Past projects 13
Kindle My Students' Interest in English!
Funded Dec 23, 2017This was an exciting day! I was able to get all of my English language learners on Rosetta Stone. The Kindle Fire tablets made it easy for them to access the program, and they were excited about learning. A tablet is much more user-friendly, and the kids have more experience with a tablet than they do with a traditional computer. I noticed how much easier it was for them to get started. That's what it's all about. No more fights with old technology. No more wasted time. Only pure learning. The tablets do so much more, as I explained in the project description, and I'm excited to show them. You should have seen the smiles on their faces when they received the tablets! Thank you all for your generosity. We all truly appreciate it.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Taruskin
Microphones for the Mermaids in our Musical!
Funded Mar 19, 2017When the kids heard that we got new microphones, they rejoiced! They are so excited about using the microphones. Every child has come up to ask me, "Will I be using a microphone in the play?" They want to thank you for giving their voice amplification. Now the entire auditorium will be able to hear these scholars recite their lines and sing their songs. We are very grateful to have donors such as yourselves. Your donation will make our musical, The Little Mermaid, a success. The students have been working very hard to make this a great performance. Thankfully, their voices will be heard.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Taruskin
Ink To Print Everything For My English Language Learners!!
Funded Dec 31, 2015This gift has allowed me to actually do my job for these past few months. I still have ink left; hopefully, enough for the rest of the year. My administration never purchased ink for me, so without this gift, I would not have been able to effectively do my job. My students have benefited immensely from your donation! I have been able to print worksheets, visuals for all of my lessons, homework assignments, letters to parents, etc. In this day and age, ink for a printer is a need, not a want, and you have provided for the ESL program at ENYESE. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Taruskin
Books for my INCREDIBLE English Language Learners!
Funded Apr 21, 2015Hooray! The ELLs here at ENYESE are lucky to have you. You should have seen their smiles when I told them they could borrow a book in their home language! After a few days, my scholars excitedly come back to my classroom to take out a new book to read! My Arabic-speaking scholars now have bilingual books to read at home with their families. Before, each grade had only 7 or 8 books to share, now each class has 8-10 books! Our ESL library is growing, all thanks to you. We truly appreciate it!!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Taruskin
Give English Language Learners a Fun & Interactive Program!
Funded Oct 5, 2014You all made my classroom an even BIGGER success. However, the materials I received were actually different from what I originally requested..... You see, there was a huge problem getting Rosetta Stone from any vendor through donorschoose.org. It was impossible. This is why it took so long to complete this project. So, I decided to put the money to good use- I finally bought the ESL flash cards set that I'd wanted since I started teaching. These flash cards are actually invaluable, and allow me to introduce new, necessary vocabulary in a very easy, fun way. So, in essence, I bought Rosetta Stone "old school."
There is also a nice ending to this story. We received ESL money this year called Title III funds. I used that money to buy Rosetta Stone online licenses for my ELLs (for the school year). Now, I have the best of both worlds! My students are benefiting from your generous gift, AND from Title III funding! Thank you all, once again, for supporting me, my classroom, and my ESL scholars.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Taruskin
Finally, a Yearbook! Now, We Need Cameras!
Funded Oct 17, 2014Our students are so appreciative of your generosity. You should see their huge smiles when they hear that they are going to go out on a photography mission. I wasn't sure what would happen when we sent them out, but what we got was beautiful images, well framed and thought out. They take their jobs seriously, and actually need to learn to snap more freely! I included one of the best shots I've seen so far. It was taken in the gym and I thought it was really dynamic. Our yearbook is underway, and these images are already a part of it. My co-teacher and I would like to thank you all for your help. These cameras were invaluable to us and this project.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Taruskin
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and one other donor.Mics for our Theater Troupe- Amplify the AristoCats!
Funded Feb 18, 2014These microphones are incredible!! No feedback, just loud, clear sound! In fact, I'm going to have to lower the sound a bit on a few of them because they might overpower the music! This set is a huge improvement over last year's microphones, which we will still use in a limited capacity. EVERY student wants to wear a microphone. When they wear the microphones, they seem to carry themselves with even more pride and confidence on stage. This year's musical, The AristoCats, has a lot more dialogue than last year's, and the audience needs to hear it in order to follow the story. We will be able to hear our scholars' beautiful voices when we perform in June, and it's all because of your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Taruskin
Headsets to Help Us Learn English!
Funded Mar 10, 2014The teachers and students were really impressed with the headsets we received! I wish you could see the smile on their faces when they use the program and get an answer correct. They beam with pride! I have brought the headsets to several classrooms around the school. English Language Learners across all grades are using these headsets to use Rosetta Stone, a proven language-teaching program. The teachers are taking good care of the headsets, and making sure only their ELLs use them. When I walk into a classroom, and I see an ELL scholar on the computer, I know they are getting closer and closer to understanding and speaking English. I have also discovered that this K-12 program has excellent chapters that focus on reading and writing, something Advanced ELLs can use. Overall, this was a lifesaver! Thank you for being generous. My English Language Learners appreciate it!!!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Taruskin
Add Electricity To An Electrifying School Band! (A Guitar!)
Funded Aug 1, 2013The reaction from our students was overwhelming!! EVERY student wanted to play the guitars! When they saw the electric guitars and heard them - Whoa!!!! They were blown away! They are so grateful. I decided to give lessons to 8 third graders, since they would be at our school for the next three years and would be able to grow an eventually join the band. I auditioned every third grader and I found two students from each class. I have discovered some real talent. A few of these students have picked it up so quickly. For the most part, they need to gain more strength in their left hand to push the strings down, but they are doing great with the chord formations. The smaller guitar is perfect for their hands, and when they are fifth graders they can graduate to the full sized guitar. They are learning open chords first, and basic picking. We've been learning the chords and the melody for "Jingle Bells" and they also learned the chords to the song "Hall of Fame," which is very popular with the students in our school. I believe by next semester at least two of the students will be able to play with the band! This has really enhanced the lives of these students, and I hope to offer the gift of music to new students every year with the use of your generous gift. Who knows, maybe one of these kids will be the next Jimi Hendrix... I can't wait to see them in our band! Thank you so much.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Taruskin
ESL Video Studio! A Second Camera For Our News Crew!
Funded Oct 13, 2013This camera has enhanced our video studio by 1000%. The children are so excited about using the camera, along with all of the other equipment. Now we can shoot a scene from two angles at the same time, which makes editing easier and production quicker. It allows more children to work at the same time on a production. The children have learned so much about film and television production. We have already shot three videos with this camera: two newscasts and one game show. They are learning grammar rules through the use of this technology and are analyzing literature. Above all, the students are excited about coming to class to learn.
We will continue to use this piece of equipment with you all in our thoughts and hearts.
Thank you so much.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Taruskin
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 4 other donors.