Robert E. Dallos Memorial Fund

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Thank you so much for your contribution that helped my Introduction to Journalism class get a class set of The Help. In a time of great controversy regarding the role of the media in today's society, it was powerful to be able to demonstrate to my students, through reading Kathryn Stockett's novel, that media can affect change and that it is important that stories be told.

My students thoroughly enjoyed the book. Many of them had seen the film prior to reading the book and, like music to an English teacher's ears, I heard them comment on how much better and more detailed the novel was. I think that experience helped my reluctant readers to see that there is often great value in reading a book rather than simply watching the movie.

Additionally, I want to thank you, because not only has The Help been a great resource for me to use with my students in my Journalism class - I have been able to use references to and excerpts from the novel to teach some other material in my English IV class when we have then discussed the importance and power of language and storytelling.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Johnson

Thank you for your generous donation. M y children are learning in a cool environment. the students were very excited when they came in the classroom and the room was cool. They are enjoying all the activities in the cool classroom. All of the 50 students are benefiting from the air conditioner in the classroom. The children did not complained about the classroom being too hot or uncomfortable. We worked on building a flower shop for our dramatic play area and because the room was nice and cool the flowers were able to stay nice for a longer time.

We are very grateful for your donation!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Aponte

My class has LOVED our new and improved classroom library. Every morning for Reader's Workshop, my students cannot wait to get started. They have been so much more focused because they enjoy reading wherever they can put the pillow down, and although it's been a bit chaotic, I know that you have played a huge part in fostering their love for reading! It's been so cool to see them use our new nonfiction library cart. Before we didn't have enough space to sort our nonfiction books, but thanks to the cart, they can now explore these texts based on topics like animals, environments, history, science, and cool biographies! They now whine when reader's workshop time is over :)

When my students saw the materials (finally set up, might I add, it was a harder task than I thought!), they were so amazed and incredibly attentive to hear about how this new library system was going to work. Thankfully because we have a variety of pillows, they haven't been fighting (thankfully!) and have all enjoyed your donations incredibly so!

It's almost the end of the year, so unfortunately this group of students only got to experience this library for a little while. But I'm so excited to let you know that you will have influenced not just one class of 3rd graders, but a brand new class next school year. Thank you for your kindness and sacrifice so that my students could experience a wonderful library, and also a great new reading experience.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Thi

Thank you so much for your generous gift. As soon as the project was funded we began our first ever volleyball team. We had so many students interested that we decided to create two teams. A 7th and 8th grade team to begin right away, and a 6th grade team to start in May. The first day of tryouts/practice showed the myriad of 7th and 8th grade girls who had never played volleyball or even been on a team but were dedicated and ready to take on the new challenge. It wasn't soon before we saw how much they were working together and developing new relationships and skills.

We have been practicing for a few months now and they have come a long way. In the beginning, the girls struggled with passing correctly and about 2 out of 50 could get their serves over the net. Now, nearly all of the girls can pass with the right form AND get their overhand serves over! One of the best moments was when Angelina, a girl who had been struggling the most with serves, successfully got her serve over during the game and scored a point! The whole team jumped up, screamed and cheered for joy. Another memorable moment was when they asked to take the volleyballs home over February vacation to practice in their homes. When we came back it was evident that they practiced, A LOT. Since then, we have joined a NYC volleyball league that consists of schools mostly in Manhattan. This league has given us the opportunity to travel, see parts of NYC we had never seen before and to improve our skills even more. So far, we have won 4 out of 6 games and the girls are hungry for more wins!

Volleyball has been so impactful and the girls have made so much growth- but that doesn't end on the court. The teachers have also seen an impact on our girls' behaviors in the classrooms. Before volleyball was created, many of our students had issues getting to school on time, coming to school in dress code, and staying out of trouble in and outside of the classroom. In order to be on the volleyball team I had them sign a contract stating that they are making a commitment and they must fix these problems immediately. They scoffed at first, but attendance has never been better. In addition, they are staying out of trouble and now come to school in full dress code.

Although our season is coming to a close, volleyball will continue to flourish at Bronx Park Middle School. We will be holding open-house training sessions in May and June for the 6th grade girls in preparation for next year. The current volleyball players (7th and 8th graders) will help coach and share their skills with the 6th graders. We are so excited for many more years of sportsmanship, confidence building, and team spirit - all created through volleyball. None of this would be possible without you. Thank you so much.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Kirby

THANK YOU!

I have never heard of, or been involved with, Donors.Org. I was asked by my principal to look this company up and could not believe that free materials may be available if my project idea got funded. I hesitated with the application process.

I can honestly say that I am taken aback by your generous donations. The students were so excited to have an opportunity to explore their ideas through the lens of a cameras, the energy in the classroom was palpable. I can assure you that you have helped provide these students with a long lasting photography experience.

The fifth and sixth grade students wanted to help unpack the boxes that began to arrive. I showed the children various images that photographers had shot in order to help them understand that while one person may be interested in shooting the outdoors, another may want to shoot pictures of friends or may even want to take a self portrait.

I love to display the children's work and they were excited to see their own work. Some of the photos came out blurry, some had the flash in the frame and this was all okay as it is a part of the learning process. It was fun to see what they had decided to shoot and this project has really made an impression not only on the students but on myself.

As a follow-up lesson, I am going to have the students draw the cameras with charcoal. I believe that they have made a lasting connection with photography and we just can't thank you enough!

Please continue to help students receive the materials they so desperately need. Once again, thank you and we hope you enjoyed seeing their work.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Amy

As a speech-language pathologist I am never at a loss of words. Today, all of you have managed to stump me and have left me speechless. Your generosity and selfless acts of kindness will always be remembered and treasured. With a week left to go, I was certain my project would not be funded and practically gave up hope. Little did I know the kind spirits that contribute to Donors Choose would rally and fund my project. The impact these iPads will have in therapy sessions will be monumental. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving. My students will benefit and learn using these iPads for years to come, all thanks to very special people who contributed to my project.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Chang

All of my students were very excited and surprised when the new drums arrived. All of my music lessons quickly turned into lessons on drumming! Each student's face smiled as they hit the drums for the first time and these smiles turned into looks of amazement because of the wonderful sound that these drums make. Almost every class now begins with discussions about drumming.

All the students throughout the school have been successfully drumming in their music classroom projects. My Kindergarten students most recently finished their project of creating chocolate ice cream through the poem "I Scream" and a Spanish poem "Chocolate." The students were able to explore the differences between beat and melodic rhythm through our newly acquired drums. The large size of the new drums allowed the students to focus on the movement of their hands without worrying about holding a small hand drum while performing. My students with difficulties in hearing were also able to position their bodies to better see my movements so that their performance of beat was much more successful. The stronger vibrations created from the large drums also assisted all the students in hearing and/or feeling the beat.

The students are now working on incorporating the drums into lessons on created rhythms. The students are exploring ways to accompany themselves with their creations while singing or speaking rhymes. The drums are also being used to practice difficult rhythms that will be transferred to instruments with mallets. These new drums are becoming an essential tool for the students to use in their studies about rhythm.”

With gratitude,

Mr. McDowell