Adam "Ed.Word to Your Mustache!" Peindl

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Thank you VERY much for your generous contributions!! The plant stand is amazing! It is a great addition to the classroom. My environmental science students are working on a project growing peppers and tomatillos. Both plants are members of the same taxonomic group, the Solanaceae, however their fruits are very different. When the students arrive in class, they immediately walk to the back of the room to check on and care for their plants.

We have been discussing the major groups of land plants and their uses in class. The stand has allowed me to have a mini-greenhouse in the classroom. I currently have succulent plants on display for the students. It is so nice to have the plant stand in the classroom. I am already designing a project on plant growth for next year! The stand will provide us with an area that receives consistent light, temperature and humidity; which are great for doing controlled experiments.

Thank you again for helping out the students at our high school. We wouldn't be able to have this kind of equipment without your generosity! ”

With gratitude,

Mr. Long

You have provided my students with wonderful learning tools that have enriched their learning experiences in so many ways!! This year, I taught several science concepts including: weather, plants, the Earth, animals, life cycles, food chains, matter, and force/motion. I used textbooks but enhanced my curriculum by also infusing as many engaging activities as possible. It is incredibly time consuming to create activities by hand so I have been sometimes limited. Here's where your wonderful donation comes in!! Because of you, I have been able to create centers where my students can engage in enriching activities. I have also taken the opportunity to take these newly learned concepts and helped synthesize learning by playing games like the Science Game Quiz Show. They absolutely LOVE this game! Recently, an observing supervisor from a local university observed this game in action. She was absolutely impressed with how much my class had learned with respect to science concepts! I was impressed too!

Please know that your donation has certainly been put to good use and will continue to be used by many students to come. All research indicates that humans learn best when they are engaged and the brain is interested in what is being learned. Remember the last time you caught yourself daydreaming during a lecture? I can assure you that my students are 100% engaged when using the wonderful resources you have provided for us.

I am incredibly grateful to you for your generosity and belief in our children.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Garrity

Your generous gift of paint for our project, "trash can revival" was the start of something much larger. Shortly after the students began painting many of the trash cans they began thinking about garbage differently. The process of painting the cans had many of the students contemplating about how wasteful our school can be at times. They began to focus on things our school readily recycles -(all paper) and things our school does not have the capacity to yet. They really enjoyed bringing new life to the cans, banging out the dents, and putting a "punch of color" into most of the teachers classrooms. Some of the teachers whom did not have metal trash cans to revive are truly jealous of the teachers that have these utilitarian artworks in their classrooms. As a result of another grant in conjunction with yours our paper product recycling rates have risen to 100% of target which has been the highest rate reported by the waste management company responsible for our school's recycling program in three years time. Every classroom is now equipped with one blue recycling bin and one very decorative waste basket thanks to your donation. Your gift gave my students an art experience and a life experience that had them not only thinking about being responsible students but had them taking action. They are currently involved in making posters to reinforce our schools recycling program and are creating brochures to publicize recycling centers in the school's community. My students are also engaged in activities in which they are taking "trash" and turning it into artistic treasure by making found object jewelry, grocery bag kites, and their own new handmade paper made from paper waste. Thanks for impacting my students' lives positively and bringing more joy to my job which I know is the best job in the world! ”

With gratitude,

Mr. Helbig

Words can't express my sincere gratitude for your donation to my project! Your generosity makes me speechless! Thank you so much for sharing my vision and love of reading. My students are so excited to have new books to read and listen to, especially since their personal libraries are so limited.

The tools that you have provided will enable my students to engage in classic stories while they expand their reading and writing skills. In addition, they will learn the true elements of storytelling and how to engage in a text for pleasure! It will be hard to pull them away from reading at the listening center!

Thank you very much. I can't wait to integrate these books into our learning environment.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Boysko

I had high hopes for the author study. My expectations were shattered when students really dug in and extended their learning. After immersing ourselves in a Carl Hiaasen author study, the students came away with this insight.

"We've found a lot of entries on cliffhangers and imagery in the responses to Hoot and Flush. The author uses strong verbs and slows down important parts in the story to help you visualize the events. Also, he brings you into the action so that you can understand the story better. The protagonists are kids our age, and they inspire us because they can help to change pollution and save endangered animals. They have realistic and believable adventures and traits. Also, the antagonists are usually adults who have a lot of power and who are intimidating. By Carl Hiaasen creating these strong protagonists who stand up to powerful adults, it helps us understand the meaning of courage and doing the right thing. We are inspired by the writing."

Powerful words. These students have become better readers, better thinkers, and launched a stronger activist element within their lives. Thank you for all you've done to encourage that and make it a reality for these tenacious young citizens.”

With gratitude,

Mr. Kovacs

My Kindergarten students were so thrilled to see the new science materials that arrived last week! They immediately began taking items off of the shelf in the science center and placing them under the lenses of the giant tripod magnifiers to see starfish, shells and rocks up close. It is now common for me to look up from reading a book with a student and find another student peering at me from across the room using our new binoculars with a giant smile! We have already taken a close look at bugs (awfully hairy) and feathers using the projector microscope too.

I can't wait to take those binoculars to the nature center in May! Their walk will be amazing as these young explorers will feel like "real" scientists with real tools.

Thank you for your generosity!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Brown