Friends of Goody Bassett

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When my students opened the boxes with me during morning meeting we were so excited! We now have our own notebooks and pencils to work with. We write in them each day! We practice writing the date, letters, and we even get to draw pictures in the open space above the lines. We're so lucky to have a pencil sharpener that fits our big, Kindergarten sized pencils... thanks to you! We now have dice, unifix cubes, notebooks, and pencils at each seat, which means we can use them safely without sharing! We will continue to learn and grow with these items.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Zebrowski

First and foremost, thank you so very much for your generous donations, which helped to update my classroom library for my students! Our classroom library scanner and many new and diverse books have helped to make my students enthusiastic and eager to read this year.

During our Reader's Workshop, students have the opportunity to check out books from our classroom library. They are able to choose books that are interesting and a "good fit" for them. The students have LOVED being able to use our new book scanner, which connects to a Chromebook wirelessly, to check books out for their own reading. Being able to catalog my classroom library digitally has helped my students become more enthusiastic about reading new books and has helped them to be more accountable since they love to check out new ones and write a review when they return them!

The new books that you provided for my students have helped to diversify my classroom library, making it more reflective of the children in my 6th-grade classroom. One of the big themes in our reading units this year has been taking perspective and empathizing with others. This has been especially true throughout our Social Issues Book Club unit. The titles in this grant have allowed my students to see life from different points of view. This has been such a valuable experience for them, and they have had the most powerful and thoughtful discussions because of it.

I am so excited to see where these new books take my students, as we begin our Historical Fiction unit next! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for making such a difference in the learning - and the lives - of my students.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Swanson

I cannot thank you enough for the generous donations you gave to help us obtain this new set of tone chimes! When I first started this ensemble, it included 15 students in total. Over the course of 4 years, it has grown to two tone chime choir ensembles compromised of 48 students in total.

My students were very excited when I told them we were able to get another set of tone chimes thanks to your generous donations! Due to the amount of students involved, I was limited on resources to help them grow in their musicianship by how many tone chimes they could play for their music. This 25 piece tone chime set gave my students more chances to play more than 1 or 2 bells at a time which has helped to build their musicianship skills.

With this extra set of tone chimes, my students are currently working on more challenging music during class. They can expand their musician knowledge of learning how to play 3 to 4 bells at the same time now and are preparing their music pieces for the upcoming spring concert and annual Battle of the Bands competition. So, thank you for all you have done to help my students succeed in their future music endeavors.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Nied

I wish I could fully relay to you the excitement when we opened up these boxes, filled with new recess equipment! This enormous box has been sitting in the front of my classroom for about a week, building suspense (while I waited for some cooperative weather!). Finally, today, we opened them up! They were so excited! We quickly talked about how we could best take care of our new materials and who would be responsible for what, and then we headed outside.

It was such a joyful moment for me, watching all the kids simply play together with their new toys. Some ran off and started an impromptu game of kickball. Two boys kicked off their shoes (!) and practiced their soccer footwork. A small team of kids started a pickup game. A few girls practiced jumping rope, with more joining in. We tied up two ropes and more kids trickled over, enticed by the laughter of the kids trying to jump as long as possible. (I'm going to teach them about Double Dutch next!)

No one was left out. Kids invited each other to join in, encouraging each other with shouts of "Try it! You can do it!"

Sometimes it seems our world is too fast paced - so much information, so much technology, so much to do. Recess today reminded me of the simpler times of childhood - no one pulled out their phone or video games. Everyone simply joined in for some good "old-fashioned" fun.

Thank you so much for this gift - I know it will be treasured in many days to come, by many different kids. I know it will help them get exercise while learning to work together, to encourage each other, and also, to have a lot of fun. Your generosity is so incredibly appreciated. I can't thank you enough!”

With gratitude,

Ms. McDevitt

Thank you so much for supporting my classroom and my students. They were so excited when they first saw the materials. They could not wait to use them, and once they were allowed to use them they could not contain their excitement.

They love using all the materials and they are very excited about developing their English literacy skills. We have incorporated these centers into our daily language arts instruction. The students love these activities and are improving their skills.

We will continue to use these materials daily to promote learning. My next step will be to have the students work to develop their writing skills and their independence.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Santana

I want to thank you so much for funding my project. My students are enjoying reading all the books about the different countries. They specifically love all the beautiful pictures and the interesting facts. Having these books in my classroom has been great. They are a valuable resource, which the students are using to learn many facts about the different countries. It is wonderful to have them here in the class so easily accessible for my students. In addition, having the books at the different levels, ensures that all the students have access and benefit from what they are reading.

We love to use the artifacts and replicas to learn about the different animals from all around the globe, as well as the many beautiful landmarks. All the different continent maps and charts are colorful and kid friendly, and the students love using them to find information about the continents. Your generosity will allow me to engage my students in individual research projects in our Global Studies classes.

Once again I am forever grateful for your generosity and interest in our project.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Rua

Thank you for donating to our project! Communication can be something that we take for granted, as it typically comes naturally to us. My students, however, have trouble with communication as many of them are non-verbal and have difficulty expressing their basic wants and needs. By donating to out project, you have provided my students with one of the most powerful gifts: a voice. They are now using the picture exchange communication books and insert pages to learn to express their needs, wants, and thoughts throughout the entire day and across many different settings! Pretty soon, my students will be able to use these books to interact with others in the same way that we use our voices. You have made such a positive impact on their lives and we cannot thank you enough.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Kylie

I am thrilled that my project has been funded. My students and I are so grateful to each and everyone of you. I can not wait to get them learning using technology. There are so many sites geared to their academic and social goals.

Thank you so much for your kindness, generosity and support. May God Bless you always.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Quader