Ms. Towne's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 26

• Lit for AP Lit: A West African-Inspired Fantasy

  Funded Jul 23, 2019

  I am sorry for the delay in posting this letter. I lost track of things in the last year or so, as I am sure you can understand. Reading Children of Blood and Bone was a fantastic novel that many of my students enjoyed reading. We had incredible conversation about the role of a female protagonist in a fantasy novel. Many of my students went on to read the the follow up books in the series.

  Thank you again for helping to bring this incredible set of books to my AP Lit students. They are a set of books that will be used by our teachers for years to come.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Towne

  This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 7 other donors.

• Choice Is Key in AP Lit Book Clubs!

  Funded Sep 1, 2021

  What an incredible experience this has been with my students this year. We began by talking a little about each of the book options they could, as a group, choose to read. After deliberation, they ranked their top three choices and I was able to distribute the books to groups. Over three weeks they planned, read, discussed, debated, read, disagreed, celebrated, and ultimately did deep dives into each of the books they were reading.

  As a teacher, it was exciting to move from group to group and get to listen to the rich, while critical, conversations my AP Literature students were having. While some ultimately decided that they hated the book they picked, we were able to unpack the value of criticality and why it is essential, no matter the content. And truth be told - you don't have to like every book you read and you don't have to like it just because a teacher does.

  Overall this has been an incredible opportunity for me and my students and I can't thank you all enough for your generosity and continued support of my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Towne

• Challenging the Canon in AP Literature

  Funded Aug 7, 2020

  First, thank you. Thank you for being willing to support my students and AP Literature during this crazy year. Through your generous donation, we were able to send books home to all of the students in my class. While digital texts are amazing, there is something about holding a paperback in your hands and my students have shared with me how much they appreciate being able to have copies of the books we are reading this year rather than reading on a screen.

  This year, through the generosity of donors like you, I have been able to bring new voices to the conversation taking shape in our classroom. The stories being told are as varied and nuanced, just like my kids. Representation matters.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Towne

  This classroom project was brought to life by A Generous Donor and 9 other donors.

• Reenvisioning the Canon: Bringing New Voices to AP Literature

  Funded Jul 29, 2020

  First and foremost, thank you. This year, as you know, is unlike any we have experienced before. I have been challenged to find new and innovative ways to connect with students but none of these innovations can replace books and reading, especially in AP Literature. It has taken a long time to get materials to students as most of my kids have been fully remote since the beginning of the school year. I am excited to share that the care packages have made it into all my kid's homes and we are off and running!

  Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is the first book we are diving into this year. Students will be working in small groups that they have created and discussing the weekly reading in break out rooms. They are excited to unpack this incredible book. Later in the year, we will read Colson Whitehead's novel The Nickel Boys.

  In closing, thank you again for your generosity. Have a happy and safe 2021.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Towne

• A Stich in Time: Clothing Design & Construction

  Funded Jul 3, 2019

  We are off to an incredible start this year. As you can see from the photos, students are learning to sew!! As a teacher, it is so exciting to see each of these young people progress over the course of this hand sewing unit.

  We began with a sewing sampler. They are learning to sew a series of stitches each one more difficult than the prior. The stitches are as follows: running stitch, back stitch, whip stitch, catch stitch, and blanket stitch. Then we moved on to buttons, snaps, and hooks and eyes! While they still struggle with tieing knots, they are able to do a nice hemstitch or sew a button to a shirt. Life skills indeed.

  Coming up we will be crocheting using the hooks we were able to get from your generous donation followed by machine sewing in December!

  Thank you again for your generous donations to our class. It is with the help of people like you that make classes like this possible.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Towne

• New Novelists Are Ready to Go to Print!

  Funded Dec 10, 2018

  Well, this grant didn't quite go as I had hoped but with the support of Donor's Choose, we were able to use your generous funds to purchase beautiful writer's notebooks that my Seniors are using in class this spring. As you can see from the photos, they are leather bound notebooks where students are able to capture their daily thoughts and reflections on the topics we are covering in the current unit: storytelling.

  At the beginning of each class, students have a 5-minute write in which they address the prompt of the day. The topics range from brainstorming to stakes- what do you stand to win or lose? Each write challenging my students to think more deeply about the story they are telling, and why we should care! Their stories, each unique, serve as a point of connection bringing them together in space and time on one theme.

