Past projects 211
Let's Explore Beneath the Surface!
Funded Nov 11, 2013What a trip we experienced. Thank you for making this adventure a reality. Without partners like you, our students would not have been able to go on a field trip like this. I could rave on and on, but instead I am going to let my students do the talking. Here are some student quotes:
"The crystal cave was big and pretty! The bats were cute! They were small. The crystals were bright! They looked very pretty! The cave was very dark, so we had lights in the cave. It was the best field trip ever!"
"Crystal cave was mysterious and exciting! The bats were really cute because they were only one inch. The tour guide turned off the lights to show how dark it would be if you didn't have any light. They had lots of rooms, it was very exciting to see all the rooms."
You gave our students an adventure of a lifetime. I know that this field trip will be one that they will talk about when they are doctors, teachers, archeologists, scientists, and mathematicians. Thank you for your inspiration into their lives.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
To Type or Not to Type, That is the Question!
Funded Apr 27, 2014By the shrieks of joy that exploded from my students this morning you'd have thought we had won a million dollars. Well, close! You provided my students with six keyboards to add to the three we had, bringing our number to a much more reasonable number. Much more than that though, you provided a tool to enhance their learning.
Right away they asked what they could do on our iPads to use the new keyboards. Using Book Creator my students created stories about a recent field trip. They typed their stories with much excitement. As they typed they were quiet and focused. I had to pick sticks to choose students and reassure them that next time my other seven students would get to use them. My students are excited to type and create projects and I can't wait to work with them on these projects.
Thank you for providing joy in a concrete way!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
Can You Take Me On Your Summer Adventure?
Funded Mar 18, 2014It is with much excitement that I get ready to send my future students home with their summer adventure packs. Every summer we seem to just lose part of the learning our students just gained all year. My new students are excited to take these with them and I am excited to get them back in the fall. Not only will these packs bridge the gap between school years, they will also give me a small glimpse into my students' lives over the summer. My third grade students this year actually asked why they couldn't have a summer pack too. (Oops, should have thought of that sooner! I'll have to design them a mini pack) I am also excited that my students will be giving themselves a mini introduction to our oceans unit at the beginning of the year without even knowing it. Thank you for helping me to bridge this summer gap and make the most out of the time my students have with me. With much joy,”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
Bean Bags, Bean Bags, Read All Day!
Funded Apr 18, 201459 donors + 17 bean bag chairs + 17 third grade students = ALL students have a comfortable reading spot. Thank you for completing the equation.
I love to allow my students the opportunity to work on bean bag chairs as much as possible. Although my students are always willing to share, I am now excited that they can have their very own spot that is comfy. Every day we have read to self time. My students grab their book and find a spot to read. They can each now grab a bean bag chair and spread out around the room. 17 students reading on a bean bag chair is a beautiful sight to see. Plus, these comfy chairs keep them focused.
I wish I could invite each of you to my classroom and allow you to read with my students to see the effect these new bean bag chairs have on them. You have made them so proud of reading and proud to be a reader. Not only have you given them something they can use, but you have inspired them to be a reader.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
Wiggle Wobble, When You Learn!
Funded Apr 19, 2014It is amazing what three parts of plastic put together will do for a student. The minute we opened the Wobble chairs and replaced student chairs with them I noticed a difference. A student who rocked his chair all day suddenly had a way to get his wiggles out. A student who always had the need to stand, suddenly had a chair that accomplished this without standing up. These Wobble chairs allow my students to wiggle while learning. These Wobble chairs also make them smile. They are excited to learn and they are excited to come to school. Thank you for allowing me to provide my students with a fun and exciting classroom, that meets the needs of all students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
He Needs, She Needs, Let's Supply All Needs!
