Mrs. McLeod's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 8

• Classroom Mailboxes/ Headphones

  Funded Aug 18, 2023

  Thank you so much for your generosity! These new items are going to be so beneficial, not only this year, but for many school years to come. The large paper sorter will be used as a student mailbox station - here, they can store all their beloved artwork as well as receive important flyers and graded work. The class set of headphones will make individualized virtual learning attainable for all students. My second graders will truly benefit from these items, and we cannot thank you enough for choosing to support us. ❤️”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. McLeod

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 6 other donors.

• Durable Book Bins for Independent Readers!

  Funded Aug 2, 2023

  Thank you SO MUCH for choosing to donate to this project! Reading is such an integral piece of a child’s academic growth, and I am excited to use these bins to store independent reading books for each student. Literacy is the building block for all other types of learning, and having these bins to organize individualized student books will be so beneficial. I am eager to have students “shop” for books in our classroom library and introduce them to their very own book bins! Thank you for making this possible!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. McLeod

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.

• Increasing Student Engagement

  Funded Apr 8, 2022

  Your generous donations have helped my students increase their engagement in lessons and activities immensely! In particular, the headphones are used daily for students to interact with digital tools. Students enjoy educational games, complete assignments, and reinforce skills at their own pace with the use of the headphones. We mainly use them during centers activities where everyone is working on differentiated activities.

  The wiggle seat and kick bands have been very helpful for my friends who have a tough time sitting still! They are able to get their wiggles out while staying put at their desk. Another benefit to this is that other students are no longer distracted by their classmates' wiggles!

  Finally, the buzzers always make for a fun and exciting time when reviewing for an assessment! When I pull these out of the closet, the student immediately perk up!

  Thank you so much for helping me keep my students engaged and ready to learn!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. McLeod

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose community & an Anonymous Partner and 3 other donors.

• A Cozy Classroom Carpet

  Funded Aug 9, 2022

  This new classroom carpet has completely transformed the atmosphere in our classroom as well as our routines! Every day, we enjoy time on the rug to meet in the morning, read stories, introduce new math skills, play games, and regroup at the end of the day.

  When the students first walked in to see the rug, they were ECSTATIC! This group of students has completed much of their prior schooling in a virtual setting, so for some it was their very first time having a rug in their classroom. They immediately asked questions like, "do we get to keep it?" and "can we read on it?"

  My current students and future students will get many years of learning, fun, and community building out of this carpet. For this, I cannot thank you enough.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. McLeod

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 4 other donors.

• Teachers Pay Teachers Resources

  Funded Dec 1, 2022

  Thank you SO MUCH for your generosity!! I am so so excited to use new teacher-created resources in my classroom to increase student engagement and remind students that learning is FUN! These gift cards will be spent on activities that will benefit my learners for many years to come!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. McLeod

  This classroom project was brought to life by Townsend Press and 5 other donors.

• Library Books to Celebrate All Learners!

  Funded Nov 16, 2020

  Social Emotional learning is so vital to a child's education, and this year especially, it is imperative that educators make time to connect with their students and help them connect with one another. As my class has been 100% virtual for most of the year (with a few weeks here and there that we were lucky enough to practice the hybrid model,) the stories I have received form this project has helped my class to see themselves in the literature we read and enjoy together.

  This is my second year of teaching, and before receiving these stories, my classroom library had been lacking representation from a wide variety of cultures. Specifically, the cultures present in my classroom were hardly reflected in the library books I had available. Even though we did not have a physical classroom library this year, I have been able to share these books with my students during our virtual instruction time, as well as during a special time each Wednesday that we call "Book Buzz." During "Book Buzz," we read a wide variety of stories together. Instead of focussing on skills such as compare and contrast, cause and effect, or character traits, we focus on reminding ourselves that reading is FUN. We remember that reading helps us understand our world and ourselves better. It is my hope that sharing these stories about black and brown children with my own classroom of black and brown students has shown them that their own stories are important, valued, welcomed, and encouraged.

  I wish they could have had the opportunity to interact with these books in person this year, but I look forward to the years to come where my students discover these books in our classroom library or during a read aloud and see a piece themselves in the pages.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. McLeod

  This classroom project was brought to life by New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund and 4 other donors.

• Seuss Stories for Students in Second

  Funded Apr 21, 2020

  Receiving these classic books has been such a joy for myself and my students. Being able to read these stories that I cherish so much from my own childhood with my second graders fills me with such joy. The silly rhymes and made up words always put a smile on my face, and my students were no different.

  In my classroom this year, reading looks quite different from previous years. Although my students were not able to physically read and interact with these books in person, I have been able to share these stories through Zoom meetings and a special time on Wednesdays that we call "Book Buzz." This is a time where we get together to remember that reading isn't just for analyzing and documenting answers to questions, reading is for FUN! It is hard to find another series of books quite as FUN as the Dr. Seuss books.

  In addition to the fun these stories have facilitated, they have also lead to lots of learning. It is no secret that Dr. Seuss stories help students with skills like decoding, rhyme, and rhythm. Being able to share these stories with my students has given them opportunities to improve their ability to sound out words and read more fluently.

  I look forward to sharing these books with my students for many years to come - let's hope that in the near future, I will be sharing them in person!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. McLeod

• A Classroom Library for Developing Readers!

  Funded Mar 9, 2020

  Thanks to many very generous donors, I am excited to announce that my students will be receiving a brand new classroom library! This library will help my students find books that both suit their reading level and their interests! Thank you to all who donated and expressed interest in supporting my classroom and my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. McLeod

  This classroom project was brought to life by Townsend Press and 4 other donors.