Past projects 211
Let's Go Noodle
Funded Nov 26, 2017I'm not really sure what I did before this project funded. From the moment we could use Go Noodle Plus again, my students were impacted. Our school days are full and packed with lots of wonderful learning opportunities. Go Noodle Plus simply allows me to give my students brain breaks, BUT they still learn during these breaks. The fact that I have to quiet them down while they jog and shout math facts is amazing. Seeing 20 students do body spelling of sight words is so wonderful.
To each teacher that gave to this project, thank you for investing in my classroom too. I know that you care so much about your students. Taking the time to also care about mine is so motivating. To my family and friends that gave. Thank you for looking at my life passion and caring about it. My students truly are my kids and I love each of them. Thank you for investing your time and money on them. To Pam Krank, Julie Eynon, a donor from Virginia, and Team Laura & Jam, you have never met me, but thank you for finding my project and seeing the potential in this resource. You literally change the course of our day, every day. Thank you to each and every one of you. I could not do my job, my passion, without you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 56 other donors.Glass GIVING Is Always Great!
Funded Nov 14, 2017We do this project every year and every year I am in awe of the magic of this project. My students do such an amazing job. They plan their designs, pick out their colors, and take their time on every detail. These plates are from their hearts and I am so thankful that we can continue to do this project. This year I got to be on the parent end too and let me tell you, my son gave his plate to his dad and he was so proud of it. He had a gift to give that he made. Thank you for allowing my students to learn the joy of giving this holiday season. This month we have done many random acts of kindness and this project was a great culminating activity. I'm hoping to bring more projects like this to my students throughout the year. They love giving to others! Thank you for blessing our classroom and impacting their lives.
A special shout out to a donor in Wisconsin that finished the funding on this project. Thank you for sharing your love with my students and allowing me to share that love with them too.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
Read With Expression, Don't Read Like a Robot!
Funded Nov 13, 2017I love when my students finish my sentence, "Read With Expression...Don't Read Like a Robot!" Their love of reading really shows and it is all because you have allowed me to be a better teacher!
These books have been such a blessing. We just finished Snowflake Bentley and the books Snow Crystals and Snowflakes in Photographs made Wilson Bentley so real. They were able to actually see the books that Wilson Bentley published. In my seven years of teaching, I have never been able to do this, now I have. Thank you.
In a few weeks we'll begin learning about our presidents. The book about Donald Trump will be perfect for any student who would like to write a biography about him. None of our other books have him in them.
The copies of Raven, Coyote, and The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses were perfect for our small group time. Having a book for each student is so important. Thank you for showing them just how important books are. We were also able to get a Duct Tape book for MakerSpace! My students love creating the designs.
Lastly, our first week of January will kick off with Henry's Freedom Box. These books will show my students how to learn from mistakes and also how to be compassionate for others. Not only are you allowing my students to have more access to books, but they are also learning real life application.
I am constantly surprised and in awe of the generosity of complete strangers. Thank you for caring so much about my students and blessing our classroom. You have impacted 21 this year, but these books will bless my classroom each year!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 17 other donors.1,000 Books Under the Sea!
Funded Oct 26, 2017This project has been simply amazing. My students could not BELIEVE when I told them this project was funded and that as part of this project they would each get to pick out their own book to take home. Let me tell you, my classroom was LOUD with happy screams. My students dug through Scholastic catalogs to find that perfect book. Then for two weeks they asked almost daily if our books were here yet. When they finally arrived I labeled the inside of the books, "Donated by wonderful donors on DonorsChoose.org" and handed them over to my students. My students immediately read them and then were so excited to take them home. Thank you so much for this simple but amazing gift.
Raz-Kids was returned to our classroom the week after our project was funded and my students could be happier with that. We are now able to read books in our hands, and on our technology and at HOME! Our classroom parents are so happy that they have access to this resource at home. Raz-Kids really allows me to work with my students on reading at home. Plus, they LOVE Raz-Kids and are engaged while using it.
The classroom books you added to our library have already been put to great use too! My students LOVE pulling new books off the shelves and they love reading. Our classroom challenge of 112 books is almost complete and we'll start a new challenge!
Thank you for coming into our classroom this way and making such a HUGE impact on our classroom. You have made a difference with my students and I am so grateful for that!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 15 other donors.Sweet and Salty Snacks for Students Part 2
Funded Nov 11, 2017These snacks are AMAZING! They arrived on Tuesday and my students immediately asked, "Are those the snacks?" Our snack bin was completely empty and they were waiting patiently to open the new boxes!
I knew they were going to arrive the day after the snack bin was empty, so I picked up some granola bars for them until the boxes arrived. I can't imagine what it would be like to not have snacks to give my students. Having a full tummy allows my students to focus and do their tasks. The gum is perfect for tests and makes them far less stressful.
