Past projects 3
Grow With Me Greenhouse
Funded Dec 14, 2015When the students learned of the grant being funded, they were beyond excited. Students through out the building began to show their eagerness and would stop me in the hallway asking when they could start planting.
Teachers volunteered to take trays and seeds into their rooms to begin the grow process. Weekly the student monitors would retrieve the trays and water them, measure growth, and report back. The onus was on them and they accepted that responsibility with great pleasure.
As the weather turned warmer, classes brought their seedlings out to the garden and transferred the pots so that new seeds could start over in the greenhouse. These materials are in constant use by nearly the entire student body at this point where pride has swelled for the vegetables and flowers they have grown.
The students are already discussing the upcoming school year and deciding what they would like to grow next year in the hopes of starting a "city farm" here in our building.
Thank you to all the donors who gave so generously and provided these children with such a wonderful opportunity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hookim
Science Lab Upgrade
Funded Dec 11, 2014Thank you so much for your generosity. The students were overwhelmed by the gifts they have received through your donations. They are anxious to begin working with them.
The protective goggles will be put to good use as my third graders will be experimenting with chemical reactions in matter. The fourth graders will have the opportunity to use the rulers for basic measurement and the graduated cylinders to measure volume in preparation for the New York State Science Exam coming up in the spring.
Having the quantity of tools that were acquired through this grant is the most significant part of it all. The materials previously used were broken and mismatched often causing bickering among students and complications when it came to taking turns during an experiment. Now, every time we meet for class every child will have their own materials to use and focus their attention on, making the investigation that much more powerful and meaningful for them.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hookim
Science Lab Upgrade
Funded Apr 24, 2014I cannot begin to express the sheer joy that both the students and I felt when the boxes arrived filled with your generosity. One of my fourth grade classes and I unpacked the boxes together and discussed how we came to receive them. They were so truly touched that someone who doesn't even know them would care so much about them to give so thoughtfully and without hesitation. The students are so overjoyed about the notion that they are the first to use these materials and that they are able to set the course for those who follow them. The children have become hyperaware of themselves and each other -- each is responsible for another and remind one another to be careful and more aware of the materials so that nothing is damaged. I am so thrilled with the pride these children have shown, and the care and consideration that has grown among them from the receipt of these materials.
While all of my students are benefiting from the materials, the students in grade four and I are most involved in their usage. They arrived in perfect time to review for the NYS Science Exam. The fourth graders are thrilled that the electrical circuit kits are functioning! There is no question as to whether or not the bulb is lit, they way they did with our old kits. The graduated cylinders are so clear and there is no doubt what measurement the students are looking at. Because of these donations, my students feel more secure and ready to move forward with this high stakes test!
This project has boosted both my teaching as well as my students' learning. I am now able to spend more time actually teaching into the groups and less time trouble shooting technical matters that impede the learning process (i.e. Faulty wires, cracked cylinders).
Your generosity is so greatly appreciated. My students and I will never forget your thoughtfulness and selflessness.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Hookim