Mrs. Curtis' Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 13

• Have a Heart: Healing After Tragedy

  Funded May 26, 2022

  Thank you for your kind and generous donations to our class project,

  "Have a Heart: Healing After Tragedy." Every time there is another school shooting, it still feels like a gut punch. Maybe this time it hurt more because so many of the students in Uvalde were 4th graders, just like my students. My heart wanted to comfort, to hug, to send love to these survivors and their families. At the end of the school year we all painted and decorated these ceramic hearts from the organization Hearts for Hope. We talked about what a community might need after a tragedy occurs, and talked about what we *could* do to try to bring comfort to those in need. Each student thought of words and phrases that could uplift someone going through a difficult time and we wrote them on our hearts. This reflection was a powerful exercise and a tangible way for us to make a small difference in comforting someone who is grieving.

  Additionally, we had a BLAST during our glow party! My students all asked for time to have a dance party with their glow sticks. We had a few stations of neon cup stacking, highlighter drawing, and games. It was such a fun day! Thank you for bringing joy to our room. I am so grateful for our glow party supplies, because my students for years to come can enjoy glow parties as well. You made this possible! Thank you so much.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Curtis

• Magic Carpet Ride: Shining, Shimmering Splendor! Part 2

  Funded Sep 20, 2019

  Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness in giving to our classes. This rug has made our room so much more functional, and comfortable! We sit together at morning meeting with such a bright start to our day now. The joy when the students saw the rug on the first day was contagious! Their smiles were as bright as the carpet.

  We love getting to sit here for lessons instead of on the floor! It makes turning and talking more comfortable and enjoyable. We are working on creating museum displays showing important events in the history of the Northeast region, and many of my students are spread out throughout the room. Now that we have this rug, groups of students can sit on the rug in a bright and colorful space.

  Truly, this carpet is the centerpiece of our room. It is where we start and end our day, and it brings us together in such a wonderful way. Thank you for prioritizing education and our classroom.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Curtis

• A Tool For Every Student: Part 4

  Funded Aug 23, 2017

  Thank you for your kindness and generosity in giving to our classroom! So many of these essentials are a part of our daily routines. From the tissues and Band-aids, to the pencil cases which each student is able to use, these materials have made a large impact on our lives. My students have been able to take responsibility for, and ownership of many of these materials because there is enough for each student. The pencil cases have been such a huge help in how students approach tasks in our classroom. We also use the white-board erasers regularly in center and small group work!

  We had a "box-opening" ceremony of sorts when we received many of the boxes, and the students cheered for each one. My favorite moment was when we received a massive box with 6 tubs of wipes and they smiled and cheered just as much as when we received the pencil cases! They were just as excited as I was! Thank you for thinking of us, and in supporting our daily necessities. We are grateful to be able to have such support!

  Thank you again!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Curtis

• A Tool for Every Student: Part 3

  Funded Oct 29, 2016

  Thank you so much for your kindness in investing in my students and our classroom. There are so many ways we use these materials each day! We love the colorful Expo markers, and have used them to brighten many of our routines. The People Colors are also a favorite. How special to be able to find a shade for your skin tone, outside of black, brown or yellow! We were finishing up personal narratives when they arrived, and all students used them to illustrate their pieces! I feel that these made such a difference in affirming my students and their own cultural identities. The tissues are also a lifesaver during these winter months. They truly make such a difference. We all (adults included) enjoy being able to get our wiggles out in a productive way with our Hokki stool. It has been a helpful tool for many students while working. Everything you have given makes a difference to us. We appreciate you and your generosity!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Curtis

• Winter Life Essentials: Jackets and Gloves and Hats, Oh My!

  Funded Jan 27, 2016

  This project has been the most important and meaningful collection of donations for my students. During the winter months it was so helpful to be able to have gloves, hats and scarves to give to my students when they came to school without them. Each time a student received a real winter coat, their faces lit up and you could see that they felt comforted, warm, and taken care of. Although some of my students had one winter coat, others did not, or if it got lost then they were not able to buy a new one for some time. Thank you for giving such essentials to my students so that they were kept healthy and warm during the Boston winter months! It meant the world to me to be able to give them what they needed!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Curtis

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Team.

