Past projects 16
Fostering Social Emotional Learning Through Art and a Comforting Space
Funded May 3, 2021Thank you very much for donating to my social emotional and arts project. I am able to gift my students such a fun and comforting gift bag due to your kindness. The project became fully funded during teacher appreciation week; what an awesome way to start the week. (I’m a little jealous of my students. The star projector and art activities and materials are going to create such a lovely space and time for them at home!)”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kim
This classroom project was brought to life by Allstate Foundation and 3 other donors.Can We Paint?
Funded Aug 14, 2019Your donation will help my students become young artists. There is a special something about children's art and I am thrilled to have all the supplies needed to paint this school year. I know there's going to be paint on the tables, on the kids, on the floor, and magically somehow on me but it's all about the process! We may have a young Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, or Frida Kahlo in the making. Thank you for helping me bring color into my students' lives (and hands, clothes, and maybe even hair... good thing its washable!)”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kim
This classroom project was brought to life by Conboy Foundation and 5 other donors.P.E. Equipment for Coordination and Collaboration
Funded Dec 20, 2018One of my students gasped immediately when he say all the P.E. equipment and activities and said "is this for us?!" and I was delighted to answer "yes, it's all ours." The students already enjoyed P.E., but their excitement when they see P.E. on their personal visual schedule has increased times 10.
They are loving ALL of the donations but their top 3 favorites are playing with Frisbee Rings, Boom Drum Rackets, and Pop Up Soccer Goal. The Frisbee Rings are especially designed for kids so they are lighter and have a longer fly time! The Boom Drum Rackets make a cool sound when the neon orange balls hit the racket which the students love. The Pop Up Soccer Goals and soccer balls have increased collaboration and teamwork (which is a social skill some of my students have deficit in.)
I could go on and on about how much our class loves each and every item. Thank you for your donations.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kim
R & R = Reading & Relaxation
Funded Aug 13, 2018The new addition of pillow loungers makes me feel like my classroom has been on a episode of a classroom "home improvement" show. The classroom library is easily my favorite area in the classroom and I think my students would agree. It has been so heart warming to see my students engage with text. Some of my students are learning about concepts of print while others would be labeled as struggling readers but you wouldn't be able to spot these hurdles while the students are in our Read&Relax corner. We have a routine of checking our visual schedules, taking off our shoes before entering the Read&Relax corner, choosing a book, and then the students are on their way to reading and relaxing while soothing music is being played in the background. Once again, thank you so much for your donations.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kim
Using Our Hands to Help Us Understand!
Funded Apr 6, 2018I cannot express enough how much these manipulatives have helped my students. They have helped the students with their sight word recognition, spelling, phonemic awareness, and understanding of prepositions. Since the students were participating in hands on activities, they were totally engaged! Learning increases when students are engaged.
Spelling is ultimately bringing different sounds together to make a united sound, a word. Spelling and reading can be a huge challenge for students with autism because spelling requires students to isolate and blend sounds. The snap-together letter blocks and Lakeshore word building blocks were especially handy in helping the students spell because they saw the connected relationship between sounds in a word.
It may sound corny but thank you so much for supporting my students by giving them manipulatives and tasks that required them to use their hands to help them understand.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kim
Sensory Play!
Funded May 17, 2018All of the items from "Sensory Play!" have made a positive impact in my student's school day. We build endurance by working for a designated amount of time and then having a mini break; we use this schedule throughout the day. The student's love to choose the items from "Sensory Play!" during their break times.
The students were so excited to see a huge box filled with goodies. They were even more excited when they realized what was inside. Out of all the great sensory items, their top three items were the large hop-along balls, rainbow parachute, and silly shapes sensory mats.
Children with Autism often process sensory information differently. There may be sensory hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity. I've observed my students being under-sensitive to balance, body awareness, and touch. It is one of my goals to slowly build a DIY sensory gym for my students. I would love to incorporate elements of a sensory gym inside my classroom. Sensory gyms benefit students with autism by accommodating their sensory needs. In addition to accommodating their sensory needs, sensory gyms also utilize learning through play.
Once again, thank you for your kindness.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kim