Mrs. Valdez-Peña's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 16

• My Class Will Be Exciting and New! Destination: Knowledge

  Funded May 7, 2024

  Once again you have reached out and funded one of my projects!! Thank you so much for showing interest in my students, and my desire to provide them with what they need; so that they get the classroom environment and materials they deserve! Words cannot describe what I am feeling at this moment. A sense of peace has replaced the anxiety I felt about having to change to a higher level of English Language Development.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Valdez-Peña

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

• Art Washes the "Dust of Daily Life Off Our Souls!"

  Funded Mar 27, 2024

  Wow!!! I'm so excited! Thank you to my fellow teacher's generosity and The Loft for matching donations. I am so happy to know we will get our supplies before school ends! I can't wait to end this year on an artistic high note! You are so amazing!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Valdez-Peña

  This classroom project was brought to life by LOFT and one other donor.

• Make My Students Creations Burst with Vibrant Colors!

  Funded Jan 11, 2024

  Thank you!! You are amazing. You have donated to me before! You believe in my projects and my students! Thank you so much for believing in us. Achievement will be increasing in my classroom because of you!

  Arts increases participation in writing projects. I know these materials will make a tremendous difference!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Valdez-Peña

  This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and one other donor.

• Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Here There Be Headphones

  Funded Oct 10, 2022

  I am amazed and so excited! I just started my fall break and I opened up my school email to get this good news! My students will put these headphones to great use. Other schools are having students bring dollar headphones or just yell at their computer! I’m so thankful I’ll be able to provide them with the best quality headphones so they can reach their maximum potential.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Valdez-Peña

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Arizona Department of Education and 6 other donors.

• Help My Students Get a Clue - We Need Mysteries!

  Funded Nov 25, 2021

  When I opened these boxes of books, my students CHEERED! I had started reading Bunnicula aloud from my own copy. All my students had been enthusiasitc and positive about the book. They loved that it was about animals and that it was funny.

  If you've ever read Bunnicula you know how enjoyable it is! What I loved about the series is that although it is for children, the dialogue is not childish and the action and humor is universally hilarious! Each book in the series reveals more about each character and you begin to look at them as dear friends.

  All the books revolve around different mysteries. This helps students learn to pay attention to details, ask questions and keep a running list of important events in the story. I believe it helped the students to become more sophisticated readers and as we read 5 books in the series, they had a lot of practice with important reading skills. All the books were so enjoyable and students had their favorites in the series.

  I so appreciate that the funding of this project enabled me to share this exciting series with my students. My hope is they will become fans of mysteries and develop a love of reading. If this year is any indication, they are well on their way. This is all thanks to you!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Valdez-Peña

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

• Help My Students Take A Running Leap Into Great Literature!

  Funded Dec 9, 2021

  Thank you so much for donating to my project so that I could add this tremendous series to my classroom library. The school library is limited in its purchases and teachers cannot request series due to budget cuts. I now have these books at mine and my students' disposal!

  These books hook the students immediately. I've been able to have a novel study with three different 8th grade classes on the first two books of the series: Ghost and Patina. Many of my students are raised by single mothers and several have parents in jail. Some are being raised in foster families. These books are relatable, and at the same time, they show that gangs, drugs or truancy are not the ways to deal with their problems. These protagonists are gifted athletes. They work out and challenge themselves on the track. They are learning about team building and building trust with each other.

  Jason Reynolds is such a gifted writer, he makes the characters come alive. These books are for reluctant readers and avid readers. They capture the reader and the pages fly. Thank you so much for helping me build a love of reading in my students!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Valdez-Peña

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

• First-Rate Pencils and Supplies Will Stimulate My Students' Minds!

  Funded Nov 18, 2021

  It still bring tears to my eyes when you supported my vision to give first rate materials and supplies to my students.

  What did these materials do for us? Well, on my list of materials I had included 10 N95 masks for my use. I needed to make it a priority to stay COVID -free if possible. Thanks to these masks and my healthy habits: I only missed two days this year and it was for personal reasons! (My birthday and my mother's birthday) I stayed healthy and present all year for my students. Out of 176 school days, I missed twice; neither was for illness. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT POSSIBLE. In my project I also requested Lysol cleaning supplies which I used faithfully in my classroom. No outbreaks of COVID (which did occur in other classrooms at my school) happened in my classroom.

  Moreover, I ordered a first rate electronic pencil sharpener and quality Ticonderoga Noir #2 pencils "Noir Pencils offer retro elegance. Unique, luxurious holographic design looks like crystal. Premium stained black wood remains black when sharpened." I had an 8th grade young man tell me, "when I write with these pencils, I feel smarter."

  You made my classroom a welcoming, colorful, (thank you for the magnetic letters and colorful borders!) healthy environment! AMAZING.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Valdez-Peña

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

• Hear! Hear! Give Us The Headphones We Need to Succeed!

  Funded Oct 26, 2021

  How can I describe the impact you've made on my beautiful students? Computers are used on a daily basis at my school. We have been in school since the beginning of the school year , August 5, 2021. (Last school year was all on Zoom due to COVID.) Although we are in person, the district has a requirement for students to do various reading and math programs online. They are individualized, adjusted to students' abilities and are highly interactive and educational.

  The school DID distribute laptops to everyone, however students were told to go to the dollar store and buy a pair of headphones or bring some from home. These interactive, required reading and math programs HAVE sound that is essential for students to be able to hear so that they can fully benefit from them!

  As you can imagine, some students bring BEATZ headphones, others bring headphones where only one ear works. And some students even work without the benefit of the sound. This is like watching a movie without the sound: less involving and less interesting.

  With your donations, you assured EQUITY of opportunity for OPTIMUM learning. Thank you so much! My students LOVE them and the high quality of sound.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Valdez-Peña

• 21st Century Technology Makes a 21st Century Classroom a Reality!

  Funded Mar 13, 2022

  Thank you for fully funding my project! I know my students will appreciate the high-quality presentations and interviews that can be projected on the white screen, as well as the colorful high-quality teaching materials and research papers that can be printed with our new printer! Thank you so much. I know my students will feel valued with this wonderful 21st-century technology!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Valdez-Peña

• Open the Windows and Shine Up the Mirrors

  Funded Mar 2, 2020

  I want to thank you so so much for donating to my project! I really needed to freshen up and update my collection of books. Thanks to you I was able to add 23 amazing books! Books can show students how small the world is or show them how much they can have in common with someone that lives half way across the world. Of the 23 books, I selected five different books that have various versions of Cinderella. The other books I selected deal with different children and different situations unique to certain cultures.

  I have a very nice display shelf (rescued from a convenience store that was no longer going to carry magazines!) For the versions of Cinderella, I'll have students sit in groups of four and read their version of Cinderella. After everyone reads their version, I have a graph on the board we fill out together. What is Cinderella called in other cultures? How many sisters do they have? Etc. It's something students really enjoy. Then we pick one of the versions and perform a play. With the other books I have my own classroom lending library. After I read it aloud to the class, they can be borrowed. It's so cool!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Valdez-Peña

  This classroom project was brought to life by A group of anonymous donors and 4 other donors.