Past projects 32
From Good to Great
Funded May 9, 2023Students worked on making products to sell at a local flea market and really represented the school well. They showcased their products well and the customers were impressed with the quality of their work.
The addition of machines to their makerspace tools, students were able to think about how to make their products look more professional.
When students are presented with new technology, there is no fear. They are excited to experiment and as teachers we are excited to stand by the side to support them. The teacher seems to have more fear of figuring out how to repair a machine if it breaks down.
In thinking about future use of the makerspace tools, students and teachers are thinking about how to offer services to the community like party planning, sport club banners, and blanket sewing.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Scilingo
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors Corporation and 2 other donors.Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Lunar New Year!
Funded Jan 11, 2023My students had fun seeing the products that could be produced with the materials that were purchased. We created decorations for a Chinese New Year celebration for the teachers.
There never seems to be enough time to spend designing and creating. Once the creative juices flow, it's often time to call for clean up. As students are exposed to more ways to produce quality, professional looking products, they begin to aim for excellence.
I hope to continue to build the resources for "making" so students can actively use both sides of their brain during a school day!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Scilingo
Modern Day Classroom Materials
Funded Oct 26, 2022Paper and pencils are no longer enough to provide a well rounded education for the students of today. Not only do they use more technology, but they need to be equipped with tools and equipment not found in the classrooms of old. 3d printers have replaced hand molded clay designs. Vinyl cutters have replaced scissors. Laminators have replaced contact paper. Glue guns have replaced bottled glue and glue sticks.
When students were first introduced to the new resources, they found them to be novel and it took a little training for them to get used to it. Now, they are able to come up with their own ideas and the resources are now just another classroom materials at their disposal to create pretty cool things! :D”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Scilingo
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 2 other donors.Produce to Pay It Forward
Funded May 6, 2022When students have an external source they are creating projects for, there is a greater sense of accountability. In turn, they attempt to produce things of a higher quality. If students are challenged to use their skills for a community purpose, they begin to see that school is more than a set of doors and walls. Hopefully, by seeing how their academic knowledge can be used practically, students can begin to develop a personal passion for things to consider in their future lives.
By designing holiday decorations for a party that could be used by others, students felt more engaged about what they were doing.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Scilingo
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron and 4 other donors.Organized Chaos
Funded Feb 6, 2022A STEM classroom often feels like chaos. A typical person walking into the magic of making may find it looking more like maniacal mayhem. 60 students using a myriad of materials to produce things that are very different from each other can often be hard to manage. With the plethora of tools we supply, students are able to create all sort of products, but if the tools are not placed back into their original location, the next student who wants to use it will have a difficult time being efficient to continue on their project.
The management of this organization is still a process, but your support of this project has helped us make some headway. Students are able to create high quality products while still being able to know exactly where most things go after they are done so the collective space is useful for everyone who comes after them.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Scilingo
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 3 other donors.Recycling Resources
Funded May 6, 2022Thank you so much for helping to get the recycling efforts of our school in place. 15-20 6-8th grade students are committed to starting programs to recycle crayons, batteries, cans, bottles, and old sneakers. We hope to work in partnership with different departments in the school to raise awareness of items that can be repurposed.
The crayons will be sent to the crayon initiative where they will be made into new crayons and given to children in hospitals. We will run competitions through the English department.
The PE department will help to collect shoes that we can send to Got Sneakers who will either repurpose them or help to recycle them properly.
The batteries will be taken to the fire department.
The cans and bottles to the local recycling facility where we hope to use the redemption money for community purposes.
Thank you so much for helping provide materials to make recycling fun!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Scilingo
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron and 2 other donors.Better Than A Pair of Scissors - STEAM Style
Funded Nov 30, 2021Thank you so much for providing industrial tools for my students to create cool projects.
When they first saw these products, they weren't sure what to do with them. But, with some instruction on creating vector graphics, they were able to use a digital cutter and are now proficient enough to teach others!
They have created circuit cards, stickers, T-shirt designs, and parts for water bottle rockets. Some students used the materials to create products to be sold at a local flea market. They practiced skills of budgeting, marketing, and producing prototypes ready for the public. It was so much fun to see their growth and excitement throughout the project.
Thank you for your support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Scilingo
This classroom project was brought to life by Young Sheldon on CBS and 5 other donors.Can You Hear Me Now?
Funded Dec 15, 2021While masked, it is difficult to hear the teacher clearly. The supplies provided by Can you Hear Me Now allowed the students to hear me more clearly. Before these supplies, I was losing my voice every other week. I would be horse over the weekend and would preserve my voice with my own children at home.
The speakers were actually used by the students to amplify their musical instrument project. It was not an original intention, but it was welcomed resource.
Because one set of microphones was portable, like the kind they use in Disneyland, I was able to conduct class outside as well.
Thank you so much for giving a voice to my me and my students through amplified sound resources.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Scilingo
This classroom project was brought to life by Young Sheldon on CBS and 4 other donors.Fidget for Learning
Funded Oct 25, 2021Earlier this year, students were using their mask strings to cut up chairs and classroom materials like scissors. By supporting this fidget for learning project, I was able to help students find more constructive ways to get their energy out.
Students with chair bands can keep their busy feet, even at the middle school level, busy without being a distraction by walking around the room. Students who need to keep their fingers moving are able to focus while using low noise gadgets.
By providing constructive alternatives to destructive behavior, students and teachers can have their needs met without being on edge.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Scilingo
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and 2 other donors.Oh, The Things I Can Make
Funded Oct 21, 2021Thank you so much for supporting my students in creating. With the ideas from the Oh, The Things You Can Make reference materials, the students were able to rethink how everyday materials can be repurposed for other uses.
Students worked with consumables like cardboard, bottle caps, popsicle sticks, cork, CDs, skewers, toothpicks, pipe cleaners, paper clips, and straws to build cars for a DIY Derby event.
Students were introduced to the laser cutter and the concepts of vectoring and rastering. Seeing industry standard equipment in use gave the students a sense of empowerment and a glimpse into how "scary" machines are actually quite fun.
During the car building event, the students asked for more projects like that. They were able to make paper circuit cards soon after that with inspiration from the reference materials in this project.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Scilingo
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 3 other donors.