Ms. Kirchman's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 12

• Real Readers Read More Than Prose

  Funded Apr 14, 2023

  Thank you SO much for the generous donation to my classroom library. I stocked up with a variety of graphic novels and novels in verse, in particular for my struggling readers. Many of them do not have the reading skills and stamina to read a typical 300-page book with topics that a 7th grader would be interested in. These books can open the door to sparking an interest in books that meet them at their level with images to aid their reading comprehension.

  I purchased books like New Kid that tells the story of Jordan, one of the few kids of color at a private school. They also have access to John Lewis' graphic novel about his experiences in the Civil RIghts Movement. And all students now have access to the adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird in graphic novel form. Another class favorite is Starfish, the story of a girl who is bullied because of her weight.

  These additional novels told in verse and with graphics are a great addition to my classroom library to give my students new perspectives and improved comprehension from text. Thank you so much for supporting me and education.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Kirchman

  This classroom project was brought to life by 3MGives and 3 other donors.

• Long Time, No Hear

  Funded Nov 23, 2021

  Thank you SO much for your donation towards the headphones for my classroom. Every time we listen to podcasts or watch videos in the classroom, there are several students that don't have their own set. They get used on a daily basis. Besides giving them access to relevant videos, the headphones give students that have trouble reading the ability to listen to audio books or have articles that are above their reading level read to them. I've created a checkout system and numbered them so they stay accounted for and are returned. This donation really made a difference for my classroom. Thank you again.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Kirchman

• Back to Basics

  Funded Aug 24, 2021

  Thank you so much for contributing to my "Back to Basics" project. We've just finished our first quarter and the items have really come in handy.

  The composition notebooks are starting to fill up with ideas they have from their first realistic fiction unit and author studies book club. Some of their reading notebook entries are a work of art. The magnets worked stupendously for taking attendance at the beginning of class. Students just slide their name over on the whiteboard, and I can check at a glance who's here and who's not. I also have used the book stands in my library to display recommended books, and they've flown off the shelves.

  Thanks again for helping me get my school year started off on the right track. I appreciate your generosity.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Kirchman

  This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 4 other donors.

• Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Let's Read Books Including All

  Funded May 10, 2021

  Thank you so much for your donation to my classroom library. Bit by bit, I've been trying to expand my library to include books that reach students from various racial groups, gender identities, and family backgrounds. These books were recommended by Welcoming Schools, a group that aims to create "an LGBTQ and gender inclusive school climate so that all children can thrive." I'm hoping that having more variety will send the message of inclusivity.

  These books will be available for students to check out and be read during daily silent reading and will be offered to students belonging to the middle school's Gay Straight Alliance. The more often a student has a chance to see him, her, or themself mirrored in the books they're reading or see a window into others' lives, the better.

  I can't wait to get these books into the hands of my students and, hopefully, witness the potential that one book can make. Thanks for making that difference with your generous donation.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Kirchman

  This classroom project was brought to life by Born This Way Foundation and one other donor.

• Keep Them Reading Dystopian Sequels

  Funded Mar 18, 2021

  Thank you so much for your generosity towards my project. We were in the middle of our Dystopian Book Club unit, and I realized that I did not have copies of the next books in the series. I could see how eagerly my students were reading their first books and would be interested in continuing the series. You made it possible for the reading to carry on.

  My students have checked out over two-thirds of the new dystopian books, and they are loving them. Some students are on the third and fourth books in the series in a short amount of time. These books are at higher reading levels and have more pages than what a 7th grader usually reads, but the stories have pulled them in.

  Thank you so much for your donation and for making it possible to keep students engaged in good books.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Kirchman

  This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and 3 other donors.

• Help Us Hear and Highlight Diversity

  Funded Oct 5, 2020

  Thank you so much for your generous contribution toward my classroom project to help my students hear and highlight diversity. A part of my project was purely functional. Students did not have headphones which made it impossible for them to listen to podcasts, videos, and other online resources. I've transitioned to more digital tools in my hybrid teaching so all students have access to the same information whether they're at home or in the school building.

  The other part of my project was to highlight diversity with some specific genres in mind. We live in a rural setting and some of my students don't have much experience or acceptance to people of different races and sexual orientation. I included some books that focused on characters or plots from those perspective to, hopefully, open some reader's eyes and minds through books. I now have a whole section for LGBTQ books that some students gravitate to, and I'm so grateful to offer to them, what was in my childhood an unwritten experience.

