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Mrs. Van Dunk's Classroom

  • Harts Academy - La
  • Harbor City, CA
  • More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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show projects from all time

Past projects 31

  • Have a SEAT

    Funded Mar 27, 2018

    Thank you so much for your generous donation to my class! These stacking chairs fit the desks and new classroom environment perfectly.

    Students LOVE the new, comfortable chairs. Many students have already commented that the chairs look very nice and want to be able to sit at these groups.

    These chairs are so easy to move around the classroom because they are light and have a handle on the back; they do not scratch the floor or make a noise as students pull them up to the desks. These quality materials make all the difference to student learning!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Van Dunk

    This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple.
  • Face to Face Math

    Funded Mar 2, 2018

    Since receiving the desks, students have used them to work on projects, work in groups, talk in pairs, and take individual assessments. They can be used for any class activity, so they meet their needs perfectly.

    Students who sit at the original desks asked, "How can I get a desk like that? I want to work there." So they have definitely noticed the change in desks and like it. Since you funded multiple projects, I can have students sit in a complete group of 4, and that make a big difference too.

    As we finish up the school year, I am excited to find new ways to utilize the desks in new and creative ways.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Van Dunk

  • Team Work in Math

    Funded Mar 2, 2018

    These desks have made an impact with my students in many ways. First, it has been very easy to have students move the desks around in order to make flexible seating arrangements depending on the activity that we are doing in class. Second, the updated look has caught students' attention. One student said that they are the nicest desks in the school; that was a great moment because I know that if students feel that their physical needs are met (or exceeded) it makes them feel more safe.

    Thank you for caring for our students, even though you don't know them personally. That makes an impact as much on me as it does for them.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Van Dunk

  • Math Desks for Learning

    Funded Mar 2, 2018

    The new desks are being used for group, pair and individual work. They are very easy to move and fit together perfectly!

    When my students saw the desks they were very excited and said, "Wow. These are niiiice." They asked where they came from and I told them that someone in the community decided to fund them because they care about their education. They were so moved by the fact that someone they didn't even know supported their education.

    As the year progresses, I'm excited to have students form different sizes of groups using the desks as I consider ways to make all students feel included.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Van Dunk

  • Math Classroom Supplies

    Funded Aug 30, 2017

    Thank you again for your generous help with this project! We are well into the 2nd semester, and we are still getting great use out of the whiteboard markers and colored paper. For example, we use the whiteboard markers on a daily basis. Using whiteboards is a great way to hear the ideas and see the work of every student in the class; this helps me make sure everyone is learning. This is also great for students too because they stay actively involved throughout the class and get immediate feedback from their classmates and me. Students from Algebra 1 to Pre-Calculus love whiteboards! Fortunately, there are plenty of markers so that every student has the needed supplies! The colored paper gets used for booklets that serve as a one-stop shop for students to reference throughout the year. For instance, I will say "which booklet can you find an example in?" and students can automatically respond, "the green one!" as they flip through their notebook to find it.

    Students really love using the whiteboards. I have had students tell that it gives them an adrenaline rush to use them; I love it! Other students like to use them to try out a problem before they copy it into their notes. I create a new booklet for each class for each chapter, and I can see students get excited when they see a new booklet. I hear students say things like, "I like this color the best" or "this is the prettiest one we have ever had". And students keep these booklets all year long! Months later, I will see them digging around in their notebooks for the booklet they need, and they always seem to find it. I have even had Algebra 2 students bring their Algebra 1 booklets out to use.

    As the year finishes up, I plan on continuing using the whiteboards and paper as described above. Your donation was enough to provide for the entire year!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Van Dunk

  • Carting Chromebooks

    Funded Mar 29, 2017

    The impact this project has made on my classroom is profound! First, I have been able to use the chromebooks to help prepare 11th graders in my advisory class for the SAT and ACT. Students have also been able to utilize the chromebooks to work on Khan Academy to build skill fluency and to complete credit recovery programs.

    I have maximized the use the of the chromebooks in my Algebra 1 tutorial classes. The purpose of this class is to engage students in meaningful mathematics. Using the Desmos website students have been able to complete complex and rich tasks individually and in pairs. Students have also use chromebooks to research vacation prices for a project. Lastly, my Algebra 2 classes have used the chromebooks to extend their understanding of exponential functions.

    The cart has made sharing the chromebooks with my colleagues a breeze and has multiplied the impact of these amazing resources!

