Past projects 27
Budding Authors and Illustrators
Funded Aug 30, 2017My fourth graders were motivated to write their personal narratives because they couldn't wait to create their first book using the book binding machine that we received with your generous donation. Each child wrote their story using the writing process. They revised their writing after each lesson. They learned to peer edit their work using a checklist. Then they typed it on the laptops and printed it. Next, they illustrated their story. After they published their work, that's when the magic happened. With my supervision, the publishing team which is made up of four students put the stories together in the binding machine. They also included a table of contents, a beautifully illustrated cover page and a dedication to you, the donors. It reads, "This book is dedicated to our Donors Choose donors who made a generous donation to our class so we could get a book binding machine. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts because now we feel like published authors. This is the first of many anthologies we will write this school year".”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
A Home for Our Books
Funded Aug 1, 2017I arrived extra early to the classroom so I could organize our classroom library in the brand new bookcases. I wanted to surprise my students when they walked in that morning. The old bookcases were in the school building since I was a student there myself and were falling apart. These new bookcases are a major upgrade. I felt like a little kid opening up a gift on Christmas morning. My dad assembled them for me. They fit perfectly under our windows. I categorized the books by genres and placed them in baskets. Then I displayed them in the bookcases.
I welcomed my students into the classroom and I honestly do not know who was more excited about our new classroom library area. They ALL wanted to go "book shopping" and browse through books to select one to read. When I asked who wanted to be the class librarian, all of them raised their hands.
The laptop stand is also a hit! Students come up to the front of the room to show their work under the document camera. It makes them feel like professional learners. It also serves as a podium for when they are sharing their writing with the whole group.
From the bottom of our hearts we THANK YOU!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
We Love Graphic Novels!
Funded May 26, 2017My students were so excited to receive the collection of graphic novels made possible by your generous donation. Graphic novels are appealing to children because they are written in comic-strip format with bright illustrations. Reluctant readers who would normally shy away from a novel such as a Greek myth because they feel overwhelmed by lengthy text will pick up a graphic novel, read it from cover to cover and genuinely enjoy it. We want children to pick up a book and read just for fun sometimes. The more they read, the better their reading skills become.
I encourage my students to choose their own books when they go "book shopping" in our classroom library. They get the opportunity to select books that they like. I notice that the boys are especially drawn to the graphic novels. My English Language Learners also like them because the pictures help them follow the story better and therefore comprehend it.
From the bottom of our hearts, we THANK YOU for this wonderful addition to our library!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
This classroom project was brought to life by TOON Books and one other donor.Let's Print Our Published Pieces
Funded Mar 30, 2017We are so excited to finally have a printer in our classroom thanks to your generous donation. Up to now, if we wanted to print our work we had to send it to the computer lab and pray that the printer was working and had paper in it. Now, all we have to do when we type our work is click print, walk to the printer in our room and Voila! Instant gratification. We work hard on developing our writing pieces and publishing it on the computer makes it look more put together. We are looking forward to displaying our printed work on our bulletin boards.
Another advantage of having a printer in our classroom is that it encourages the students to type. Word processing is a necessary skill in today's academic world. I have a couple of students who are reluctant writers but when given the opportunity to publish their work using the computer and printer, they work harder.
Your donation also provided us with enough ink and paper to last us the rest of the school year. Those two items are like gold in an elementary classroom. We are so grateful!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
This classroom project was brought to life by Aspect Ventures and 3 other donors.Help Make Fourth Grade Fabulous
Funded Mar 30, 2017My students were so excited to receive the awesome classroom supplies and yoga mats. They came just in time for us to start our STEAM projects. The colorful pens and black sharpies helped us add a pop of color to our projects, emphasizing the art component of STEAM. The tape came in handy when we were building some of our simple machine projects. We used our new stapler to put together our lab reports. The clipboards and badges made us feel like real scientists!
The most popular item was definitely the yoga mats which we use as flexible seating. We use them during independent reading. Everyone asks to use them so we set up a rotation schedule. Before, the children would lay on the cold tiled floor in order to try and get comfortable to read a good book. Now they can really get comfy and read for longer periods of time. The more we read, the more we learn.
Because of your generous donation, we received these items which make learning in fourth grade FABULOUS!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
Fun in Fourth
Funded Feb 2, 2017This was the best belated Christmas gift ever for my students. They were so exited to see the gym equipment and board games. Now they can play more games during both outdoor and indoor recess.
We established rules to make sure we take care of our new equipment and games. The students know that they have an allotted time period to play and to put everything away. They also know that they are expected to share and play fairly. We practice good sportsmanship skills and cooperation.
I love to see them having fun and laughing. They tell me that I am the best teacher because I give them time for recess. Truth be told I enjoy watching them play like all children should do. It encourages them to form stronger ties as classmates.
We are very appreciative of your donations. Thank you!!!!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez
Teamwork in Fourth Grade
Funded Jan 29, 2017Thanks to your generosity, my students now have many of the supplies they need to work comfortably in groups. They are currently using the dry erase pouches to practice their basic division facts and to practice the steps in long division. I placed checklists in the binder sleeves so that they can use them over and over with a dry erase marker. This is a good time saver.
By far, the most popular items are the yoga balls which we use for flexible seating. Each group gets to sit on them on day of the week. They get to use them during independent reading, small group work and morning meeting. They absolutely love them! They are excited to get the opportunity to use them instead of being stuck behind a desk for most of the day. When they sit on the floor, they like to use the foam pads for comfort. I have to say, they quickly got into the routine of using flexible seating. I am hoping to acquire some more flexible seating so they can have more options. We are the first class in the school to try flexible seating and hopefully it inspires other teachers to try it as well.
The students are taking on the responsibility of distributing the supplies, using them with with care and putting them away neatly. They love to volunteer to be monitors. They are definitely being proactive.
We thank you again from the bottom of our hearts!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gonzalez