Past projects 14
Scholastic News Success!
Funded Sep 6, 2020Thank you so much for supporting our classroom. More than ever, children need access to materials that will engage and excite them. This donation will alleviate stress on parents who would normally pay for their child to receive this magazine. I’m so appreciative of your gift and your kindness.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vaughan
The Reading Recipe: Phonics
Funded Nov 9, 2019Thank you for choosing to donate to my classroom this past year. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to express my gratitude for the gifts you have provided to my students and I by sharing some of the work we have accomplished this year using your resources.
I had one prominent goal this year for my class; create an environment that allows students to enjoy learning. I requested a a curriculum of Recipe for Reading Phonics instruction, which is a way to create a small group environment for reading instruction. Please refer to the pictures provided to understand the evolution of the students reading with these resources.
My students entered 4th grade reading very little. They didn't have much interest in books that would challenge them and cause them to think and reflect on their learning. I've found that my students believe reading is be seen as a chore. Through Donors Choose, I selected a program that would improve their reading skills, particularly decoding unknown words. The program gives them confidence for pronunciation, highlighted the connection between words with their spelling and overall, increases their fluency. I'm very happy with the students I've selected for this program and their success!
At this point of this year, I must say that I have seen my students grow academically to become inquisitive and thoughtful learners. My ESL students, who were nervous to speak and share, became some of my most outspoken students. I believe that my students will leave 4th grade with an interest in learning and exploring because of the resource you have provided to our class with your donations. Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of my classroom and my school. The 4th grade was a better year because of you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vaughan
This classroom project was brought to life by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and 3 other donors.Phonics Frenzy!
Funded Nov 20, 2017Thank you for choosing to donate to my classroom this past year. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to express my gratitude for the gifts you have provided to my students and I by sharing some of the work we have accomplished this year using your resources.
I had one prominent goal this year for my class; create an environment that allows students to enjoy learning. The resources you provided were to support the students' English language skills. I requested word games to build upon students' basic language skills, such as vowel sounds and high-frequency words. Above all, my students loved the Can-Do games, because it didn't feel like work! Also, the sight word bingo and the flash cards were a hit and students would request daily that I "quiz them" on their spelling skills. As displayed in some of the photos, my children absolutely loved the games you provided. Our Word Study became a time when students could play and learn with toys I now had available.
At this point of the year, I must say that I have seen my students grow academically to become inquisitive and thoughtful learners. My ESL students, who were nervous to speak and share, have become some of my most outspoken students. I believe that my students in 4th grade now have an interest in learning and exploring because of the resources you have provided to our class with your donations. Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of my classroom and my school. The 4th grade is a better year because of you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vaughan
4th Grade Loves Captain Underpants!
Funded Sep 18, 2017Thank you for choosing to donate to my classroom this past year. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to express my gratitude for the gifts you have provided to my students and I by sharing some of the work we have accomplished this year using your resources.
I had one prominent goal this year for my class; create an environment that allows students to enjoy learning. I requested a collection of books in order to facilitate independent reading and provide choice. Please refer to the pictures provided to understand the evolution of the students reading with these resources.
My students entered 4th grade reading very little. They didn't have much interest in books that would challenge them and cause them to think and reflect on their learning. They would choose a book only to abandon it the next day. Through Donors Choose, I selected popular books about a Principal with special powers to become Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey. Or a story about a rat that goes on wonderful adventures through time and space like Geronimo Stilton. I was hopeful that these comedic and creative texts would spark an interest for the students that needed a flame to be ignited. I am happy to say that for many of my sweet students that flame has turned on! Reading shouldn't be seen as a chore, but rather an enjoyable experience.
Being at the mid-point of this year, I must say that I have seen my students grow academically to become inquisitive and thoughtful learners. My ESL students, who were nervous to speak and share, have become some of my most outspoken students. I believe that my students are now experiencing 4th grade with an interest in learning and exploring because of the resource you have provided to our class with your donations. Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of my classroom and my school. The 4th grade was a better year because of you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vaughan
This classroom project was brought to life by Sergey Brin Family Foundation and 2 other donors.4th Grade Needs BrainPOP Jr.!
