Past projects 5
Characters Just Like Me!
Funded Oct 3, 2024Thank you so much for funding these books for our classroom library! The students will love reading and discussing these books. Having stories that feature characters who are representative of student identities is so important and empowering. I know that the students will be as excited as I am for these texts. Thank you again for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Effie
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Foundation and 20 other donors.Hands-On Math is the BEST Kind of Math
Funded Mar 9, 2019Thank you so much for your generous donations; your kindness made this project come to life! These materials have been used to sharpen our math skills, developing passionate learners who love to problem-solve.
Each of these tools serves a specific purpose in building strong mathematicians. Sheet protectors and dry-erase markers allow for repeated practice without wasting paper or constant erasing. They also make it easy to make a mistake, and our class believes that with every mistake, our brain grows! Dice have added a dash of excitement, while the turquoise paper has brightened up resources that are constantly in use.
Thanks again for your role in bringing these materials to our classroom!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Effie
This classroom project was brought to life by AT&T and 4 other donors.Windows and Mirrors: We Need Diverse Books
Funded Sep 10, 2019I do not have the words to express my gratitude for your support on this project. Your generosity will make such a profound impact on student book clubs. Reading is always a highlight of our day, but with these current and relevant novels, I know excitement surrounding book clubs will only grow. Thank you again for donating!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Effie
Learning Through Play!
Funded Sep 14, 2018Thank you so much for your generous donations that helped "Learning Through Play" come to life! While Choice Time has always been a highly-anticipated part of our week, the excitement surrounding Friday afternoons has exponentially increased since the arrival of the new games and activities. We were super excited to unpack the new games and have been enjoying them ever since!
We have also been using the games during indoor recess, bringing collaborative problem-solving and strategic thinking to an otherwise drab, rainy day recess. Students have cherished the opportunities to work with their classmates to build Magna-Tile structures or Marble Run towers, and they've looked forward to sharpening their critical thinking skills while playing Connect Four or Battleship. In addition, we often invite students from other classes to join us during Choice Time. The materials have enabled these students to fearlessly join in on the fun and forge meaningful friendships along the way.
Your generous contribution has helped build important skills - such as collaborative problem-solving and independent conflict resolution - in many PS 110 students this year. Thank you again for your generosity! We are so appreciative of your contributions.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Effie
Diverse Biographies for Diverse Students!
Funded Jan 25, 2018The date was April 18th, and it was the launch of our biography unit. Upon entering our classroom and noticing that a bin of biographies was stationed at each table, students were more efficient than ever in unpacking their backpacks and hanging up their coats. As they scurried to the rug, some of the students were silent - focused on reading the titles of each biography through the clear bins - and others couldn't stop talking about inspiring people they hoped to read about. Not a single student interrupted the mini-lesson that followed because everyone knew, the faster we got through the lesson, the faster they would get to reading. Sure enough, the 25 minutes of independent reading time that followed were perhaps the most silent and most focused the class had ever been. And when the timer went off, signaling it was time to clean up and move on to the next part of our day, a collective groan could be heard throughout the classroom.
The four weeks of reading workshop that followed were shockingly similar. Students longed to begin reading about innovative inventors, determined athletes, and fearless activists. In fact, reading workshop soon became most student's favorite time of day (surpassing even recess!). I was thrilled to see how excited the students were to read, discuss their reading, and write about it, however I was not surprised. I had anticipated that the biographies would have a positive influence on the students.
However, what I could not have imagined was the extent to which it would impact their lives. Everyday, students would request to spend their quiet time - the 20 minutes lunch used to do calming activities - reading biographies. I even had students asking to stay up for recess in order to read! On the days which I was unable to have the students up, they brought books down with them, occupying all the benches in our schoolyard. One student even brought in his own biographies - ones that he'd convinced his mom to buy him - to read on the playground. And once he was done, he of course shared them with the rest of his classmates who were begging to read all about Alexander Hamilton and Alexander the Great! The news of the biographies began spreading around the school, and soon students from other classes were requesting to also read them. When the other second grade class launched their biography unit, we began sharing the books, meaning that 55 students had access to these amazing titles!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! No matter how many times and ways I express my gratitude, it will not be enough. These biographies have had an incredibly profound impact on the the second graders at P.S. 110, transforming reading workshop to the most highly-anticipated time of our day.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Effie
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 14 other donors.