Past projects 6
Keep Calm and Drink Water
Funded Jun 29, 2022I can not beginning to express how excited my students were to receive the water bottles! Many of them were flabbergasted that they actually get to keep them. I was also able to give one to a student not in my class. I have received notes of gratitude from parents as well. The students proudly carry their water bottles to PE, recess, and lunch.
The biggest impact, though has been the decrease in headaches and nurse visits. Students are able to fill and drink from their water bottles as frequently as they need. Because they have their own bottles, we do not have the concern about the drinking fountains.
Thank you so very much for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hill
How Do I Get There: Tools for Digital Learning
Funded Feb 5, 2022I can not even tell you what an impact these seemingly small items have had on my students! Many of my students are unable to afford good quality headphones or computer mice, so giving them the opportunity to use these devices means the world. The students are not only using the devices to access supplementary tools and academic resources, some of them have learned how to use their devices in more meaningful ways; for example they have learned how to pair, connect, and use bluetooth devices.
We have established a checkout system for using the devices. When they return the device, they have to sign it back in, so they are accountable for the proper use and care.
Watching some of them learn how to manipulate the mouse has been somewhat comical, too. Even though the mouse makes some things exponentially easier, there is a slight learning curve.
All that to say that I am very appreciative of your generosity in supporting this project.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hill
Celebrating Our Differences Through a Classroom Library of Diversity
Funded Nov 30, 2021I can't thank you enough for supporting this project. My students LOVE the books that were added to our classroom library. They are enjoying reading books with characters that look like them, sound like them, and have families like theirs.
Early in the school year I learned that my students are very concerned with diversity and inclusion. The first week of school one student brought a book to share (which is one of the books we now have in our classroom library) that discussed inclusion, blended families, and kids that had two homes.
Additionally, we read a book in which the author (a fourth grade African American girl) referred to her stepmother as her "bonus mom." The kids loved it! That sparked a lively discussion about "bonus" families (siblings and parents).
Anyway, I just want to express my immeasureable appreciation to you for funding this project. I can't keep the books on the shelf (nor do I want to)!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hill
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 7 other donors.A Classroom Carpet Will Let Us Gather as a Community
Funded Sep 16, 2021I can not thank you enough for providing the carpet for my classroom! The students were elated to see it when they entered the classroom.
In addition to contributing to helping building of the sense of community, the students are excited to spend extended periods of time reading (if they can read on the carpet). We use the carpet as a gathering place for daily morning meetings, story time, and many more activities. An added, unexpected benefit is that the students are able to make real-world connections when we talk about area and perimeter in math. Whenever I direct the students to go to the carpet, they ask if they should go to "the perimeter or fill in the area."
Community building also involves recognizing and celebrating our differences in addition to what we have in common. Because of the diversity in our classroom, I am currently trying to improve the diverse content in the classroom library.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hill
Listen and Learn
Funded Oct 20, 2009I can't even begin to express the depth of my gratitude for your generosity! I know it may sound trivial or cliché-esque, and seem like a little thing, but it is true.
Several of my students are reading well below grade level. I teach second grade and have three students reading on a pre-primer level, so they are not able to read most of the books or stories that go with our curriculum. I have taken the time to read many of the books from my personal classroom library into a tape recorder, so that the students can listen and follow along. This is (obviously) very time consuming and not an effective use of my time. The audio books for the listening center free up my time to gather other activities to improve literacy in my classroom. Besides, they hear enough of my voice all day long (they need a break from me, too).
The books and Cd's will be used in the classroom as well as being available for checkout. Being able to take the Cd's home with them, will allow the below-grade-level students to fulfill the self-selected reading requirement of 20 minutes of reading each night. It will allow them more independence and give them an opportunity to talk with their classmates about books that "everyone" is reading. As the students follow along with fluent reading, their sight word inventory and vocabulary increase as well.
I am so excited about how these listening center sets will improve literacy in my students! They are as excited as I am that someone who doesn't even know them took the time, energy, and resources to donate these books to their class.
Please know that your generosity is greatly appreciated! ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hill
Keeping Current with TFK
Funded Dec 20, 2007Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to fund this project. It is vital for my students to be able to read non-fiction materials and they love being current on the happenings of the world. Time for Kids is an excellent resource and I am so excited to share it with my students! Thank you so much”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hill