Past projects 283
Colorful Winter Wonderland
Funded Oct 6, 2020Thank you so much for funding our project. Later this week, we are going to take pictures of the items to post on our rewards app so that students can see some of the items that will be available to them when we return. These art kits will be "sold" in our school holiday store. Kits like these were the most popular last year and we quickly sold out. I know our students are excited about these kits as well because I surveyed them before writing the request. Posting these on the app is slightly different than how we have done it before since we need to adjust to our new safety regulations. It is our hope, however, that we will be able to safely return to school before the holidays. Rest assured, however, that we have a plan either way.
Donors, you do so very much for my students and I truly appreciate it. My classroom (and school) have been transformed through your support. This project will help my students to understand the value of earning and saving while also empowering students. Our students feel such pride when they are able to purchase gifts for others. I think as middle school students, it helps them to feel more grown-up to be able to give gifts like this. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Batdorf
This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab Foundation and 6 other donors.Bringing the Bass to Band
Funded Sep 16, 2020I was excited to see the bass arrived today. The amp has been here for a while now but the bass took a little longer to ship. My new student is a 7th grader and he is, for lack of a better way of saying it, super stoked! I sent him a few of the pictures that I took and he can't believe he gets to play a bass this nice. You haven't just made his day, you've made his year! We have already arranged for him to pick it up tomorrow and he cannot wait. It's always exciting to teach a student that is this interested. Thank you so much for providing the means to do so.
I am extremely grateful for the DonorsChoose community. Donors, you have truly transformed my classroom. We have access to equipment and lessons that we would never have without your support. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know it has made a huge impact and this bass means the world to my new student.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Batdorf
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose 20th Anniversary Fund and one other donor.Eating Good in the Neighborhood
Funded Sep 28, 2020I am so very grateful for your donation as we now have shelves that are fully stocked with food for families. These food items will provide quick and easy meals for our families to use over weekends and breaks. It is such a relief to know that we have these items to provide to our families. We always offer food to any student that requests it, no questions asked, but we couldn't do it without your support.
Donors, I am amazed by you. Your selfless gift has provided our families with much-needed food items. I wish I could explain exactly how much we (myself, fellow staff members, students, and families) appreciate your good deed. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Batdorf
Breakfast of Champions
Funded Sep 30, 2020I'm not going to lie, I was excited to open the shipping boxes as they arrived. I opened multiple shipping boxes filled with various types of cereal. For each box of cereal I unpacked, I realized that another family will have what they need to have breakfast over the weekends and breaks. This is such a relief for our students and families and it also gives staff members peace of mind knowing that our families are provided for.
We have three large tubs full of cereal to give to our students. We always give from our food supplies with no questions asked. If a student needs it, we will provide it, but we couldn't do it without you.
Donors, I appreciate you so very much. Today I looked around my classroom and I saw clearly what impact donors have had on my classroom. The food, hygiene items, school supplies, all of it freely given from donors we don't even know. It amazes me to see the level of support we have had. I wish I could put into words how very grateful I am. Please know that you are appreciated. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Batdorf
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 2 other donors.Bunch of Lunch
Funded Sep 30, 2020Today I went to school to unpack the boxes of food items that arrived. I was relieved to see so many boxes, knowing that it means we will be fully stocked with items that our students and families need. As you can see in the pictures, our shelves are now full and I cannot thank you enough for that.
Today I sent an email to our social worker, counselor, nurse, and community partners so that they know we are fully stocked and have food to give to families again. I cannot express to you how much of a relief it is to know that we have these items. I was getting nervous because the need is greater than usual and we did not have anything in stock. Now our staff members can gather supplies for home visits to help our families. Additionally, we are set to return in a few weeks and these items will be given to any student that expresses a need.
Donors, I really do appreciate you. Today I stepped back and looked at our shelves and realized how truly blessed we have been. Through various projects, we were able to gather food, hygiene items, and school supplies for our students. Your donation has made a big impact on the students and our community. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Batdorf
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and one other donor.Instrument Inventory
Funded Jul 4, 2020The label maker, scanner, and luggage tags are going to make it so much easier to keep track of our inventory. I have started the process of assigning barcodes to each of the instruments. It's going to be a long process, but certainly worth it, with the ease it will bring. This will be useful any year, but it is especially helpful now while our schedules are so different. This will not only help me to track who is borrowing which instrument, but it will also help me keep track of repairs.
