Past projects 38
Imagination, Innovation, and Independence
Funded Nov 14, 2024Thank you so much for your generous donation towards our small group STEAM activities. Your support made it possible for us to create a sensory bin with instant snow and polar animal figurines, which has been a hit with the kids! We've also been utilizing aqua brushes and aqua pens, enhancing the students' creative experiences. All of these materials have been used multiple times, across several days. The students have looked forward to working towards earning these items as extra "fun" activities, not even realizing the educational benefits. They have been perfect during this winter season where we have had more time indoors than some previous winters. I have been enjoying listening to their conversations, dramatic play, and problem solving. Additionally, the utility cart you helped fund has been invaluable for storing and transporting our library books and STEM materials weekly. Your contribution truly makes a difference!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Keely
This classroom project was brought to life by Young Sheldon and 3 other donors.Launch Into Literacy - Part 3
Funded Sep 4, 2023It is with great gratitude that I express how much of a difference these books and wobble stools have made in my classroom! With the Science of Reading becoming a newer buzz, it has been my goal to provide my students with real books, rather than digital ones, that allow them to practice decoding skills that will turn them into lifelong readers. They were beyond excited to get these books. They loved how colorful they were (especially compared to the black-and-white stapled books I printed and used before). The chapter books made them feel like big kids! All while they were able to have meaningful practice. We have been working through an appropriate scope and sequence to have students practice consonant-vowel-constant words, blends, digraphs, silent e, vowel teams, and even more complex decoding skills. One parent mentioned that her previously reading-hesitant child comes home to tell her about her new favorite book series! As with anything, frequent practice is how we improve our accuracy and fluency. It has only been a few months, but my heart is swelling with pride in how much my students have already grown. It could not have been done without your support and bringing these materials to my classroom. Thank you so incredibly much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Keely
This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 14 other donors.Launch Into Literacy - Part 2
Funded Sep 4, 2023It is with great gratitude that I express how much of a difference these books and wobble stools have made in my classroom! With the Science of Reading becoming a newer buzz, it has been my goal to provide my students with real books, rather than digital ones, that allow them to practice decoding skills that will turn them into lifelong readers. They were beyond excited to get these books. They loved how colorful they were (especially compared to the black-and-white stapled books I printed and used before). The chapter books made them feel like big kids! All while they were able to have meaningful practice. We have been working through an appropriate scope and sequence to have students practice consonant-vowel-constant words, blends, digraphs, silent e, vowel teams, and even more complex decoding skills. One parent mentioned that her previously reading-hesitant child comes home to tell her about her new favorite book series! As with anything, frequent practice is how we improve our accuracy and fluency. It has only been a few months, but my heart is swelling with pride in how much my students have already grown. It could not have been done without your support and bringing these materials to my classroom. Thank you so incredibly much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Keely
This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 15 other donors.Launch Into Literacy - Part 1
Funded Sep 4, 2023It is with great gratitude that I express how much of a difference these books and wobble stools have made in my classroom! With the Science of Reading becoming a newer buzz, it has been my goal to provide my students with real books, rather than digital ones, that allow them to practice decoding skills that will turn them into lifelong readers. They were beyond excited to get these books. They loved how colorful they were (especially compared to the black-and-white stapled books I printed and used before). The chapter books made them feel like big kids! All while they were able to have meaningful practice. We have been working through an appropriate scope and sequence to have students practice consonant-vowel-constant words, blends, digraphs, silent e, vowel teams, and even more complex decoding skills. One parent mentioned that her previously reading-hesitant child comes home to tell her about her new favorite book series! As with anything, frequent practice is how we improve our accuracy and fluency. It has only been a few months, but my heart is swelling with pride in how much my students have already grown. It could not have been done without your support and bringing these materials to my classroom. Thank you so incredibly much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Keely
This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 18 other donors.Making a Cozy Classroom
Funded Dec 2, 2021Thank you again for all of these wonderful materials. To provide an update, I am still using most of the non-consumable items years later. The Cricut items have allowed me to make many, many personalized items in my classroom. The most popular creation was magnetic names for all of my students. Teachers and parents who saw them were so impressed. I love them because I can easily reorganize groups. I can send them home at the end of the year since they are so durable. Others have asked me to help them make items for their classrooms as well. The Yoto was especially helpful with math and center time transitions. I create a file with little song snippets and the students would have to be cleaned up by the end of the song. It was incredibly easy to start and stop with the Yoto player. As an added benefit, we have tons of audiobooks uploaded now for some screen-free listening. We also have dance tunes and yoga guides! The wobble stools have been invaluable in keeping my students moving throughout the day. It is far superior to the stationary chairs in the classroom. It seems small, but the ability to stay moving while working allows them to get their energy out and stay focused at the same time. I cannot thank you enough for your support!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Keely
Passionate for a 3Doodler
Funded Oct 3, 2021Thank you for donating to this project. Our 5th graders had an opportunity to think about what matters to them- either something they enjoyed and wanted to improve, a problem they wanted to solve, or an educational opportunity. They spent several months working on their Passion Projects. Some of these projects included running a bake sale to raise money for a local food pantry, creating how-to books for art and video games, and designing items from board games to cars. The 3D Doodler was very useful. Students were able to make models of the things they envisioned. It allowed them to express their creativity, while also learning about newer technology. This was an amazing experience. We could not have had this opportunity without this project funding.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Keely
Copy Cats Staying Organized
Funded May 20, 2021I wanted to again express my appreciation for your kindness and generosity! The classroom has been an entirely different environment for students and teachers the past year and a half. I have been scrambling to recreate the wheel to meet the needs of all my students. My goals have been to keep the material accessible and keep our classroom feeling and looking like a warm, educational space for everyone. This project helps tremendously.
