Past projects 11
Comfort and Cool Books Part IV
Funded Jan 12, 2024Thank you so much for your kind donation. It has been a real treat using these materials in the classroom, and it is incredibly humbling to be on the receiving end of such generosity.
My students have thoroughly enjoyed and made use of the materials in this project. Understandably, they were the most excited about the throwable speaker. We use this speaker a lot during Socratic seminars. Socratic seminars are student-led discussions, which are composed of an inner circle and an outer circle. It is sometimes hard to hear students who are in the inner circle, especially those who speak in a softer tone, so the speaker is the perfect solution! Also, the students have a good time throwing it (gently) as this is not something they often get to do in a classroom.
The LED lights & Glade plug-ins add a surprising amount of ambiance to the room and I have received so many compliments from students saying how awesome our room is. I feel strongly that a comfortable work environment promotes productivity and positive classroom vibes. I also feel that cultivating a space is one small way to show students they are cared for.
As always, basic classroom essentials like pencils and Kleenex go a long way in providing students the materials they need to be successful.
Again, thank you so much. We continue to enjoy these materials and wholly appreciate your support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ranchel
This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and 2 other donors.Classroom Supplies for the Win!
Funded Sep 21, 2022Because of your generous donation, my classroom environment continues to be a positive, engaging learning environment.
Of particular interest to my students is the jellyfish lava lamp. Since it is positioned near my classroom door and can be seen from the hallway, I've had many passers-by stop and comment. Many students have asked if the jellyfish are real (LOL) and we've tossed around the idea of naming them. It is small things like this that allow for classroom rapport to build and create a sense of community.
The wireless mouse & keyboard have allowed me mobility in how I navigate around the room, which is extremely helpful. The game, Snake Oil, is a great way to practice rhetoric because it is fun and drives home the point of the power of communication, which is a theme in our units. A classroom stash of candy is a tried and true teacher hack, so the Sour Patch Kids are appreciated. Finally, with the help of the Donor's Choose community & donors like you, I am able to continue to add to my classroom
library by cultivating high interest novels.
Again, thank you for your generosity! My students and I thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ranchel
This classroom project was brought to life by LOFT and one other donor.Comfort and Cool Books
Funded May 11, 2022Thank you so much for your donation! My students were so excited to see our new materials.
They were particularly excited about the new bar stool & chair set. Since getting these materials I have a constant stream of students asking to sit there. I have noticed that having that work area has helped students who use it focus and engage in class work.
Adding to my classroom library has been an ongoing labor of love. However, seeing students get excited about reading the books on our book shelf has truly inspired me to keep working on getting high interest, relevant texts in the classroom. When former students stop by and see me years later, one of the things they often mention is a book they remember reading in my class. Because of the generosity of donors like you, many students have found a love for reading or reignited an old one.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ranchel
This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and 2 other donors.Fun in Forensics
Funded Feb 11, 2021Thank you so much for your donation toward the Forensics team materials. The team was so excited and grateful to have had people who were willing to support by donating.
This year's season looked a little bit different than previous years. However, our team was still able to compete virtually in several meets. Our school performed well and often placed in the top 10. Students were encouraged to carry on the tradition of using a portfolio binder to house & store their pieces, which I think provided them with a lot of confidence. Again, thank you.
Our team looks forward to a more traditional 2022 competition season and we are so grateful to be able to use and reuse the materials you provided for several years to come.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ranchel
This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies.Going Digital!
Funded Aug 11, 2020Thank you so much for your generous donation which allowed me to purchase a green screen and microphone. I am looking forward to returning to the classroom so that students may also be able to use these tools to create video products.
For now, though, I am very happy & grateful to be using the green screen and microphone in class. Both myself & my students have had tons of fun with the options. Many have commented about how cool the backgrounds are and they've also noted improved audio quality. While changing backgrounds may seem insignificant in some ways, in a learning environment where students stare at a screen all day, any opportunity to visually engage them is a major win!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ranchel
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.Literacy Love
Funded May 5, 2020Thank you so much for your donation. Because of you, I was able to secure a variety of books for my classroom library.