It is crucial that we take care of our instruments. We can have instruments to use for years, with more and more students having the opportunity to play, if we properly care for them.
Donors you do so much to help my students, both in music and in community. Thank you for your support, it is truly appreciated. I am able to offer new opportunities to my students that I would not be able to without your help and support. Thanks again and again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Batdorf
Money Moves
Funded Sep 16, 2020Wow! These gift cards are wildly popular. My students are excited to earn points and are working to save them up to earn the meals. I just announced that these would be available this week and there is already a buzz around the room (our zoom meetings!)
I will allow students to purchase with points beginning next week.
Students have made comments about how much they want to earn the cards so that they can have a special meal with their families. These have been so popular, that our PBIS team is working on several fundraisers to keep the program going.
Donors, you rock! I cannot thank you enough for providing the means to offer opportunities like this to my students. Thank you, thank you, thank you...”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Batdorf
This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab Foundation and 2 other donors.The Art of Organization
Funded May 18, 2020Thank you for supporting our project to have school supplies for our students. Thanks to your support, we have enough school supplies to make sure every student at our school receives their own individual items. This is always good for students but this year it is also necessary for their safety. There are several potential barriers to learning during a pandemic, having supplies will not be one of them. Thank you!
The pencil pouches and pencils will allow our students to have a dedicated space to keep their materials while at home and at school. These items, like colored pencils, scissors, glue sticks, and sharpeners, can be used for multiple subjects throughout the day. Our students are currently learning from home. Much of our instruction is taking place in front of a screen. Our students, teachers, and families are handling it like true rockstars, but it does make for a lot of screen time. The pencil pouches will hold the other school supplies we requested which will allow students to work with their hands and gives them additional opportunities to be creative.
As always, donors this wouldn't be possible without your support. I appreciate all that you do for my students. It truly is amazing to see the number of people that want to support students. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Batdorf
This classroom project was brought to life by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and 2 other donors.You've Got Mail
Funded Sep 16, 2020The stamps arrived last week and I was able to send out my first set of postcards. I was surprised to hear from a few students that they received the cards already. Both students mentioned that they were surprised by the cards. One student said it was on the refrigerator at home. I am sure the other students will be receiving their cards within the next few days. I have already sent out postcards to both of my sixth-grade classes. I am working on cards for my seventh-graders today and hope to have postcards out to my last group of eighth-graders by the end of the week.
The stamps I will use to send out larger letters and supplemental support material. Most of our work can be accomplished online but a few students do much better if they have a paper copy, too. This is especially true for music, as a paper copy is often a better choice for many musicians.
Donors, I appreciate you so very much. You do so much for my students and your support enables me to teach lessons and offer opportunities that I otherwise could not. Our classroom has been truly transformed by all of you. MMOSS, Ellie, and supporters, your support has been nothing short of magical. I cannot even begin to describe the ways in which you have made my classroom better for my students (and me, too!) Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Batdorf
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 15 other donors.Seeing Is Believing
Funded Sep 16, 2020This monitor was an absolute game changer today. I typically shuffle between many tabs and have open a few windows to make sure I have what I need for online learning. It can be difficult to shuffle back and forth and rarely can I keep more than two windows open to see two things at once. This was most problematic when I would share my screen during our virtual meetings as it made seeing student videos or the chat nearly impossible.
Today was so much easier. I was able to turn four of my tabs into windows so I could monitor what students were doing while still presenting. The pictures I posted don't show student faces but I used the large monitor primarily to watch student videos during our zoom meetings. This also helped me to watch the chat throughout so I could immediately respond to any issues or questions that students had.
Donors, I cannot thank you enough for funding this project. I will admit that I was intimidated by online learning and I was especially worried about teaching band online. This monitor has made things easier and has given me a sense of confidence in terms of monitoring student understanding. I was struggling with this online as it is difficult to capture the true feelings of students when you cannot see them or hear what they have to say in the chat. I truly appreciate your donation and I promise to do my very best to ensure that every student learns as effectively as possible while online.
Again, thank you so very much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Batdorf
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose 20th Anniversary Fund and 2 other donors.