Past projects 108
STEM Scientists in Special Education
Funded Jan 25, 2018Thank you so, so much for your incredibly generous donation to our special education classroom. My students really thrive on projects that are exploratory and hands on in nature. STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) projects and centers are just that. Having these materials to engage my students in STEM activities every Friday afternoon has been so helpful, fun, and meaningful. My students are thriving with these activities, and I see how much they enjoy the challenge. It is huge for them to see school as a place where they learn, like it, and succeed. Thank you one million times.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Szczecinski
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 4 other donors.Meeting Their Needs: Becoming a Trauma and Crisis Management Specialist
Funded Jan 18, 2018Thank you so, so much for your generous donation. Your generosity has helped me to provide me with very specific and high quality professional development directly related to childhood trauma and its affects. All of my students have experienced a high degree of childhood trauma, and to be the best educator I can be for them, I know the importance of continually growing and learning myself. I have only begun my course, but have already read a multitude of journal articles, listened to an incredibly insightful podcast, and purchased a few books that I know will change my outlook and teaching practices. Thank you SO much for helping me be the best I can for my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Szczecinski
Healthy Snacks for Special Education Superstars
Funded Jan 24, 2018It is hard to put into words how thankful I am for this donation. Snack foods may seem trivial to a "common core" educational system these days, but not for us. My students need so many supports to even attend to our lessons each day. Having healthy snacks to motivate my students, meet their needs, and give us positive experiences together is honestly absolutely invaluable. My students were thrilled to see our snacks replenished. They love snack time and I am so grateful that we can keep this positive part of our day going. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Szczecinski
Magnet Letters for Engaging Reading Instruction
Funded Dec 19, 2017I cannot express my enormous gratitude for your generous donation to my little classroom. We have been skipping huge chunks of our reading intervention lessons because we were missing the needed magnetic letters. We made do with some whiteboards, etc, but it was truly not the same. Having these magnetic boards with more than enough hands on letters is a game changer! We love that they come in a folder format because it will keep the letters secure and from being found all over the classroom. Thank you for giving my students the gift of reading!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Szczecinski
Wobble Stools for Wiggly Learners!
Funded Dec 6, 2017Thank you from the bottom of my heart for these super wonderful quality wobble stools! I had requested one stool last year and it has been in hot commodity since then. I had to rotate the stool between my students, which was hard knowing that a few students could have used this type of chair all day! Gaining enough stools for all of my students just feels right. They were so happy to gain these new stools and to have one whenever they feel they need it. The flexibility is so great for my learners. Without your donation, we would have never gained these stools. Thank you SO much.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Szczecinski
This classroom project was brought to life by Born This Way Foundation and one other donor.Todd Parr: Picture Books for ALL!
Funded Nov 27, 2017If you have ever seen or read a book by the amazing Todd Parr, you know why I am so excited about our new collection of books! His books are brightly illustrated with fun, quirky characters. Each book is very simple yet profound with very specific overall themes. In a school where students are highly transient, books about saying goodbye are really important. I am most excited about "The Goodbye Book", as we have a student leaving in January who is a huge part of our community. Having a beloved author write a book about a topic very real to a child is really impactful. Thank you for bringing these books to our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Szczecinski
Scientists in the Making: STEM Activities for Special Education
Funded Jan 15, 2018I wish I could have filmed my students faces and reactions when our giant package full of STEM materials arrived! When we get packages, I love opening them with my students so they get the full effect. They have loved our small amount of STEM supplies and were so excited to hear we were gaining more. We spent some time looking through the new books, many of them had heard of a few titles and were so happy we had them in our own classrooms. They were also very ready to start exploring the Crystal Climbers! We opened the box during free time and they immediately started building. We are going to do some more structured STEM lessons on Friday afternoons and I feel so positive knowing we have many materials and kits to get us started. Thank you one million times!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Szczecinski
Olympics Fun: Books That Teach
Funded Dec 28, 2017Thank you, again, so very much for your generous donation to our little classroom. My students saw the huge box full of books and could hardly wait for me to open it. I was able to preview all of the books with them the afternoon that the box arrived. We had not even read the books, but during their free time, two of my students were building ski jumps and luge runs out of blocks! I could not believe it. They are going to love learning about the Winter Olympics sports. My students are missing so many skills because of their life circumstances. Thank you for helping make their world accessible.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Szczecinski
Little Entrepreneurs: Coffee Business in Special Education School
Funded Dec 19, 2017Thank you SO much for your absolutely generous donation to our classroom and school community. Our plan is to use the cart, Keurig, and coffee materials to create a small business for my students to run. We will take orders and deliver coffee on Fridays to make people's day! My students decided that we should do this as a service project, and accept donations so we can keep the business afloat when our start up materials diminish. My students have so much need. Providing opportunities for success, like this coffee cart, are HUGE for skill building in ways they connect with. Thank you so much for offering this awesome chance for my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Szczecinski
This classroom project was brought to life by Quill.com and one other donor.Pet Therapy: Learning Responsibility With Our Class Rabbit
Funded Nov 14, 2017I am so grateful for your generous donation to our most cherished classroom member: Leonard! Rabbits are pretty easy and low maintenance, but the cost of litter and food definitely add up over time, especially on a public school teacher budget! My students take so much responsibility over Leonard and were really excited to see that he got packages in the mail! Having multiple bags of litter, food, and treats are really helpful. His crate also needed a makeover, and having a clean hutch and litter box have made his crate much cleaner. Thanks for helping to maintain such a huge part of our classroom community.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Szczecinski