  Finally, I have many students that read below grade level and have exhausted every Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. I included some graphic novels that could provide more developed characters and plot than some lower lexile books that are watered down. The topics are at their grade level, but the graphic novels make them accessible. Your donation made that possible, and that's worth its weight in gold. Thank you, thank you.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Kirchman

  This classroom project was brought to life by Smarties Candy Company and 5 other donors.

• First Chapter Fridays

  Funded Sep 26, 2020

  Thank you so much for your generous donation. It has enabled my students to expand their reading horizon. Most of my students are like the rest of us. They read the same old, same old. They are creatures of comfort and don't want to step outside the box especially as pre-teens in case someone sees them as different. This is where First Chapter Friday books come in. I selected high-interest books that normally wouldn't be on their radar and exposed them to other cultures and worlds. Three copies of these books are available for checking out after each reading for those that find a liking to the beginning of the book.

  Each Friday I read about twenty minutes of each of the selected books, enough to give the students a taste of what the book is about. Sometimes I read aloud in person, other times I record myself on video and post it. We often spend a little time after the reading discussing a little of the exposition of the story and make some predictions about how we see this story going as the plot progresses. Hopefully, it entices them to want to read more to find out if their predictions are correct.

  Everytime I'm finished reading the chapter, I get at least one student that's interested, sometimes all three books are checked out. One time, one of the special education students picked up the book, cried when finished, and threw the book because the ending was so distressing. (I also had the same reaction.) We're now trying to find that student books by the same author and/or similar story lines. Your donation made that possible. and that's worth its weight in gold. Thank you, thank you.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Kirchman

• Books That Make You Go Hmmmmm

  Funded Dec 3, 2019

  Thanks so much for your generosity and donation of money towards our classroom library. My classroom was definitely lacking when it came to a selection of contemporary books that the kids had easy access to in the classroom. I had been diligently searching lists of high-interest books in the genre of dystopian fiction and looking for the rest of the books in the series so the kids could continue to read. Your donation was so helpful to my unit of study. I put the request in, and then.....POOF, my need was met and my books were delivered to my classroom door.

  Our new program involves students having a lot of choice in what they read. There are no excuses now when so many books are literally right at their fingertips. They are finding more and more books right in our own classroom, and I'm even catching a few unsuspecting readers!

  Thanks again for your generous donation. Your thoughtfulness means so much to me and my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Kirchman

  This classroom project was brought to life by CRUNCH and 6 other donors.

• To Go Or Not To Go To A Shakespeare Play?

  Funded Mar 26, 2019

  Thank you so much for giving my students the opportunity to go to American Players Theatre to see a Shakespeare play. Unfortunately, cost often keeps students from being able to attend field trips either because the school district can't afford it or parents have trouble financing the additional funds. Through your donation, the entire 7th grade class was able to get background information to Shakespeare, attend Twelfth Night, and have an actor come to the classroom for a workshop after the play.

  The students really enjoyed the comedy, Twelfth Night. I was pleasantly surprised by how much they understood, how much they laughed during the performance, and how much they enjoyed the overall experience. It was the first play, much less Shakespeare play for some of my students. And to top it off, we had excellent weather.

  American Players Theatre also offers the opportunity to have an actor come to the classroom for a workshop after the performance. We were fortunate enough to have David Daniel, an actor that has been with APT for over 20 years. He was simply amazing. So educational and entertaining. Thank you so much for providing my students with this awesome experience. We all appreciated your generosity.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Kirchman

• Finding VOICE and CHOICE through Awesome Books!

  Funded May 6, 2019

  Once again, thank you SO much for the gift of books. My classroom was definitely lacking when it came to a selection of contemporary books that the kids had easy access to in the classroom. I had been diligently searching lists of high-interest books in the genres of historical fiction, dystopian fiction, and biographies to get a host of books that the students wouldn't be able to pass up. Your donation was icing on the cake as I had JUST put the request in, and then.....POOF, my need was met and my books were delivered to my classroom door.

  When the school year started, I realized how limited school funds were, and I was even more thankful for your donation. Our new program involves students having a lot of choice in what they read. There are no excuses now when so many books are literally right at their fingertips. I've incorporated lots of historical fiction, dystopian literature, and adventure books in particular to get the boys interested. I'm sure to catch a few unsuspecting readers!

  Thanks again for your generous donation. Your thoughtfulness means so much to me as a fellow teacher but especially as a family member.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Kirchman

  This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 2 other donors.