Investing in Education CHALLENGE

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Thank you so much for your generous donation. Our yoga mats are used every day! At first, I taught one or two poses at a time. We started slowly and built stamina. Through repeated practice, students have seen great gains in strength, flexibility and balance. They say, "Look what I can do now!" or "I couldn't do this at first!" They amaze themselves with their abilities. They are especially proud of their ability to balance in tree pose.

Their minds focus in order to balance. This repeated practice in focus has translated for them in a greater ability to focus during classwork. In addition to whole class and small group yoga instruction, many students also choose to get out a mat when they need to calm down or take a small break. One of my autistic students has a special "I need a break" card that shows a picture of him doing "Downward Dog" on his mat. He is able to self-regulate when he needs this grounding break.

I truly could not imagine my classroom without these mats. The entire energy of the room changes when they are out. Their power has even spread to other rooms in the school...other teachers have asked to borrow them. Thank you for making a direct impact for these children. They will carry these skills with them throughout their lives. Namaste!!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Johnson

I can't thank you enough for the drying painting rack you funded to my school's art program. It is great to see that there are outstanding people like you who believe and understand that art education is intrinsic in a child's life, especially when it comes to painting.

When that big box was delivered in the art room, my students were very curious asking about its content. They were very excited to know that from then on painting and any other artworks that require drying time were going to be a regular activity. No more waiting for their group's turn to do such kind of activities since now there is enough room for all the artworks to dry out on the same day. First graders started right away to paint this season's main theme: a snowman. They are so proud of their beautiful artistic accomplishment that they wanted to give their artwork as a Valentine's gift to their parents.

We can't wait to keep exploring and expanding our learning opportunities in art in a happy and excited way since now we have this new piece of equipment for all the children in our school .”

With gratitude,

Ms. Sacharny

Thank you for contributing to the reading success of my kindergarten students. Here are some comments they have about using white boards to practice word work, spelling, and critical thinking:

"I like the markers because the tips don't break off."

"I like them because you can erase your mistakes easily."

"It is fun!"

"It is easy to write."

"I like writing words."

"I like them because they can't break."

"They don't wobble when you write on them."

We are using them several times a week for independent practice and for whole group instruction. Students can record their answers and hold them up so I can immediately assess if my lesson objectives are being met and/or if I need to reteach or move ahead because of the knowledge my students are demonstrating.

My students are enthusiastic about writing and trying new words because markers are fun and erasing errors is not tedious. Students have choices when working independently using the white boards or magnetic boards because they can practice word work by making a list, using graphic organizers or a combination. They are not inhibited by lines on paper or by the fear of making mistakes. My students' productivity has increased along with their enthusiasm.

Thank you again for your generosity!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Jung

Thank you very much for your donation towards purchasing more non-fiction for our classroom. Our class loves reading the non-fiction books and learning new information. It has been so wonderful to have grade level appropriate non-fiction books for the students to explore. We have used the books to research animal reports and explore biographies. The students love to fill their book boxes with these book. They love reading to someone and sharing what they have learned. Thank you so much for your generous donation and helping support our class' love of reading.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Lindner

Thank you so much for the colorful book storage bins. These storage bins helped to organize all of our books by reading level. When our books are organized this way my students are able to access the just-right book to help them progress towards reading independence. Students are able to save precious school time when choosing books, so they can spend more time reading instead of searching.

The storage bins are clearly labeled with each reading level. These labels also help my students set personal reading goals. If a student is currently reading Level E books, he or she can set a personal reading goal to reach Level J by the end of the school year. The labels help each student set and track their own progress, which is intrinsically rewarding.

Finally, your donation has helped to increase reading awareness and independence in a large city which continues to overcome hurdles in educating our youth.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Snyder

Thank you so much for your kindness! I can't thank you enough for your generosity. I teach in a high poverty neighborhood. Your donations has made it possible for my students to be able to have art supplies in our classroom. When we need to color or decorate our writing no child needs to worry if they don't have art supplies.

My students were so excited when the art supplies arrived. They are a sweet group of students that love to share and it fills me with joy to be able to have art supplies for my students to use. They are actually very artistic and love to illustrate their writing. I believe they love to draw even more now since we have art supplies for everyone to use in our classroom.

You have made a huge impact in my students' education! Your donation shows my students that there are people in the world that are interested in their education! I hope that through the pictures you are able to see what a difference you have made in our class! Once again, thank you for caring!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Mendoza

Thank you so much for the art supplies. Students have been using the markers, Popsicle sticks, and crayons to create puppets that they use to perform plays in French. The puppets make practicing speaking French a magical experience for students. The crayons also provide a great opportunity for students to naturally practice color words in French as they work on various art projects. My fourth grade students are about to use research that they have gathered to make travel brochures on Paris and Quebec. They are really looking forward to using the new crayons and markers to make their projects beautiful. These art supplies are basic materials, but with many large budget cuts this year it has been difficult to receive basic supplies. Your donation has meant that my students were able to continuing learning in a fun and "colorful" way. Thank you again.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Roffers