Tim Ferriss's Give-Back Birthday

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This is just a very small token of my gratitude for the purchase of the Hoot series and audio tapes. My class enjoyed reading this book. They were able to address science questions as well as behavioral issues such as bullying. We used this novel to incorporate science into our language arts class and relate it to social issues. This novel helped students see themselves from a different stand point and to comprehend how bullying affects many people. However, the students were also able to learn about different habitats in the United States.

With all the budget cuts, my students would not have been able to read this current novel without your gracious generosity. This class of students and the ones coming behind them will benefit from your gift.

Again, thank you for making a difference for our students and allowing them exposure to novels that they may not otherwise be able to read.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Pace

Motivating fifth graders to read can be a difficult task. For most students, it is not their favorite pastime. In fact, reading probably would not even reach their top ten favorite activities.

However, all of my students can find something in a Weekly Reader that catches their interest. Each week, my fifth grade students look forward to receiving a new set of magazines. They read the magazines and answer the questions as part of their literacy contracts each week. This is one of the stations that I hear the least complaining about. They forget that they are completing classwork when they read these magazines.

As an educator, I appreciate that these magazines present current events in an engaging manner. My students are enjoying reading and are learning at the same time. Thank you so much for your donations. The Weekly Readers are very much appreciated and enjoyed!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Southern

I want to take this opportunity to thank you all so much for you contributions to this project. It has been quite some time since this project was funded but there were several delays in the shipments of the materials. After we finally received the materials, we were able to start the incubation process.

The students are so excited about this project. Both the ducklings and chicks should be hatching some time next week. All of the students are thrilled to be learning about these little animals that they are very motivated to learn more. They are writing about their observations of the eggs, reading books about the cycles, asking lots of wonderful questions, and working with a kindergarten buddy to help them write sentences about the eggs. The writing, along with the science, was the original intent of the project and it is working out wonderfully and the students are so excited about the learning and about helping the Kindergarten students learn and write about it as well.

Thank you again for your donations that help made this project a reality for the students I am working with. This project will continue to motivate the students and help them learn as we will continue this project next year and the year after due to the fact that almost all of the materials are non-consumable so it will have minimal costs for us in the future.

We can not thank you enough for your generosity and the amount of excitement and motivation you all have helped to provide our students. Thank you again. We can not wait to be able to share some of the pictures and writing with you in the very near future.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. McGaughey

I cannot express how much my kids have enjoyed reading with the Leap Frog Tag Readers! Every day they enjoy reading time! They grab their bag of books and could sit for hours reading story after story!

As a teacher, I have never seen such a resource that allows my kids to read independently. They can read the story by themselves or have the story read to them. They can also read the story independently and use the Tag Readers to sound out words they don't know! It's amazing!

Thank you so much for giving towards this resource! My students actually enjoy reading independently now, and I can trust that they are reading the correct way!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Smallwood

On behalf of my class I would like to take a moment to thank you for your generous donation. The class set of "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" has inspired my young readers. They have enjoyed reading this very entertaining tale and can't wait to begin their next chapter book. As a teacher, finding ways to develop a love of reading is always a challenge. Your thoughtful donation has helped to make this task a little less overwhelming.

In the current climate of budget constraints, teacher are faced with the challenge of having to do more with less. Your donation has helped greatly in meeting some of those challenges. Again thank you for giving to this very worthy project. Your kindness has helped to inspire life long readers and learners.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Sadler

    Thank you for your generous donation of biographies to my classroom library. We recently completed our nonfiction unit of study, and it was a tremendous success! My students got to meet the likes of Roberto Clemente, Duke Ellington, Eleanor Roosevelt, Elizabeth Blackwell, King Tut, Leonardo da Vinci, and (a class favorite given our local weather situation) Snowflake Bentley. We charted these historical figures' ups and downs, chronicled their goals and struggles, and drew connections between their lives and how we think, feel, and live in 2011.

    As a culmination of our learning, students created graphic organizers detailing their chosen figure's goals, the obstacles that got in the way, and how those obstacles were overcome. They included their work in a portfolio of nonfiction learning, which they presented to guests at an end-of-unit celebration. I hope you enjoy these photos of that day, and I hope that you will donate to another teacher's project soon”

With gratitude,

Teacher

I wish I could convey the feeling that I get to experience when I show my students a new set of books. Their faces light up, and a chant of new books can be heard in whispers that resonate throughout my classroom.

The Watson's Go to Birmingham truly is an essential text for middle school students to read. One of the timeless classics that I still remember from when I was their age. Without access to books like this one, students become terribly disillusioned with reading. Boring stories are synonymous with reading itself being boring. I cannot thank you enough for helping me to procure the resources so none of my students can make this claim.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Ox

This project has been such a blessing for my class. At this time, I have a group of students that need more practice with context clues. With the materials that were purchased, I have been able to create centers that meet the individual needs of my students. Plus, this project has so much potential for future use that will help keep my students engaged as they practice skills like multiple meaning words, antonyms/synonyms, idioms, and so much more! I could not have done this without your help--thank you for choosing our project. You may never see the fruits of your generous donations in the lives of my students, but I assure you that "Wheel of (Vocabulary) Fortune" has already begun to open their eyes to the incredible world of vocabulary.”

With gratitude,

Teacher

I would like to thank you for your generous gift of Dan Gutman books for our third grade students. All of the students and teachers were excited to receive your book donation. Your support of this project was greatly appreciated!

It has been a thrill for the teachers to watch students get excited about reading. Since we have received these books, the students have been meeting with their peers in small group settings to read. They have discussed literature and made connections to the characters in the books that have similarities to their own lives. In addition, they have been eager to read other books by the same author independently. Our librarian has noticed an increase in circulation requests for these books.

Multiple copies of books have made it easier for teachers to plan lessons and allow children more time to devote to reading. Students enjoy holding their own copy of the book and reading along with others. These books have helped students meet their reading goals and increase their reading fluency. They have also been a good resource to plan additional activities connected with the books. Students have worked harder on their reading goal and been able to participate in our school Accelerated Reading program.

Students now have more confidence in their ability to read. Their self esteem has increased and they are more receptive to reading chapter books.

One of our state requirements is to allow students opportunities to build their reading comprehension skills and to increase their fluency. Your donation made it possible for our children to be involved in engaging experiences and discover they can be strong readers.

I am so grateful you made this possible for our third grade students. It has been a challenge finding materials on multiple levels that teach students how to read. Thank you again for your generosity and support in the education of students.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Williams