Past projects 32
An End To "Writer's Block"! - ELA Resources
Funded Aug 22, 2013When the box arrived and I opened up the lid, all I heard was, "Wow!". My students were so thrilled to see how many copies we had received of Ralph Fletcher's "A Writer's Notebook". This book has spurred so many ideas, thoughts and concepts. They are surprised that a famous author would publish work examples written by 4th grade students (ordinary kids, just like them). As one of my students said, "This book has inspired me to become a better writer," and all of his classmates agree with him 100%.
My students are especially excited to read the autobiographies of famous authors so that they can learn and compare what their childhoods were like "back in the day". Non-fiction is a subject that many students shy away from, but with these wonderful books and stories my students are lining up to get their hands on them.
This excitement would be non existent if it wasn't for the support of generous donors like you. Thank you once again.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Russell
History Comes to Life
Funded Oct 18, 2012Modeling clay, watercolors, charcoal pencils - these are just some of the tools we have used to turn words in a textbook into works of art. Our residency program with the NY Historical Society has begun. We are now learning how to use the resources listed above to make historical events engaging and enriching to all of our students.
It is refreshing to see students creating their own versions of historical monuments. Their masterpieces have included the Washington Memorial and the Queens Botanical Gardens. Several students produced historical characters out of clay, such as a revolutionary soldier or a Native American hunter.
Over the next couple of weeks we will learn other skills, for example printing and making wax seals. This program will culminate with students showing their work to parents, siblings, and other classes in our classroom museum.
None of this would be possible without your generous donations. Thank you for making this a reality.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Russell
An App A Day Keeps the Boredom At Bay
Funded Nov 5, 2012"School has never been more fun since we got our Galaxy tablets - you helped our learning environment grow and develop."
This is just one of the many quotes I have from my students who greatly appreciate the gift we received. They have thoroughly enjoyed using the tablets to access educational sites, such as the Stock Market Game; First in Math; Storia; TenMarks Math; and Wordplay. They also enjoy reading e-books that have been made available through these tablets.
Your gift has truly made a difference in our classroom. Thank you once again for your support and generous donations.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Russell
Odd Ones Out
Funded Mar 18, 2012"I had a great time reading to the kids.They all listened and they all loved the books. If I could do this everyday, I would. I thought reading to the younger kids would be boring, but it was fun!" This is a quote from one of our student council members. Our student council members volunteered during their lunch periods to read to the lower grades K-3. They were able to share the books we received with approximately 300 students. And as you can tell by the above comment, it was a great experience all around. The upper grades were given the chance to read the books at their own pace, then they were encouraged to discuss the topics with each other.
After all the students had a chance to look over the books, our student council members gave presentations to each class to launch the pilot program "30 Acts of Kindness". The students were asked to take a pledge to make a difference in their community. Almost every student chose to participate, and at the end of 30 days the sheets were collected. We could tell by the list of "acts" the students had really understood that they have the power to make the world a better place.
The books that were received through this grant did more than just educate the students, they actually helped to empower them to improve themselves. These books will be used again and again to keep this program going. It may take some time for the students to begin to understand that they can make a difference in the world but it will all be worthwhile. Thank you for allowing us the chance to share these books.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Russell
Knit One, Pearl Two
Funded Jan 22, 2012"This is so hard", "I can't do this", 'Oh no, I have to start all over again!" These are just some of the comments I heard over the past several weeks as the students tried to learn how to knit. One phrase I am happy to say I did not hear was "I give up!"
When I first started this knitting club I offered it as a pilot program to my 4th grade students. The project was to be run once a week during their lunch period. I expected a handful of students would sign up, so I was pleasantly surprised when every single student (boys and girls) brought in their permission slip.
The first week we started, it was a little overwhelming as I had to show 25 students how to add, and keep, stitches on their needles, all within twenty minutes. I really thought that a few would give up there and then, but they didn't. The next day all 25 students returned with knitting in hand to show me what they had achieved overnight.
