Mrs. Olthouse's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 112

• Tolerance Tables

  Funded Sep 10, 2017

  Thank you for your generous donation and support of our classroom. We are enjoying standing and sitting around our new tables. The children are asking daily to meet at the tables with their small group. They are loving the new areas in the room. Having a special place to go and discuss and collaborate throughout the day. They are learning how different each person is and how to communicate and work together even through they may not agree. Having tolerance for each other is a great skill they are learning with these tables and stands.

  When the students walked in the first day and saw the new tables and stands they were thrilled. Asking can we sit there now with huge smiles on their faces. It was like opening a present that you have wanted for a long time. The excitement in their eyes and faces said it all! Thank you again for helping bring this excitement of small group collaboration and learning tolerance skills. Shhh... they don't know they are learning life long skills, they think it's just new fun seats!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 41 other donors.

• Osmo Art To Enhance STEAM

  Funded Jun 10, 2017

  Thank you so much for the Osmo Monster component to add to our Osmo kit. The OSMOs are absolutely amazing. We have four Osmo Monster sets now so it is a great interactive station to stimulate art and writing. They are learning so much and don't even know it because they are having so much fun! It has helped so much with spelling, math and now they are amazing artists! Osmo Monster brings the drawings to life. Each item you draw for Mo, the monster, he magically pulls into his world. Our favorite is decorating Mo's house. The students really like interacting with Mo, it gets the creative side of the kids to show that I would not see otherwise. I tried the Masterpiece and thought it was pretty tricky. My students tried it and came up with beautiful masterpieces. I have a couple of students that struggle in academics and by far their pictures are the best. Osmo is such a rewarding tool for our classroom. Thank you again for supporting our classroom and allowing us to have Osmo Monster. We are LOVING it!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by Orkin and 2 other donors.

• Math on a Rug

  Funded Aug 19, 2017

  My students LOVE the 120 grid math rug. They are enjoying doing math with their feet and not having to stay in their seats working with paper and pencil. We are reviewing our addition and subtraction facts, skip counting, and comparing numbers. We are learning how to answer place value riddles through clues to find a mystery number. We are also learning how you can move forward on the chart to count by 10's. For example 58 plus 20, the child will stand on 58 then walk forward 2 spots (68,78) to get to the sum(answer)! They are loving learning new ways to count on, count back, skip count, add, subtract, and compare numbers. I love to see the smiles and excitement that comes with the learning with their feet! I wish you could hear the giggles with their smiles. Thank you again for supporting our classroom!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by Orkin and 4 other donors.

• Financial Literacy with Pizza

  Funded May 22, 2017

  Thank you for your generous donation! I can not wait to gets Osmo Pizza into the hands of my students. Osmo Pizza is a hands-on interactive "game" that teaches the students about money and running a pizza store. The students will use an iPad along with the Osmo manipulatives to interact with the story line of running a pizza store. The students will fulfill the customers pizza orders and then collect payment for the pizza. Change will need to be made in some cases, so the students have to figure out how much was paid and what change to make. As the students run the Pizza company they will earn points to grow their business, this is where the students get really excited. They will receive points if the pizza is made correctly, correct change is given, and if the store was run correctly the entire day. This motivates the children to make change correctly and quickly! I can not wait to see all the children enjoying learning the concept of money through this interactive Osmo product. Thank you again for supporting my classroom and allowing my students a fun and interactive way to run a Pizza Company. I have found that even my most reluctant learners love Osmo.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by Orkin and 26 other donors.

• Science and Reading Through Light Energy

  Funded Apr 9, 2017

  For years I have worked towards building a learning environment that builds a love of learning in reading for each and every one of my students. I have found that the smallest contributions can make their day. Last year, I had purchased just a few Flashlights to see how they would go. I was very nervous about them breaking, needing batteries and fighting over them, etc. However, they were treated like gold! After just a few days of using them, I knew that more lights would encourage more reading.

  When my students use these book lights they are engaged, cozy and developing priority reading skills. Each day we turn the lights off and use our book lights and lamps. This allows for a more cozy, less sleepy environment. Students decide if they are in a dark enough place and will need a book light. There has not been one argument over them! And then...magic! As soon as they are seated, book light clipped, reclined on a pillow, they are glued to their books! So many of these students have greatly increased their reading and their love of reading.

  Thank you for your wonderful donation!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by Orkin and 6 other donors.

• Doodling in 3D

  Funded Mar 19, 2017

  Wow! My students and I are incredibly grateful for all of your support. It really does take a village to raise a child and your support with our classroom and Creating in 3D proves this to be true. My students have already created their first designs of what 3-dimensional object, cubes, they are going to draw. They had to problem-solve and figure out solutions as they began drawing their cubes. They are so motivated by these doodle pens. They are asking daily to draw and create in 3D!

  Again, thank you for your generosity.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by Stavros Niarchos Foundation and 9 other donors.

• Boogie Boards into 2nd Grade

  Funded Feb 21, 2017

  Thank you so very much for bringing the Boogie Boards Jots to our classroom. The students are loving writing on the boards. They are asking when can we use the boards again. They love that there is no mess to clean up like before from the chalk and markers. The green "light"has them wondering how do the boards work? We have used them during small group instruction as well. Working is now fun for every type learner. Thank you again for supporting our classroom and bring the Boogie Boards to us. They have been a tremendous help in keeping them focused and their little hands clean.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by Stavros Niarchos Foundation and one other donor.

• Organization On Our Seat

  Funded Jan 30, 2017

  Thank you for providing my students with seat sacks. The seat sacks fit on each students chair and allows them to organize their supplies. Each student now will have room for all their supplies at the desk and seat. My students are really excited to have a seat sack at their desk seat to keep them organized. I will also use these Sacks at my horseshoe table during small groups!! Thank you again for your generous donations and believing that organization can and will help children learn. I appreciate you.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

• Chromebookin' in 2016

  Funded Nov 25, 2016

  Thank you for taking the time in believing in my students. My students will be thrilled to be able to use Chromebooks in our classroom. They have so many items that they can work on with the Chromebooks. Research projects in Social studies and science. Reading books online and working on math facts through various sites. My students will be overjoyed to know that they are getting Chromebooks in their classroom. Thank you for your generous donation and helping education in our room. I appreciate all that you are doing to help classrooms.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by Boone Family Foundation and 3 other donors.

• Organize One Day at a Time

  Funded Nov 16, 2016

  Thank you for your generous donation and support of my students. . My students will now be organized each day with the plastic bins with drawers. The drawers will hold the materials they will need for every day. I can not wait to get all of it together for them to use. We will be using the organizational bins to prepare the papers and art supplies that they will need each day. This will help the children eliminate the confusion of what they are suppose to work on each day. I appreciate your generosity and support of education and our classroom.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by Boone Family Foundation and 3 other donors.