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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. McSpadden from Houston, TX is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. McSpadden is requesting

Mallet Madness!

My students need assorted mallets to play classroom percussion instruments.

  • $451 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Ms. McSpadden for her next project!

Help Ms. McSpadden

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Ms. McSpadden for her next project!

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Students

Have you ever tried to unlock a door with a hair pin, or use a knife to eat peas? It's frustrating! My students are often frustrated when given the task of playing instruments because we don't have the proper mallets for the instruments we have.

My students love music.

My students love singing, playing instruments, and musical games. My students also have very little time in music class, so every second counts. My school has a very high poverty rate and many of my students also struggle with the additional challenge of learning English. Musical activities like playing instruments are a universal experience that foster academic success while building personal confidence and community among even the most disenfranchised, low achieving students.

My Project

Every instrument in the elementary music classroom is used in an effort to foster musical literacy and to encourage creativity. Mallets provide differing types of sounds based on what they are made of. Soft mallets provide a smoother softer sound while hard mallets provide a more percussive sharp sound. Additionally, when matched with the proper instrument, mallets come in a variety of sizes to fit both the size of the instrument and the size of the child playing. In my classroom we only have hard wooden mallets that in the hands of beginners often damage instruments and sound harsh. Therefore I am requesting a variety of soft, medium mallets made out of rubber and yarn as well as a few hard yarn mallets for specific musical expressions and more advanced students.

The mallets will ensure that my students can play instruments more musically even as beginners.

Also, these mallets will increase the amount of time I can give to the study of instruments because the experience will be more enjoyable for everyone and less of a risk to our very expensive instruments.

Ms. McSpadden Spring Shadows Elementary School Grades 3-5

Equity Focus

At this school, more than 50% of students are Black, Latino, and/or Native American, and more than 50% come from low-income households. Learn how your donation to this school supports a more equitable education.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Ms. McSpadden

Houston, TX View local requests

Nearly all 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

660 students impacted 1donor

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. McSpadden is requesting.

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
RB2315 Medium-Density Rubber Mallets • Woodwind & Brasswind $2.49 10 $24.90
Orff Mallets • Woodwind & Brasswind $2.99 10 $29.90
Future Pro Discovery Series Mallets Hard Red Yarn Fpy30 • Woodwind & Brasswind $12.99 3 $38.97
Future Pro Discovery Series Mallets Hard Red Yarn Fpy30 • Woodwind & Brasswind $12.99 3 $38.97
Future Pro Discovery Series Mallets Hard Red Yarn Fpy30 • Woodwind & Brasswind $10.99 4 $43.96
Future Pro Discovery Series Mallets Hard Red Yarn Fpy30 • Woodwind & Brasswind $12.99 3 $38.97
Future Pro Discovery Series Mallets Hard Red Yarn Fpy30 • Woodwind & Brasswind $10.99 4 $43.96
Future Pro Discovery Series Mallets Hard Red Yarn Fpy30 • Woodwind & Brasswind $12.99 3 $38.97
Future Pro Discovery Series Mallets Hard Red Yarn Fpy30 • Woodwind & Brasswind $10.99 4 $43.96

Materials cost

$342.56

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.14

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$382.70

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$67.54

Total project goal

$450.24

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $450.24

1 Donor

-$450.24

Donations toward project cost

-$382.70

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$67.54

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 Ms. McSpadden and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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