Over the next few weeks, the students eagerly awaited Thursday lunchtimes when they could pull out their work and show it off proudly. Some students made scarves, others made handbags and stuffed mini pillows. A lot of the students reported spending time with their grandmothers or aunts learning advanced stitches, which made me feel as though I had also brought some families together to share a wonderful experience. At the end of the four week program, the students didn't want to stop, and are in fact still knitting. As one student wrote, "I used to think that knitting was boring, but I guess I was wrong!"
None of this would have happened without the help and support of generous people like you who saw the value in something so out of the box. We get wrapped up in test scores and text books on a daily basis. Thank you for allowing us to share in something so creative.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Russell
Tech Savy Students
Funded Jan 3, 2012The laptop we received has been a tremendous help. We have been able to look up information very quickly. The size of the laptop makes easy to carry around and students can use it on their desk without taking up too much space.
It works well with our smartboard which we use everyday. Through the use of this laptop we have been able to access sites that normally would not be available to us. For instance, just this week we were able to look at the Musuem of Natural History website to preview an exhibit that we were planning to visit.
Thank you once again for all of your support. Education is a very valuable asset and one that cannot progress without the support of the school, community, and world at large. Our class is extremely grateful for your generous gift.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Russell
Will Nooks Replace Books? I Certainly Hope Not! But.......
Funded Dec 14, 2011Did the Nook replace our books? I'm happy to say that it didn't. What it did do was open up a new world for us. With this Nook we were able to download 50 books from our local library so that students could read them. Books which would have taken several months to get into our class library were downloaded within a few short hours, and students were able to sit and read these texts together.
We also subscribed to several kids magazines which we have now downloaded. Having these magazines on the Nook allows many more students to enjoy them (the paper versions usually tear within two weeks). In addition, students play Suduko and word games on the Nook allowing them to improve both their math and spelling skills.
The Nook has become a valuable asset to our classroom, and we thank you once again for your generous donations.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Russell
This classroom project was brought to life by Leap Frog and 6 other donors.Say Cheese!
Funded Dec 7, 2011Oh, the places we've been to, and the things that we've done. We sure have had lots of fun!
It was so hard to pick out six pictures from the 663 photographs that we have taken this year. So many memories were captured - from field trips to several museums and theaters, fire safety workshops, English tea parties, to getting our first class pet. It has been an exciting year for us and we have been able to record it all on our classroom camera. My students have become first rate photographers snapping pictures of special moments. We've been able to give slideshow presentations to our parents so that they can see what fun their children are having at school. We've also been able to print out copies of pictures to showcase in our classroom.
None this would have been possible without your generous donations. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Russell
Chip, Chip, Chip
Funded Mar 31, 2011Thank you so much for your generous donation. Having these art supplies has truly enriched our afterschool arts program. As you can see, the students enjoyed making these clay pieces and learned a lot about the techniques and skills required to produce works of art.
These supplies (the pottery wheels in particular) will help me to continue offering an after school art program, and will be available to all students from grades three through six.
In this day and age where budgets are being slashed, and art programs are usually the first to go, it is inspiring to see how many people still view arts as an important element to education.
Thank you once again.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Russell
Calculating on Success
Funded Jan 16, 2011Thank you so much for your generous donation of 30 calculators. My students use these calculators all the time. As third grade students they are learning the basics of using calculators within our Everyday Math program. They use these calculators to check their solutions to math problems, as well as play games (for example "Beat the Calculator"), to reinforce their abilities to perform various math applications - multiplication, division, etc.
Before we received these calculators, we relied on the goodwill of our fellow teachers to lend us their calculators. This was not an easy task, as we often had math during the same time period. The budget cuts to our school budget did not allow for the purchase of extra school supplies, such as calculators.
My students are able to thrive because of generous donors like you. Thank you once again for your wonderful support to our NYC schools.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Russell