Past projects 4
1st Grade Classroom Needs a Whiteboard!
Funded Aug 10, 2022Thank you so much for your donations to our classroom. Having a large whiteboard in our classroom has completely changed how I am able to help my students access our lessons. I project directly on to the board so I can write on slide shows, students can write on them as well, and we can draw and write our thoughts. Previously I only had 1 teeny whiteboard to use and it prevented me from doing in the moment lesson changes and making visuals to go with my lessons in the moment.
When my students came into the room with a new whiteboard they were so excited! We immediately put it to use. Students from previous years have come in to say how amazing it looks in our classroom now!
Now that we have our whiteboard neurodivergent and just extra wiggly students! I am so grateful that you helped our class grow this year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. O'Keefe
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 13 other donors.Makerspace
Funded Nov 7, 2019I received our materials within days of finding out our project was funded and was able to set it all up in a day! The kids came in and could not contain their questions, "What is that?" "Do we get to play in there?" "Is that for us?!" "When is it my turn?!". Their excitement was palpable. Luckily I had planned for the morning to be all about exploring and creating! We broke up into groups and each got turns creating in our new makers space! More than a few students left the space saying "This was the best morning ever!" Thank you for giving them this experience and all the rest we will have this year in our new makerspace!”
With gratitude,
Ms. O'Keefe
Diversity Focused Classroom Library
Funded Aug 21, 2019Thank you so much for helping create a inclusive learning environment for my first grade students. We have used the books and bins to create a library where kids can see themselves in the books we read and learn about others experiences in them as well. Every books I've showed my class has challenged to see more of the world. We have has discussions about feeling invisible, living with little money, looking different from our peers. We have debated fairness and empathy for others. We have had enlightening discussion and thats all thanks to these incredible books!
When I set the library up my students freaked out! They were overjoyed by how bright and happy our library was! And the flashlights made for an amazing "flashlight Friday" tradition where kiddos find joy in reading in the dark with their peers!
This year we will devote many hours to learning about others perspectives. We will learn about women of color in history, the struggle of hispanic people in California, the tradition of Native American tribes, and many more cultures and perspectives. Literature is such a rich to learn other's stories. Thank you for helping me build a library where my students can explore other's experiences.”
With gratitude,
Ms. O'Keefe
Accessible Book Bags for Differentiated Learning!
Funded Aug 10, 2018Thank you so much for your financial donation to help keep my classroom organized for my students and me. My students screamed with excitement when I told them they were each getting their own book bags. "You mean we don't have to use the canvas bag and the plastic bins anymore?!" one kiddo shouted out. We have all hated our system, it wasn't working in the tiny classroom of ours.
We now have weekly "book shopping" day where kids get to pick books at their level and freshen up their books in their book bags. They are getting so confident in picking out books they know they can read! Their love of learning is growing and my sanity is free thanks to the classes new organization. I also use the book bags to hold the kiddos guided reading books so I know they are in a safe, consistent place when we work in a small group on their leveled book.
Now that I have my classroom more organized I plan on building my students fluency by creating fluency folders filled with the shared reading we work on mastering together every week. They already have these folders in their book bags but we are still filling them every week with our mastered text! Thank you so much for your generosity I am so grateful for you spending your hard earned money on me and my students!”
With gratitude,
Ms. O'Keefe