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Piedmont Families support Oakland Public Schools

Part of: Communities
  • $75raised
  • 2projects funded
  • 2schools served
  • 2teachers supported
Join the Piedmont community in supporting neighboring students in need by making a donation of any size to one of the worthy Oakland Public School projects listed.
  • Reading Our Own Copies of Amazing Fiction!

    Funded Nov 19, 2020

    Thank you for supplying paper books in our hands during these days of distance learning. A simple truth: people get hooked into stories, we see it every day. People tell stories to have their lives make sense. Reading amazing books made our distance learning life make sense and connect to important lessons about life.

    I read much this summer, knowing we needed to have books that were not just great, but beyond amazing. And we needed to read books that connected to the history of the U.S. we've been learning. You provided these titles in our hands.

    I heard it often, as we learned through reading great stories, statements like "oh, that makes sense" and "that shows me why they really did that". Historical fiction teaches the details, the motivations and the details of history from the point of view of a person who seems alive.

    Spending so much time on screens was actually difficult and having a paper book to go to as part of our learning day was a relief, as well.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Litt

  • Let's be Successful at Home

    Funded Dec 2, 2020

    With the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of schools, the disparities in support and materials for students to be successful were greatly highlighted. My students in particular were very vocal about not having the things they needed for my class including paper and writing utensils. With this donation, I was able to make bags for all of my students to pick up and take home. Students are able to keep up with notes, enjoy art lessons, complete science projects, and overall engage in school while at home. For me having a printer allowed me to create packets for those families who needed more support. The apple pencil brought the use of the whiteboard on Zoom to fully functional and is used multiple times a day. For students having headphones has brought them back into the classroom. The headphone purchased are noise canceling and they are able to hear what is happening and through the use of the microphone respond audibly for us. All students are grateful to have the things they requested and through your donations, we have made better use of distance learning that is meaningful and overall beneficial to these 5th graders. I sincerely thank you.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Dana Riley

    This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 14 other donors.
  • 2nd Graders Need to See Themselves in Their Books!

    Funded Nov 21, 2020

    My students and I want to say a HUGE thank you for your donation toward our project. When the books got to us, the kids couldn't wait to break through the plastic wrap and dive into the new books.

    They are really excited to see many characters that look just like them. Some of the stories even mirroring their own family lives.

    Reading in the class usually includes kids reading on the carpet, with a partner, or in one of our special chairs. With distance learning, our reading time is looking different. Hopefully we will be back in the classroom in the near future so we can look at the books "together".

    Again I want to express my class' deep appreciation for your donation.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Otsuka

    This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron and 3 other donors.
  • STEM Growing Buddies

    Funded Nov 19, 2020

    Planting and watching seeds germinate is one of the most exciting things to a child. It seems like magic to them, and when it's their seed, it's the beginning of a new world. Once our students got past their impatience waiting for their seeds to sprout they became loving parents to a new family member. Watching them tend to their plants was so heartwarming. This is how a love and respect for the natural world begins in a child.

    My partner teacher and I wanted to give our students "time in the garden" again, that they miss from school. We also wanted to give them a shared experience across their grade levels to build school community. So many mornings we were greeted by pictures of the plants and comments on them in google classroom. Students have made math questions for their buddies to answer when they are together, they kept plant science journals, and some students have written poems for their plants. I am told that some of them are signing to the plants because there is a commercial on TV that says it is good for them.

    While we can't really replace the garden time, or buddy time at school, we have been able to build community around a shared experience, and inspire future botanists. This project sparked a culture of inquiry between the students, and that always leads to more questions, and more learning. To me, that is a successful project. This project isn't ending just because our plants have grown; the lessons learned and friendships made will grow long into the future.

    None of this would have been possible without the generous donations from people like you. We are so grateful for your generosity. Your kindness has made the year for some very special children.”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. P.