Funded Mar 29, 2017Thank you for choosing to donate to my classroom this year. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to express my gratitude for the gifts you have provided to my students and I by sharing some of the work we have accomplished so far this year using your resources.
I have one prominent goal this year for my class; create an environment that allows students to enjoy learning. I requested a classroom account of BrainPop! in order to facilitate student choice in their learning. Please refer to the pictures provided to understand the evolution of the students reading with these resources.
My students entered 4th grade with a wide range of knowledge and interests. I wanted to allow student choice through questioning of research and BrainPop! gives this range in topics. It would challenge them and cause them to think and reflect on their learning through videos, games, multiple choice questions and readings. Students really enjoy the chance to learn about topics we don't necessarily discuss during class time like WWI or scientific discoveries of dinosaurs. I was hopeful that these texts would spark an interest for the students that needed a flame to be ignited. I am happy to say that for many of my sweet students that flame has turned on! Learning shouldn't be seen as a chore, but rather an enjoyable experience.
This year, I must say that I have seen my students begin to grow academically to become inquisitive and thoughtful learners. My ESL students, who were nervous to speak and share, became some of my most outspoken students. I believe that my students are beginning 4th grade with an interest in learning and exploring because of the resource you have provided to our class with your donations. Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of my classroom and my school. The 4th grade will be a better year because of you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vaughan
This classroom project was brought to life by Aspect Ventures and 3 other donors.Google Chromebooks in 4th Grade!
Funded Dec 28, 2016Thank you for choosing to donate to my classroom this past year. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to express my gratitude for the gifts you have provided to my students and I by sharing some of the work we have accomplished this year using your resources.
I had one prominent goal this year for my class; create an environment that allows students to enjoy learning. I requested 2 Google ChromeBooks in order to allow my students to do independent research according to their academic interests. Please refer to the pictures provided to understand the evolution of the projects with this resource.
I began my lessons with the ChromeBooks by having students reading non-fiction resources and articles to find topics they were interested in. Afterwards, students debated a few of the most popular topics in order to determine which subject matter would be the most interesting to research. Students began research by choosing small groups to research a particular topic and create research questions. Afterwards, we used the site BrainPOP in order to answer some of the questions generated by the group. Students have been given time during our Independent Reading period in order to answer some of their curiosities.
By researching their curiosities, I have found students more engaged with Non-Fiction texts on days they don't use the ChromeBooks. The ultimate goal through interacting with technology is to inspire students to follow their questions.
I have seen my students grow academically to become inquisitive and thoughtful learners. My ESL students, who were nervous to speak and share, became some of my most outspoken students. I believe that my students will leave 4th grade with an interest in learning and exploring because of the resource you have provided to our class with your donations. Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of my classroom and my school. The 4th grade was a better year because of you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vaughan
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 3 other donors.Time for My Kids!
Funded Dec 30, 2016Thank you for choosing to donate to my classroom this past year. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to express my gratitude for the gifts you have provided to my students and I by sharing some of the work we have accomplished this year using your resources.
I had one prominent goal this year for my class; create an environment that allows students to enjoy learning. I requested a set of Time for Kids magazines for each student in order to support their learning through timely articles. This also allowed my students to do independent research according to their academic interests because of the variety of articles available. Please refer to the pictures provided to understand their learning.
I began my lessons with the magazines by having students scan the magazine non-fiction resources and articles to find topics they were interested in. Afterwards, students debated a few of the most popular topics in order to determine which subject matter would be the most interesting to read and research further. Students began research by choosing small groups to research a particular topic and create research questions. We determined that we had the most questions about the articles containing animals. We researched our questions and formed many conclusions about the animals they read about. After researching, students continued to debate what they found in their research.
In class now, the students are beginning to use tablets to research their projects further. Their general curiosities based upon what we read in TFK sources has been so heartwarming to experience. I am confident that my students can complete this task confidently and successfully. I've also used the worksheets that are Common Core aligned in order to challenge students and test reading comprehension.
I have seen my students grow academically to become inquisitive and thoughtful learners. My ESL students, who were nervous to speak and share, became some of my most outspoken students. I believe that my students will leave 4th grade with an interest in learning and exploring because of the resource you have provided to our class with your donations. Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of my classroom and my school. The 4th grade was a better year because of you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vaughan
Scientific Texts for Our Listening Center!
