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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Ray from Seward, AK is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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Dirty Little Hands Come Clean!

My students need to learn about health with a human body game, nail brushes, and a grow kit with grow light.

  • $654 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mrs. Ray for her next project!

Help Mrs. Ray

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mrs. Ray for her next project!

My Students

Dirt. Kids love to play in dirt. And what a teaching opportunity when they go wash their hands after playing in the dirt only to discover upon closer inspection that their fingernails are still packed with dirt. Translate that to a lesson on germs, and you have one of many health lessons.

Our school is in a rural Alaskan town that has no movie theater, no mall, no fast food restaurants, no bowling alley--well, basically, none of the recreational outlets available to students in the Lower 48 states.

As a result, our youngsters play outside a lot. They ride 4-wheelers and snow machines. They fish and camp, and many of them are hunters from a young age. But many come to school without a lot of academic experiences, so we fill in the gaps with whatever magic we can weave. This includes health education. Given their lifestyles, I know I need to teach them about healthy choices, and I believe activities such as growing vegetables in the classroom, teaching elementary anatomy, and establishing healthy handwashing habits are an essential part of their education.

My Project

The flu is heading to Alaska, the reports tell us. I've begun a discussion with my students about how to prevent the flu. I believe three key areas of education will help them. The first is clean hands. I have a fun activity in which I bring in bins of fresh, dark soil and just let them play in it with no explanation. After a while, it's clean-up time, and I send them to the bathroom to wash their hands thoroughly. When they're back in the classroom, we exam hands. Oh my! They begin to notice all the black dirt that is still under their nails! Next, I translate this to the idea of germs getting trapped there and point out that 1.) they need a nail brush to get their hands truly clean, and 2.) this clearly illustrates why they shouldn't bite their nails. To continue my health education, they learn how fresh food helps the body. To have a grow garden in the classroom (with a grow light because of Alaska's darkness) and an anatomy game that is as large as life round out the lessons!

Your donations will, I hope, make a lasting impression upon my students.

They need to understand at a young age how important their hygiene and food choices are for staying healthy. To end my fingernail lesson, each child is given their own fingernail brush (courtesy of your donation)! They return to the bathroom to get the soil out from under their nails to witness what a difference a brush makes, and then they get to take the brush home. The anatomy game and grow kit will last for years.

Mrs. Ray Seward Elementary School Grades PreK-2

More about Mrs. Ray

Seward, AK View local requests

More than a third of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

22 students impacted 1donor

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
American Educational Body IQ Classroom Set • Amazon $195.56 1 $195.56
KIT E-Z GARDEN • Frey Scientific $140.36 1 $140.36
Lola Hand and Nail Brush (Assorted Colours) • Amazon $4.46 30 $133.80

Materials cost

$469.72

Vendor shipping charges

 $41.83

Sales tax

 $7.05

3rd party payment processing fee

$7.05

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$555.65

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$98.06

Total project goal

$653.71

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $653.71

1 Donor

-$653.71

Donations toward project cost

-$555.65

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$98.06

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Ray and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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