Past projects 7
More Independence and Pride for the Upcoming School Year!
Funded May 1, 2024I know that you have probably heard that "a little goes a long way," but it is certainly the truth when it comes to any contribution, big or small, to my classroom! Each material from this project has promoted a level of independence from each students in my class.
Most of the students are learning the "first... then..." method where they gain an understanding of having to product work first before they can receive a reward of their choice. My students are creative artists and using the Lakeshore Magic Board not only provides them the opportunity to draw (without us having to worry about cleaning up messes or students writing on tables and walls), but more importantly allows them to practice the "first.. then.." strategy!
The jacket hook has been such a tremendous help to the efficiency and independence of my students. They have successfully woven it into their arrival routines. Students know to either take-off and hang or take their jackets from the hook if they are feeling cold in the classroom. It has come in handy especially as the weather changes throughout the day and our classroom has stayed cool. More importantly, it has been easier to keep track of students' belonging, decreasing the amount that their jackets get misplaced or lost.
Thank you all again for your generous contribution. I hope that you continue to support my passion in helping all of my students become the best version of themselves!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. San Jose Kelly
Teamwork to Make the Classroom Environment Dream Work!
Funded Aug 3, 2023My students, aides, and I would like to sincerely thank you for the generous contribution you have made to our classroom. Each year, I always try to make improvements to provide my students with the best academic experience that they deserve. Our classroom environment is a big part of that, especially since our room become their second home. The backpack cart, AV cart, and vacuum has made such a positive impact as soon as it arrived at school.
Once the packages were delivered into our classroom, all of the students were mesmerized and curious to see what they could be. My aides and I installed the materials and my students immediately saw them as we were setting it up. Many staff and even my administration were very impressed with the backpack cart. They even highlighted that I am the only one in the entire school that has it. Our morning and dismissal routines became more streamlined and smooth since the backpack cart arrived. Students were able to improve their independence skills in a short amount of time. It also gave them ownership of the classroom!
The AV cart has made teaching and projecting the lessons onto the board effectively, and the vacuum came right on time! Unfortunately, our school budget cut resulted in one less custodian. With students eating their breakfast in the classroom, my aides and I now include vacuuming and mopping after school into our daily to-do list since the only thing that the custodian can do each day is throw out the trash from every classroom.
These three items have made such a huge impact in our daily routines. Again, thank you very much for your contribution: in our classroom and in my current students' futures, and beyond.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. San Jose Kelly
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 13 other donors.Far Beyond Printing
Funded Aug 31, 2020Due to my students' cognitive, physical, and communication skills, we heavily rely on visuals for each subject and activity so that they can access our already modified curriculum. In order for students to have visuals, we depend on a printer to provide them with the materials they need to complete their learning tasks.
In addition, it is also important for our students to make real-life connections and applications whenever possible. Not only do we need a printer to provide these opportunities, we also need images in color to maximize these learning experiences.
As students learn from home during this time, parents face converting the spaces they have at home for their children to have a designated "classroom." They also face providing the materials that teachers usually provide. Not all of my families have their own printer. With this donation, I am able to print materials for parents so that they can pick them up from our school and have them prepared for their child.
Our new learning setting opens new challenges and adversities for many to adjust to and overcome. This printer goes far beyond printing-- it provides our students the opportunities they deserve to maximize their learning regardless of setting or environment, and provides our families with one less thing they have to worry about.
Thank you all for your generous contribution, and for providing me with the opportunity to continue to teach with equity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. San Jose Kelly
Classroom Essentials For A Safe Return
Funded Jul 28, 2020For many teachers (like myself), summer is a time to recharge, enjoy the weather, and celebrate completing another school year. This past summer's been different than most. I found myself often in the "gray area" of trying to determine if I should start school shopping or prepping for the next school year, or hold off and wait for our district to announce if we would be remote learning or not.
I teach in one of the largest school districts in the country that initially made their announcement of having a hybrid learning. As a special education teacher with a cluster classroom, we were one of the classrooms that had to attend in-person every day. In a panic, I sought out to Donor's Choose and our generous donors to help provide my students and their families the supplies and protective equipment they need so that we could be at school as safely as possible.
