaning it will work not only in the black box performance space, but can be used in the classroom, brought up to the lobby, or used in the mess hall during dress rehearsals. During our rock band class this will allow more than 2 students to sing at the same time.
Initially, I was hesitant to choose the system that also came with wireless mics. The music room is ironically the smallest classroom in the school, and with so many other instruments, storage can be challenging. But the ability to use the wireless mics as a "crowd" mic, meaning it picks up more than one person singing at a time, will prove invaluable to our performances.
We are so grateful for your continued generosity towards our programming, and feel so honored that time and again you choose us to support!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Allocco