Past projects 13
Get the Glaze On!
Funded Jan 11, 2020Thank you for your generous donation to our ceramics project. My budget for art supplies was cut in half this year, which was a great shock and disappointment. Without your donation, we could not continue with our ceramics program. The students will be thrilled to receive these glazes to finish their plates and jugs!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
Slot-A-Shape Builders Create!
Funded Apr 4, 2019Thank you for donating to my Slot-a-Shape project! When I first introduced my PreK class to this product, I demonstrated how to fit the shapes together and said, "Now show me what you can make with these!"
My students showed me what imaginative, enthusiastic, self-directed builders they are. Working alone or sometimes working in teams of two or more, students engage in imaginative play as they create rocket ships, snakes, dinosaurs, hats crowns, necklaces, motorcycles, airplanes and more.
My students are also learning to recognize shapes, which will have a positive impact on their ability to recognize numbers and letter and to read. We are only a few weeks into the school year, but already, most students recognize all the Slot-a-Shape shapes and proudly announce the name of the shape they are holding: triangle, square, rectangle, oval, circle or pentagon! Thank you again for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 2 other donors.Let's Get Organized!
Funded Mar 1, 2019Thank you for this terrific organizer for my art classroom. Clean up at the end of class moves quickly as student-captains are assigned to collect tools and supplies and put them away in our new organizer / storage unit. The task gives students ownership of their classroom and encourages everyone to pitch in. Students refill tape dispensers and staplers on their own and remind each other to put supplies away when they are through using something.
Art rooms can often be a hectic place at clean-up time and supplies can easily be misplaced but thanks to your generous donation, clean-up goes smoothly and we know exactly where our supplies are at all times!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 3 other donors.Art Packs for Homework Tonight!
Funded Feb 16, 2018Thank-you for your generous support. Many of my students do not own their own art supplies and art books but because of your commitment to art education they will have the same opportunity to develop their artistic capabilities as students in higher income districts. I look forward to sending my student artists home with the new art packs!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
Help Students Get a Better View
Funded Aug 25, 2016Thank-you so much for our new document camera! It has made it so easy for students to see my demonstrations of artmaking techniques from anywhere in the classroom. As I model each step, the document camera projects the images onto our smartboard. Even from the back row, students are able to see the demo as well as they would from a front row seat! The document camera also enables me to record a demonstration which I play back on the smartboard as I circulate around the room. Now I am literally in two places at once!
One of the most exciting activities for the students is to show their own work to the class by placing it under the document camera and projecting it up on the smartboard. Students talk about their projects and answer questions as classmates eagerly await their own turn to exhibit.
An unexpected bonus with our new document camera has been for my PreK students. Every PreK art lesson incorporates a story about an artist or other art-related topic. Previously I would read a few lines, then hold the book up for the children to see the illustrations. Now I place the book under the document camera where the entire page is enlarged for everyone to see and follow along as I read to them.
I am sure as time goes on, we will discover many more ways to enhance our students' learning with your wonderful gift!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Mud, Sweat, and Tiers
Funded May 1, 2016Before September of this school year, my students had never had any experience working with ceramics. Everything was new to them; the clay and glazes, the processes, the techniques, and especially the final product.
I am writing this letter in mid-January as my art classes' glazed ceramic pieces are emerging from the kiln. The shiny glass-like finish the glazes give their ceramic "fish" shaped plates, soap dishes and pinch pots amazes and delights the students. They are absolutely bursting with pride as they show their classmates and other teachers what they have made.
The shelving unit you donated keeps things organized near the kiln by holding the kiln accessories and ready-to-be-fired pieces conveniently at hand. Thanks to your generosity, we have been able to build a well-equipped, well-stocked, sequential ceramics arts program where students can learn and grow as artists for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
Bats and Wheels
Funded Mar 29, 2016Thank-you for your generous donation of handled bats and decorating wheels! We started working with clay in September and students are now in the final stages of completing their first projects. The bats were used first. As students shaped their clay pots or dishes they used the bats as a base. At the end of each fifty-minute art class, students would wrap their clay artworks and bats in plastic wrap and place them on a shelf until the next art class. Later, after the clay pieces are bisque fired, students apply glazes with a paintbrush or small sponge. The banding wheel allows students to turn the piece and glaze all sides without touching the wet glaze.
As our first projects are reaching completion, students are anxious to start another ceramics project. Surprisingly, most students want to make another project like their first one - now that they know what clay can do (and cannot do). "I want to make another one of these! I know I can do a much better job this time." It is satisfying and inspiring to see the students so full of enthusiasm for making art!
Thanks to your generosity, we have been able to build a well-equipped, well-stocked, sequential ceramics program where students can learn and grow as artists for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
Ceramics Cart for Clay
Funded Mar 23, 2016Words are inadequate to convey what a huge impact your donation has had on our students. Your gift of the cart, textured rollers and letter stamps enabled us to launch our new ceramic program this September well-equipped and in style! My first grade students are presently completing their first project, a textured soap dish. They are definitely my most vocal and enthusiastic artists; when their classroom teacher announces that it's time to go to the ceramics room, their cheers echo up and down the halls! Students work in pairs to add texture to their clay projects. Watching them use the rollers and stamps with determination and focus has brought me unexpected satisfaction as their teacher.
The cart is worth its weight in gold! It's three shelves allow me to store hundreds of students' clay pieces while they dry. Then I easily transport everything to the kiln for firing. I cannot imaging transporting and handling all these ceramic projects without your wonderful gift!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
Tools for our Ceramics Program
Funded Mar 14, 2016Words are inadequate to convey what a huge impact your donation has had on our students. Your gift of the canvas covered boards and sculpting tools enabled us to launch our new ceramics program this September, well-equipped and in style!
Your gift of sculpting tools allows students to add unique and varied textures to their clay pieces. The canvas covered boards you donated, give each artist a portable work surface for their clay artwork. Before being fired in the kiln, clay projects are extremely fragile. When art class is over, a project on the canvas covered board can be safely moved to a shelf until the next class or until the project is fired in the kiln.
My third grade students are presently completing their first project, a textured fish-shaped dish, and the question everyone is asking is, "What are we going to make next?" Working with clay has brought out the artist in every student!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
This classroom project was brought to life by #BestSchoolDay and one other donor.Rolling Out Our Ceramics Program!
Funded Mar 14, 2016When my class first saw the rolling pins they were amazed at their size and weight. The rolling pins were passed among the students - everyone was excited to learn how they would use these new tools to make ceramics.
Students found it challenging at first to use the rolling pin and slabbing sticks at the same time, but they were able to master the technique working in teams of two. As one student rolled out a piece of clay, his/her partner kept the slabbing sticks in place to control the thickness of the slab. Third graders cut a fish-shape from their clay slab; first graders cut a circular shape and made a soap dish. Fourth and fifth graders cut small shapes to embellish their pinch pots.
We have been using your generous gift since September and every art student has had a chance to use the rolling pins. Thanks to your kindness our students are well-equipped and will continue to learn and grow as artists for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
This classroom project was brought to life by #BestSchoolDay and one other donor.