Past projects 5
A Curated Collection of Multicultural Books
Funded Aug 9, 2022Thank you so much for your donations to my "Curated Collection of Multicultural Books." The students LOVE the new book collection and it holds a very special place in our classroom. They love hearing the multicultural stories and, based on research, I hope these books will also support them in strengthening their multicultural and multilingual friendships.
When a new student arrived to our class after recently immigrating from Colombia, we greeted him with stories en Espanol, such as Sonadores, Pelitos and the Vamos! series. When one of our student's families was planning a move to the Philippines, we read "Cora Cooks Pancit" and he connected with other students in the class who have Filipino heritage.
This collection of texts has truly allowed our class to see themselves reflected in text and, hopefully, to create new pathways of imagination and boundless possibility in their lives.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Buse
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 6 other donors.Affirmation on Every Wall
Funded Aug 9, 2022Thank you so much for supporting our classroom project, "Affirmation on Every Wall." The posters and art materials have changed our classroom for the better and send a subtle message of diversity, affirmation and unshakeable belief in all my students.
One of my favorite former students came in and immediately noticed the changes, looking around the room in awe and asking me, "Is that Malcolm X?" "Yes!" I replied, and then we went around the room discussing which other figures he recognized -- Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Barack and Michelle Obama, Mae Jemison and Kamala Harris -- and introducing him to those he did not.
He also saw his own face on our wall with the class pictures of my former students, and I hope he made the connection between himself and the other inspiring figures all around the room -- I know I did.
Thank you for helping me make manifest and undeniably visible my belief that all children have power, potential, grace and humanity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Buse
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 4 other donors.Bring STEM to Life: Engineering and Robotics Kits
Funded Dec 14, 2016Thank you so much for your generous help in bringing STEM to life in our classroom through our new Engineering and Robotics Kits. My students have instantly fallen in love with the new tools -- including some students who are reluctant to participate at other times during the day or may have challenges with reading and math in traditional classroom settings. With these supplies, students are learning basic engineering vocabulary and concepts: such as, "What is an axle and what does it do?" or "Why does closing the circuit make the light turn on?" Also, they are acquiring many new problem solving skills, and are building perseverance.
The first time students were exposed to these tools they were shy and uncertain. When they encountered a problem like a wire that would not stay in place or a piece that was missing or did not seem to fit, they did not know how to proceed. But, through time and practice they have learned problem solving strategies -- take a break, ask a friend for help, try it a different way, consult the instruction manual -- and become more proficient in their building. After having started with the simplest kits, they are now on to building remote-controlled cars that zoom down the hallway and even approaching the programmable robotic arm. It is fascinating to see students' different styles emerge as they build, as well. Some students stick with the instructions from the start and carefully inventory all pieces before they begin; some students have grand ideas they want to build and are learning to make practical adjustments as they go.
For many of my students, working with these tools has not only gotten them excited about coming to school and learning something new, but also opened up a whole new world of curiosities and professional possibilities. They now know about careers in architecture, building, engineering, and computer programming -- and believe they can access these jobs because they are already engineers, builders and designers in our classroom. This is truly a special gift. And I thank you sincerely for giving that gift to my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Buse
The Platinum Club Goes Mini-Golfing
Funded Apr 9, 2015Thank you so much for your generous donations to our incentive field trip to Franklin Square. The students chosen to attend the trip showed ambitious growth in their reading achievement this year and worked extremely hard in reading intervention class each day.
These students all started the year in the very bottom tier for reading, so most are not used to being rewarded for their academic achievement. Earning this trip was incredibly meaningful to them for that reason and hopefully marks a step on their path to improving their skills, grades and academic options in the long run. The progress they made in this class can set them on a new life path and enable them to perform better in every class -- from reading to science and math.
Plus, the trip itself was so fun! Some of my students take two or three buses to school each day, or have significant health and behavior issues, or have missed consecutive weeks of school due to housing issues, so seeing them run around outside without a care was awesome. Many played so hard they fell asleep on the bus on the way home. When the kids returned from the trip, their teachers said they were were absolutely glowing.
Thank you for making this special day possible, and for helping me offer a much-needed carrot to all my students during some of the most trying times of the year.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Buse
From Reluctant Readers to Radical Readers!
Funded Mar 15, 2015Thank you so much for your generous donation to our classroom library! The students cannot keep their hands off of the new books and it is delightful to see kids reading so avidly in class. With these lovely books, students from all grades are also becoming frequent borrowers, taking books home each night. My first graders are achieving independence through the rhymes, colorful pictures and predictable text of Sandra Boynton and my fifth graders are following the adventures of Judy Moody from one book to the next.
Because of the extra engagement and excitement around our new classroom library, students are making huge strides toward their measurable reading goals. Many of my students have improved their quiz averages from 50% or 60% before we got our new books to 90% and 100% after. Many students have also made jumps in their reading fluency, accuracy and comprehension as shown by classroom assessments.
One fourth grade student says the books are "cool and have a lot of chapters. They have changed our classroom by helping us read better, and read every time we have extra time at school and at home." Another student says, "It changed our class because everybody brings the books in and when we test reading everybody is getting closer to their goal." Thank you for helping my students learn to love reading and improve their reading skills and life opportunities.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Buse