Past projects 11
Safe and Sound at School in September!
Funded Dec 2, 2021In my project, Safe and Sound in September I asked for cleaning supplies organizers and backpacks that fit on each child's chair so that the children would stay organized. It was to be helpful to them by allowing them to keep their gear on their chair and in their desk.
Due to high demand these products were mostly unavailable once my project got funded. Donors choose was generous enough to let our class choose other items for use in our learning.
As a group, we chose learning activities to help us transition back to the school house. One favored item was a learning tool called alpha bots and number bots. These are small manipulatives shaped like letters and numbers which the children can turn into small robots. The children love these items. They call out what the letters and numbers are. Thank you so much for funding these items along with some puzzles and magnetic alphabet blocks. The kids use everything with great vigor and enjoyment. Thanks again.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Skidmore
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 13 other donors.Caterpillar Coding
Funded Nov 25, 2019My students really love iPads. One student in particular is a budding photographer and videographer even though he's only six years old and on the autism spectrum. We are having some difficulty using the software for speech generation because the children get stuck on repeating one word over and over and over again. We welcome this donation and will continue workIng with the communications app until it becomes second nature for all of us in the classroom. I am sure it will get easier. Thank you for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Skidmore
I Can Speak iPad!
Funded Oct 27, 2019My class received the new iPad recently. They were so excited to see it in its case with a strap that help them hold it more easily. The iPad is loaded with a software program that helps them put together simple pictures which are then read to form a sentence out spoken loud such as "I want a break. Or "Good Morning,How are you?". We as a class are still learning how to use the program. The ultimate goal is to help these nonverbal students with autism speak in various situations during their school day. Thank You for caring about my class and my students.!
Sincerely,”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Skidmore
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 4 other donors.Head and Hands to Engage the Heart!
Funded Oct 4, 2019We have received a new iPad. It is up to date and larger than last year's version and the kids are very excited with it. We will be soon receiving a case so that it stays safer in case of drops. The iPad is an important piece of technology because the child can be placed on the particular program I want them to learn and locked on that program so they cannot negotiate away from the website. Having an iPad is so valuable.
We received puzzles that really engage the students. I chose puzzles that represent many ethnicities doing many types of jobs. The puzzles also show both men and women in jobs such as veterinarian and police officer.
Finally we received a Legos kit. The students followed the visual instructions and together we built a train track and a train with a caboose. We found out that the train is programmable so that the children can lay certain pieces on the track and it causes the train to go forward backwards or sound it's horn. The kids, who are kindergartners, love the train so much! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Skidmore
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and one other donor.I-Touch Math With an I-Pad!
Funded Dec 19, 2018Thank You with all my heart for supporting our students with Autism. The I-Pad you provided to us has brought the students much excitement. They love doing their work online especially since they have difficulty with handwriting. The kindergarteners point to the place it is stored as if to ask "Now?". (They are non-verbal.) Once I say, "Yes!" they get so excited they literally shake with joy. I enjoy the I-Pad because I can lock it on the program we are using. That feature saves a lot of time. The children cannot change the assignment. After the children finish their assignment they can work on fun educational games. Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Skidmore
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 11 other donors.I-Write, I-Create, I-Add, I-Pad!
Funded Oct 10, 2018Thank you for contributing to our class. You allowed my young students to have chairs which have an exercise ball in the seat in addition to a base and a back. These chairs allow my young students with autism the freedom to fidget and squirm while still staying in their seat. Your funding also provided three fantastic wobble stools which allow them to rock and twist without having to stand up in order to expend energy. These chairs have helped my students learn to sit during academics. Your generous donation allowed for the purchase of a sturdy I-Pad complete with case and shoulder strap. The I-Pad allows me to fix the program I want the students to focus on in place so they engage in learning their addition. Thank you so much. Your generosity has made a huge difference in our class as the chairs and I-Pad had a tremendous calming effect on these young students while they learn.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Skidmore
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and one other donor.Legos and Flowers Help Us Build and Grow!
Funded Sep 6, 2018Thank you donors for your generous gift of planters, soil, and seeds which allowed me to grow beautiful flowers with my autistic students. Not only did they enjoy planting the seeds but the entire School is enjoying looking at lovely Orange Cosmos and yellow sunflowers on campus. I also thank you for new Lego Duple building kits. The children go straight to the Lego's first thing in the morning and begin constructing new masterpieces. I have to draw them away from the fun in order to begin our day! I have a new student, a young girl, who is one of the best builders I have encountered so far in my teaching career using Duple blocks. She builds a tower as tall as herself and lines the little people up outside the building so they may go up to the top of her creation in the "elevator". It is amazing that such a simple toy can pull out such Ingenuity from a first grader. I love Duple blocks because it allows children with handicaps to perform just as well as their able-bodied peers in a creative endeavor. It levels the playing field. Thank you again so much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Skidmore
This classroom project was brought to life by Craig Newmark Philanthropies and 9 other donors."STEAM"ing to a New Beginning after Hurricane Irma
Funded Oct 27, 2017I am most appreciative for your generous donations to my classroom after Hurricane Irma. We were out of school for about 2 weeks which really upset the children. We truly had to start our year over again. You provided us with a new I-Pad and the application we use for our Math program called TouchMath. Access to this application allows our students to learn addition and subtraction in a way which these children with handicaps can learn. It is very exciting!
Your generosity provided some Kindle tablets which allow more students to learn individually. I have loaded these tablets with Math, Language Arts, and Writing applications which allow even my lowest student to participate in their own learning.
Finally, you gave us many art and school supplies which have allowed us to make many creative projects to commemorate the various holidays in the year. You also allowed us to purchase many creative Duplo building sets. These engineering sets use photo instruction booklets that allow my nonverbal nonreaders to follow directions in order to complete a model. These kits really allow my mentally handicapped kids to make a real model. They have been a Godsend. Thank You So Much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Skidmore
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 6 other donors.Science All Around 2.0
Funded Oct 30, 2017We received a wonderful laptop to use in the classroom. It is modern and slick compared to the laptop the county provided us over ten years ago. Through a handy cable we are able to connect the laptop to our interactive white board. An interactive white board replace the chalk board of the past. It is like a giant computer monitor about 4 feet high and 6 feet wide the students can touch to give an answer. Whatever a child pulls up on the laptop can be shared with the whole class at once through the cable connecting the laptop to the interactive white board. The students also worked closely with me to research designs for buildings which might resist an earthquake.
Using a science activity set about earthquakes, the students and I used the building blocks in the set to build structures similar to the designs we researched online on the laptop. We tried various configurations. The science set has a base which will shake to simulate an earthquake. We waited with excitement to see which building would withstand the strongest tremors. It was great fun to root for the various designs.
The students love computer and having a laptop gives us more flexibility in teaching and learning . I thank you very much for allowing us to have such an important piece of equipment for our classroom. It helps the students with learning to type on a keyboard, accessing their individualized lessons, and learning to negotiate the web. Thank You for supporting education!
Ms. S.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Skidmore
Do As The Romans Do.....Mosaics in the Classroom.
Funded Mar 18, 2017(The children wanted to say)
We received your generous donation of tiles, adhesive, and materials which
allowed us to use the frames we had to make mosaics. We had to use our imaginations to come up with a design then follow our teacher's directions to properly glue the tiles in place. It was fun!
We are not finished making the small mosaics which will be used as a picture or a coaster. We are still working on them! The mosaics will be a gift for our loved ones.
Lastly we will continue these activities using colored squares of paper to make paper mosaics which will be a lovely greeting card for the holiday season.
Thank You for supporting our class!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Skidmore