Past projects 4
First Grade Publishing Company
Funded Mar 17, 2024Thank you for your generous donations. My students have been diligently working to improve their writing abilities - from handwriting to spelling to composition to editing and revising to hone their craft. Each time my students finish a writing piece, they demonstrate feelings of pride, asking to share their work with others.
This morning I was able to share with my students that this project has been funded and their eyes lit up. They are eager to dive into their next writing piece and fully publish. Their ideas are percolating and bubbling to the surface already. When I shared that student publications will be added to our library to be shared for the rest of the year, they could not contain their excitement and collectively cheered.
Thank you for bringing this extra bit of joy to my classroom and supporting my students by providing them with a new motivational element.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. LoConte
This classroom project was brought to life by The Dalio Family and one other donor.A Home for Every Book, A Book for Every Reader
Funded Feb 3, 2024Thank you for your generous donation to our classroom community. Your donation helped to provide my students with a new, much larger carpet and materials to better organize our classroom library.
The new carpet allowed us to create a new instructional space, large enough for students to work collaboratively and regularly engage in academic discourse. This new space also allowed us to "de-front," a research-based method for increasing student engagement.
Finally, the new tools to organize our classroom library have made it easy to create a space that draws students in, encourages reading, and independence as they maintain the library with minimal teacher support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. LoConte
This classroom project was brought to life by Connecticut State Department of Education.Active Bodies, Active Minds
Funded Apr 14, 2017Your donation toward the purchase of 6 KidsKore Wobble Stools and 8 Gaiam Yoga for Kids Stay-N-Play balls has been an absolute gift! We are just beginning the process of rolling out procedures and expectations for utilizing these tools, but as students experience them, I am already finding increased attention on the task at hand.
When they first arrived, they happened to be delivered while we were out at recess. Upon our return, it was as if Christmas had come early! Everything came at once in 3 GIANT (we're talking refrigerator-sized) boxes. The kids were bubbling with anticipation. Students were frantically trying to guess what could be in them. We decided to open them together. My students were cheering and speculating what could be in the nondescript boxes. I opened one up and removed the 3 black, plastic pieces inside. "What IS that, Mrs. LoConte?" They really could not wait to find out! The stools were easy to put together and once they saw the first one, they knew it was something special. At least a dozen little voices asked to be the first to try.
As I mentioned before, these items have just arrived and we are in the process of rolling out procedures and expectations. I plan to phase in full use of these tools over the next week or two, ensuring that students truly understand the value of these tools and their importance in moving us forward as 21st century learners.
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support my students in this way. I cannot thank you enough for your support in this endeavor. I feel so honored to have your faith and support. Thank you for making a difference in my classroom for this and many years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. LoConte
This classroom project was brought to life by Aspect Ventures and 13 other donors.Writing Our Own Futures
Funded Mar 9, 2016Dear Donors,
I would like to offer my sincerest thanks for your generous donations of chart paper, date stamps, pencils, and whisper phones. Sometimes it is the simplest of tools that make the greatest difference. My students utilize these materials each and every day and have made great gains in both reading and writing since receiving our package. The chart paper has been instrumental in providing anchor charts for student reference. These charts promote independent learning as they continually refer to each one throughout the school day.
My students' reactions to the whisper phones were priceless! These phones allow students to hear themselves without disturbing anyone around them. With these phones, my students have deepened their phonemic awareness skills, better recognizing sounds. This allows them to decode unknown words more easily and supports their ability to compose independently.
These materials have been a game-changer in my classroom this year. Thank you for supporting me in my mission to move students forward.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. LoConte