Past projects 5
Writing Our Way Through First Grade!
Funded Feb 14, 2024I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your generous donation to my first grade classroom. Your support has enabled me to enhance our learning environment and provide enriching experiences for my students that will have a lasting impact.
Thanks to your contribution, I was able to purchase a variety of resources that will greatly benefit our writing curriculum throughout the entire school year. The TPT gift card has allowed me to acquire personal narrative, informative and persuasive writing units that have already proved to be highly engaging and inspiring for my students, helping them develop their skills and creativity.
The mobile dry erase board facilitates brainstorming sessions, encouraging collaborative thinking and idea generation among my students. Additionally, the crayon sharpener will not only extend the life of our crayons but also add a special touch to student illustrations, making their work even more meaningful.
The cloud light covers have transformed our classroom by providing a calm and conducive writing environment. Dimming the fluorescent lights has created a soothing atmosphere that fosters concentration and creativity in my young writers.
Furthermore, the STEM materials and stickers have enabled me to incorporate hands-on activities and unique writing experiences into the curriculum, sparking curiosity and innovation among my students.
The word of the day flip chart has been an invaluable tool in expanding my students' vocabulary and enhancing their writing skills. It has introduced them to new words and concepts, enriching their writing and communication abilities.
Lastly, the two new mentor texts - which the children insisted I read immediately - have already become beloved additions to our classroom library. These books will continue to inspire and educate future generations of students, making your gift truly the gift that keeps on giving for years to come.
Your generosity and support have made a significant difference in the lives of my students, and we are incredibly grateful for your kindness. Thank you once again for your dedication to education and for investing in the future of my young learners.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mattivi's Firsties
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 7 other donors.Math First!
Funded Nov 30, 2022When I received the email from Donor's Choose that my "Math First" project was 100% funded, I cheered out loud in front of my class! I explained my silly behavior by telling them that some wonderful people worked together to donate some awesome materials to help us in math class! Already excited, imagine their faces the day the custodian showed up to our classroom door with box after box of materials from all of you! One little boy said that it was like Christmas came a little early! I had to agree!
Thanks to your generosity, I was able to make a class set of dry erase boards and each child had their own markers and erasers! We use these boards everyday in Math and all of our other classes as well! We can easily slide templates inside the dry erase board pocket when they are needed for our lessons! The children can easily hold the boards above their head so that I can see their work and do a quick assessment of their progress! They love using them and are doing such a fine job of taking care of them!
Your donations also provided pre-made games as well as materials like colored paper, printer ink and laminating film so that I could make a variety of center games and activities that align with our new math program! These experiences during small group time provide valuable practice to strengthen new math concepts! My first graders ask constantly, "Are we doing Math centers today!" I love the enthusiasm that they have for Math!
New to all of us this year are the Rekenreks! With your donation, I received a kit to make a Rekenrek for each child in my class! Rekenreks are a system of beads that help students visualize addition and subtraction as well as focus on counting by sets of five and ten! I am learning how valuable these tools are to my young math students. Since they are a new tool to me as well, you could say that we are learning how to use them TOGETHER!
My students and I are so grateful that you chose to support this project on Donor's Choose! Your generous donations will not only make a difference in the lives of my students this year but in in the lives of students for many more years to come! Thank you again for choosing Donors Choose to support teachers like me!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mattivi's Firsties
This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 6 other donors.Reading Is Our Thing!
Funded Nov 30, 2021Instilling the love of reading at an early age is so important to me! Your generous donation to my project is helping to make that so much easier!
Watching the children relaxing on the cozy carpet in our book nook - READING - makes my teacher heart so HAPPY! They are excited when they get to spend center time in this space choosing books to read and enjoy!
The most valuable item that your donations have provided us with are the decodable readers! Decodable readers make reading fun for my Firsties because they are aligned to our phonics and sight word skills! This particular set of decodable readers also has two levels for each story! This allows me to provide a longer length version of the story to my stronger readers and a shorter version of the same story for my struggling readers. This is a game changer because we all reading the same book on the outside - but the inside is a perfect fit for each child!
(These books also have a digital version which will be truly helpful in any virtual teaching that I do! - BONUS!)
Thank you again for finding and donating to my project! My students and I are so blessed to have donors like you supporting us!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mattivi's Firsties
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 2 other donors.Start the Day With STEM!
Funded May 6, 2020Thank you so much for supporting this project! My first graders are so excited to come to school and start the day with the Morning Bins! They get to use their imaginations and and these highly engaging hands-on materials to build and create! What a way to get their brains charged-up for the school day!
With all of the challenges and changes that we are facing at school due to COVID-19, these materials have been wonderful! First, combined with some items I already had, there were enough supplies to make 20 Morning Bins. That is enough for 1-1 bins for my class this year! Because the materials are all washable, I can easily clean the items every few weeks and rotate the bins among the children so that they can explore with different stem materials!
I love walking around the room each morning watching them build and listening to them tell me about their creations!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mattivi's Firsties
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 4 other donors.Build It and They Will Grow!
Funded May 23, 2019The STEM materials that you generously donated to my classroom have arrived and are already being used by my first graders!
During our first round of Friday STEM stations, we used the Bridge Building, House Building, and Vehicle Building Centers along with the Bee Bot and the Chain Reaction Center. The children were highly engaged! My classroom is such a great place to be when they are collaborating on a design challenge. I am so proud of them - especially when they have ideas that fail. They are learning to support each other and listen to each other's ideas and then try again!
My first graders have been so excited by the STEM challenges that I'm going to send the 3 STEM Fairy Tales Kits home on a rotating schedule. The children can't wait for a turn to share the fun and learning with their families!
Because of you and your willingness to support this project, my class is having fun while using critical thinking skills and collaborating on highly motivating projects! Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mattivi's Firsties
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 10 other donors.