    I am so grateful for this generous contribution to my class. It has completely revolutionized my ability to engage students and individualize instruction. Thank you so much!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Van Dunk

    This classroom project was brought to life by Aspect Ventures and one other donor.
  • Tech Literacy in Math

    Funded Dec 20, 2016

    The impact this project has made on my classroom is profound! First, I have been able to use the chromebooks to help prepare 11th graders in my advisory class for the SAT and ACT. Students have also been able to utilize the chromebooks to work on Khan Academy to build skill fluency and to complete credit recovery programs.

    I have maximized the use the of the chromebooks in my Algebra 1 tutorial classes. The purpose of this class is to engage students in meaningful mathematics. Using the Desmos website students have been able to complete complex and rich tasks individually and in pairs. Students have also use chromebooks to research vacation prices for a project. Lastly, my Algebra 2 classes have used the chromebooks to extend their understanding of exponential functions.

    I am so grateful for this generous contribution to my class. It has completely revolutionized my ability to engage students and individualize instruction. Thank you so much!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Van Dunk

  • Math Technology

    Funded Dec 20, 2016

    The impact this project has made on my classroom is profound! First, I have been able to use the chromebooks to help prepare 11th graders in my advisory class for the SAT and ACT. Students have also been able to utilize the chromebooks to work on Khan Academy to build skill fluency and to complete credit recovery programs.

    I have maximized the use the of the chromebooks in my Algebra 1 tutorial classes. The purpose of this class is to engage students in meaningful mathematics. Using the Desmos website students have been able to complete complex and rich tasks individually and in pairs. Students have also use chromebooks to research vacation prices for a project. Lastly, my Algebra 2 classes have used the chromebooks to extend their understanding of exponential functions.

    I am so grateful for this generous contribution to my class. It has completely revolutionized my ability to engage students and individualize instruction. Thank you so much!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Van Dunk

  • Chromebooks for Math

    Funded Dec 20, 2016

    The impact this project has made on my classroom is profound! First, I have been able to use the chromebooks to help prepare 11th graders in my advisory class for the SAT and ACT. Students have also been able to utilize the chromebooks to work on Khan Academy to build skill fluency and to complete credit recovery programs.

    I have maximized the use the of the chromebooks in my Algebra 1 tutorial classes. The purpose of this class is to engage students in meaningful mathematics. Using the Desmos website students have been able to complete complex and rich tasks individually and in pairs. Students have also use chromebooks to research vacation prices for a project. Lastly, my Algebra 2 classes have used the chromebooks to extend their understanding of exponential functions.

    I am so grateful for this generous contribution to my class. It has completely revolutionized my ability to engage students and individualize instruction. Thank you so much!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Van Dunk

  • Boards Up!

    Funded Nov 29, 2016

    I cannot say thank you enough for your generous donation to my classroom! Students were thrilled to receive brand new whiteboards and markers to show their work! Whiteboards are such a powerful way to engage students and frequently check for understanding in order to ensure that all students are learning. The copy paper is such a blessing as well since our principal had informed me that our paper would be severely limited due to budget constraints this year.

    This year I have an autistic student who struggles to engage in working out problems in his notebook. Although I strongly encourage him to keep a record of his work by writing it in his notebook, he would much rather show work on his whiteboard. His eyes lit up when he saw these new resources. Thank you again! Your gift is making such a big difference for all of my students!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Van Dunk

The students at my school are in a low-income, high risk environment. One goal is to prepare student for a career when they graduate, but I want to make sure they are prepared to go to college as well. When asked who they know that went to college besides a teacher, only 25% of students were able to say that they had a family member who was or had been in college. Students come from all kinds of backgrounds: foster care, single family homes, or living with their grandparents. Students have family members with addictions, who are in jail, or have been killed. The idea of "college ready" seems far off for some of these students, but I know that with the correct materials, they can and will be successful. I don't like to label them as "at-risk" students. Instead I think of them as "at-promise" students; each one has promise and a future.

About my class

The students at my school are in a low-income, high risk environment. One goal is to prepare student for a career when they graduate, but I want to make sure they are prepared to go to college as well. When asked who they know that went to college besides a teacher, only 25% of students were able to say that they had a family member who was or had been in college. Students come from all kinds of backgrounds: foster care, single family homes, or living with their grandparents. Students have family members with addictions, who are in jail, or have been killed. The idea of "college ready" seems far off for some of these students, but I know that with the correct materials, they can and will be successful. I don't like to label them as "at-risk" students. Instead I think of them as "at-promise" students; each one has promise and a future.

About my class

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