Past projects 3
Project Lit. Expand Our Library
Funded Sep 30, 2020At a time when many of my students are feeling disconnected, anxious, and lonely, your generous gift of books brought them a sense of connectivity to bring light in to the darkness. When my in-person cohort of learners arrived on the first day of school, they were blown away by the cart containing over 250 eye-catching titles. "These are all for us?" many asked in disbelief. One student ran up to the cart and took home a stack of ten books. Another student took just one and returned the very next day. When I said, "oh, would you like to exchange this book for another one because you did not like your selection," she responded with "no. I loved it. I read the book in one night. I want another." Some of my colleagues were curious and asked "so, you are just having the students read in this room?" and I responded with "you got it. These students are readers, they just needed to have the right books in their hands." The students in this group quickly rediscovered their love of reading when they were able to select engaging, relevant texts that acted as both windows and mirrors for them. One student kept point to illustrations in Jerry Craft's graphic novel, The New Kid and saying "that is so me." A cohort students read Gene Yang's Dragon Hoops and discussed the teachers they had that resembled the teacher in the novel. Students' reading rates and fluency increased drastically over the semester. Students also started to improve in their literary analysis skills. Many spend extra time with me and their peers in breakout rooms, analyzing their texts, and uncovering more information about the author. One student was enamored with Jason Reynolds after reading Long Way Down and is currently trying to read every book Mr. Reynolds has written before the end of the semester. One young lady loved Tiffany Jackson's book Grown so much that she bought a copy for her mom to read as well. My co-teacher has discovered so many new Young Adult authors as she reads books alongside the students in the room. She was often so engaged reading Clap When You Land with students that she skipped meals! When the school quickly shifted to a fully-remote learning model, some were worried that we might lose momentum. However, the promise of a weekly book delivery from their teacher kept many students engaged, not just with this class but with all of their classes. Your generous donation made all of this possible. Many students have rediscovered a love of reading and, in a time of isolation for many, these students have found a sense of connection with their peers. Thank you so much for making this dream a reality.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Marini
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 7 other donors.Project LIT: Promoting a LOVE of Reading
Funded Aug 12, 2020At a time when many of my students are feeling disconnected, anxious, and lonely, your generous gift of books brought them a sense of connectivity to bring light in to the darkness. When my in-person cohort of learners arrived on the first day of school, they were blown away by the cart containing over 250 eye-catching titles. "These are all for us?" many asked in disbelief. One student ran up to the cart and took home a stack of ten books. Another student took just one and returned the very next day. When I said, "oh, would you like to exchange this book for another one because you did not like your selection," she responded with "no. I loved it. I read the book in one night. I want another." Some of my colleagues were curious and asked "so, you are just having the students read in this room?" and I responded with "you got it. These students are readers, they just needed to have the right books in their hands." The students in this group quickly rediscovered their love of reading when they were able to select engaging, relevant texts that acted as both windows and mirrors for them. One student kept point to illustrations in Jerry Craft's graphic novel, The New Kid and saying "that is so me." A cohort students read Gene Yang's Dragon Hoops and discussed the teachers they had that resembled the teacher in the novel. Students' reading rates and fluency increased drastically over the semester. Students also started to improve in their literary analysis skills. Many spend extra time with me and their peers in breakout rooms, analyzing their texts, and uncovering more information about the author. One student was enamored with Jason Reynolds after reading Long Way Down and is currently trying to read every book Mr. Reynolds has written before the end of the semester. One young lady loved Tiffany Jackson's book Grown so much that she bought a copy for her mom to read as well. My co-teacher has discovered so many new Young Adult authors as she reads books alongside the students in the room. She was often so engaged reading Clap When You Land with students that she skipped meals! When the school quickly shifted to a fully-remote learning model, some were worried that we might lose momentum. However, the promise of a weekly book delivery from their teacher kept many students engaged, not just with this class but with all of their classes. Your generous donation made all of this possible. Many students have rediscovered a love of reading and, in a time of isolation for many, these students have found a sense of connection with their peers. Thank you so much for making this dream a reality.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Marini
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 25 other donors.For the Love of Reading!
Funded Nov 28, 2017This truly was a Christmas miracle. In preparation for distributing these books, I placed each student's name on a post it note and hung it on the wall in my office. I know these students well, but each of their teachers sees a different side to them. I invited each of my student's teachers to come to my office and place a post it note on top of the book that they believed was the best fit for that particular student. Then, we spent the afternoon wrapping the books up in colorful, holiday paper. On the final day of school, before winter break, I arrived to each class pushing a cart filled to capacity with hundreds of books: including 50 wrapped up in paper and bows. The responses were overwhelming. Students would say things like "are those really for us?" & "Can I save it and unwrap it on Christmas morning? I am so happy I actually got a present this year."
In each classroom, a student volunteer would assist me in distributing the wrapped books and we would all open them at the count of three. The smiles on each of their faces was the best present I could ever ask for. Some students took pictures of themselves holding their books, others dove right in and started reading. Most were shocked when I said that these books were theirs to keep and trade with each other. Two student athletes could not wait to take their Basketball & Other Things books on the bus to show the rest of the varsity squad.
Before this project, independent reading in my classroom was a chore. The students felt that the books in their library were boring and did not reflect their personal interests. Now, students can not wait to start their books. Now that I am not fighting with my students to stay engaged with their independent reading book, I can use that time to conduct reading conferences with my students. I am able to talk to them about their books: what they liked about it, what challenged and changed them. Many students devoured their book present over the holiday break and are helping me to genrify the hundreds of new books added to their classroom library so that they can find other books that they like. My next set of lessons will be about how to find books that you like. Soon, I want to set each of my students up with a Goodreads account so that they can log which books they read, find other books that may match their interests, and join a ever-growing online community of like-minded readers. My students are transforming before my very eyes. I catch them throughout the building reading: in the cafeteria, during assemblies, and after school!
I can not thank you each enough for giving these students the gift of reading. You have changed the lives of so many.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Marini