Past projects 13
Organized Learning Spaces: Storage Solutions for a Creative Classroom
Funded Nov 1, 2024Thanks to this project, our classroom is now more organized and efficient, making learning smoother for my students. The new resources have been a game-changer for holding and organizing center materials, ensuring that everything has a designated space for the entire school year. My students can now quickly find what they need for their ELA and Math centers, allowing them to transition between activities with ease. This level of organization has not only saved valuable instructional time but has also helped students take more ownership of their learning by independently accessing materials.
Looking ahead, these resources will continue to support our classroom by making it easier to store both past and future activities. I can now efficiently switch out materials, ensuring that students always have fresh and engaging learning opportunities at their fingertips. Whether it's practicing phonics skills in literacy centers or working on hands-on math activities, the improved organization will keep our classroom running smoothly. Thanks to your generosity, my students can focus more on learning and less on searching for materials, setting them up for continued success throughout the year!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Morales
This classroom project was brought to life by Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation and 4 other donors.New Year, Revamped Classroom: Essential Tools for Success!
Funded Jul 20, 2024Your donation has made a big difference in learning in our classroom! My students have enjoyed their new calm down tent. It is sturdy and provides a safe place for them to feel their emotions. I can't wait to add more to our tent, such as lights and plushies to make it more comforting and inviting. My calendar area is now comforting and more calming with our new rug and calendar chart. My students enjoy feeling the rug and sitting comfortably. We use it everyday to start our morning and go over the calendar. Finally, our clock now works! We've used it to help us tell time and I can tell the correct time when I don't have my phone or a digital clock available. The date is also readily available and easy for me to change everyday. My students use it daily to help them fill out their Feelings Calendars and to read the day to check centers charts.
Thank you so much for seeing the need of these essential items in our classroom. It has truly made a difference in allowing my students to be more autonomous and feeling comfortable in their classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Morales
This classroom project was brought to life by Olga Graham Inspiring Teachers Fund and 4 other donors.Phonics Tiles: Laying the Path to Reading
Funded Nov 13, 2023We love using our phonics letters! My students use them in small groups to build words in a fun and hands on way. I use the larger letters on the board to use for reference of sounds we've already learned and to review letters students need to practice.
These have truly become useful in the classroom and a great reference for my students. I hope to soon get more to give each student their own set and to use more often in whole group. These materials have helped me foster a better reading environment in my class and have seen the excitement when my students are using them. Thank you again for your donation and willingness to help my students!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Morales
Growing Our Brains for Reading
Funded Apr 8, 2022The past two years have been difficult for my first graders. My students have had to overcome learning gaps beginning from Pre-K. Over the last school year I researched the benefits of the science of reading and made it my goal to close the learning gaps as much as I could. The science of reading is just that, the science behind the reading brain and how to teach reading, according to how the brain works and processes words. The materials purchased allowed me to implement more science of reading based centers and activities.
With the materials listed, I purchased a science of reading bundle filled with high frequency word books, pacing plans, word building centers, and age-appropriate decodables. My students love to read the decodables and highlight focus words with an erasable highlighter. They've also been able to use the kinetic sand and stamps during centers for a hands-on learning experience to work on high frequency words. Students use the phonics letters during centers as well, to practice sounding out and building words.
I have seen a difference in my students' awareness and reading skills with these materials. I am truly grateful for donors like you who understand the need of these materials. I've seen some of my most struggling readers grow and proudly read words on their own! It has been such a rewarding experience. My class and I thank you again for granting us this experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Morales
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose community & an Anonymous Partner and 4 other donors.Today's Readers, Tomorrow's Leaders
Funded Jan 11, 2022This past school year has been an emotional rollercoaster. We came back in person, that was exciting! New protocols were put in place, that was nerve-wrecking! Overall, it has been a great year with new experiences. My students have had to overcome learning gaps from the last two years. Over this school year I researched the benefits of the science of reading and made it my goal to close the learning gaps as much as I could. The science of reading is just that, the science behind the reading brain and how to teach reading, according to how the brain works and processes words. The materials purchased allowed me to implement more science of reading based centers and activities.
With the gift card I purchased a science of reading bundle filled with high frequency word books, pacing plans, word building centers, and age-appropriate decodables. My students favorite and most used activities so far have been the high frequency word books and the decodables. My students dissect each high frequency word by sound, learn its meaning, use it in a sentence and draw a picture. They enjoy reading the decodables with a friend and struggle less to read the story. I also gave them erasable highlighters to use with the stories to further enjoy the reading!
