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Mrs. Grafman's Classroom

  • Dow's Prairie Elementary School
  • McKinleyville, CA
  • More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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show projects from all time

Past projects 2

  • Hands-On Tools to Support Literacy, Science, Music, and Play

    Funded Oct 26, 2022

    I cannot thank you enough for your support in funding some of the hands-on tools we've been using this year to support student literacy, science, music, and play. One of my favorite resources funded by you that I've incorporated this year is the Scholastic Let's Find Out subscription. Scholastic does such an excellent job of making science and social studies content accessible and engaging for young learners while also incorporating literacy, movement, vocabulary, and social emotional learning. The students have been loving both the hands-on materials as well as the online resources and videos. Thank you for gifting such an awesome subscription to our classroom.

    I also witness the students engage in so much imaginative play with our new baby dolls and accessories. They learn to play cooperatively with their classmates while caring for the babies in a pretend home or school setting.

    The marble run and kinetic sand and gel pens have also been a big hit with the students as well. I have students who ask to play with the marble run and kinetic sand daily and the gel pens have made "rainbow writing" during handwriting practice more fun. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Grafman

  • Classic Toys and Art Supplies for My Imaginative Kindergarteners

    Funded Nov 7, 2021

    I am beyond grateful for all of your support in helping me purchase choice time toys and crafts supplies for my students. The resources that were purchased using the money you donated are used every day in the classroom! The Kindergarteners have made SUCH growth, not just academically, but also in the way that they communicate and connect with one another. It truly feels like a community and I love seeing them learn, create, build and talk with one another while working with the materials you helped purchase.

    From the train set to the felt boards, to the marble run to the rubbing crayons, the kids LOVE all of the classic toys and art supplies that were purchased. Some of the especially popular items have been the dot paint, play doh, gel pens, and pony beads! The kids enjoy making patterns and bracelets by stringing the beads onto pipe cleaners (also great for fine motor!) and making pictures with the dot paint and gel pens (I've got several hanging over my desk). We had lots of fun using the dot paints during a gum ball addition partner game and making letters with the play doh during our center time as well.

    I look forward to continuing to find fun and creative ways to utilize these resources to make learning fun and engaging. It is also such a joy to see kids playing, creating, and communicating during choice time - a time when so many of the toys/craft supplies that were purchased come out off the shelves. From the bottom of my heart - thank you.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Grafman

All of my kindergartners love Choice Time! I am excited to foster the many benefits of imaginative play by being able to offer more choices with some simple classic toys and art supplies. On my list is a wooden marble run set. Building a marble run and getting a marble into small spaces helps young children develop spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and problem-solving skills. My students will be able to enhance their creativity as they play with the marble run, exploring different tracks and learning more about how they can move pieces to create a fun exciting run. They will also learn more about cause-and-effect as they explore how gravity and inertia work together to help move or stop the marble. My kindergartners will also learn so much from having a train set to build and play with. Putting the pieces of a wooden track together requires hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. They will also need to plan where each piece will go and consider how to incorporate the correct pieces of track along with bridges, tunnels, and level crossings. The awesome thing about both the wooden marble run and the wooden train set is that the children can set it up in a different way each time they play. I’m also excited to add some tools and designs for playing with Play-Doh. Playing with Play-Doh is a great way for my students to ease tension, release excess energy, improve focus and encourage creativity. I also want my students to have felt pieces. Playing with felt encourages many great sensory and storytelling experiences. All of the items described above and on my wish list would benefit my kindergartners in numerous ways and really expand their options for play and learning during choice time.

About my class

All of my kindergartners love Choice Time! I am excited to foster the many benefits of imaginative play by being able to offer more choices with some simple classic toys and art supplies. On my list is a wooden marble run set. Building a marble run and getting a marble into small spaces helps young children develop spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and problem-solving skills. My students will be able to enhance their creativity as they play with the marble run, exploring different tracks and learning more about how they can move pieces to create a fun exciting run. They will also learn more about cause-and-effect as they explore how gravity and inertia work together to help move or stop the marble. My kindergartners will also learn so much from having a train set to build and play with. Putting the pieces of a wooden track together requires hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. They will also need to plan where each piece will go and consider how to incorporate the correct pieces of track along with bridges, tunnels, and level crossings. The awesome thing about both the wooden marble run and the wooden train set is that the children can set it up in a different way each time they play. I’m also excited to add some tools and designs for playing with Play-Doh. Playing with Play-Doh is a great way for my students to ease tension, release excess energy, improve focus and encourage creativity. I also want my students to have felt pieces. Playing with felt encourages many great sensory and storytelling experiences. All of the items described above and on my wish list would benefit my kindergartners in numerous ways and really expand their options for play and learning during choice time.

About my class

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