Mrs. Olthouse's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 112

• Fun Prizes

  Funded Aug 14, 2024

  Thank you for your support of our classroom. My students are very excited to see the new items that have come to our class. They have already asked about the stickers and squishies. How can we earn them? When can we get one? Are just a couple of the questions they have asked. They will be receiving stickers this week for completing reading minutes from the previous. I can't wait the see the smiles!

  Once they see the pencil grips, wiggle pencils, multi color pens and pencils decorations, I know they will be over the moon. Thank you again for your generosity and support.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 3 other donors.

• Let's Change

  Funded Jun 1, 2024

  Our room has been transformed! The students were eager to look around at all the new decor and adults said they loved it as it was calming and felt more like home. A few students mentioned the greenery that was around our room, that they loved plants and were happy we had some. The muted colors along with a farmhouse vibe allows for the calming and home feeling. This allows the students to have a better transition into their new school year. Thank you for helping transform our classroom from a traditional setting to a more relaxing atmosphere.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by Newman's Own Foundation and 4 other donors.

• Shiver Me Timbers, Pirates

  Funded Jan 18, 2024

  Thank you for supporting my classroom. The students loved dressing up at the end of reading "Treasure Island". They loved the jewels and coins in the treasure box. Wearing eye patches and a plastic hook hand while working in small groups. They read the pirate books, wrote pirate stories, played grammar pirate games and worked on pirate pictures. All the extra pirate decorate helped dress the room into the theme for the day. A few said this was the best day EVER! Thank you again for helping my student have the best classroom transformation.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

• Eclipse Glasses for Stellar Learning Experiences

  Funded Jan 16, 2024

  Thank you suppling eclipse glasses to my students. We had a great experience watching the eclipse from partial to total eclipse. It was a cloudy day but the clouds parted just in time. The students cheered and screamed in excitement. It was very interesting that the air became cooler and dark outside as seen in one picture. The street lights came on.

  I had parents sending messages that they could hear them from their homes and were so thrilled that their child had enjoyed the experience.

  It was a hard topic to teach and explain. I am so thrilled that we were able to experience and now we all can tell and teach others about what an eclipse is and how it works with the moon and sun. They drew four different stages of the eclipse with descriptions to take home to discuss and explain to family.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

• Headphone with Mic

  Funded Jan 14, 2024

  Thank you for helping my classroom get headphones with a microphone. These are use often in our classroom for the students to hear while they are working with stories. The microphone is used to help students talk while the computer will type. This allows some students with disabilities such as dyslexia to help with spelling and be able to write in a complete thought.

  The headphones as help with keeping students focused and on task, so that the noises around the room or from rooms next door do not distract them. These have been highly sought over in my classroom, as the students want to use them daily!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 2 other donors.

• Disney Reading Buddies

  Funded Oct 11, 2023

  Students are enjoying having a reading buddy with them during reading class. They are able to pick a Disney Doorables for the day. Each Disney friend ins placed into a container so each character can be carried around the room during reading time. Students are not to take the character out or open the container. The container has Velcro dots to hold the character in the container. This way characters can be changed out but will stay in place and not fall over. Students live coming in and picking their buddy fur the day. Some read their assignments to their buddy and show their work. Others restate what they are doing , "teach" their buddy. It is great to see 9 and 10 year old so excited for reading because of a fun reading buddy!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and 3 other donors.

• Timeline Through the Years With Shirts, Part 2

  Funded Oct 4, 2023

  Thank you for allowing our students to be able to help form a timeline through our history of school shirts. Our school will be turning 50 so we are gathering the shirts and beginning to display like a timeline on the hallways.

  Students will be able to help out the shirts in the rest of the frames. They will also buy in the dates the shirt was worn at the school. Last the frames will be put in order and ready to be hung on the wall.

  The students are having a great time participating so far, can not wait to find the rest of the shirts and complete our timeline.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Allstate Foundation and 4 other donors.

• A Timeline Through Shirts

  Funded Sep 12, 2023

  Putting together the shirts Into the shadow box frames was the first step. Students enjoyed getting to gather the shirts and then to help fold them to fit into the shadow box frame. Next we will label the frames with vinyl of each year of the shirt and put the shadow box frames out in the hallway. We will have students help out with putting the frames in order by the year. Then we can hang up the shadow boxes for everyone that's walks into the building can take a tour through the years of Northlake !”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Allstate Foundation and 2 other donors.

• Let There Be Light and Seats

  Funded Sep 21, 2023

  Thank you allowing the students to learn from and with peers with fun portable lights. Students need the freedom of comfort and collaboration. Providing the comfort, welcoming, environment that an alternative seating classroom offers will not only provide my kids with the tools for success but make them value the time they spend in my classroom that much more. The pouf seats have been a favorite of the students. They ask every day to use the poufs around the room. They want to use this more than an other seat in the room. The tall lamp allows lighting in the room so the bright overhead lights do not need to be turned on. Thank you for helping my students feel more of a "at home" feeling while at school.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

• Stools and Organizational Seat Sacks Pt 2

  Funded Aug 31, 2023

  Thank you for your support in my classroom. The stool has been a great addition to our small group table. They hop up on the stool ready to learn! The addition of the stool allows the student to have a different type of seat throughout the day. Many have asked to sit their during instruction instead of their chair. The seat sacks are an essential component in keeping students organized. We will need more seat sacks soon, they are amazing! Thank you again for your generous support in education and our classroom. These Items are used daily.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Olthouse

  This classroom project was brought to life by LOFT.