• iCan With An iPad: Part 2

  Funded May 19, 2016

  Thank you so much for believing in this project, and for supporting more technology in our classroom! Both iPads are used for a variety of purposes. During our math and reading centers my students are able to access programs which allow them to play math and reading games which are tailored to their needs based on how they perform in the activities. I am also able to use the iPads to keep a digital portfolio for each student using an app called Seesaw. This app allows me to take pictures, videos, or recordings of student work and compile them in one place to share with students and parents later. I also have some students with visual impairments in the classroom. We are able to take pictures of work on the whiteboard or chart paper to bring to them so that they can more easily access the materials and content in the classroom. Although it's a very simple accommodation, the access makes a large difference in students' abilities to give their best work. Thank you for your generosity! Please know that they are helpful in a variety of ways in our everyday life!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Curtis

  This classroom project was brought to life by #BestSchoolDay and 10 other donors.

• iCan with an iPad

  Funded Dec 28, 2015

  Dear Donors,

  Thank you so much for your generous donation in supporting our class in getting an iPad mini and case! It has become a vital component of our classroom, and my students and I enjoy using it throughout the day.

  The iPad is helpful for cataloging books in our classroom library, for using specific educational apps for reading and math for each student, and for a wonderful behavior management app called Class Dojo. The students love having the opportunity to use it throughout the day!

  The most helpful app we have been able to use is an app called 'Seesaw.' It allows you to take pictures, video and to record audio in order to organize a digital portfolio for each student's classwork throughout the year. It has been so helpful to use during conferences with students and parents, and to reflect on my own practice in teaching as well.

  Thank you for your thoughts, kindness, and generosity in supporting our class. We are so grateful!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Curtis

  This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 14 other donors.

• Let the Clean Drop: Organizing and Sanitizing with Quill!

  Funded Dec 9, 2015

  Dear Donors,

  Thank you so much for your generosity in donating to our classroom! The organizational products, cleaning supplies, and headphones have been helpful in running the many routines throughout our day.

  We love the large and sturdy mailboxes because students can receive and share papers with one another in an organized fashion. We use them to pass back work, flyers, and letters to one another. We also use the headphones daily in our math and literacy centers. The headphones are high quality, and allow the students to use the same headphones without sharing too many germs along the way. We also use the cleaning supplies daily! It is so helpful to have all of the things we need to stay happy and healthy.

  Thank you for supporting this project and our classroom. Our regular activities are made cleaner, safer, and more efficient because of your help!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Curtis

• Now Watch Me Count: Now Watch Me Play Play

  Funded Jul 23, 2015

  Thank you so much for your donations to our classroom! I am so grateful for the variety of items which have assisted my instruction, and increased learning in our classroom. The students in my classroom benefit from the Hokki stool, headphones, the math games, timers, and other supplies each day.

  As the year is in full-swing, we are using the math folder games for our centers, and all of the students love them! Each set promotes independence, as well as multiple different mathematical topics. I love that the games are well-made, purposeful, and enjoyable for the students.

  I explained that donors had contributed these games and the Hokki stool to our classroom. Although I have some handmade games which the students still use, all of them were impressed by the selection. One student remarked, "It's nice that people think about us!" They also write about how thankful they are in their daily gratitude journals. Each morning throughout the year, I have seen students express how grateful they are. The Hokki stool and timers have assisted multiple students in focusing during work in our class as well.

  Each of these supplies help our class function daily. I cannot express my gratitude enough. It is a joy to see my students work with these materials. Thank you for your donation and support!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Curtis

• Making Dough!

  Funded Jun 3, 2015

  Thank you so much for your assistance in funding this project that created such an exciting opportunity for my students to learn about financial literacy in our classroom. With such fervor for writing and discussing, our class has found ways for each one of the students to take responsibility for a job, allowing each of them to participate in our team.

  Each student has been able to use the materials provided by this project to make our classroom more efficient, organized, and fun. The money manipulatives and cash registers are realistic, and allow the students to see the value of money through their transactions. Our new shelf has allowed the library books in our classroom to be stored in one place. The classroom librarians work hard throughout the weeks to make sure the books are on their proper shelves! We have enjoyed using the Chromebooks to organize information. We are able to use the tools donated by this project across subjects and assignments. We will be using many of these materials for years to come.

  It has been a joy to watch my students grow in taking responsibility for specific tasks around our room. I can see how meaningful it is to them, and I thank you for making it possible. We are so appreciative of your encouragement and support in helping our classroom to become the best it can be. Thank you!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Curtis

  This classroom project was brought to life by PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. and 3 other donors.