I have seen a difference in my students' awareness and reading skills with these materials. I am truly grateful for donors like you who understand the need of these materials. I've seen some of my most struggling readers grow and proudly read words on their own! It has been such a rewarding experience. My class and I thank you again for granting us this experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Morales
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 4 other donors.Today's Readers, Tomorrow's Leaders
Funded Nov 10, 2021Being out of a physical classroom has posed some challenges for this year. We started the year with some learning gaps, but I was determined to help my students strive for their best. With that, I decided to take on a science based reading course to help me understand what my students need to learn how to read. In my research, I've found the materials you've donated to supplement my students' learning. We use these materials specifically in ELA centers to help with sounding out, blending, seeing sound-letter correspondents, and to just have fun while learning!
When they first received the materials, they were so excited! Their eyes got wide as they saw the bog boxes come in! I opened the packages for all of them to see during our morning meeting and they absolutely loved it. They couldn't wait to use them.
We've just started using the materials before break and already my students love them! They can't wait to use them more often and in different activities. I hope to expand on these games and materials to further their reading and create an enjoyable learning experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Morales
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and one other donor.Making the Classroom Comfortable and Homey
Funded Sep 24, 2021Coming back to the classroom has been scary for some and exciting for most. With new guidelines and protocols in place, we've tried to bring the down the anxiety and make school feel safer again. Part of a more secure school environment includes comfort. Thanks to your donation I have been able to provide my students with flexible seating options to bring comfort to the classroom. My students use the bean bag chairs during recess and math centers to play with flashcards with each other. They enjoy using the floor cushions to sit on the floor to collaborate with friends or sit at a small table to do activities. For some reason they love to use the lap desks under their table during centers!
When they first received the materials, they were so excited! Their eyes got wide as they saw the bog boxes come in! I opened the packages for all of them to see during our morning meeting and they absolutely loved it. They couldn't wait to use them.
My students love using these materials whenever they have the chance. They have truly appreciated having them. They keep them clean, share, and have learned to take care of them for future use. Their enjoyment and smiles are proof they feel security in the classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Morales
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 8 other donors.The Start of Something New
Funded Jul 23, 2021We are back in the classroom and this year and been one of the craziest years yet! Last year I gave my students anything they needed to make learning from home easier, more hands on, and to create more of a classroom environment at home. That has left me with the need to replenish those materials. This year I have also been left with the task of ensuring I have enough materials for every student to have of their own.
My students love using their math manipulatives. They had a week to play with the manipulatives and be creative. Soon after starting our math curriculum, they have strictly been used for learning. They use cubes and counters daily to add during math time. They were also thrilled when they received a toothbrush holder as a pencil case! It has made pencils easy to find. Our writing journals are used daily during our writing time.
The delight on my student's faces has been incredibly heartwarming. Their huge smiles, silent cheers
(almost a jazz hand motion to show excitement in the classroom), and complete focus to learn could not
have been possible without people like you. My students now have the opportunity to have a hands on experience along with creative journals. We appreciate all that you have done to make this dream come true to help plant the seed for the love of learning.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Morales
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and one other donor.Bringing School Home
Funded Jul 27, 2020Thank you for your generosity! A love for learning begins with passion and excitement. Thanks to donors like you my students will have a greater learning experience. I'm beyond grateful and excited to have the opportunity to provide my students with materials that will bring the classroom experience to their homes. Thank you so much for seeing the need of classroom materials at home and providing students with a rewarding education. Exploration and hands on experiences are the best ways for students to gain knowledge. Your contribution is truly appreciated!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Morales
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 7 other donors.Progress With Ease
Funded Sep 26, 2019One-on-one testing always seems to be a challenge in the classroom. It is time consuming and can take up to an hour a day for a week, or even up to two weeks. It requires packets of paperwork, which must then be converted to online documents. Recording assessments online can take anywhere from an extra 30 minutes to one hour. My students also record their assessment data in their own folders to keep track of their progress. This can also take some time as I try my best to meet with each student individually.
ESGI has allowed me to test my students quicker and with ease. I currently use ESGI to assess my students' knowledge of high frequency words. I simply upload the list, ask them to read, and press 'y' or 'n' on the keyboard to record their answers. It's so quick and easy, my students first said "wow that was fast" when I began using it. With how often they use technology they seem almost excited to be taking a test on the computer. Once the assessment is completed, their results are instantly displayed as a pie chart. I am also able to show them the words they missed. ESGI makes it easy to print flashcards and parent letters with students' progress.
In the next month I plan on using ESGI to record diagnostic data. Diagnostics are done quarterly to monitor student progress within their grade level. Teachers use this data to adjust reading groups or to provide extra support in and out of the classroom. This data is shared with the intervention and special education program and can be used in referring students to the special education program, along with other data. ESGI will make not only diagnostic assessment quicker but will be able to instantly share data to intervention and SPED teachers without the second recording that is done with paper assessments. I would like to use this opportunity to try diagnostic assessments through ESGI, so I may present the results to my administration. My hopes are to bring ESGI to my campus so that all teachers may assess their students quicker and use their saved time for more meaningful learning.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Morales
This classroom project was brought to life by District Partnership Program and 4 other donors.