Having a color printer in our classroom has been tremendously useful. In the past, to retrieve an item from the printer meant waiting until my lunch break or after school when I did not have students in the classroom. If I needed to print, I would have to leave my classroom and get it from the entirely opposite end of the school building. Now, when a student needs a modified worksheet, it takes a short moment to get that. When we add to a growing bulletin board of success, we can celebrate our victories as they happen! There are countless spontaneous moments in a single day - a page rips, a student is leaving early, this lesson doesn't make sense and we need to slow down, etc. The printer keeps us prepared and allows us to problem-solve so much more easily. It has made a big difference. Thank you for supporting this project.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Keely
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 17 other donors.Bringing Color to our Classroom
Funded Jul 5, 2021I wanted to again express my appreciation for your kindness and generosity! The classroom has been an entirely different environment for students and teachers the past year and a half. I have been scrambling to recreate the wheel to meet the needs of all my students. My goals have been to keep the material accessible and keep our classroom feeling and looking like a warm, educational space for everyone. This project helps tremendously.
Having toner for our color printer has allowed us to keep printing on! The students have been filling their Social Studies notebook with "Explorer Guides" that are color coded and much more attractive than a black-and-white print. The students themselves have been making posters and completing passion projects. Sometimes they hesitantly ask, "Would you be able to print a picture for me...?" They look shocked but excited when I say, "Yes!" without skipping a beat. One student continued, "But I need a lot..." It was great to be able to offer to print as much as he needed without any concern. The students love their math charts to assist with conversion, multiplication, and much more coming throughout the year. We have beautiful journals for our science experiment. Thank you for making all of this happen.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Keely
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 15 other donors.Math Kits for Across the Distance
Funded Mar 23, 2021Thank you for these materials and the impact they have had. Math is a subject where students benefit more and grasp concepts more easily when they can be hands-on. Manipulatives help build number sense! When our school began to decide on the best protocols to keep students safe, it was understandable that we would not be able to use the class sets of materials we had if it meant multiple students would have to touch the same items.
I am thrilled with the math kits I was able to put together for the students. The favorite in our classroom are the pocket caddies that we attached to the side of each student's desk with velcro. It was an organization game changer! It also helped keep their math tools easily accessible. The whiteboards and dry erase tools are our most frequently used items. As we approach the end of our school year, the math concepts are getting challenging. Students benefit from putting their work down in writing. It helps them remember their skills better, work slower and more accurately, and find mistakes more easily. These double-sided boards came just in time as we worked with coordinate grids.
As we wrap up our year, I am appreciative that we have the tools for all students to be thorough in their work, as well as have the materials for fun math games. Playing games is a great, easy way to reinforce concepts. I am so thankful to have these tools during this difficult year, but I am also so excited that these math kits can be reused every year. I look forward to seeing this project have a positive impact on my students for many years to come!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Keely
This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 16 other donors.Collaboration Station
Funded Feb 12, 2021As schools have had more students return in person, and we shifted distancing to 3 feet between students, I was finally able to start bringing this project to life! The dry-erase table has been on my wish list for years. As a math teacher, I know there is such a strong benefit to "showing work" and actually writing out how to solve problems. Sometimes, it is like pulling teeth to get students to actually write though. Unfortunately, an extended time with virtual learning seemed to make students even more reluctant to write the math to help them. The first time I invited students to write on the table, I wish I had taken a picture of their faces! "What?? Really?!" They were shocked, but excited! Ask them to write on a whiteboard or scrap paper, and that seems boring. Ask them to write on the table, and that is super cool!
Moreover, we finally venturing more into group work. In the beginning, this look like students working in the same pod of three students nearby. Now, I've been mixing up groups. It has been great letting students pick different brains while working! There are always kids asking to be the group that works on the floor so they can sit on the comfy floor seats. They love to adjust the recliner. What I appreciate best, is how they don't use this as a tool to fool around. They get to their floor seats, get comfortable, and start learning!
I am so appreciative of your generosity that helped make all of this happen. I cannot thank you enough for the gifts you have given my students and I. To the students, these materials may just be some new and cool, but as their teacher, I can see the positive impact it's having on their education. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Keely
This classroom project was brought to life by Allstate Foundation and 11 other donors.