Springfield, Massachusetts Public Schools!

Edit title

These books have been greatly appreciated within the classroom! The students are all able to access informational text which helps them learn about people, places, and the world around them.

Each day the students are given the opportunity to choose a book on their own, and because of the variety of topics and levels within the book series that we have, all children are able to access them. They have learned so much from these books.

Your generosity has not gone unnoticed, and we are so thankful for your support!”

With gratitude,

Teacher

Students ARE READING! What a small toy can do, a small item of recognition that says:"You read that book! GOOD JOB. Pick something for yourself because you were successful! You accomplished something great!" Students LIGHT UP. No better way to describe it. And the things the kids pick! So cute! The cool monkey, the crazy ninja, the basketball pen. I can never guess what a student will choose, but every one of them has the same look, eyes shining with excitement when they pick their choice prize. Every one of the kids says, "Thank you," and I hope those words waft on the wind straight to your ear, because I let them know that YOU bought these incentives gifts for them.

When students don't want to read, I can shake the prize box and they'll start reading again, like when you can't find your dog, so you shake the dog cookie box out the back door. The shaking incentives box is magical. You've really made a difference and given the kids the extra push they need to succeed, to get that reading done. And when they've finished, they almost always have liked the book they read. Yahoo! It's just more encouragement to keep reading; they feel proud that they completed the book.

I and my students cannot thank you enough. Inner city kids are reading because of YOU. Please be proud. You swooped in and brought magic.

Gratefully, humbly, sincerely yours with gratitude,

Ms. Beckett”

With gratitude,

Ms. Beckett

Hello!

Throughout the 2015-2016 school year my fourth graders have read many different books. This was made possible through your generous donation! Some students came to my class not enjoying reading at all. By receiving the donation of these books they have learned to love reading by having a variety of books available to them. A big part of fourth grade is becoming a more fluent reader and it is hard to encourage student's to read more if they do not enjoy them. With my new classroom library I was able to add books of many different genres, both literature and informational, to reach more of my student's and create a love of reading. This will not only impact my current fourth grade class but future classes as well! Thank you so much for your generous donation, it will impact my student's now and in the future!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Leach

Dear Donors,

I want to extend my gratitude for the paint and art supplies provided for my students. My students were very excited when the boxes of paint arrived in our classroom. They wanted to get to painting right away. I am a firm believer of the arts and I love allowing my students to interact with art elements of color, textures, lines and unusual painting utensils like forks (mane on lion's head). My students are very proud of their work as it's displayed on the hallway and classroom bulletin board. So, once again I would like to thank you for your kind donation.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Morales

Dear Donors,

Thank you for your generous donations to my project A Place at the Table. You provided strong, comfortable, well-fitting chairs for my third-grade students and we are grateful.

My students have been so proud of their classroom and the chairs you provided for us. They were happy to help me decide which chairs to replace when the new chairs arrived. They are so relieved to be able to sit comfortably to do their "best work" I as I always encourage them to do.

They are, as I am, astounded that people, especially strangers, would donate their own money to help them be more comfortable at school because it might help them learn better. Thank you, donors, for reminding us that we are worthy of such basic needs in our classroom and that there are people who will take action to see that we get what we need.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Sims

We have a core group of six students who are very dedicated and meet each week after school to practice and learn new songs. They have begun reading music and can now start class independently by taking out their instruments and begin warm-up practice. They are beginning to learn the language of music, working on timing and the length of notes as well as identifying the note on the staff and where that corresponds on the string. One of our students has begun to write his own songs! He often brings his violin into the cafeteria during high school lunch to lead an improvised beat group with several of the high school students who pound out a beat as he plays. This has delighted the principal (no kidding!) of the school and interested me greatly to see him synthesize what he's learning into a new genre. Amazing! We have another student who transforms when holding a viola into someone full of dignity and self-possession -- a seventh grade boy! We recently performed for visitors around the country who came to our school to see how we are unique as an Expeditionary Learning STEM Magnet School. Music adds to students understanding of science and math as well as how they see themselves in the world. The tasks that playing requires are extremely complex and hard-wire the brain for further complex tasks.

One of our string students carries her violin from class to class as though a shield. She is dedicated to performing and has come very far in a few months. She wrote of her playing that she "didn't know this was inside of me (her)." Initially, students looked at these instruments as if they were strange objects from outer space or a foreign country. On many occasions, we will have a students stop by our afterschool meetings, and oh and ah, and ask to hold the instruments. We hope they will return and help our group grow.

Our next steps are to add to our collection of instruments and add shoulder rests so students will have more control as they play. We also want to add a metronome to support timing. We are working on new pieces and preparing for more opportunities to play for authentic audiences. We are also welcoming new members to our string group. This year, at the close of the school year, students will have a chance to perform again at two events, at our annual Expedition celebration and our "Intensives" celebration.”

With gratitude,

Teacher