Kevin Harrington's Mustache

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There is no sound sweeter for an English teacher than the buzz of thirty teenagers independently reciting lines from Shakespeare. But getting to this point is not easy. It takes tons of planning and plenty of flexibility but most importantly it requires a way for students to "buy in" to the idea of reading some challenging text in front of their peers. This year the "buy in" was effortless: acting groups would consist of actors, designers and now real directors. The addition of 5 digital cameras to my annual Hamlet unit has meant that the play that I love is now one that many young people in this community will take with them wherever they go in life. All it took was your generous donation.

My goal was met and our class managed to breathe new life into a very old play. Imagine the scene when Hamlet speaks with his father's ghost, only set in the back hallway of an apartment building. If a modern Hamlet and Laertes were to seek a duel today, they would surely forgo the swords and pick up a basketball instead. The intellectual leap from script to real setting was a big one for many of my students, but the creativity and imagination I witnessed far exceeded even my wildest expectations.

From in-class rehearsal to recording out in the neighborhood, every student was engaged and excited. Our class took time to edit the scenes and many students stayed late into the afternoon to refine and improve their final product. The collective "bow "came when each group presented their scene to discuss their creative choices. (The "blooper" outtakes were hysterical!) On presentation day the advanced understanding of Hamlet was obvious, the creativity of each student was plain to see and the pride in a job well done was clear in each group that came to the front of the room.

Thank you for providing an outstanding learning experience that my students will never forget!

”

With gratitude,

Mr. Averill

Thank you for your donation of leveled readers for my students. The students have enjoyed reading the many different titles at their individual instructional levels. I greatly appreciate having a wide variety of titles and topics to use with my students to keep them engaged and excited about reading.

I have found that many of my students really enjoy the nonfiction books much more than fiction. They love learning new facts and becoming experts on topics. I am always excited when they know more than I do about a topic. I love the way a child's eyes light up when they feel a sense of accomplishment. I look forward to using these books for many years to come. Thanks again for supporting the love of reading by providing great books to students.

The students I work with also have learned a lot about helping others this year through great donations like yours. Thank you for helping children and teachers!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Bredemeier

Thank you so much for your very kind and generous donation of the Cricut Machine for our classroom. The cricut machine is such an asset to the classroom. We have used it to decorate the bulletin boards, students have cut their names, cut out different shapes and have made beautiful decorative books. The possibilities are endless!

The students get so excited when they find out we are going to create an art project with the machine. They all want to use it.

The students are so amazed at your generosity. They keep asking me, " Mrs. K how come they gave it to us for free?" They must be very nice people and they don't even know us". I tell them, " yes you are right. They are nice people and they don't even know us. Can you believe that? There are a lot of good people in the world who believe in helping others even if they don't know them.

We are having important conversations about why it's important to help others. As a result, our class is making paper cranes to send to Japan. For every paper crane they make, $2.00 will be donated to Japan. Our class has learned a valuable lesson about giving to others. Thank you so very much.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Keefe

I'd like to take this opportunity to tell each and every one of you how much of an impact your generosity has had in our classroom already. The easel/chart stand/storage center on wheels is utilized all day long, every day. We don't know how we got along without it!

We use this unit to hold our big books when we read. It helps us do small group and whole group mini-lessons in math, reading, and writing. Our most loved charts and poems adorn the side of it and we store materials for our word work and reading groups in the buckets on the back of it.

The children and I are extremely grateful to you and wish you could see how much we really love it. It means so much to us that there are people out there like you who care an awful lot. You've made a lasting impact in our studies... one that will continue to give for years to come! Thanks just doesn't seem big enough!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Baron

Thank you so much for your support in making my listening center a reality. I entered a classroom that had nothing, not even student desks. I had to request desks, chairs, and bookshelves. Most of the furniture I received was old and falling apart. I didn't have anything either in the form of a CD or cassette player until I was funded by your wonderful generosity. The students are using the listening center during center time and individual students are using it to reinforce their reading skills. Students are listening to CDs and tapes while following along in the book, a skill that is helping develop their reading skills.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Ramos

Thank you so much for your generosity towards my class that enabled me to receive many books for my student's. These books are Caldecot winners and classics like The Gingerbread Man, which I believe all kids should be exposed to.

These books are fun to read and great for my student's to build their fluency. Fluency is the key to increased comprehension. Many of my students need such books as they are having difficulty accessing the core curriculum due to their poor reading skills.

I want to thank you for the opportunity you are providing my students with.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Smith