Past projects 30
Wiggly Whoo-hoo!
Funded Jun 23, 2025Ahhhhhhh! I'm so excited! What a delightful way to start the morning on this sweltering day in Oklahoma! I currently only have a couple of wiggle stools and the students are always vying for a chance to use them - they love them. Now more children will benefit from this useful engagement tool! Thank you so much for helping me provide something for my students that I would not be able to afford on my own.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rhodes
Wiggly Whoo-Hoo!
Funded Feb 12, 2025Such an exciting arrival! We unboxed the shipment with a ceremonious drum roll and each item was met with joyous cheers! These innovative stools are sturdy, yet simultaneously "wobbly" - allowing students to sway as they sit. This feature stems from research showing that when we engage students' whole bodies, their minds follow. The stools will serve as a seating option at a kidney-shaped table. Having control over your environment does wonders for one's subconscious sense of safety. Flexible seating gives students choice and control. These resources are ideal for students with ADHD. However, ALL students can benefit from the stools. I'm sure even adults would love them too! Thanks again for sharing your love of learning, reading, and children with me! We are honored that you chose us to receive your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rhodes
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 2 other donors.Crucial Calculators
Funded Jun 27, 2023Part of my role is to facilitate testing schedules, compliance, and student accommodations. Several of our elementary students receive support via a calculator for large computations and checking answers. Our current supply of calculators was barely functional. They were several years old and often tossed in the trash rather than paying to repair them. This grant has helped out students with accommodations feel a sense of pride in their materials, and consequently in their abilities. Thank you for contributing to this essential project!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rhodes
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Supporter and 2 other donors.Standards-Based Intervention
Funded Nov 7, 2022Such an exciting arrival! We unboxed the shipment with a ceremonious drum roll and each item was met with joyous cheers! I quickly organized and shelved the standards-based kits. It was only a matter of days before units were pulled off the shelves by my team of interventionalists. Thank you for supplying such high-interest texts for my students.
Spring is the season where schools start to get weighed down with state testing stress. These kits will help build students' confidence in their abilities. Thanks again for sharing your love of learning, reading, and children with me! We are honored that you chose us to receive your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rhodes
Safety Patrol Protection
Funded Oct 14, 2019Just as forecasted, in came the rain and cold weather soon after this project was funded! We've already been able to put our umbrellas to use. And the kids just love the neon green hats and gloves. They call them "Billie Eilish Merch" [-andise] because one of their favorite popular musicians always wears that color. 5th graders - ha! Thank you again for supporting us in this way. I greatly appreciate their devoted spirits, but hated putting them outside in the elements. This way they can do their jobs and still have smiles on their faces!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rhodes
This classroom project was brought to life by The Raymond and Bessie Kravis Foundation and one other donor.Publishing Par-tay!
Funded Oct 22, 2018In a digital age, it is easy for students to lose interest in writing with paper and pencil. However, the materials in this project make a big impact! The brightly colored lined paper is enticing, and makes the act of publishing already drafting work enjoyable. The dual tipped colored pencils increase the hues students can use to make their imagination come alive in their illustration. The large magnetic modeling page helps insure formatting conventions and eliminates confusion. Thank you so much for helping to engage my students in the beauty of writing!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rhodes
This classroom project was brought to life by ImpactTulsa and one other donor.Strike While the Iron is HOT
Funded Dec 31, 2017Such an exciting arrival! We unboxed the shipment with a ceremonious drum roll and each book set was met with joyous cheers! I quickly labeled, organized, and shelved the books. It was only a matter of seconds before copies were pulled off the shelves and noses were in books. I laughed and had to recall all the copies so I could take thank you pictures. They were so swift with their interest, that I hadn't even had time to snap a photo! Thank you for supplying such high-interest texts for my students. Spring is the season where schools start to get weighed down with state testing stress. These pieces of literature will be a nice source of escape for the kids. Thanks again for sharing your love of learning, reading, and children with me! We are honored that you chose us to receive your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rhodes
Ancient Is Uh-mazing
Funded Aug 3, 2017The materials have arrived! Happy dance! I unpacked the shipment and let students browse the texts. Already the room is abuzz with excitement for the upcoming nonfiction unit.
I shared your post with the students who would be working on your letters of appreciation. They were super impressed by your connections to archeology. In our little microsystem of life, none of us personally knows anyone with such experience. I delighted in letting them see yet another example of the opportunities and avenues for education that exist beyond their immediate surroundings.
Browsing through the texts, they are all high quality, and engaging in appearance, which is important at this age. Recent fantasy movies like The Lightening Thief have set the stage for interest. Now we will take a step deeper into researching the facts and details behind ancient cultures and communities.
One book we browsed was about women in Egypt. I love that there is a whole book dedicated to information just about women! I can't wait to see what subtopics spark the interest of individual students. Will they be impressed by the weaponry or the buildings? Confused by the government or the clothing? Or intrigued by the religion? This research will be very rewarding for them, and for me as an observer.
Thank you again for your generosity. My teaching goals would not be achievable without support from people like you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rhodes
This classroom project was brought to life by The Raymond & Bessie Kravis Foundation and one other donor.Miraculous Journey Author Study
Funded Aug 8, 2017The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was the first book we read this year in 5th grade, thanks to you! Per curriculum, these students have read other books by Kate DiCamillo in 3rd and 4th grade. Both previous texts were realistic fiction. We wanted to find a way for students to compare and contrast across texts, while not being too repetitive in plot. Enter Edward Tulane! This story was an exciting twist to DiCamillo's usual patterns. This story had multiple characters, settings, and the inner thoughts of a toy rabbit. Fantasy was the perfect change of pace we needed!
Yet, keeping the same author allowed us to see how the same theme can be developed in different ways. We were able to look at three different plots and find commonalities in their themes of death, depression, and divorce, but also friendship, loyalty, and justice. In an interview, DiCamillo said, "Life is both beautiful and brutal" and that she did not want to shield kids from either. At the end of the story, Edward is reunited with his original owner after two decades of separation. It was precious to see some of my boys' eyes water with happiness at the joyous reunion. With this book, students not only learned something about literature, but also life.
Thank you again for your generosity. My teaching goals would not be achievable without support from people like you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rhodes
This classroom project was brought to life by The Raymond & Bessie Kravis Foundation and 2 other donors.Curry & Copeland: Staying Relevant
Funded Aug 5, 2017What an amazing publication! Last week we read a special edition over the Dominican Republic. One of the articles had a 'day in the life' feature of a nine-year-old boy. Prior to reading, I asked the students if they thought his life would be totally different or pretty much the same as our own. They shouted, "Totally different." That misconception is why magazines like TIME for Kids are so important. The articles help broaden students' sheltered perspectives. Of course, I primarily wanted the magazine to teach nonfiction text structure, but really, a more honorable goal is using it to build better citizens and humans. In that same edition, was also a little glossary of Spanish words. I asked students to point at a neighbor and repita por favor, "Estas en la escuela." Having the students speak a little Spanish was a fun way to end the session. I look forward to reading many more editions with them this year! Thank you again for your generosity. My goals wouldn't be achievable without support from people like you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rhodes
This classroom project was brought to life by The Raymond & Bessie Kravis Foundation and one other donor.