Past projects 10
Middle School Moana Magic
Funded Apr 2, 2024Thank you so much for your generous support. You have no idea what this donation means to a school like ours. Our students are thrilled and so excited to use your props and costumes to bring Moana's story to life!!! You are giving our cast and crew the resources they will need to inspire them and give them more pride. Most importantly, you are helping us build a culture of musical theater and giving our students a safe place to grow their artistic talent. We just wish you could come see the show!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bleier
This classroom project was brought to life by LOFT and 4 other donors.Middle School Mythconceptions
Funded Mar 7, 2023Thank you so much for your generous gift. When our students got these books they were thrilled. They flew off the shelves. We used them to analyze plot and characterization. We also used these texts to analyze the art in the graphics and discussed how the art complemented the words.
These books have been especially useful for our English Language Learners. We have had a lot of students who are new to the country and these texts are easy to translate and understand when struggling to learn a new language.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bleier
King Me!
Funded Nov 17, 2022Thank you so much for your generous donation. My students love the books. They challenge each other to read and rise to the occasion. They have analyzed the author's craft and structure. They have deconstructed the characterization and analyzed the character's decisions. They have even arranged remote viewing parties to do film-to-text comparisons. They have inspired others to read longer and more challenging texts and really sparked a love of reading in our community.
On any given day, you will find my students finding their special nooks to comfortably read in our classroom. Some sit on the radiator, others on the floor. A few kick their feet up to get ready to fall into King's magical world. Our room has become a safe place to read and think. We have you to thank for that.
In the pictures, you'll see Erick sharing his thoughts about "The Boogyman" (my personal favorite), while others wait to present. We are truly grateful for the opportunities that you have given us.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bleier
This classroom project was brought to life by Smarties Candy Company and 3 other donors.Histoready
Funded Nov 15, 2012Thank you so much for your generous gift. My students love the books they are reading and I have you to thank for that. In these times, when budgets are tight, every little bit of help goes a long way.
Your support of their literacy is crucial. They are so grateful that people who they don't even know care about their success. Please continue to care about the literacy of the students who often are left behind. Enjoy the pictures that document the success of our project. Thanks again for everything.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bleier
Historeading
Funded Nov 15, 2012Thank you so much for your generous gift. My students love the books they are reading and I have you to thank for that. In these times, when budgets are tight, every little bit of help goes a long way.
Your support of their literacy is crucial. They are so grateful that people who they don't even know care about their success. Please continue to care about the literacy of the students who often are left behind. Enjoy the pictures that document the success of our project. Thanks again for everything.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bleier
Read Between the Crimes
Funded Jul 6, 2012Thank you so much for your generous gift. My students love the books they are reading and I have you to thank for that. In these times, when budgets are tight, every little bit of help goes a long way.
Your support of their literacy is crucial. They are so grateful that people who they don't even know care about their success. Please continue to care about the literacy of the students who often are left behind. Enjoy the pictures that document the success of our project. Thanks again for everything.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bleier
Fiction and Film
Funded May 31, 2012Thank you so much for your generous gift of these books. We are currently reading A Princess Bride and my students are so engaged. Their attendance has improved. Their behavior has improved. Most importantly, their writing has improved. They are eager to come to class to find out what happens next and I am eager to see them love what they are reading in class.
When students love the books we teach, they begin to trust us more. This trust enables them to want to try new books and new strategies to make them better readers, writers and thinkers. Donations like yours are crucial. One good book can change their attitude and feelings about school and learning.
I am so grateful for this opportunity to share the books that I loved when I was their age. It has helped me to tap into my 16-year-old self to create an experience that is truly rewarding for me and them. I can't wait to finish A Princess Bride; We are excited to read Jurassic Park. Your donation is really making a difference. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bleier
King Me
Funded Mar 28, 2010Thank you so much for your generous gift for me and my students. I can't explain how much these resources mean to us. It's so hard to get current, meaningful and relevant resources in the classroom. Attendance is low, skills are underdeveloped, and we try so hard to get them interested and keep them interested. It's exciting to be able to teach a book like this to my students. This is the kind of book that gets my students to want to read and analyze.
These books not only helped them to stay on task during the last unit in their Senior Year, but it also helped to expand their vocabulary. They enjoyed the difficult vocabulary and appreciating the study of etymology to help them decode. They created a dictionary and glossary to help others with the challenging text. We also looked at the writing critically and examined the text for trends. We developed our research skills by looking up the historical references in the texts. It's exciting to do research and better understand the texts.
This project based study has inspired my students and encouraged others to use more contemporary texts in the classroom. It has sparked the creativity and passion that I hope to see in every lesson that I teach. It has encouraged my colleagues to think outside of the box when creating meaningful and challenging lesson plans. It has allowed me to create rigorous tasks for my students to complete to push them to learn more and think more. Thank you again for your thoughtful contribution. It's people like you who make it possible to raise my students to a higher level, academically and socially.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bleier
This classroom project was brought to life by JP Morgan Chase Foundation and 2 other donors.The Devil in NYC
Funded Aug 24, 2009Thank you so much for your generous gift for me and my students. I can't explain how much these resources mean to us. It's so hard to get current, meaningful and relevant resources in the classroom. Attendance is low, skills are underdeveloped, and we try so hard to get them interested and keep them interested. It's exciting to be able to teach a book like this to my students. This is the kind of book that gets my students to want to read and analyze. They're fascinated by the history and significance of the book. They are excited to learn as much as they can about the world through its fairs.
It's especially important because it is a great example of nonfiction. Most students are turned off by nonfiction assuming it's boring and dry; however, this book is neither dry, nor boring. It was especially relevant, because Olmstead, one of the architects in The Devil in the White City, made an appearance in our statewide assessments, NYS Regents. They were not only able to tackle and conquer the listening task; they were also able to include information from the book to support their essay. This allowed many of my students to excel on our state exams. Those students who excelled were able to place out of our CUNY assessments and were automatically matriculated into credit-bearing English classes at our city colleges. This means that those students will not have to take remedial English; they will be automatically registered for Freshmen English. This is so important, because many of the students who have to take remedial courses choose to not attend college because they don't want to work for no credit.
This book not only helped them on the Regents, but it also is helping to expand their vocabulary. They are enjoying the difficult vocabulary and appreciating the study of etymology to help them decode. They are creating a dictionary and glossary to help others with the challenging text. We can also look at the writing critically and examine the text for its historical references. We can develop our research skills by looking up all of the people who played a part in the creation and inspiration behind the Chicago World's Fair. It's exciting to do research and see the plans and the layout. They are looking for photos, statistics, and anecdotes to complement their study. They are even taking advantage of Google Earth to see what Chicago looks like today. They are making connections between their past and their present and future. They are also expanding their study as some are studying the NY world's Fair. Some have taken a trip to the fairgrounds and compared the modern scene with the information that they have found.
This project based study has inspired my students and encouraged others to learn more about cities by learning about their history. It has sparked the creativity and passion that I hope to see in every lesson that I teach. It has encouraged my colleagues to think outside of the box when creating meaningful and challenging lesson plans. It has allowed me to create rigorous tasks for my students to complete to push them to learn more and think more. Thank you again for your thoughtful contribution. It's people like you who make it possible to raise my students to a higher level, academically and socially. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bleier
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Social Satire with Seuss and Schuyler
Funded Oct 6, 2007Thank You, this set has been a dream of mine for years. I've always wanted to teach the book regularly, and had amazing success when we did it last year. This unit is so powerful and meaningful on so many levels. This year I'm teaching freshmen, and I'm also one of my school's activity coordinators. So, I can really make the most of these books. I can't wait to keep you posted”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bleier