Past projects 23
Handwriting Without Tears
Funded Jan 22, 2018Thank you so much for your generous donation of Handwriting Without Tears materials to our classroom. We have been using the materials everyday in centers and in small group lessons. The children are really improving in their letter writing and drawing abilities. They really love making letters with play dough and using the see and stamp screens to print letters. We have also noticed that they are drawing detailed pictures of people thanks to Mat Man. One of our favorite things about the program are all the fun songs especially There's A Dog in The School!
There is nothing more exciting then getting that big box from Donor's Choose filled with fun new classroom supplies! The children were overjoyed when they saw all of the new materials. They were already familiar with Mat Man so the storybooks were the first things we read. When the parents came at pick-up all of the children ran to them to tell them what we received.
Going forward we will continue to study the alphabet using Handwriting Without Tears. Next year I will be able to start the program much earlier and hopefully see greater gains. We are planning on expanding our use of Mat Man to match the thematic units and the holidays. We are also creating Handwriting Without Tears centers for morning work. All of this would not be possible without your help. Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bernhard
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In.Printer Problems
Funded Apr 4, 2017Thank you for being so generous in your donation to our class. I never would have been able to receive such a wonderful product if you had not gotten it for us. Up to this point we did not have a printer in our class and all work that involved printing had to be done at home after school hours.
I did not realize how much easier things would be until we began using the printer. Reports that we need to generate to assess the students are easy to produce, displays for bulletin boards can now be typed so they look more polished, and communication to parents has increased due to the ability to quickly type and print out a letter or notice to send home as soon as it is needed. Another benefit of the machine is that it prints in color, which is a rarity in a public school. I can now print out pictures of the students as well as colorful eye-catching activities for the children to do in class. The printer also includes a copier which makes it easier to quickly get an additional handout when we are short a copy, or to reproduce an activity that a colleague is interested in sharing.
Thank you again for giving our class such a wonderful gift. Things that many people take for granted at their jobs are luxuries in most public schools.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bernhard
Future Picassos
Funded Apr 4, 2017Thank you so much for your gift. We are so grateful to you for giving us the supplies necessary to engage in painting activities. Before receiving your donation we had just run out of several colors of paint since we had not received any supplies since the last school year. We were also able to replace our old broken brushes and paint cups and to replace our small paper with easel sized paper.
We have used the materials you gave us primarily to paint at the easel. Our last unit was plants, so we studied famous works of art like Monet's Water Lilies, Van Gogh's Sunflowers and various paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe. The children used those works of art as inspiration for their own paintings.
Words can not express how thankful we feel for your generous donation to our class. The arts are such an important part of a child's education and we are go glad that we can expose our children to a rich art curriculum.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bernhard
Bringing Art Alive Through Mixed Media
Funded Apr 4, 2017Thank you so much for your generous donation! The children were so excited when the materials arrived, they quickly helped unpack them and put the items in our art center. Many of the kids went straight to work experimenting with the art tape and the various collage materials. Something as simple as glue even had a huge impact since we had none left.
One project that we really enjoyed doing was creating a "tree." During our plants unit we read Tap, Tap, The Magic Tree and The Lorax both or which are about special trees. We decided to create our own 3D tree based on the books. We collected sticks and painted them different colors. The next day after the paint dried we added materials such as pom-poms, feathers, and buttons. We put all of the sticks into a vase to create a special tree of our own.
The materials you have provided will enable us to continue our artistic explorations for the remainder of the year and into next year. The children have been visiting the art center everyday to create projects of their own design. We have also shared some of the materials with other classes that do not have the art supplies we now have. Thank you again for allowing us to nurture the children's love of the arts.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bernhard
Puzzles for Pre-K
Funded Nov 29, 2016Thank you so much for the puzzles! Our students were so excited when we received them. They have been playing with them on a daily basis. The puzzles come in a variety of difficulty levels, which has been great for meeting the needs of all of the students. They are also thematic and have increased the children's vocabulary on certain topics.
Going forward we plan on encouraging the children using the easier puzzles to explore the more complex ones so that they can challenge themselves. We can't thank you enough for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bernhard
Help Us Bring Theater to Life
Funded Dec 8, 2016Thank you so much for the puppet theater! My students were so excited when it arrived. The children have been acting out events in the classroom, singing songs. and telling stories with the puppets. They have also been using the chalk board surfaces to practice writing their names and titles for their puppet shows.
