Past projects 56
We Really Miss Art and Painting Time!
Funded Jun 2, 2020Our 115 kindergarteners are using these art kits everyday! They use them to express their Social Emotional Feelings during this very trying and difficult distance learning experience for them. We use this art kit to help our students express their specific feelings and emotions. We use paint some days and markers and crayons other days! The kids are expressing themselves to a degree I never imagined! I am thankful. The parents are thankful! The kids are happy and smiling and they love using the kit! I can extend this project by having my students create a feelings and emotions project to go along with what we've created so far. Thank you so much for being so thoughtful and so giving!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Nava
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 15 other donors.Transitional Kindergarteners Need Art Supplies at Home!
Funded May 12, 2020This care package was delivered by me to my TK students. It was definitely an emotional day filled with joy and happiness. It was also bittersweet to see my students so incredibly happy to see me and even more happy when they saw that I came baring gifts! It was sad that I couldn't hug them but all in all it was the best experience during these difficult times.
The children stayed on their doorsteps while I dropped off the care packages using the social distancing rules, a mask, and gloves. They took pictures of me holding a poster that expressed how much I miss and love them. They jumped for joy and blew kisses at me as I quickly drove away.
The parents then texted me pictures of how excited they were to receive their care package. Some moms even sent me pictures of their children already painting minutes after I dropped off the package. All of this brought so much emotion into my heart.
Thank You for allowing this to happen. Your ability to give and give without receiving back is truly a testament of what a great person you are in life. My students loved the care packages which were filled with paint, brushes, crayons, pencil boxes, paint pads, sight words, snacks, markers, pencils and so much more. THANK YOU SO MUCH!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Nava
This classroom project was brought to life by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and 5 other donors.Second Graders Need Tutoring/Intervention to Be Fun!
Funded Mar 10, 2020My second grade tutoring students were getting ready to use these reading intervention games when we suddenly went into quarantine. They were able to see and play with the games for only one day before we went into isolation. They already were having fun and were extremely excited to begin playing these fun games.
I had 16 tutoring students and had them in groups of 4 so each group was going to play with each game as I worked with one group. They were going to rotate every 20 minutes and review their blends, sequence events in short stories, and they were going to practice reading for meaning, review fact or fiction, and practice making inferences.
Since tutoring was abruptly cancelled, I will most likely give these board games to our intervention coordinator who sees small groups via zoom and perhaps she can use them. If she cannot use them, we will have to wait to go back to school and see how we can safely utilize these materials. All of this depends on the rules that are put into place in the near future. That is when or if we go back into the classrooms. I thank you dearly for donating to this project and hope to get better pictures of the students or a student actually using these depending on how and when we return to the actual classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Nava
YOGA for Mid City Kids! Namaste!
Funded Feb 18, 2020My students, along with other grade levels used the materials donated to a GREAT degree before we went into our "Learn At Home" state that we are in now. We went to Yoga every Tuesday and used the straps and blocks to help us as we attempted the different yoga positions. The kids would laugh and enjoy themselves as they tried their best to not wobble or fall. The DVDs were used everyday by all grade levels. They loved the variety they had to chose from and always decided to try a new one every time.
The kids loved the ambiance of the room because of the humidifier. They loved the way it glowed and also really liked the lavender, peppermint, and orangey smells it gave. They would sit in the pretzel pose on the small round cushions and would try their best to focus on their learning day.
We are currently in a "Learn At Home" state but we continue to do yoga virtually. The students love the virtual yoga and always look forward to YOGA TUESDAYS! We are grateful to all the donors and can't wait to go back and practice yoga together!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Nava
Learning Through Play!
Funded Nov 22, 2019Thank you for all of you donations. When my students saw the pretend kitchen appliances, they couldn't wait to play with them in the dramatic play center. They immediately began cooking and taking orders and playing together so nicely! The sensory sand kit made my students feel happy to feel sand between their fingers and said " It feels different from the regular sand" and some said " It looks like wet sand but it isn't, cool!"During math centers, some students began making chair and table models out with the little wooden planks game. Some used the mats that gave them ideas and some began using them to build their own ideas! It was awesome to hear them say "Teacher, look what I made!"
My next steps will be to have each group come up with a plan to build a bridge out of the planks. It will be part of our stem challenge for the year! They will each get a turn, make a drawing and attempt to build it as a team. Thank you soooo much for allowing my students and I to think outside the box, explore and have so much fun learning!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Nava
We Can Learn Our Numbers and the Alphabet Through Play!
Funded Nov 22, 2019My students and I were thrilled to receive the items for which you donated money. The kids and I quickly set them up and began to use the water tubs outside the classroom and fish for the upper case letters. Every reading group took a turn and each group had soooo
much fun! Some students said "I can't wait to do that again!" Other students said " That wasn't hard at all!" I was happy to hear these thoughts and see their reactions.
The magnetic numbers are used on a white magnetic board and the students put the numbers in order and are also using them to build numbers past 10!
My next steps will be to have the students draw a group of objects on the white board and put the matching magnetic numbers next to the picture.
As the year continues and the weather changes, they will use the materials mostly indoors and continue to learn through play! Thank you again from the bottom of all of our hearts for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Nava
Fun Learning with Play Dough and Water!
Funded Oct 13, 2019My students and I are thrilled and happy on a daily basis as we learn through the use of play dough! First of all, the students use the play dough in not only math centers by building shapes and or numbers but they also use the play dough in reading and literacy centers! They build letters and also practice doing the letters in their names using the pay dough.
Before we got the play dough, my students were merely tracing their names with pencil and paper. So when they saw the play dough and were given the fun opportunity to use play dough to build their names, they were floored! They grabbed their faces and were soooooo happy to have fun! Many of them said "That was so fun right?" to each other!
Our next step is to build cvc and sight words with the play dough as they learn sight words and blending phonemes! ❤️”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Nava
Cozy and Comfy
Funded Aug 28, 2016My students use the library center on a daily basis. They absolutely love choosing that center as it is an inviting and comfortable place to really take the time to look at a book in its simplest form. When my students use the center, they use the pillows donated to them and always tell me they wish they had some at home. They tell me that the books are cool and that they see a lot of characters and sight words in the books as well. It is a joy to see them interact with each other as they use the center properly because as you can see they are on task and truly enjoying what they are doing.
When my students first saw the brand new pillows, bright red and blue they were so happy and excited. They all went home and told their families that we had received our donation. They were super grateful to me for asking and very grateful to all that made it possible. My students will continue to use the library center all year long and will continue to summarize what they read with a buddy/partner and explore all the aspects of a book.
Thank you again from the bottom of my heart as my students and I could not have had our cute and cozy library center without your help and sense of giving.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Nava
Teacher, where do I put my backpack?
Funded Aug 25, 2016My students have been on a high for the past two days since they received their portable backpack storage! I mean they have been smiling and laughing and have a pep in their step all day long! They are truly happy and sincerely grateful as they have thanked me multiple times! I told them it was due to people who love kids and who truly want them to have the best school experience! The impact of this donation is so very felt and so extremely impactful as it has made my students feel special, important and full of life! They now have a specific designated place labeled with their names, to hang their backpacks. They will hang their belongings in that spot all year long! This will help them learn their daily routine of packing their belongings as well as getting their belongings at specific times of the school day. I am extremely thankful to all who donated because if it wasn't for you, my students would have never had this great feeling of being special and deserving of everything life and schools have to offer. Thank you sooooooo much for the bottom of my teacher heart! I am forever grateful!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Nava
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 5 other donors.