Performance Magazine 2009 Social Media Challenge

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What a year! All I can say is I humbly apologize for the drastic delay in getting my thank you package completed. Not long after we received the markers, our class was participating in a fire drill and I clumsily fell down and fractured my ankle. I was out of school per doctor's orders a total of 10 school days. Then, I went through 4 different casts, and am still under the care of an orthopedic surgeon.

Despite all this, your donation is VERY much appreciated, especially since we had out art program cut. I know my students will enjoy every minute of time they can get using the markers. I try to make school a happy, colorful place and like to display lots of student artwork. Your markers will enable me to do this. We will also be using the highlighters for language arts, highlighting specific passages for improved comprehension, as well as editing our writing. The kids don't like editing, but if they can use a highlighter, it suddenly becomes something enjoyable instead of something dreaded.

Again, thank you so much for your kind and generous donation. We DO appreciate it.

May you and your loved ones stay happy and safe.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Lowe

Thanks so much for the guided reading book sets that you purchased for my classroom. The students in my room are all English Language Learners who come from Spanish speaking households. In order to successfully acquire English and to become good English readers, they need repeated opportunities to practice listening, speaking, writing and reading English. I was able to use the many book sets you sent to practice reading skill and new vocabulary with my students. After my students were able to read the books independently, they were able to take them home to read to their families. In this way, they got to show off their growing reading skills and their expanding English vocabulary to their moms, dads, grandparents and siblings.

The process of learning to read is a combination of many skills. Students need to acquire sight words and the ability to decode less common words. Reading skills need to become automatic, so that reading is an easy and fun activity. Having the book sets in my room and sending them home with the students provided my students with many positive reading experiences that helped them to achieve success in reading. Most of my students are growing up in families struggling to put food on the table. These homes do not have many books in them for the children to read. That is why it was such an asset for me to receive your donations. At the end of the year, all the students in my room were reading at grade level! Your donation played a large part in helping myself and my students achieve that success! ”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Levine

Thank you so much for your generous donations. In addition to your donation, Read Magazine generously matched the contribution, providing us with a year's worth of back issues. Some of the issues fit into other curriculum areas, so I was able to share this gift with additional teacher in the areas of Middle School Social Studies, High School Social Studies, and High School Art, therefore your gift was able to be shared with even more students and additional teachers.

As for us, we have been using the Read Magaize's in our classroom on a regular basis. My students love the interesting articles, writers corner, and Online resources. Each magazine is packed with themed materials that are interesting and educational.

Some of the projects that students have enjoyed include plays, research projects, and even a museum based upon the unit! The museum was designed to be as asset to our lower elementary and parent community . . . . and the students themselves really loved it as well! We will continue to use the magazines next year, and I am sure that my new batch of students will love it just as much! ”

With gratitude,

Ms. Rittenhouse

This letter is a small token of thanks for making this project a reality. My students are so happy to be able to share the wonderful concerts and shows that they create.

The cameras and video cameras allow us to share with family and friends our music. We have even used the equipment to post our performances online.

The students are also learning how to become better photographers and video - graphers. We use the equipment every week to help update or school announcements and will soon be using it to update our school web pages.

Thank you again for you generous donations.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Mueller

When you look at the photos please see the unspoken gratitude that resides in their faces. You have helped to make art come alive.

You have helped to make dreams come alive.

You have helped to make imagination come alive.

You have helped to make creativity come alive.

You have helped to make history come alive.

When you give to Donor's Choose you give more than you can know. You give a teacher hope that there are people out there that care and want to help. We live a world of children and that is great. Yet, we sometimes think that we are alone. Your donation not only meant that I had supplies. It meant that I was not alone.

You have helped me help my kids and for that I say thank you.

In service

Mrs. B ”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Boroughf

Thank you so much for your gift! We love our mp3 players! Most of the kids had no idea what they were! Now they are able to listen to stories and use the technology appropriately. That is pretty good for 1st graders! They think they are so cool for being able to use the same music machines their older brothers and sisters tinker with at home.

We will be using them in our listening center. During the morning, we have literacy stations and reading groups. This is, by far, the most important part of our day. I get to meet with groups of kids and teach them at their own level. Then, when the kids are finished with our story, they can listen to them. Sometimes I use the same books on the mp3 player during reading groups. My students get to read along with the voice on the mp3 player. Sometimes they read with a stuffed animal or with a puppet.

Thank you again for your generous donation!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Bailey

Thank you so much for your generous donation toward allowing my students to be exposed to fun CDs for learning. To date we still have not listened to all of them, but the ones we have heard were very much enjoyed.

In science class we just finished a unit on matter. We listened one CD about physics and the song, "Matter is All Around". The fun song helps to reinforce the materials presented in class.

On Dr. Seuss' birthday, the children enjoyed hearing the CD, "Dr. Seuss presents Fox in Socks and Other Stories". We continue to listen to this CD during quiet times. It is a great CD which they all love!

We received CDs on phonics and "The Best of Schoolhouse Rock". These too are wonderful CDs which help the children to reinforces skills learned through fun music.

Again, thank you so much. The CDs are fantastic, and we will continue to use them and look forward to hearing all of them. Your donation has made a very positive impact on my classroom!”

With gratitude,

Teacher

Thank you so much for your donations of markers, chart paper, and easels to our class. Your generosity has greatly helped the learning in our classroom. Students are motivated and eager to share their learning. Students' skills are sharpened through their practice. They are eager to present their information to the class, which is usually a struggle.

You have done something in our room that I would not have been able to do without you and your support of education. My students and I greatly appreciate you.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Shaw