Past projects 6
Art Supplies: Because English Class Gets Creative Too!
Funded Jul 11, 2024Revision and editing are difficult concepts for students to understand and apply. By using Play-Doh to practice shaping, removing, and adding content as well as paying close attention to detail and looking at a work from all sides, students light up when they understand how these steps translate to the writing process. They understand that not only is their work better when they work through these steps but also that it is normal to want to look at writing with fresh eyes and see what works and what could be improved. This activity allowed those "lightbulbs" to go off and for students to make great strides in their writing processes.
The students couldn't believe that they could learn about writing by playing with Play-Doh. They were excited to play and even more excited once they realized that what they were being asked to do by creating cats, snakes, etc. They had so much fun, they didn't realize how much they were learning until they finished the activity!
Now when they get stuck in the writing process, we refer back to their Play-Doh experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Schnitzius
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In at 1221 East Mccart and 3 other donors.Graphic Novels That Promote Learning and Reading Comprehension Through Pictures.
Funded Feb 9, 2024Graphic Novels have become a staple in my classroom, as they allow for reading growth with little risk. WIth your gracious donation, my students have new titles that are of high interest that they can now choose from. The students were so excited to see the new titles and are ready to read them. Thank you again for encouraging the love of reading through the pictures that the graphic novels provide. Your donation of these books provides new opportunities for reading fluency, comprehension and pure love of reading. The more we make reading accessible for all levels of readers, the better off our students will be. Thank you for supporting my students and their learning.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Schnitzius
Freedom to Fidget While Interfacing With friends.
Funded Jun 9, 2023The fidgeting tools have been a huge success in my classroom. The pop-it tool is connected to their binders and when they need to fidget, they pull the pop-it tool out and are not distracted from the assignment. These current students have a problem putting their phones away and this fidget tool helps with the anxiety of being away from their devices.
The bands on the chairs have allowed students to bounce without making noises in their chairs. I have some students that have switched chairs to make sure that the chair being used has a band on it.
The stress balls are used by students on a daily basis. I have one student who moved desks so that she could be closer to the stress balls. She uses one everyday. She is so grateful and more focused because she has an approved outlet for her stress and anxiety.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Schnitzius
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Supporter and 3 other donors.Books That Mirror Student's Personal Experiences
Funded Mar 28, 2023I could not wait to display these books, do book talks about them and get them in the hands of my students. Several of them did not stay on the shelf long. In fact, 7 of the books on the lighted display already have bookmarks in them. Thank you for believing in the idea that when students see themselves in the books, it can change their outlook on reading.
We have student selected reading everyday in my class for 15 minutes. This allows students to find their favorite genre and books that entrigue them.
I teach at a very diverse school. The idea that students can relate to not just the characters, but the culture and the situations that are represented in these books, make them so much more engaging and exciting to the students. Not to mention that I truly enjoy seeing my students engage with books in a positive way.
Thank you for allowing my students the opportunity to grow their fluency and reading stamina with books that represent who they are and what they have experienced.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Schnitzius
Needing Necessities
Funded Oct 19, 2022Thank you so much for making a difference in my classroom. With your generous donations, I was able to place highlighters, hand sanitizers, colored pencils, rulers, pencils, and markers at each group. The students truly love having the items so handy and close to them. The students are so appreciative of not having to figure out how to buy those items themselves. The Kleenex have come in handy during all these crazy weather changes. My students appreciate having tissues and not having to use rough paper towels to blow their noses. You all have truly allowed them to focus on their academics and not the struggle of affording all the supplies. Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Schnitzius
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 3 other donors.Filling in the Reading Gaps with Graphic Novels
Funded Sep 24, 2021Because of your generosity, my English Language Learners (ELLs), were able to process, build confidence in reading stamina and understanding, pull out character traits, decipher the roaring 20's and for the first time, read a book from cover to cover.
By funding and providing some of the graphic novels for my ELLs, it has built up their confidence in reading and tackling the harder books. We did a book club using the graphic novel adaptation of The Great Gatsby and the visual graphics really helped my students keep the characters straight and helped them to process the story through both, words and pictures.
Being able to show them that they can tackled the hard texts and the connections between the moral compass and the fight for the "American Dream." My students actually loved reading the book and talking about why the pictures were laid out in that specific text, position on the page and how that helps the reader engage further into the setting and characters.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Schnitzius
This classroom project was brought to life by The Montgomery Family Fund and one other donor.