Although the school district reversed their decision to remote learning several weeks after (and gratefully so), the supplies provided by our generous donors alleviated many concerns and safety risks our parents would have had to take by having to go school supply shopping. I wish you all saw our parents' faces showing their sighs of relieve when they picked up all the supplies and materials their children needed to be ready for the first day of school. Because of your generosity, my families were all able to attend the first day of remote learning and establish a solid routine since Day 1. In addition, the cleaning supplies have been used to sanitize the classroom every time I am at school to teach. Knowing that we will eventually go back to school, the masks are also already in the classroom, waiting for our students and assistants so that when we return, we can do so in a safely manner.
I cannot thank you all enough for your donations, especially during an unprecedented time. As I continue to teach with equity as the forefront of my philosophy, I am hopeful that my students will be able to succeed and receive the opportunities they deserve, knowing that there are people like you who support them.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. San Jose Kelly
We Want to "Catch-Up," But More Importantly "Move-Up!"
Funded Mar 18, 2019First and foremost, I would like to sincerely thank each and every one of you for your contribution in fulfilling this project. You embody the definition of, "it takes a village to raise a child."
This past August, I was able to attend the week-long intensive and comprehensive, IMSE's Orton-Gillingham training. This training provided me with an in-depth understanding of their methodology. It focused on phonological awareness and phonics, along with encoding and decoding. In addition, I also learned how to effectively teach fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension using the curriculum's philosophy of multi-sensory, sequential, and direct instruction.
What's great about this curriculum is the flexibility that it offers. I am able to use it by itself, or integrate it with the current reading curriculum that we are implementing in the classroom. As a Special Education teacher, I am able to use Orton-Gillingham as a supplement to help reinforce reading skills, or as intensive instruction for students to gain foundational reading skills they need to be successful life-long learners.
I am so excited and thrilled to use Orton-Gillingham to help my students become even better readers. Again, thank you all very much for helping me learn and become a better teacher for our future generation.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. San Jose Kelly
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 20 other donors.Adding Color to Our School Year with Printer Ink!
Funded Sep 12, 2018First and foremost, thank you very much for helping improve our students' quality of education by funding our project. Many may think that printer ink is such a "small" necessity, but in the grand scheme of our roles as educators, it makes a huge impact in our students' learning experiences.
Because of your help, my co-teachers and I are able to efficiently prepare materials for our students, especially when last-minute activities are needed in order to supplement their learning. We do not have the flexibility to run out to the copy room to print or make copies aside from our lunch breaks, prep period, and before/ after school, which are often spent working as well. Therefore, the ability to print from our classroom (because of the printer inks you have provided us with) not only saves us time, but more importantly optimizes our students' learning.
The students are very excited that they have the option to print in color as well! It is no secret that educators often face budgetary cuts, so having the privilege to choose to print in color or black and white holds a lot of meaning for them. They have been excited to see colored pictures in their graphic organizers, and are thrilled when they cut and paste pictures in color while working on projects and activities!
Again, thank you very much for your support. Our students, colleagues, and community appreciate each and every one of you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. San Jose Kelly
Choose Your "Good Fit" Area: Rug for Diverse Learners
Funded Sep 16, 2018On behalf of my colleagues and students, we sincerely thank you all for your generosity. It is no surprise that classroom materials can be costly. Having another classroom rug has allowed our students with another opportunity to choose flexible seating throughout the day. With this option, students are able to get up from their seats and go to the rug for whole and small group lessons, partner work, or simply have another place to work independently.
The students were so excited when they saw that we had another rug in the classroom. They were even more excited that the rug showed images of people from around the world, serving as true representation of the diverse population in our class and school. Students have used the rug during read-to-self, read-with-a-partner, small group math lessons with me, math practice activities, to name a few examples. They have also used it as a resource during Social Studies since the rug shows a map of the world!
The rug has been most beneficial during our math workshops. In our current math workshops, students are in two groups. Those who work with the teacher on a lesson are on the other rug, while the other group of students who are working independently or together are on the rug that you have kindly donated to us. The addition of this rug has allowed for smoother differentiated lessons, and overall positive impact in the everyday learning of the students in our class.
Again, we could not thank you enough for your support!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. San Jose Kelly
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.