Funded Mar 24, 2016Thank you for choosing to donate to my classroom this past year. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to express my gratitude for the gifts you have provided to my students and I by sharing some of the work we have accomplished this year using your resources.
I had one prominent goal this year for my class; create an environment that allows students to enjoy learning. I requested a collection of books and Cd's in order to facilitate the Listening Center using Scientific Texts, which is a way to create another way of reading. Please refer to the pictures provided to understand the evolution of the students reading with these resources.
My students entered 4th grade reading very little. They didn't have much interest in books that would challenge them and cause them to think and reflect on their learning. Through Donors Choose, I selected books about animals like the one entitled Sharks by Gail Gibbons, which has become has a student favorite. I was hopeful that these texts would spark an interest for the students that needed a flame to be ignited. I am happy to say that for many of my sweet students that flame has turned on! Reading shouldn't be seen as a chore, but rather an enjoyable experience.
Upon completion of this year, I must say that I have seen my students grow academically to become inquisitive and thoughtful learners. My ESL students, who were nervous to speak and share, became some of my most outspoken students. I believe that my students left 4th grade with an interest in learning and exploring because of the resource you have provided to our class with your donations. Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of my classroom and my school. The 4th grade was a better year because of you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vaughan
This classroom project was brought to life by Orkin and one other donor.Guided Reading for Genre Exploration!
Funded Dec 17, 2014Thank you for choosing to donate to my classroom this past year. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to express my gratitude for the gifts you have provided to my students and I by sharing some of the work we have accomplished this year using your resources.
I had one prominent goal this year for my class; create an environment that allows students to enjoy learning. I requested a collection of books in order to facilitate Guided Reading, which is a way to create a small group environment for collaborative reading. Please refer to the pictures provided to understand the evolution of the students reading with these resources.
My students entered 4th grade reading very little. They didn't have much interest in books that would challenge them and cause them to think and reflect on their learning. Through Donors Choose, I selected books about peculiar teachers like Mrs. Lilly is Silly by Dan Gutman. Or a story about a young girl who punished a family that was cruel to animals in The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl. I was hopeful that these comedic texts would spark an interest for the students that needed a flame to be ignited. I am happy to say that for many of my sweet students that flame has turned on! Reading shouldn't be seen as a chore, but rather an enjoyable experience.
Upon completion of this year, I must say that I have seen my students grow academically to become inquisitive and thoughtful learners. My ESL students, who were nervous to speak and share, became some of my most outspoken students. I believe that my students left 4th grade with an interest in learning and exploring because of the resource you have provided to our class with your donations. Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of my classroom and my school. The 4th grade was a better year because of you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vaughan
Researching Our Reading
Funded Aug 24, 2014Thank you for choosing to donate to my classroom this past year. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to express my gratitude for the gifts you have provided to my students and I by sharing some of the work we have accomplished this year using your resources.
I had one prominent goal this year for my class; create an environment that allows students to enjoy learning. I requested 3 iPad tablets in order to allow my students to do independent research according to their academic interests. Please refer to the pictures provided to understand the evolution of the projects with this resource.
I began my lessons with the tablet by having students reading non-fiction resources and articles to find topics they were interested in. Afterwards, students debated a few of the most popular topics in order to determine which subject matter would be the most interesting to research. Students began research by choosing small groups to research a particular topic and create research questions. We determined that we had the most questions about the Great White Shark. We researched our questions and formed many conclusions about the shark. After researching, students continued to debate what they found in their research about sharks and other sea creatures.
In class now, the students are beginning to use the tablets to research their science projects, which is a written essay of their chosen animal of the deciduous forest. By researching the Great White Shark together using the tablets, I am confident that my students can complete this task confidently and successfully.
I have seen my students grow academically to become inquisitive and thoughtful learners. My ESL students, who were nervous to speak and share, became some of my most outspoken students. I believe that my students will leave 4th grade with an interest in learning and exploring because of the resource you have provided to our class with your donations. Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of my classroom and my school. The 4th grade was a better year because of you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Vaughan
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 4 other donors.