Ms. Ichikawa-Masi's Classroom Edit display name

Current requests

Past projects 13

• Give the Gift of More Sound Healing

  Funded Feb 19, 2025

  I hope this message finds you well. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your generous support of our sound healing project. Your contributions have had a transformative impact on my students, allowing them to engage in sound meditation, which significantly enhances their relaxation and emotional well-being. I have observed remarkable changes: students are not only calmer but also more focused, tapping into a deeper sense of rest and reducing anxiety. The opportunity to explore sound bowls has empowered them to express themselves creatively while developing self-acceptance and confidence.

  Thanks to your support, I am cultivating a classroom environment that encourages openness to new experiences, fostering a sense of safety where children can learn and grow. By integrating sound healing practices, we are helping students activate their senses and improve their overall learning experience. The belief in my goals are making a meaningful difference in their lives and teaching them vital skills they can carry forward on their life journeys. Thank you for being an essential part of this impactful initiative and for positively shaping our students' futures.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Ichikawa-Masi

• Give the Gift of Sound Healing to Students

  Funded Sep 5, 2024

  It is quite unbelievable the impact of these Singing Bowls in my classroom. Most of my students want to play these every day. They were so very excited and curious when they arrived. They are learning how to set intentions and connect to themselves while playing them and hearing their frequency. Students are more mindful and have requested to listen to videos of Singing Bowls on YouTube. They have also said they are more calm and feel less stressed when in class. I usually keep the Singing Bowls out all day long and students take turns using them.

  I also teach an enrichment class after school with Breathwork and somatic movement and use these to teach my students how to connect deeply to themselves and how their body feels when they hear them. Some students have asked me if I can teach step by step how to use them and I have.

  Each student in my class is being impacted so immensely by having these and are more genuinely calm and mindful, therefore having a ripple effect on those around them. They are normalizing wellness and sound healing, some of which have asked me if could they do this for a career.

  My goal is to get a Sound Healer come demonstrate how to use them properly in my classroom and give them a Soundbath and give Soundbaths to other students in the school.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Ichikawa-Masi

  This classroom project was brought to life by Olga Graham Inspiring Teachers Fund and 12 other donors.

• Flexible Seating Helps Social Emotional Growth

  Funded May 20, 2024

  I have been teaching for 25 years and I am so proud of my ability to bring the real world into my classroom. Having a couch I know is extra, however it brings a wonderful vibe to my classroom and social emotional wellness to my classroom. The students are thrilled to have the couch. During the VIP time, which students rotate everyday who gets to sit on the couch, students are very excited to feel special and to be able to sit there and read and relax. They go there to write and read during our workshop time. Also when someone is sick they can go lay down if they are not feeling well. And it feels like home.

  My students were so excited because they have never seen a couch in a teacher's classroom. They are in second grade. But you can tell they think it is a very special area where they can go to feel safe. I am very grateful to have brought this special atmosphere to the classroom where they can learn and grow and feel calm and relaxed. The classroom is their second home and having a couch is an excellent way to change their perspective on a school setting and open up a world of possibilities.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Ichikawa-Masi

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Supporter and one other donor.

• From Rectangular to Round: An Acquisition of Furniture

  Funded Jun 28, 2012

  I am so pleased to receive this acquisition. My classroom is so much more vast and my studnets are even happier. They utilize the tables for centers and for primary work spaces. It has changed the dynamic of my class and adds something special.

  My students have created a train table, a counting table, and a display table. We use them for various celebrations and they are showcased in our drawing time and writing time. It brings students closer together and makes them have close, tight-knit conversations. Thank you to all the donors who donated. This was a special treat. We will use the tables in good health and happiness.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Ichikawa-Masi

• Kinder Tech Heads Need One More Screen!

  Funded Jan 19, 2012

  I am so privileged to have received this computer monitor. It has really changed the dynamic in my class. In fact, my students are more technologically savvy than they were before. They can operate the computers by themselves and most of the time don't need additional help. They are excited to find new games and websites that I am introducing in class and they are more interested in class and can't wait for computer time. It is truly amazing to watch these students learn 21st century skills. ”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Ichikawa-Masi

• Kinder Tech Heads Need Technology!!!

