Past projects 15
We Learn From Our Mistakes!
Funded May 7, 2024Thanks to your generous support, our classroom is now equipped with three-ring binders to organize and display reading passages and progress monitoring spelling checks, as well as colorful pens that encourage students to embrace their mistakes as part of the learning process. These tools have created a structured and accessible system for students to track their learning, showcase their growth, and reflect on their progress. The pens have transformed mistakes into opportunities for growth, helping students build resilience and confidence in their reading and spelling abilities. Your contribution has made a lasting impact by fostering a sense of achievement, organization, and a positive mindset in our literacy-focused classroom. Thank you for investing in our students' success!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 4 other donors.Hands-On Phonics 2
Funded Feb 14, 2024This project helped fund some of the critical materials needed to implement our newly adopted UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) reading program for six teachers at my school site! Teachers and students were excited to be able to get their hands on fully assembled word work mats that will last for years thanks to the magnets included in this project. These tools make the crucial process of encoding possible.
Teachers are now able to meet the needs of their students in a small group setting, and have the materials necessary to work with up to 8 students at a time! Over 200 students have had the opportunity to utilize these materials since March, making a lasting impact on reading and writing instruction!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
Hands-on Phonics!
Funded Nov 28, 2023This project helped fund some of the critical materials needed to implement our newly adopted UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) reading program for six teachers at my school site! Teachers and students were excited to be able to get their hands on the whiteboards, ten frames and counters used to break apart the phonemes in words. These tools make the crucial process of encoding possible.
Teachers are now able to meet the needs of their students in a small group setting, and have the materials necessary to work with up to 8 students at a time! Over 200 students have had the opportunity to utilize these materials since November, making a lasting impact on reading and writing instruction!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 2 other donors.First Graders LOVE Non Fiction!
Funded Sep 1, 2021First grade is a challenging year to keep all students engaged because of the wide range of abilities at this grade level. Many of my students are just learning to read, while some are voracious readers, begging for more and more materials! It is often very difficult to find reading material that has age- appropriate content for these students.
Thanks to your support, my first grade readers have been challenged with reading material that is just right for them, both in content and reading level. Our new collection of Magic Tree House chapter books are engaging and motivating. Thank you very much for your support!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
This classroom project was brought to life by San Diego Gas & Electric and 8 other donors.Hands-on STEM Engagement
Funded Dec 1, 2020I cannot thank you enough for supporting this project! As we all know, the past two years have been extremely challenging and keeping kids engaged in HANDS-ON activities has been crucial in so many ways. The social interactions that these STEM Bins have provided are incalcuable- SO important after remote and online learning!
Simply getting students "unplugged" and back to using their hands has been refreshing and an integral component to our day -to-day activities.
The marble run, Create-a-Chain Reaction STEM Kit, Building Brick STEM Challenge, and GeoStix have been a huge hit and have aided in opening lines of communication between students as well as focusing on problem solving skills and critical thinking.
Thank you for making this possible for not only my students in the 2020-2021 school year, but for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
This classroom project was brought to life by San Diego Gas & Electric and 6 other donors.Promoting Equity in My First Grade Classroom
Funded Jul 31, 2021Thank you so much for supporting my project, "Promoting Equity in My First Grade Classroom"! Your donation made it possible for my class to begin the new year with all the supplies that were needed for success!
It was so helpful to have the SAME pencil bags for ALL my students. These pencil bags not only promoted equity, but they were exactly the correct size for easy storage in my student's cubbies. Each pencil bag was filled with markers, pencils, erasers, glue sticks and scissors- all the materials we use daily.
Perhaps the most helpful item purchased through this project was the headphones. It was very important that each student have a pair of comfortable headphones to use during chromebook assignments. Not a single student felt left out, since each and every student was able to be assigned a pair of headphones. With minimal storage space in my flexible seating classroom, it was also important that these fit in their cubbies along with their pencil bags. This project made it possible!
Lastly, the black tote bags were the icing on the cake! My students now have a place to store their independent reading books and other materials needed during Reader's Workshop. Thank you so much for making this all possible!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
Set a Course for Reading Adventure!
Funded Mar 16, 2021Thank you so much for bringing this project to life! After teaching first grade for the past three years, I have discovered that I will always have a wide range of abilities in my classroom. While some of my first graders are working on basic reading skills, others have mastered these skills and are ready for an additional challenge.
These students are eager to move onto chapter books, but many of these books do not have age-appropriate content for my 6 and 7 year olds. The Magic Treehouse Series provides my students that added challenge AND age- appropriate content!
My students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work in small groups to read these books and complete engaging activites in response to their reading. The materials purchased through this project enable me to encourage my student's love of reading and fuel their excitement towards more challenging materials. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 7 other donors.Teaching Social Equity and Meeting Social Emotional Needs Through Literature
Funded Oct 23, 2020This project was funded at just the right time! My students are so grateful for your assistance in making it possible.
My school district made the decision to return to the classroom in a hybrid format on September 28. This return was exciting and scary for many of my young first graders. Many of the titles in this project focused on easing the concerns and fears of my students during the current Covid19 pandemic. These titles helped my students with this transition. They helped explain why we follow protocols to stay safe in and out of the classroom and gave students the chance to discuss their feelings during this frightening time.
Thank you for your support and for giving my students a voice.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron and one other donor.Bring Learning to Life With Augmented Reality!
Funded Jan 29, 2018It has been so satisfying to see the PURE JOY on my student's faces as they explore this new learning tool in their classroom! A class favorite is playing with the alphabet cards that "come to life". The students are enthralled by each animal and have been overheard discussing characteristics of each animal, comparing and contrasting them as they switch letters on the screen. I love the way this tool integrates science with language arts skills! My students have also enjoyed the math component of this program, specifically the "working with numbers" activity in which the alligator "eats" the greater number. I truly feel like they now understand the "greater than", "less than" and "equal to" symbols.
Thank you so much for this phenomenal tool possible in our classroom!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 9 other donors.Kindergarten Wiggles II
Funded Aug 27, 2017Thanks to your generous donations, our classroom has become a place of learning in comfort and opened the door to allowing CHOICE in determining ones best way to learn!
Transforming a classroom into a flexible Seating environment cannot happen overnight. (Especially in kindergarten!) Introducing the new seating choices was an incremental process. I implemented he transformation in three phases.
The first big reveal was lowered tables and two different types of cushions to sit on (square chair cushions and round, sensory "button" cushions. The children came into the room the morning I changed things up and were so excited about the change! The thought that it was "OK" to sit on the floor was almost too much for them! Children at this age are so mobile, and true to my project title, "wiggly". Sitting close to the floor has helped with keeping the children centered and focused. The amount of "falls" out of chairs has diminished!
The next phase in the flexible seating transformation was the introduction to the wobble chairs and exercise balls. These were perhaps the most exiting introductions because they look NOTHING like traditional chairs! I was very happy to discover that my students, though constantly moving while in these chairs, were able to maintain focus and follow along with instruction better than they had in the past.
The last phase of implementation was the bean bags in my Book Corner and the bath rugs for reading time. In addition to a couch and pillows for the floor I now have three very sturdy and comfortable bean bags that are so lightweight they can easily be used in any area of the classroom. The children love to use them when they are reading and working on iPads. The bath mats are a perfect addition to the classroom when children are listening to stories on tape. Everyone loves to lay down while listening, and now they can do so in comfort and they can know they are staying clean!
The items I was able to purchase using your generous donations have quite literally transformed my classroom! I am very excited about these materials, they will last for many years to come!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille