Mrs. Smyth's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 43

• Yoga for Little Learners: Supporting Social, Emotional, and Physical Well-Being

  Funded Mar 25, 2025

  Thank you so much for your kindness and support. With the help of the books and yoga blocks, I can expand our after school yoga program to more students and even host classes during the school day. I’ve seen the power of yoga and mindfulness in my own classroom and I can’t wait to share it with even more students!

  Thank you for supporting public education and my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Smyth

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and one other donor.

• Decodable Books for Beginning Readers

  Funded Mar 30, 2023

  My students and I are so grateful for the gift you have given our class. We opened the box altogether and the kids have been asking when we can use them for nearly a month!

  Last week we began using the decodable books to practice our phonics skills and reading strategies. Already, my students are seeing themselves as real readers! The books are at the perfect level to support, without frustrating them. There are enough that each child can have multiple titles at the same time for practice. As their skills develop, they will be able to enjoy the next level!

  Thank you again for supporting public education!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Smyth

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and one other donor.

• Decodable Books for Beginning Readers

  Funded Aug 15, 2023

  My students and I are so grateful for the gift you have given our class. We opened the box altogether and the kids have been asking when we can use them for nearly a month!

  Last week we began using the decodable books to practice our phonics skills and reading strategies. Already, my students are seeing themselves as real readers! The books are at the perfect level to support, without frustrating them. There are enough that each child can have multiple titles at the same time for practice. As their skills develop, they will be able to enjoy the next level!

  Thank you again for supporting public education!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Smyth

  This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 2 other donors.

• Say It, Build It, Write It, Wipe It

  Funded Aug 9, 2022

  Thank you so much for your generosity and support of public schools- and our class! We were able to open the dry erase boards during the first week of school and have used them every day since.

  Throughout our day, we practice handwriting, phonics, math, writing, and anything else we may need paper for. The boards allow us to conserve money and paper. When working together, this allows me to do a quick informal assessment and students can fix up their work. Because the boards are magnetic, we have been using them to build words along with our magnet letters.

  We feel so blessed by your gift and wish you well.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Smyth

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 2 other donors.

• Breathe for Change - Social Emotional Learning in Kindergarten

  Funded Jun 6, 2021

  I cannot begin to express my gratitude for your generosity and trust. Over the summer I completed the RYT-200 hour yoga teacher training through Breath for Change. This program was designed for educators of all levels and staff. I met people from around the United States and built friendships just as deep as with my in-person colleagues. This program has changed me and I cannot wait to pass these tools along to my students.

  Throughout the program, we focused on becoming stronger in order to support our students' social and emotional needs. I was able to learn the anatomy and physical science of yoga and how it changes the mind and body (brain). Along with that, I learned the history and philosophy of yoga. It continues to be a time of self-care and exploration for me. I am now prepared to help student navigate their emotions and self-talk, while creating an environment where we respond opposed to react to things. We slow down to think first. We use our breathwork practice to center ourselves and ready our mind to learn. We use physical postures during transitions to keep the blood flowing and build strength. Very soon, we will start an after school program! I'm becoming more than an educator of content... I can know support the whole child.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Smyth

  This classroom project was brought to life by J.W. Couch Foundation and one other donor.

• Legos for Play & Learning

  Funded Jan 27, 2021

  Thank you so much for donating the funds to purchase Lego sets. As you can see in the photos, you donation bought a LOT of them! I had them stacked on a counter when the kids entered the room. Their eyes got huge and immediately asked when they could play with all of them together. I reassured them that it would be soon.

  During our times in person learning, I was able to divide them up into gallon bags for each child. This allowed them to create for a longer period of time. Some even chose to continue their project/ creation over a few days. Kindergarten is all about cooperative play, so social distancing has been extremely challenging. With everyone having enough Legos, we were able to all play together, but at a safe distance.

  Now, we are able to share toys in small groups. Legos continue to be the most popular choice. They are back to creating together and sharing ideas. This makes my heart smile to see a bit of normalcy in such a strange year. Thank you again for making this possible for my sweet littles. They are so worth it!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Smyth

• Book Bags for Budding Readers

  Funded Sep 27, 2019

  Thank you so much for you generous donation to our classroom. We truly appreciate that you chose to give to public education.

  The book bags fit perfectly in our book bag storage bins and hold so many books! Before having the larger book bags, students were limited to smaller books or had to struggle to fit them all inside our old bags. Now, students have full access to our books and are able to shop for independent reading times more quickly. The students have gained independence in selection and look forward to browsing the shelves for new and interesting things to read about.

  Thank you again for taking the time to learn about our class and fulfilling a need for 25 amazing students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Smyth

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 2 other donors.

• Best Practices in Phonics: Bridging Writing and Reading Instruction-Part 2

  Funded Jun 24, 2018

  I am so honored to have been trained at the Teachers College Reading Writing Project in phonics. With the introduction of the new curriculum, this learning has been vital to my team as we worked through the initial cycle of teaching. This experience has also given me a deeper understanding of how we learn to read at the most basic levels of early childhood. I have learned to integrate more direct phonics instruction into my practice, within a balanced model of literacy. My students are stronger readers and writers than in years past. I truly believe it is because I was confident in the materials and methods. I was able to give my students what they needed, when they needed it.

  Thank you again for your generous donation and supporting quality teacher training.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Smyth

• Best Practices in Phonics: Bridging Writing and Reading Instruction

  Funded May 25, 2018

  Thank you again for your generous donation to my professional development trip. Studying literacy in New York, at Columbia University, is an intensive and motivating experience. My trip was in August and I am still processing all of my new learning!

  With the start of the year, there are often changes in methods and curriculum. This year was no different. My district rolled out the Teachers College Phonics Units of Study. I was the only teacher able to attend the training. This has been such a blessing! I have been able to guide my building teammates in the launch and daily lessons, by problem-solving and offering advice on pace and execution. Although this is only formally about 20 minutes per day, the concepts are woven through our entire day. Our students love these lessons!

  Thank you for re-igniting my passion and practice for our youngest learners!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Smyth

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 7 other donors.

• Mastering Math: Hands-On and Cooperative Learning Tools for Kindergarten

  Funded Jan 26, 2018

  Thank you so much for your math gifts! It was like Christmas morning, as we opened the boxes together and explored our new learning tools!

  The math tools and games have been a wonderful addition to our independent and partner work times. Students have been able to practice and refine their basic skills through fun and engaging activities. My students are becoming stronger and more fluent in basic math facts up to 10, as well as experimenting with teen numbers. The listening station activities quickly became a favorite!

  Thank you again for your generous donation and for supporting public schools. I truly believe that ALL children deserve the best education, not just those that can afford it. You are helping this cause and creating an environment in which all of my students will have the opportunity to learn and succeed.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Smyth

  This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 11 other donors.