Thank you for meeting such a practical need in my classroom. The best part? My students picked out these snacks. They are what they wanted. This adds another aspect to them. My students are empowered by these snacks and know that so many people care about them. Thank you for being my classroom partner. I so appreciate you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 10 other donors.DREAM Big With Us Part 2
Funded Aug 21, 2017Our bean bag chairs are plump, our projects are completed on time, our MakerSpace has financial literacy hands on activities, our birthdays are celebrated, our projects are laminated so we can save them, and we have enough lap desks for all our flexible seats.
Thank you for making our second dream come true. I never imagined that you would provide even more for our students and allow us to start off the year with ALL that we needed.
Every week a new need arises, but what I am most proud of is that YOU have provided what we needed to kick start our year. Thank you for caring so much about me, my students, and our classroom. We can do so much more because of you. Thank you for being with me in my classroom and allowing me to do the very best I can for my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and 39 other donors.Mr. Dash, Mr. S, & Mr. Cube Rockin' To Life!
Funded Oct 16, 2017Thank you so very much for getting these robots to our classroom so quickly. I was overjoyed with my students as they tested out the Sphero, Cue, Cubelets, and Mind racers. My favorite part? They learned on their own and only needed my help when they got really stuck. I was so impressed with their problem solving skills and teamwork. MakerSpace is a favorite time in our classroom and I look forward to every chance we get to design, create, and build together. Tomorrow I get to attend a MakerSpace conference and I'm sure I'll get some new ideas to use with our robots.
I am also very excited for our invention unit now and all the possibilities that come with having enough robots. What a difference it makes when we have enough resources for all students.
Thank you so much for being our classroom partner. A special thank you to 3M for matching every donation on our project. I know this was so important for getting our project funded. Also, I'd like to give Melissa Hunt and her team a shout out for voting for my project in the SONIC Limeades for Learning. SONIC then finished funding on my project. Wahoo! Thank you to each and every donor for your gift. We will make you so proud and are so blessed!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by 3M and 80 other donors.Dream Big With Us!
Funded Aug 4, 2017I just have to say that this project has CHANGED our classroom. It has been amazing to have so many things that we so needed for our classroom. You are a blessing!
The sand is so cool. Students can use it without getting it all over. I love seeing their creations. The oil pastels make beautiful artwork. The fun duct tape created such lovely pencil cans. We use them each day for choosing our flexible seating. Students were so excited to be able to have so many choices. Our book display for birthday books has been great. Students look forward to choosing their book on their birthday. I always add a little note inside the book and then they take it home. It's great!
The magnets are used to take attendance every day which seems like such a basic need but the students love having their face with a personalized magnet. The light sign is a student favorite. I change the message frequently and the students look forward to a new message. I think even this small personal touch in our classroom creates a loving and safe classroom. The storage containers make access to our universal text so easy and quick. My students LOVE to read. Lastly, the pony beads are used every week during our MakerSpace time. They love creating and designing.
All of these items equal up to one thing, a classroom that meets our needs and helps us achieve our dreams. This project has definitely done this. Thank you so much for providing these items. I am still in awe that you partnered with me to do this. I can't imaging our classroom without these items. Thank you so very much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and 49 other donors.Clean Our Creative and Cozy Classroom
Funded Aug 25, 2017You'd be amazed what one bouncy chair, two chair cushions, and a bunch of Clorox wipes will do to a classroom.
The bouncy chair is a big hit and a favorite for my most of my bounciest kids. The chair cushions are loved on the rocking chairs and make sitting there even better for them. I love watching the sit on the chairs sideways and work so hard. Flexible seating is so good for my students.
The Clorox wipes have kept our classroom so much healthier. The snowy winter will soon be upon us and these wipes will keep germs to a minimum.
Thank you so much for caring about my classroom and my students. I am so thankful that so many people would come together to supply my students with all that they need. We are blessed by you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and 15 other donors.Love Is the Answer - Our Character Counts
Funded Sep 4, 2017You have made love a priority in my classroom through learning about character. We focused on Citizenship during September and the bracelets and pencils were a perfect end to a wonderful month of learning how to work together and be one team, one classroom, one family. It was such a blessing to be able to reward and remind them of that core value. My students couldn't believe that they could actually keep the bracelets. I can't wait to see their faces after October when they get ANOTHER bracelet!
The character pencils are a daily reminder now of the core value we've already learned about and are so bright and fun to use. The posters you supplied to our classroom are so perfect. They are such great quotes and they are so easy to understand. I love that every one applies to our daily real life and that my students are able to relate to others using them.
This year I am really focusing on relationships and real life. Thank you for helping me to bring the core values, our character to a top priority. Thank you for sharing your love with us and in turn helping us learn to show love to each other. We are so blessed by you and are forever impacted.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 6 other donors.