Going forward we plan on creating our own puppets and acting out familiar stories as we read them in class, such as The Tree Little Pigs or Pete the Cat. Since the puppet theater can also be turned around and used as a play store, we plan on incorporating that into our dramatic play in upcoming thematic units.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bernhard
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!
Funded Jan 25, 2016Thank you so much for the gym supplies! My students were so excited when they saw all of the wonderful equipment. Up until we received your donation we had no gym equipment, now we have balls and jump ropes and hula hoops to play with. We use them everyday in gym. Not only does our class use the supplies, but we share them with the other seven classes in our center too. Everyone really appreciates your generous donation.
Since the set you gave us contained a variety of materials we have set up stations in the gym. We use the cones to mark the stations that the children can choose from. The children choose where they want to play and can switch stations when they are ready. One of the kids favorite things to do is to play ball with each other. Some children like to play catch, others like to play kickball, and a few like to practice their dribbling skills.
We are starting to play more organized games as well. We use the cones to create obstacle courses or for running races. The parachute and cd is great for warm-up and cool-down exercises. We also organize soccer games with another class, which is one of the kids favorite activities. Thank you again for allowing our children to experience rich, developmentally appropriate, gym activities!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bernhard
Smart Technology for Struggling Students
Funded Apr 16, 2014Thank you so much for donating the suite of interactive learning games to my classroom! The children were so excited when the box came and they saw all of the software. We can use it on our classroom computers and on the smart board. There is calendar software that we use on our smart board every morning. The children especially love dressing the character for the day's weather! I love having a resource that is both fun and educational!
This resource really added a fun element to our lessons. There is a game that teaches us all about plants, which we used during science. I am proud to say that on the final science assessment this year, my students could all draw and label a flower on their own! We also have been enjoying the addition and subtraction games. The common core in kindergarten really focus on addition and subtraction skills, so this came in handy at centers. I like that my struggling students can play on an easier level while my other students can use a more advanced level. One of our favorite activities is the reading game show. We like to play boys against girls!
Thank you again for the generous gift! This is a product I will be able to use with my classes for years to come. My colleagues have also benefited; since there is so much software I was able to share with the other kindergarten teachers as well. This is really a wonderful resource, one I would never have been able to afford myself. You really made a difference in our lives!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bernhard
Bring Art Back to Kindergarten
Funded Apr 26, 2012Thank you so much for your donation of art supplies to our classroom. My students were so excited to see all of the paint and paper and got right to work. We now paint everyday in our classroom. Students paint at the easel as well as in many other projects. We have received so many compliments on the brightly colored paintings hanging up all over our room; and we have you to thank for that! With the current emphasis on testing in the NYC public schools, the arts have really suffered. Early childhood friendly programs have been cut and supplies are very limited due to budget issues. Also, many administrators do not understand the educational value of art in students' lives. Luckily for my students art is still valued at our school. However, without the necessary supplies it can be very difficult to make art a regular part of the school day. Thanks to your generosity and compassion we are lucky enough to express ourselves creatively everyday.
My students and I really appreciate all that you have done for us. The abundance of supplies you have given will benefit my class next year as well. You really made a difference in our lives.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bernhard
Learning Would Be More Fun If We Had A New Rug!
Funded Nov 8, 2011Thank you so much for the big beautiful new carpet! We were so excited when it first arrived. Everyone was shocked by it's size and bright colors. We sit on it everyday when we are learning. Lot's of times kids choose to sit or lay on the carpet to read books or when we are doing center activities. Nobody feels squished anymore or gets poked or stepped on by accident. My school is about ten years old and none of the carpets have ever been replaced. The original carpets were quite small and are faded and dirty. If it wasn't for your generosity we would still be cramped and uncomfortable on a rug that was way past it's prime. I would never have been able to purchase a carpet for the class on my own. This carpet will not only benefit my current class, but it wall also benefit classes for years to come!
I can't thank you enough or express in words the positive impact this has had on my students. Hopefully in the pictures you will be able to see from the children's smiling faces how happy you have made them. Thomas is lucky to have such a wonderful mom!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bernhard