Past projects 91
Books That Are Interesting and Understandable!
Funded Jan 23, 2023Thank you sooo much for your generous donation of high-interest low-level books for my seventh grade students.
Three times each week i teach an independent reading class with a group of students. They have been reluctant to read for sustained periods of time. I was familiar with Orca publishing which makes books for teens that are interesting, yet are on a reading level that they can understand.
I sat with each student in my group and had them select specific books from the website that they found interesting. Since the books have arrived, my students have been engaged in the independent reading sessions.
Your donation will help improve their reading levels and this will improve their scores on the state reading exam coming up soon.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shapiro
Brrr! It's Cold Outside!
Funded Jan 20, 2023Thank you so much for your very generous donation of warm winter coats for my students in the South Bronx.
In the Northeast winter time can be very cold especially in January through February. Despite the cold temperatures, many of my students come to school in the mornings without a winter coat.
Your donation has helped our families as well. The community that I work with often struggle financially and unfortunately this can mean that only essentials are purchased for the family. I have received calls from parents thanking me for the coats provided to their child and hugs from the students themselves.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shapiro
Help Me! I'm "Hangry"!
Funded Dec 15, 2022Thank you so much for your generous donation of snacks for my "hangry" students!
Students come to my office all day for various reasons. Now I have snacks to offer my students when they come in hungry either from missing breakfast in the morning, skipping lunch because they didn't like the options offered at the cafeteria, or they energy has dropped in the afternoon.
These snacks help keep them balanced emotionally and focused academically. Sometimes the problem when they come into my office angry is simply because they haven't eaten and they are "hangry". A quick snack helps them calm down and become able to express what is bothering them in a productive manner.
Before lunchtime, I have a line of students waiting for snacks and it gives me the opportunity to check in on them emotionally and makes them feel cared for on avery basic level.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shapiro
This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 12 other donors.Shhh...I'm Working
Funded Dec 9, 2022Thank you so much for your generous donation of noise canceling earphones to my students to use during independent work to help them concentrate on their learning.
The earphones arrived today and we have already put them to use. Today we had an independent reading session where in the past many of my students are off task due to disruptions around the room.
I handed out the earphones to a few of my students who are typically talking and not focused on their independent reading books. The classroom was much more focused today and there were less disruptions.
I attribute the positive climate in the classroom today to the addition of your donation of noise canceling earphones which kept more students focused.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shapiro
Somatic Experience Therapy Certification Training
Funded Sep 29, 2022Thank you so much for your generous donation of a professional development course to further my education to heal my students from traumatic situations they have experienced.
The course i took was the first in a series to become a Somatic Experience Practitioner. During the course I learned how to guide my students to become aware of how their body felt during their time of trauma. The whole premise of the Somatic Experience modality is that during a traumatic situation our body goes into the fight, flight, or freeze mode. Working through the given mode with a practitioner when the threat is over can help the individual process the trauma and heal from it.
Your donation will help countless numbers of students for years to come heal from trauma.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shapiro
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Classroom Supporter.Jotting in Our Journals
Funded Sep 29, 2022Thank you so much for your generous donation of composition notebooks for my South Bronx middle schoolers to use in my Social Emotional Learning class.
Getting in touch with one's emotions takes practice and I feel honored to be able to help my students begin this journey at a young and important developmental age.My students are entering puberty and have begun to gain more independence in their lives.
Managing their emotions during this new stage of development can be a challenge. I always aim to offer my students a variety of healthy modalities to express their emotions.
We begin each Social Emotional Learning class with ten minutes of journal writing that is kept private. It has become an activity that my students look forward to.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shapiro
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 3 other donors.Snacks for Hangry Students
Funded Sep 29, 2022Thank you so much for your very generous donation of snacks for my South Bronx middle school students.
Each day my students come into my counseling suite complaining of hunger, needing a tangible reward for good behavior, or an energy boost to regulate their emotions or to regain focus academically.
When I open the snack bin filled with the snacks from your donation, the students affect changes immediately. They are instantly uplifted! While they are choosing a snack, it gives me the opportunity to check in with them emotionally.
Your donation makes a difference for my students each day and the feeling that they are being cared for will last a lifetime.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shapiro
This classroom project was brought to life by The Peterson Family and 3 other donors.Deodorant for Sweaty Situations
Funded Jul 15, 2022Thank you for your generous donation of deodorants for my South Bronx middle school students.
As my students are entering puberty. their bodies are changing. This comes with new responsibilities regarding personal hygiene. Many of my students are not receiving these important personal hygiene lessons at home. As a result, teaching budding teenagers about their changing bodies and how to care for themselves.
After gym and recess are particularly difficult because my students sweat and may not have used deodorant in their house before coming to school. This obviously causes them to have bad body order and can embarass them as their peers make comments that they "stink".
Now that we have deodorant in my counseling suite, thanks to your donation, these embaressing situations for these students have been minimized.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shapiro
Sunshine and Sketching!
Funded Sep 29, 2022Thank you so much for your generous donation to my student.
This student-artist has so much creativity. I met her in her sixth grade school year and was amazed by her artwork.
She was housed in a shelter and her family's finances were very limited. This meant that she had to make do with the bare minimum for art supplies. Her work was done in a plain sketch book and all her drawings were done in pencil.
One day I was talking to her about one of her detailed drawings. There was no color. I asked her why it was drawn without color and she replied, "because I only have a pencil ". I knew I had to somehow provide her with proper art supplies.
Attached you will see the new artwork she created with the supplies from your donation.
In her words, "The new art supplies have changed my life for the better and helped me add color to my artwork. I love how smooth the paint is on the paper. "”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shapiro
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Classroom Supporter.Beep! Beep! Beep! Time to Wake Up!
Funded Sep 21, 2022Thank you so much for your generous donation of digital radio alarm clocks to my South Bronx middle schoolers.
Several of my students arrive late to school on a daily basis. For my seventh grade students this is especially problematic because their perspective high schools look at the lateness's from their seventh grade year.
The alarm clocks you have donated have been instrumental in ensuring that these late comers arrive on time. I have preset the alarm clocks to a time that allows each student to complete their morning routine and arrive on time to school.
It has been a bonding experience when we set the radio station together, as I learned their individual taste in music.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shapiro
This classroom project was brought to life by LOFT.