Past projects 27
Ready, Set, Recess!
Funded Mar 6, 2019We greatly appreciate the recess equipment that we received thanks to your generous donation. My student LOVE to go to recess. They get some exercise and fresh air as they play with their friends. Having the option of using a variety of sports equipment encourages them to try out "new" sports and games that they may not normally play when they go out to play.
My students have been taking very good care of the recess equipment. They take turns being the recess manager and carrying the equipment bag to the schoolyard and back to the classroom. It is very valuable to them because they associate it with fun. Kids deserve to play and have fun. Thanks to you they can!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
This classroom project was brought to life by ESPN and 6 other donors.Snack Break
Funded Apr 2, 2019My students are so grateful to have a variety of snacks to choose from thanks to your generosity. We eat lunch at 10:40 a.m. so my kiddos get hungry by 1:00p.m. Most of them are in after school programs and stay in school past 5:00p.m. It is essential that they have a snack so they won't feel hungry. They need a little pick me up to keep them going for the rest of the day.
We usually eat snack during independent reading which is a perfect time for us because it make reading time even more enjoyable. As you can see from one of the pictures, we have also taken some of the snacks when we went on a class picnic. We have also eaten them as part of class celebrations.
My students have also learned how to read nutrition labels and make wise choices when it comes to selecting snacks. They have shared their snacks with their kindergarten buddies. It is the gift that keeps giving. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
This classroom project was brought to life by The Peterson Family and 3 other donors.A Squeaky Clean Classroom
Funded Dec 13, 2018Thank you for your generous donation to our class. We were able to purchase items to help us keep the classroom clean. That is very important especially during the cold season. Keeping the room squeaky clean will help us stay healthy.
My students have grown to be responsible and clean up after themselves, especially after snack time and after doing hands-on activities that require cutting paper. That have developed good cleaning habits. As a matter of fact, when they visited a kindergarten classroom to help them with an art activity, one of my students asked the teacher for a broom and a mother student went around with the garbage can so they can throw out their scraps. This was done on their own, without any adult asking them to do it. A fourth grader from another class came to our classroom for our after school program and she complimented our room and said, "It's nice that the kids respect the things in the classroom". I always stress that we are a family and we must take care of our classroom because it is our home.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
This classroom project was brought to life by Someone Who Cares and 6 other donors.Time for Read Aloud!
Funded Oct 26, 2018Thank you for the donation that helped us get new books for our classroom library. The children have read the books and liked them so much that they shared them with their book buddies from kindergarten. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
Most of the books that we ordered are picture books because they are the best to read aloud to a whole group. When a group reads a story together, it gives them the opportunity to engage in real book talk. Fourth graders make connections to the story, they analyze the characters, draw conclusions and ask many questions. I actually have a sign on my teacher desk that states, "Ask More Questions". Our favorite word is "Why?" We are practicing accountable talk on a daily basis in all of our lessons.
One of our favorites books that we got from your generous donation is "Ida Always". It is about two polar bears that lived in the Central Park Zoo. They were best friends until the day that one of them, Ida passed away. The children were able to discuss a social issue that they would normally not feel comfortable talking about. We spoke about how good books can evoke feelings in us. I shared with them that my favorites books are the ones that either make me laugh, make me cry or teach me something. We are all lifelong learners.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 5 other donors.Girl Power: Coding for Girls
Funded Jun 10, 2018As part of the my Girls Empowerment Movement club in school, my students are learning to code. This initiative started as a Girls Club activity but my boys also wanted to try coding so it is open to all. The students are mesmerized by the STEAM toys. All children love to play. When they get the opportunity to learn something new as they play, they truly enjoy it. Playtime becomes a teachable moment which makes everyone smile.
My fourth graders are learning to code now. When they become experts with the STEAM toys, such as moving the "SmartGurlz" scooter and the Sphero around the room, they will then teach the younger students in the school how to do it. We are going to share the gifts you gave us and spread kindness around. Thank you for your donations!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
Let's Print!
Funded Mar 27, 2018We are so grateful for your donation that allowed us to purchase the ink for our classroom printer. Now we are able to neatly publish our writing. We type our written pieces on the laptops and just click print. We walk over to the printer, pick up our published work and post it on the bulletin board. It's great!
We also use the printer to print labels for bulletin boards and baskets. Sometimes when we need just one or two copies of something, the children know they can use the printer to make a quick copy. So, as you can imagine, we use a lot of ink. Your gift was a true blessing for us.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and one other donor.Girl Power!
Funded Apr 26, 2018Our Girl Power book basket is one of the most popular baskets in the classroom. The girls LOVE it and the boys are intrigued by it. They are reading about strong female fictional characters and about real life powerful women. The kiddos called the books, "inspiring".
When the kids go book shopping in class, they are drawn to the Girl Power book basket. As a teacher, I love to listen in as the children comment on the books and give each other recommendations. I believe that this generation is ready to change the world and they are preparing themselves for it by learning from women who have already moved mountains to pave the way for a better world for ALL.
During independent reading time, my students find a Smart Spot to sit in the classroom and cozy up with a good book. I am very proud of how quietly they can read for 30 minutes. When the timer rings, there is always a few students ready to come show me their favorite part of the book. One little girl said, "Ms. Gonzalez, I didn't realize there were so many famous women in sports". Thanks to your generous donation, my students are being enlightened.
Thanks to the Girl Power movement, I now have to dress up as Wonder Women this Halloween! LOL!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
A Comfy Classroom
Funded Jan 18, 2018The children absolutely love the classroom rugs and the flexible seating. We used the crates and fabric to create the flexible seating. Fortunately, my dad helped out by cutting the wood needed to make the seating sturdy. Thanks to your generosity, we now have space to spread out in the classroom. There are 32 students in our class and it was feeling cramped. Now we are more comfortable. The children especially enjoy sitting on the carpet during morning meeting and during independent reading. They also volunteer to tidy the area because they want to keep it neat. Our principal loves the way it looks and how it is used.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
Time for Kids
Funded Sep 5, 2017My fourth graders look forward to receiving the Time For Kids magazines each week. They enjoy reading them because it is filled with current events that they can actually relate to and written in a kid-friendly format that they can comprehend. We are using them to work on our nonfiction text based skills such as, identifying the main idea and summarizing.
The students prefer reading the Time For Kids over our expeditionary learning text because the articles are short and sweet, yet they contain just enough vocabulary words to challenge their thinking skills. We read the feature article together and discuss it as a whole group. The children then read the other articles independently and discuss them with a reading buddy.
One particular article that really hit home was the one on Hurricane Maria and its impact on Puerto Rico. Some of the students and myself have family in Puerto Rico. A couple of weeks later, we welcomed a new student. He came from Puerto Rico. My students had the background information needed to empathize with our new member of our class.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 4 other donors.Snack Break!
Funded Sep 18, 2017My students' favorite time of the day is Independent Reading time because that's when they can have their healthy snacks. They share with each other. They learned how to distinguish between a healthy snack and a not so healthy snack. I notice that they now take the time to read food labels. When they finish, they clean up after themselves. The Brita water pitcher promotes hydration. We have two monitors in charge of filling it up and taking care of it.
Snack time is necessary for us because our day starts at 8:00 a.m. and our lunch period is at 12:35 p.m. therefore we need to refuel our bodies with a little nourishment so our tummies won't growl. Some of my students come from low income homes and can't afford to buy snacks. The snacks were a blessing and greatly appreciated.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
This classroom project was brought to life by Life Essentials Supporters and 5 other donors.