Funded Apr 13, 2014Needs are a funny thing. In our Jr. Achievement class we've been talking about needs and wants. Although all these items that we have received were wanted, they were also greatly needed. These items will allow students to work at their top level. When we meet the need of a child, they will soar to new heights. Many people might say that markers, erasers, and new pencils are not essential, but I am here to say that they by far are three of the most essential tools in our classroom. Thank you for fulfilling these needs for her, for him, for ALL my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
Inside Recess Adventure
Funded Apr 10, 2014It is amazing what four new games will do to a student's spirit. We have had so many inside recesses this winter due to the cold and snow. These new games have excited my students and made them WANT inside recess. We may just have to do an inside recess, outside! We also discovered another use for our hopscotch mat. Every week we do count bys to practice our multiplication facts. We used to jump on an imaginary mat, now we have a real mat! I have a wonderful class and together we are thrilled to use and play with our new games. My students this year and years to come will get hours of use out of them. Thank you for providing games that we otherwise would not have been able to get. With much joy,”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
To 3D and Beyond!
Funded Mar 26, 2014Thank you for bringing this project to life. It is amazing that we have a 3D printer in our classroom. I would have never guessed three years ago when I started teaching, that we would have this opportunity. As teachers around the school have heard about it, they have been visiting our classroom. I am excited as I watch my students explain what it does, how it works, and what we are going to continue using it for. You have given such inspiration to my students. This is the first 3D printer in our school district and they cannot believe that they are apart of this first. We are excited to print lots of exciting inventions. I am most excited that you have inspired my students to look at all possible careers in life. You have unlocked their imaginations and invited them to think to the future. Thank you for helping me to create a classroom that is inspiring and motivating. I can't wait to see where my students go! Thank you for being apart of their future!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Autodesk - MakerBot and 30 other donors.Rat a Tat, Splash, Squeeze, and Whoosh With Supplies!
Funded Mar 23, 2014Today I had a student come up to me and say, "Mrs. Smith, we went from having no glue sticks, to having enough for everyone to have their own. I love it!" It is amazing what something like enough glue sticks can do for a child's attitude. My students discovered through this gift of classroom and art supplies that people want them to have the materials they need to learn and succeed. We are daily reminded that wonderful friends like you have joined us in our classroom. The proof is all around us. You gave us paint to paint our bright suns with solar flares. You gave us bright pens to correct our spelling tests. You gave us glue sticks to put together our solar system flap books. You gave us a pencil sharpener to keep our pencils perfectly pointed while we wrote our "Out of this World Experience." You gave us tape to hang our artwork in the hall. You gave us book tape to put a stronger spine on the new books we received and all want to read. You gave us pom poms to give our Easter bunnies the tails they needed. You gave us glitter glue to add some sparkle to our name tags. You gave us an art clothesline to hang up our work to display at Family Math Day. You equipped us in every area of our classroom and have impacted us greatly. You would truly hear rat a tat, splash, squeeze, and whoosh when you walk into our classroom and for that we thank you for giving and thank you for joining us in our classroom experience!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
No More Waste In This Place!
Funded Feb 26, 2014Our recycle bins arrived last Friday and my students couldn't have been more excited. The boxes made their eyes widen!
We started out by making a huge THANK YOU on the boxes. They had lots of fun. How many times does your teacher let you color on boxes? We then took them out and worked in groups to put them together. I loved watching the students problem solve to fold the bottoms. We added our labels onto the bins and they were good to go!
Our next step was to create a PowerPoint presentation to show to the entire school. This PowerPoint was fun to create. We used this to explain what we can and can't recycle with our new bins. Currently we can recycle tooth brushing products, cereal bags, Elmer's glue, drink pouches, cheese containers, and lunchables. We will collect these and send them in to TerraCycle to earn money to use for other school supplies. In only a week we've already collected a half of a bag of drink pouches in one grade level! We know that by recycling these items we are not only making a difference for our environment, but we are also earning money to use on supplies we need. We can make some neat items out of these products too.
We can't tell you enough how much we appreciate you helping us to get these recycle bins. It continues to amaze us at the amount of people and businesses that come along to help our projects fully fund. Our entire classroom and our entire school is excited about this opportunity we have with these bins. You have helped us make our school a happier greener place.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by UPS Foundation and 56 other donors.