In my classroom, independent reading is an important part of our work. While the main goal of independent reading is to improve comprehension, one other huge benefit is that it helps students increase long term reading stamina. For many reluctant readers, reading for longer periods of time is very difficult: however, if they are able to pick their own books and they enjoy them, it increases the chances that they will stick with it.
Ultimately, because of your donation, I'm able to provide more choice and because I can provide more choice, chances of student engagement and improved comprehension also increases! This is so very exciting!
Again, thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ranchel
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 10 other donors.Classroom Tools for the Win!
Funded Feb 20, 2020These tools have been absolutely wonderful additions to my classroom and they have been already put to good use!
The standing desk is a big hit! As soon as my students saw it, they were excited about the opportunity to use it. One student in particular who likes to "sharpen his pencil" a lot was particularly enthusiastic about it. Right away he commented, "You got this for me, didn't you?!"
Even though both the printer and the standing desk have very tangible use, one thing I've noticed is that students are extremely grateful and appreciative towards teachers working to get new materials into the classroom. This is all thanks to you, though. Your generosity is the real reason I get to take the credit - so, again, thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ranchel
Books for Days!
Funded Sep 23, 2019Thank you so much for your generous donation. Because of you, I have been able to add high-interest, relevant books to my ever-growing classroom library. I'm excited to report that I am observing more and more students voluntarily reaching for books. I think most would agree that helping students foster a love for reading is a task worth taking on.
In my classroom I ask students to engage in independent reading and set aside a portion of time for them to be able to do so within the school day. I have very explicit conversations about what my love of reading does for me, personally, and what it can do for them. I also spend a fair amount of time getting students matched with books that will not only be appropriate for their skill level, but also and most importantly, be of interest to them. In the future, I'd love to set a classroom reading goal (i.e. 'combined, we'll read 100 books by the end of the year') to incorporate and combine challenge and fun.
Again, none of this would be possible without your support. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ranchel
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 6 other donors.Supplies for the Win!
Funded May 13, 2019My students were so excited about receiving the classroom supplies. In particular, they were elated about the pencil sharpener. The old pencil sharpener, which I had for 15 years, had even become the subject of a long-standing classroom joke! The new pencil sharpener is so quick and quiet; it's amazing how much of a classroom disruption the old one was and how efficient the new one is!
The Clorox wipes have helped me keep the classroom germ free. As you know, germs spread quickly in the classroom and the endless cycle of colds and sickness is hard to contain. In addition, I have many students with allergies and these disinfecting wipes have been tremendously helpful in clearing away both germs and allergy triggers.
Stocking pens and pencils in the classroom can be quite a financial undertaking for any teacher. Having a go-to supply has relieved me of personal stress and pressure.
Ultimately, my students now have basic classroom supplies and it is all thanks to you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ranchel
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 4 other donors.Relevant Reading
Funded Mar 29, 2019The books ordered for this project have been tremendously impactful in my classroom. Both titles, "The 57 Bus" and "All American Boys", are a part of a unit on social justice. As one can imagine, themes of this sort are of high interest and highly relatable to adolescence.
These two books were partnered with "The Hate U Give" and "Sold." Students were given an option to choose which of the 4 books they would prefer to read independently. While reading, students kept track of their thinking through practicing active reading. They also engaged in discussion with book alike partners.
Some of the reflections students wrote about & discussed were incredibly insightful and showed high level thinking. For example, one student questioned, "How can humans learn to co-exist better?" The goal of this reading was to ask students to think critically about the world around them and upon hearing conversations akin to the question aforementioned, I am happy to report that I consider this unit highly successful.
Again, this would not have been possible without your generous donation. Thank you very much for providing students with this magnificent opportunity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Ranchel