Past projects 6
What's the Latest Word?
Funded Dec 30, 2013I would like to thank each and every one of you for your contribution to our classroom. With your generous gifts, I believe you have elicited the next generation of teachers in my classroom. It is a great sight to see that as they use the resources, they, too, become teachers in my classroom.
I begin with the picture dictionaries. My bilingual students have begun to write more because they feel comfortable using the dictionaries to find the spelling of words they do not know how to say or spell. They look through them to learn how to say new words, and as a result, their language skills are developing.
The magnetic letters have been a great way for me to introduce spelling words because they reduce the levels of frustration. It is so much easier to move a magnet that is in the wrong place than to erase a word that is spelled completely wrong.
Thank you for giving my students the confidence they need to be successful learners.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Signorile
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Funded Dec 17, 2013Thank you so much for your generous donation. Learning to read has never been more fun in our classroom. "Is it my turn to go to the listening center?" is the most common phrase heard in the classroom now. Your gift is the motivating factor that was needed in our classroom since the Common Core Curriculum has been implemented.
My students use a rotation system so that they can all benefit from your gift. It was a wonderful moment the other day when I heard two students talking about one of the books and both of them realizing they had the same favorite book. So, one student turned to the other and said, "What would you have done if you were Corduroy?" It pulled them into a quick conversation, but it was an amazing thing to hear especially since both student have language processing delays.
Once again, it is because of your gift that teaching and learning can be fun again.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Signorile
The Printing Press
Funded Dec 31, 2012My letter to you begins with a question: "What did we do before technology?" Times have surely changed, and thanks to your kind donation, so has learning in my classroom.
Because of your kind donation, my students with special needs were able to really visualize what we studied this year. They were able to print out pictures of what we were studying and take them home to show parents . They were able to enhance research papers with visuals. They loved that they could type up their projects and make them look like "college" work. They really learned to take pride in their work.
Also, as a side note, I was able to print out worksheets for them in color. This made a big difference when it came to studying fractions and other topics that are really learned through color. Your gift to us was truly a blessing.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Signorile
This classroom project was brought to life by Epson and one other donor.Building More Than Legos
Funded Dec 31, 2012Thank you for your generous Legos donation. Your donation has had such a great impact on developing social skills in my classroom. Here are just a few examples of the ways in which your donation has changed my students:
I have a student in my class who is repeating third grade. He was very upset at the beginning of the year to see that he was placed in a special education class with students who are physically handicapped. He refused any interaction with them at the beginning of the year both inside and outside the classroom. He can now be seen playing Legos with them inside the classroom and helping them build things because their physical handicaps prevent them from doing these things independently. Also, he can also be seen outside of the classroom pushing them in their wheelchairs at recess. So, thank you for helping him grow as an individual.
I have a student in my class with Autism. He loves trains. However, he has difficulty initiating interaction with his classmates. When we pull out the Legos, he makes train tracks and invites the other students to build the train and tracks with him. You can hear him giving instructions to them. Lego time is the only time he interacts with them. So thank you again from the bottom of my heart.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Signorile
Building Better Readers and Writers
Funded Dec 31, 2012Thank you so much for the books we needed to make us better readers and writers. Through the use of the books you gave us, we were able to develop our confidence as both readers and writers. The reading books allowed us to strengthen comprehension skills for books that are above our reading levels. I was able to read the students text above their reading levels and have them complete activities using the books you provided to help us better understand these texts, therefore, expanding their knowledge as readers. This in turn expanded their confidence to participate in class discussions.
The writing journals were the students' favorite book. They liked that they were able to write down words that they had trouble spelling and always refer back to them. This cut down the amount of time they struggled with writing. They even asked if they could take the books with them to 4th grade. They were happy to hear they could.
I have to say the greatest asset of these books is that they invoked so much pride in student work. The students were constantly writing so neatly and improving handwriting skills because they were taking such great pride in their work. Thank you for building reading, writing, and confidence in my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Signorile
Learning Through Listening
Funded Dec 23, 2011Words cannot express the gratitude I have for what you all have done to assist in my students' educational needs. I wish you could have been there to see the joy on their faces when each one was given their own Ziploc bag containing a portable CD player and a copy of the audio book Stuart Little. Your generosity made for great book club discussions in our classroom.
Because of your kindness, my students were able to participate in grade level discussions pertaining to the Fantasy genre. Each evening, the students would go home and listen to a chapter on their portable CD players. When they arrived the following morning, the first thing they all would say as they walked through the door was, "I was responsible. I brought my CD player back." Then as they unpacked, I would hear them have discussions about what happened in the book and relate it to their knowledge of fantasy writing. It was wonderful.
I thank you again for your kind donation. We will continue to use these portable CD players as we study more literary genres through book clubs this year. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Signorile
This classroom project was brought to life by Barclays Capital and 4 other donors.