Peachfuzz to Whiskers with Dahni-El

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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

It was a Tuesday morning in January when a big box arrived at AGC. The students and I opened the box and it felt like Christmas morning again! We are so incredibly happy with all the material that you donated to the classroom!

The students have been using the word games every day. The Kindergarten students with special needs needed another teaching approach in addition to what was offered thus far. The tactile sight word cards help in providing lessons based on their needs and that match their preferred learning style. The ending sound memory game is a big hit in First grade; we even had to put a timer and a schedule in place to make sure everybody gets a turn. The students with special needs in Second grade discovered the shoelace-match-the-word game and don't want to stop, even when they have recess.

We will continue using the material on a daily basis, and I am sure that my students enjoy their school day even more. Without donors like you, many students in the United States would miss out on learning opportunities! I often tell my students to "grow their brain" and your donation brought the students a step further in this process. Thank you so much!”

With gratitude,

Ms. W.

We love our puzzles! The puzzle center has been very active during playtime since they arrived. The children have enjoyed working on puzzles by themselves as well as working cooperatively with their peers to solve them. It is amazing to watch a few of the children work cooperatively to solve the large floor puzzles. I love hearing, "Ms. L, come see what we did!" I am thrilled when I walk over and see that they worked cooperatively on their problem solving skills to solve the large floor puzzles. Especially when you look at the pictures and see that some of the children are about the same size as the floor puzzles!

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for providing my students with puzzles that are challenging for the multiple abilities in my classroom! ”

With gratitude,

Ms. Liss

Battle of the Books is an extraordinary event. We competed this past Saturday April 17, 2010. Over 100 Chicago Public Schools competed this year. This is our school's fifth year participating in the city-wide Battle of the Books. Each of these five years generous donors, like yourselves have provided us with the books that have allowed our teams to get that early edge in the competition. Each year our teams have done very well. Our first year, we did not place, but in every other year our teams have placed either first, second or third. I can't tell you how powerful winning can be for a child...winning by reading is even more powerful.Our students read 21 books this school year to compete in the Battle of the Books...that's in addition to all the other reading, class and home work that is required of them. It is no simple feat to be a winner. In addition, the students are exposed to award winning literature, both fiction and nonfiction, and all the genres. Many of our team members are fourth grade students who only recently began to read chapter books and eight graders on their way to high school. As you can see from the photos, our teams consisted of boys and girls. So, we can toss out the notion that boys won't read.

After the battle, each team member is allowed to keep a copy of each book for their own personal libraries. All of the extra copies are place in the school library collection so all of the other students can check them out. The Battle of the Books titles are hot commodities in the school and are some of the most frequently read books in the library. Often there are enough copies of each title available, that teachers are able to use them for small reading groups or literature circles. Many of the titles have sequels or are sequels, thus the students are eager to continue reading beyond the battle and enriching their lives and informing their worlds. Many of the students are already asking about 2011 Battle of the Books.

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With gratitude,

Ms. Hicks

Wow! Have your books made an impact on my students! Not a day goes by that a student doesn't share a poem from one of the many poetry books you have donated to our classroom. The children have enjoyed the poetry so much, they have created "read-along" tapes, where they have recorded themselves reading their favorite poems. During reading time, children pop a tape into the player and listen to their classmates read their favorite poems to them. We recite and chant poetry on our way to the lunchroom and between classes. Simply put, your donation has helped me weave fun and poetry throughout our daily lives, and I thank you so much for helping me nurture that love of poetry.

Furthermore, several of my students have begun writing their own poetry collections. One child is writing poems inspired by her grandmother's illness and her parents' divorce. Only in third grade, she is just one child that is discovering that poetry can not only make us laugh, but also help us through some of the more difficult moments in life.

Moments like these wouldn't happen without the generous support from donors like yourselves. We thank you and as their teacher, I want to let you know you have deeply impacted 27 children, helping them discover not only the beauty of poetry, but the power of great books.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Rocuant

I can't thank you enough for funding my project, " A Journey Through Time and Space".  My students are so engaged in the learning process.  I can just see the difference as they are learning so many different ways of thinking creatively and problem solving.

We began the projects by dividing into groups.  The groups wrote a story, made a story board, movie poster and backdrops.  After this writing and 2-D work was finished, the students created puppets, clay figures, and props.  When the 3-D work was done, I handed them the video cameras, and that is when they could see all of their efforts coming together.  We are in the process of filming their movies, entering the data on our computers and doing some preliminary editing in iMovie. 

Without your support this activity could never have been realized.  My students have been able to experience tools that are relevant to a multi-media art making experience.  This has been a challenging and rewarding project for all of us.  I am particularly pleased that they have had to learn to work productively as a team to accomplish their movies.  Another extremely positive outcome is that they are learning art making skills in the service of their creative ideas.  They must gain mastery over their materials, in order to see their art realized. 

Using the video cameras, with the excellent camera bags and memory cards, created a very high level of motivation and  means for my students to synthesize their ideas. 

Thank you so much for your kind and generous support. 

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With gratitude,

Ms. Schwartz

Thank you to all donors for making this happen for me and my class. It has been a true life saver for me. It's really hard to teach science without the proper materials.

In my students' thank you letters they all showed their appreciation for all of your donations that make learning science fun. Without these "cool tools" (as some students wrote) science would be some boring reading assignment.

Now, I am able to use the human body model, which allows them see how the different parts work. It is so helpful to their learning to have these hands-on activities.

Thanks again, my teaching would not possible without your support!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Sromek

Thank you so much for your contribution. Your generous donation has helped to improve my classroom library and increase the amount of resources available for my students to use. Working in an urban public school is full of challenges but also full of rewards, and I am fortunate to work at a great school with great students who are eager to read.

I believe it is vital to have a variety of reading materials available for students to read in order to create life long readers. The books you donated to our classroom are kept in our classroom library for students to enjoy. Students may check out these books and take them home or read them during our silent reading time. Choice is very important to middle school students. Having a wide variety of books in our classroom library allows them to exercise some independence over their own learning and makes them more eager and willing to read. Research shows that nonfiction is more appealing to boys. Thank you for choosing to support the reading of nonfiction.

Thank you for making a difference in my students' lives and for making an impact on literacy education!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Basurto

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