  Thank you for your generous donation to our grant. While we did not have copies of our novels printed, we were able to create a writing space that continues to flourish this spring as we share experience and stories with each other.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Towne

• A Space for Curation of Creativity!

  Funded Aug 31, 2017

  On the first day of class, my students came in and there were three neat piles of the new brown journals on the materials shelf in the front of my classroom on the 5th floor. Placed around the room sat 7 red plastic cups of pens labeled "Senior Writing Seminar". After they had taken their seats, I begin to hand out a journal to each of my 12th graders, instructing them to write their names on the front. I invited them to pick any pen from the cup closest to them and that they would have the pens available to them every day. If they felt like it was a blue day, a red day or even a hot pink day - they could choose the color that appealed to them in that moment and proceed to do their 5 Minute Write for the day.

  It has been amazing to watch my kids dive into their journals, making them their own, trying to gauge their emotions for the day based on the colors they select to capture their ideas. Some days the kids have continued to doodle in their journals and on the blank covers that are becoming more and more a reflection of who they are. Now, six weeks into the school year, I no longer am the one setting out the materials. The routines have been established and the ownership of the ritual now belongs to them.

  Thank you to each of you for your generous donation. It has made it possible for my three sections of Seniors to have a moment that is just for them each day.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Towne

• Changing and Challenging the World Through Spoken Word Poetry

  Funded Aug 22, 2016

  When my collaborative planning teacher and I sat down to write this course, and ultimately the unit, we knew that Spoken Word would be a part of the larger course. We wanted to promote social justice. We wanted to push out students to speak up and speak out about something they were passionate about. As the month went on, we watched countless spoken word performances online (there are amazing resources for students out there), as well as learning about the history of spoken word and the and pioneers in the field.

  At the end of the month, our two classes came together to perform their original pieces at an open mic event- the first ever for our school. There were poems that told stories of joy and stories of pain. There were poems that were full of rhyming couplets- the students having spent hours pouring through the rhyming dictionaries to find just the right word. Ultimately, it was a powerful evening for students and audience members alike. I could not have been more proud of their bravery.

  Thank you for your contributions to this experience and resources which will continue to be used for years to come. Your generosity is what makes experiences like this possible.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Towne

• Teaching Courage and Compassion with Malala

  Funded Sep 1, 2015

  What a wonderful trip this was for our students. After some transportation hiccups, the kids handled it like pros and we arrived at the movie theater. The staff was great and showed us to the theater on the top floor. The 10th grade had the entire theater to themselves. It was exciting for me, as a teacher, to see how excited they were. I was able to talk to the kids a little before the screening began and as the lights went down they settled in for the show.

  Throughout the screening, students were engaged in the story. The integration of animation and live action was a wonderful storytelling mechanism that truly captivated our students. At the end of the screening, the entire 10th grade applauded loudly. Clearly her message and her story resonated with many of our kids.

  In the days that followed all students wrote letters to Malala, describing their experience, their learning and what the trip meant to them. It was clear that they understood her quest for education for all children and why it is essential. That change is possible and that even one person can and does make change. We had powerful conversations about what activism can look like for teens today as well as beginning to think about opportunities and ways to contribute.

  It was an honor to get to take 130 young people to share in this wonderful film. Thank you to The Students Stand with Malala Screening Program for their generous funding of this trip. It will not soon be forgotten.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Towne

• A Platform For Presentation

  Funded Sep 22, 2014

  Thank you for your generous donation to our classroom. Our students have flourished, just as I suspected they would by providing a platform for their presentations. Sometimes students just need a little something to get them up in front of the group and the podium we were able to get thanks to your generous donation did the trick!

  We have been able to use it for everything from: independent class presentations to more formal team debates as well as a prop for monologue performances in theatre class. Each kid does something similar: the walk up, they place their paper if they have one down in front of them, rest their hands on the side of the podium, take a deep breath and...begin. Every time with out fail. The part I love is that they are up there, taking the risk and have found the confidence to do so.

  Thank you again for helping to provide this important tool to my students this year, and for many students in the years to come.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Towne

  This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 3 other donors.