Past projects 12
Pull Up a Seat and Let's Make Music!
Funded Dec 18, 2024With thanks to your kindness, I have a cute little table and extra seating in the music classroom! The gray cube chairs in this set match what I currently have, so the 2 extra chairs fit in perfectly (see photo)! The table/bench is mostly used for materials and instruments so that they are easily accessible for the students. Its stable surface is the perfect height for instruments like the xylophone and keyboard (see photos). The students are now able to access and play these things without bending over towards the floor, which is where I used to put them.
An accidental and fun surprise was realizing that the bench, when turned over, provided 2 additional seats (see photo)!! This has been needed in groups where I've had 14-16 students. Prior, I had no choice except to have a couple of kids sit on the floor. Now, everyone is seated in matching chairs, making the group feel much more cohesive, inclusive, and equitable!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monica Levin
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 14 other donors.A Medley of Music Room Materials
Funded Dec 4, 2024On behalf of my students, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation to our music room. Your kindness and support mean so much to me and the students who will benefit from these wonderful resources.
I named this project "A Medley..." because it aptly describes these, seemingly random, materials that collectively support my classroom: creative music making, movement props, adaptive materials and sensory regulation, along with health and hygiene! Thanks to your generosity, we now have floor cushions as alternative seats, a new parachute for movement activities, and sensory regulation tools. The outdoor mat, vacuum, kleenex, and hand sanitizer are critical to maintain a clean and healthy space. Visuals and song sheets are more durable thanks to the cardstock and laminating sheets. Your contribution will help to provide a creative, enriching, and safe musical space for everyone who enters the music room!
It's because of thoughtful supporters like you that we can continue fostering a love for music and support learning for all children, no !
Once again, thank you for your commitment to the arts and education. I look forward to sharing the joy of music with my students that your donation has made possible.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monica Levin
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 4 other donors.Hear Our Beautiful Voices!
Funded Jun 27, 2024The majority of the students I see have disabilities and about 75% are non-native English speakers. Many are autistic and non-speakers. In recent years, I've noticed that even the shyest, most introverted kids, including those with limited verbal spoken language, often produce sounds through a microphone! This has been fascinating to realize, and I have been wanting to add microphones to my classroom so students can practice using their voice! It's amazing to watch curious reactions as they hear themselves through a speaker, some kids not realizing that it's actually themselves! Teachers have commented that this is the only way that some will engage in vocalizations and vocal play! THANK YOU for giving my students this tool to build confidence towards self-expression and self-advocacy!
The rechargeable microphones and bluetooth speakers have also been a game changer! The karaoke machines were recently used during an outdoor family engagement event, taking the music making fun to a whole new level!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monica Levin
This classroom project was brought to life by A family that cares about education in P.G. County and 4 other donors.Rhythmic Raindrops and Swirling Scarves!
Funded Nov 30, 2023Thank you for contributing to the instrument kits for the classrooms across my school, impacting over 500 students!
Together, we achieved my goal of providing instruments and movement props for students to use throughout the day, beyond their scheduled music class time. Your kind donation contributed to scarves, bells, and shakers for over 30 classrooms of students; rhythm sticks for 140 PreK students; and instruments like ocean drums, rainsticks, and cabasas to support students with greater sensory needs.
Thank you for your trust and supporting my passion to serve students with disabilities through music!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monica Levin
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 17 other donors.Music: All Day Every Day!
Funded May 19, 2023I am humbled by your generosity and so excited to share this gift with the teachers at my school!
Thanks to your kind donations, we are providing instruments and movement scarves for every classroom! All students will have access to bells, rhythm sticks, drums, egg shakers, and scarves to use across settings! These items will enhance classroom music centers, giving quality materials for music making beyond the music classroom. The labeled and organized bags will allow the teachers to easily transport these instruments to school-wide music activities, parent engagement activities, and special events. The creative spirit of the kids will shine brightly as their learning will be enhanced through music making, all day, every day!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monica Levin
This classroom project was brought to life by Pull Up Fund and 3 other donors.Have a Seat & Let's Make Music
Funded Dec 29, 2022I am grateful and humbled by your kindness! Thanks to your generosity, my students have new chairs and flexible seating options. The neutral-colored gray cube chairs were the perfect addition to the music making space!!
