Past projects 7
Helping Teenagers become Good People
Funded Aug 12, 2024Thank you so very much for your donation of our books. This year's 9th grade is so much more involved and we are able to have proper discussions about how to meet, greet, and interact with people. Witnessing their growth is amazing! At first my students thought our books would be "too childish" but upon looking through the books and starting off with engaging activities, I promise you they now look forward to looking through these books and interacting with each other.
Our class is notably known as a "study hall" class and I am doing more to change that perspective. 9th graders start high school not too sure of who they are and what they want to do after high school. Embracing their transition from middle school to high school and encouraging their interaction with a book and with each other is an adventure of its own.
My students are still kids, and through your donation and these books, I am able to work through it with them and create lessons that engage who they are as growing people.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Velasco
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org Teen Mental Health Initiative and one other donor.9th Grade Creative Fun Friday
Funded Jan 18, 2024Our Freshmen Focus students have used the supplies and were able to engage in small group activities that helped them support their Social, Emotional, Learning needs. Many of our students have struggled academically, and the focus on their academic progress often outweighs their need to be teenagers.
With the supplies you helped provide, many of our students that had academic improvements benefitted from taking the time to focus on themselves and others. This is important to their social growth.
Our 9th graders are categorized under the at-risk category, but we are also an elective class where students selected to be part of this class to help them transition from middle school into high school. Thank you for supporting their growth as they complete their first year of high school.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Velasco
Engaging Teens With Teen Stories
Funded Dec 3, 2021Thank you so very much for your donations. As a teacher going back in the classroom during this pandemic, many of my schools have not practiced the skills they would have learned in 7th/8th grade. Each year I would start with the book titled 'The House on Mango Street' by Sandra Cisneros and this is the first-time I saw a disinterest in reading. I tried to make modifications and meet accommodations, but reading, writing, and the interest to do both was more difficult than before.
With the donations of your books, which, by the way was funded sooner than planned, I was able to bring relatable stories to teens. Some giggled at the discomfort of some relateable stories and others related to an entire story.
One student wrote, "In the book 'Courage to be yourself' it says "I have been the victim of prejudice because I am overweight." I am sharing this quote with you because I feel like I can relate not only to this quote, but the entire story..." and this student went on to say how they knew what it felt like to feel different.
Thank you for being part of my students' lives and their struggle to discover themselves.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Velasco
The Vignettes and Diaries of a Teenager
Funded Nov 19, 2019I am looking through my students' booklets and I am proud, laughing, and crying. I wish I can share every story with you, but because I can't I do want to let you know that these students probably said more than any essay I could ever ask them to write. They worked on these booklets for 15 days (that's me counting school days and weekends) and the finished products are impressive.
Students have provided words and images that discuss the fears and hopes of being a teenager.
In conversing with my 9th graders, many found this project therapeutic and allowing them to discuss their hopes and fears gave them the confidence to keep going. I addressed every concern I could, spoke with the counseling when it was right, and encouraged many to continue their successful path.
One student created a dictionary of teenage slang and now I know what students mean when they say they have "tea" (which is not a drink, but another word for gossip).
These students did a wonderful job and I want to thank you for making this project happen.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Velasco
Embracing Graphic Novels in the Classroom
Funded Jun 14, 2019Thank you for giving my students the opportunity to explore reading graphic novels. I was a bit surprised that many of my students, especially my ELD students, have never seen a comic book or comic strip, let alone a graphic novel. At one point I had to take a week off of school (I fell ill, but I am better now) and they could not wait to start reading their graphic novels.
To start, I allowed my students to preview the graphic novels before completing an online form to select their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice. I distributed copies throughout the classroom and asked them to rotate tables, giving them three minutes to read, flip through, and judge a book by its cover. Two days for 13 books! It was wonderful! It was not until the end of the week that I realized how I should have taken pictures to share with all of you. I am sorry!
They even appreciated the fresh new smell (I did ask them to smell it, as silly as it sounds).
Reading in my classroom are students seated upright, holding a book, and turning the pages with intent. Even 6th period, the most anxious class of the day, seems to settle in to a good book. The books are that highest in demand are Crush, Drama, Yummy, and Monster. I, unfortunately, had to replace some of the original books on my list (as requested by Amazon), but all these books fit the interest of my diverse classes.
It truly is an amazing opportunity to use graphic novels to teach character and ease the class into being unafraid to explore new books, themes, and characters.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Velasco
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 9 other donors.Introduce Yourself and Remember, A Picture Says 1,000 Words
Funded Nov 21, 2017Thank you for your support by providing my journalism students with the resources to present themselves professionally. With your donations, the students have worn their student Press Passes as an identification. Offices and administration on campus have identified my students with the passes and are impressed by their professional approach. We are still working on introductions and respecting the office environment, but it is a good start.
Our photographer is happy with being able to upload photos from the hard-drives, as we are blocked from uploading onto our Chromebooks, so my students use the USB drive to upload photos onto a desktop computer.
I truly appreciate your contribution to the growing world of journalism.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Velasco
This classroom project was brought to life by J.Crew and 4 other donors.Of Mice And Men Reading Books
Funded Dec 28, 2015On behalf of my high school 9th grade english class, thank you so much for your contribution to bring John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men into my classroom. I like to bring stories with engaging characters into my classroom, and thanks to you, my students were able to sample the work of a great American author and involve themselves in the characters, especially George and Lennie. I look forward to teaching this book again, but this time, with more focus toward adversity and appreciation of characters.
The impact of the book, especially as we reached the end, had such a great reaction! Students were mad at me because the ending is not what they wanted nor what they expected. The discussions were engaging, and I did have to calm a few students because they were upset, but the fact that they were emotionally impacted made Of Mice And Men a memorable piece of literature for them.
Thank you for your support and I hope you continue to support other educators like myself.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Velasco