  Funded Dec 10, 2011

  Dear Donors,

  Thank you so much for the wonderful gift of a new computer monitor. It has already brought much excitement to my classroom. Students do not want to use the older computers and actually ask to be first in line to work with the new monitor. They play Jumpstart Kindergarten, Math Blaster, Samy's Spider House, among other games. They are loving the retina LCD display. Students notice the colors are brighter and objects are larger, so they are attracted to this particular monitor. It has made computer time more exciting. Students in my class receive at least 20 minutes of computer time on a rotating basis daily throughout the week. We are so pleased to notify you that the monitor is a huge success and a great addition to our classroom. Thank you again. ”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Ichikawa-Masi

  This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 8 other donors.

• Van Gogh Would Kvell.. Kinder Artists Need Drawing Supplies!

  Funded Dec 11, 2011

  Thank you so very much for giving my students the opportunity to engage in art. My students were very excited to receive these art materials and I would like to thank each of the donors and the Wasserman Foundation for making this possible.

  Giving the gift of art not only adds to the students enjoyment of school, art teaches students about possibilities and risks they would not otherwise take. My students quickly learned how to use the materials and utilized them during their free choice time. In fact, they signed up to go to the center again and again. Thank you for your generous donations. I am teaching them a variety of art techniques they can use and we do art almost every day. It is not only relaxing, but therapeutic.

  My students were overwhelmed at the immense amounts of art supplies we received from the project and by having art in my classroom, it will greatly impact their academic careers in a positive way. Thank you again for your donations. They will be cherished.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Ichikawa-Masi

  This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 13 other donors.

• Ms M's Class Needs More BLOCKS Please!

  Funded Oct 5, 2010

  I cannot begin to express my heartfelt gratitude. My students love these blocks! They are actively engaged in their choice time in the afternoons building away during structured play time. I have used the wooden blocks as part of a math center where students are actively building using cylinders, rectangular prisms, cubes, and other shaped blocks. I also use the attribute blocks in the math center as a good sorting tool, where the students are sorting by shape and color. The thistle blocks are part of my "Yellow Bins" playtime where the students play with a variety of toys from Lincoln logs to interlocking pieces. Well, the thistle blocks become airplanes, farms, forts, and vehicles in just a few minutes. The interactive play helps my kindergarteners with vocabulary and language development as well as imaginative story telling. My students were just calling me over today during center time telling me about the castle and ship they built. It was quite mesmerizing to see 5 year-olds and how their imaginations can run wild. I think these blocks were the best medicine for my kindergarten classroom and they added a special ingredient to center time.

  I am glad you have helped me attain these blocks because my school has been greatly affected by the budget shortfall and my own pocketbook has been greatly affected by the economy. It is with great appreciation that I write to you today in hopes that you continue to do great work in sponsoring teachers who really need help fixing up their classrooms and to teachers who really make a difference and care about their students.

  Thank you again for you generosity.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Ichikawa-Masi

  This classroom project was brought to life by Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation and 3 other donors.

• Lions Rock Band Needs A Mandolin!

  Funded Jun 24, 2009

  It is my great pleasure to say thank you for this generous donation. Last year, my students discovered the song "Rise" by Eddie Vedder. We played it on the ukulele and the guitar but it just didn't seem right. My students were tremendously surprised to find out Mr. Vedder played those instruments but it wasn't what he used in "Rise." Needless to say, they discovered the mandolin and requested to play it. After learning chords on the ukulele and guitar, the mandolin can become second nature. With the focus this year on country music and bluegrass, I have incorporated the mandolin into some of our songs, though I think the appeal will grow more as the year goes by.

  With 50 students applying to my after school music program, it has become overwhelming but exciting. The first two years we only had 20 students each year, with several students dropping out midway. But this year, an overwhelming 50 students have applied and stayed. I teach three days a week to these Inner-City students and a few guitar students have picked up the mandolin and played it for a few songs this year. The students are amazed that their skills can translate from string instrument to string instrument.

  I am grateful that your donation has inspired the students to try different instruments, to take risks, and to think outside of the box. We are so thankful for the wonderful addition of the mandolin to our band. It is definitely a shining star and will continue to bring joy to students who play it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Ichikawa-Masi