As students enter the music room, they are not distracted by the multi-colored, mismatched chairs, or racing to get a particular color. Thanks to your support, there is uniformity and equity in the seating options, thus facilitating a smoother transition into the music space. For my autistic students, or those with sensory processing challenges, there is less visual information to process given the calm color.
The wobble cushions have become a game changer!! I predicted some would benefit from the flexible seating options, but I didn't realize how impactful they would be for so many! Students have rocked, patted, rubbed, and jumped on these cushions, fulfilling a sensory input need for many. Together, this has supported accessibility to music making, allowing many to joyfully engage in the music activities. while simultaneously fulfilling a sensory need.
Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!!!!
On behalf of public school music teachers across our nation...”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monica Levin
This classroom project was brought to life by Pull Up Fund and 3 other donors.Music Fills the Air!
Funded Dec 15, 2022I am so thankful for your kindness and generosity!
With your support, I'm able to provide an environment that is both sensory rich and sensory supportive for my students with disabilities! Music classes are located outside, in a temporary building, so classrooms walk to us. As they pass along the grassy areas outside of the music room, the sound of the wind chimes supports this transition, letting them know they are near the music room!
The room dividers have helped to section off areas of the room, reduce visual clutter, and streamline the students' visual field behind the SmartBoard. The new power station will allow me to throw away old extension cords that are a potential safety risk.
Who doesn't love to bang on a big drum? Using the large gathering drum is a great opportunity for my students to engage in group music making with their peers. Even those who are sensitive to sound, still love to use their hands on the drum and feel the vibrations. Using the noise cancelling headphones makes this possible!
From the bottom of a long-time public school educator's heart....THANK YOU!!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monica Levin
This classroom project was brought to life by Pull Up Fund and 14 other donors.Music Fills the Senses
Funded Nov 29, 2022This year more than ever, my students demonstrate a need for more sensory play-based experiences. With your help, I have incorporated music exploration as part of my lessons. The pentatonic glockenspiels are perfect for this! This instrument is success-based because all tones of the pentatonic scale work in harmony with each; the kids can never play a wrong note! The tone of this instrument is sophisticated and pleasant! The keyboard, tongue drum, glockenspiels, and ukulele fulfill my goal to increase more use of melodic instruments into my early childhood music classes.
For an enhanced sensory experience, small rhythm instruments are placed in a bin with kinetic sand. This kind of activity supports sensory regulation for some of my students who need a variety of sensory input to prime their brains and bodies and support their availability to learn. The bubbles support these same needs. I use the castenette's as 'bubble catchers." This allows my kids to practice fine motor control and strengthen their pincer grasp; bubbles can be a musical experience while supporting kids with occupational therapy needs.
All of this could not be accomplished without the support and kindness of the donors, like YOU! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monica Levin
This classroom project was brought to life by Pull Up Fund and 7 other donors.Gather Here & Let's Make Music!
Funded Nov 15, 2021Whether it's singing, dancing, playing instruments, or even doing yoga, the interlocking floor is the perfect music making surface! I am able to easily clean it between classes, supporting an environment for my students that is sanitized and as healthy as possible! Students who loose their balance during movement activities and fall to the floor, land on a comfortable and safe surface. Adults who accompany the classes to music have commented that the floor contributes to their comfort as they participate in movement activities during music class. Wiping off the mud on the rainy days is an added benefit!
Thank you for contributing to a safe and healthy music making space!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monica Levin
This classroom project was brought to life by Valhalla Foundation and one other donor.Hear Our Voices Loud & Clear!
Funded Sep 18, 2018We couldn't have done it without you!
Given your kind and generous spirit, I was able to purchase cordless, lapel microphones in order to support our music performances at the early childhood, special education center where I teach. During the Prekindergarten holiday concert this past December, the newly acquired microphones were clipped to the curtains hanging above the student performers on stage. These microphones connected to bluetooth speakers, enhancing the voices of our young 4 year old voices. Some of our students have special needs and use English as a second language resulting in shy and timid vocal output. Amplification of their young voices supports development of self-confidence, as they hear themselves, self-reflect, and realize they can do it!
Thank you for supporting music for my very special students!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Monica Levin
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 8 other donors.