Past projects 40
Big Feelings Books
Funded Sep 21, 2021Thank you for your generous donation of board books to my school library. I am first so happy and grateful to be back in school teaching students. And it has been a tough year. The students are happy to be back and have some big feelings about the last two years. It has been a difficult time for so many and in so many ways.
Children's books can really address the feelings of anxiety and fear in meaningful ways that allows for good discussions. In one class we read "Radiant Child" about Jean-Michel Basquiat. Most of the students have neurological differences and they really connected with the story: about not drawing straight lines or coloring in perfectly and sometimes feeling awkward and ugly yet being beautiful at the same time. The students drew portraits with Basquiat's signature crown. These pictures are all over the library and are just beautiful. We have read "Our Class is a Family" to establish a feeling of belonging. We have shared and talked about the numerous books on making mistakes because as we navigate this new world we are making plenty.
Thank you so much for generosity and getting more stories to more students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Taylor
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and one other donor.Sending More and More Books
Funded Mar 16, 2021Students were home for 18 months with schools and public libraries closed. Students had no easy way to access exciting books to read while learning from home. I was able to secure funds to purchase high interest and engaging books for students. The issue was how to get the books into their hands.
Thankfully, through the generosity of donors, I was able to purchase pre-paid boxes to send books home. In each box, students received a book of their choice and some treats.
I heard back from so many students saying they loved getting mail. Very few have received personalized presents in the mail and most importantly, they loved having new books to read and to keep.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Taylor
This classroom project was brought to life by A Northern California family and 3 other donors.Books at Home
Funded Oct 20, 2020Thank you so much for getting the envelopes so I can get books out to students during distance learning. I have been able to send out about 75 book packages to students thanks to your generosity.
Students have emailed me saying:
-It was so fun to get a package. It broke up the boredom.
- I loved the books. Can I get more?
- Thank you so much for the books. I didnt know I would get so excited over books.
- I have never received a package before- not like an Amazon package- but a real one. Thanks!
The students loved the books and getting mail and really helped lift the morale of the students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Taylor
Can I Get Some Books Please, Ms. Taylor?
Funded May 23, 2020Thanks to your generosity I was able to mail books and games to students as care packages at the beginning of the summer. I was able to make about 30 care packages filled with fun learning supplies.
Students were so excited to get a package with some of their favorite books and games. They said they were glad to have something that was not online to do. Imagine that?
Thank you for your generosity during these really difficult times for schools and young people. Some students said it felt good to know people were thinking of them when they are learning at home. Thanks!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Taylor
Mega Cool Book Clubs
Funded May 31, 2020Many adults think that young people only want to be online. I think many would be surprised to know that students want real books in their hands. They have access to so many books online but all the students ask, "How can I get a book Ms. Taylor?" They want to hold, smell and read physical books. Thank you for making that happen.
With libraries still closed, it has been difficult for many young people to get a physical book. Students are also missing the social interaction at school. Thanks to your generosity I can now get books to students and then we will have book club meetings online.
I appreciate your help in these troubled times.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Taylor
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 6 other donors.Building a Mechanical Keyboard!
Funded Feb 5, 2020This year many 8th grade girls showed an interest in making their own mechanical keyboard. They researched ideas and concepts, made the wishlist and actually wrote the Donors Choose themselves.
Luckily this was funded pretty quickly and they received their parts pretty soon after. They were able to work on the keyboards at school before school shut down. They were missing a few parts and we fundraised at school and ordered the extra parts. Now the problem was how to get those parts because they were in China and the country was locked down! Once they came here our schools were locked down! We managed to find them and went to get the parts and then delivered it to the girls' homes with some soldering irons.
After the adventure, they are happy to say they finished and are using their new keyboards. Thank you for helping in this, needless to say, adventure in learning.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Taylor
RC Fun with Science
Funded Feb 21, 2020Thank you for supporting our Maker Club efforts. Students love exploring and trying out new ideas they find in our maker books and magazines or on the Internet. Students are very curious about making RC Cars and how to make them go up hills or go faster or how to take turns better. What the kids do not realize is that this is all physics. Science in disguise- like hiding broccoli in cake!
The students were so excited to get such a big box and I made them wait until the club so they could all open the box. It was really a joy to watch how happy they were and to listen to all the ideas they were coming up with.
Unfortunately, due to Coivd our exploration was cut short but their curiosity is not. I know some kids are at home trying to figure out more maker ideas waiting to have fun at school again soon. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Taylor
This classroom project was brought to life by Okta and 2 other donors.Book Clubs That Students Want
Funded Mar 1, 2019Thank you for your support of our book clubs. Every month I host three book clubs, one for each grade level. The students read the books and then we come to the library for chocolate banana bread, tea, and great conversations. The students love it.
Many people say that young people today do not read because they have phones and yet I have seen the opposite. Students love getting books and talking about those books. They argue about happy versus sad endings, who they recommend the books to, and should the book be a series or not.
The books clubs are diverse in background, gender, identities and religion which lends itself to deeper conversations about themes and the relevance to their lives.
Thank so much for helping with the club.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Taylor
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and one other donor.Lunch Time Fun
Funded Feb 14, 2019We are one week from the end of the school year. This year, thanks to your generosity, students created cool art projects, printed on 3D printers, designed and engineered a robot for the annual Robotic Petting Zoo, read books for the book clubs and made beautiful books during lunch.
Lunch can be a chaotic time in middle school and the library is able to offer fun and educational options for students. Students can read or make or just be. Thanks for helping make the library a safe and fun place for all of the students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Taylor
Making and Tinkering in Class
Funded Dec 1, 2018For three years, the students at my middle school have a fully functioning Maker Space, complete with 3D printers, tools, art supplies, Raspberry Pis, and other fun creative materials. At times supplies get low and need to be restocked. Thank you for restocking the shelves! Students made the tinkering and maker supply list that went into this project and are thrilled you helped them in this endeavor. This is an important skill for the students: to project plan and figure out ways to obtain the materials they need.
Your support is greatly appreciated.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Taylor