  • Color Is Beautiful

    Funded Dec 2, 2020

    Our students have been distance learning for over a year. This has been the most challenging school year for all of us. Our students have been on screens for most of the learning. We have used the art supplies that you have helped us purchase in order to give our students hands on activities. This has been key to connecting and building relationships with our students. Our students are excited and eager to use these art supplies to engage in their online learning classes. It has been awesome to see our students create during this time. Thanks!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jones

    This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 7 other donors.
  • Paper for Learning Packets

    Funded Dec 1, 2020

    Thank you for supporting our students during this challenging time. Our students have been distance learning for an entire year. We have been able to provide work packets to students each week. We have found that for many families that struggle with technology have appreciated us providing these hands on activities on a weekly basis. As teachers, we realize the importance of students putting pencil to paper, especially in the younger grades. This paper to pencil work allows students to practice their fine motor skills and show what they know. Thanks!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Jones

    This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 13 other donors.
  • Mr. Luis Classroom Materials

    Funded Dec 1, 2020

    My students have been learning more throughout this new "distance learning" model due to the accessibility of being able to print out and laminate visual materials for them to use in their learning. Before having the technology at hand, I was going back and forth to printing agencies to use the printers and try to get as much work done to not waste so much time gathering the materials. But all of the commenting and waiting in line just doesn't help out.

    Now that I am able to print materials out laminate them and send them to each student, I have more time to work on creating lesson plans, and researching books that we can read during class. I am able to use my time better and carry out more important tasks at hand. I was also expoing myself by going up to campus and occasionally using the printer and laminator up at the school that I work for. Now I am really glad that I don't have to do that anymore.

    I can simply continue my work from home, and monitor just how much of an impact this has had on my students. They all get their visual materials right away and if I need to make more copies of any visual materials, I am able to do so quicker. All this has been thanks to you and all of the people that have been believing and supporting teachers during this pandemic.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Luis

    This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 2 other donors.
  • A Powerful Laptop Capable of ZOOMing to Engage All Students!

    Funded Sep 26, 2020

    Thank you so much, everyone, for your generous donations and making this project a reality. As we know, the school year in distance learning mode has not been easy for anyone - teachers, parents, and especially students. Engagement and motivation continue to be a challenge, and technological glitches are part of the norm. My overall project goal was to make sure to address my own lacking technology first - I did not have the tools to create the most optimal learning opportunities in the digital format. With this new MacBook Pro laptop, everything changed. What glitched, crashed, and generally did not work before, now runs smoothly each and every day. It's like going from a clunky old station wagon to a Tesla.

    More to the point, my lessons are more interactive; more integrated with multimedia; and more diversified to meet all learners. The lightning fast platform can simultaneously share a ton of digital content without the worry of glitches or programs shutting down. It facilitates online lessons with speed, eliminates glitches in video and sound, and leaves both me and the students with a sense of relief that everything will work. As the teacher, and thus the leader of "mission control" I can flawlessly load multiple apps, multiple Chrome browser tabs, videos both on Youtube or downloaded to desktop, all while Zoom is running with the kids aboard. All this simply would not be possible on my old laptop.

    As for online learning platforms, a couple of student favorites really stand out. First, a program called Pear Deck which synchs with Google Slides (Google's version of Power Point). Pear Deck allows Google Slides to be "interactive" - students can respond to questions by writing, drawing, agreeing/disagreeing, voting, placing icons on maps, to name a few... All this happens in real time and allows me to have immediate feedback. Many of our amazing class discussions have stemmed from student thinking on Pear Deck. It's been a real game changer for students who normally feel a little reserved about sharing (especially opinions) in our Zoom class. Another favorite is Kahoot!, a game-based learning platform. Like Pear Deck, Kahoot! allows for interactive content, but what the kids really love is the quiz game! I think most kids would agree that the trivia quizzes are often the highlight of the week. Both Pear Deck and Kahoot!, as well as dozens of other outstanding online learning platforms, run flawlessly on the new laptop. Stress eliminated and smiles all around.

    We are now 5 months into distance learning (over half the year!) and I could not imagine trying to do my job without this laptop. In turn, I don't think my students could imagine it either. This amazing machine has met and exceeded our expectations of maintaining engagement, motivation, and learning - all with seamless technological functionality.

    Once again, thank you so much for your kind and generous donations, and making this happen for both me and the kids. Now, if only we could all get back in the classroom...”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wilkins

    This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose 20th Anniversary Fund and 32 other donors.
  • Class Read Aloud Copies for Students at Home!

    Funded Dec 2, 2020

    Thank you SO very much for your generosity in donating to this project! Teaching online has been extremely difficult for many reasons, just one of which is that our students do not have everything they need every day to participate in class, such as the books they need for a new unit. Thanks to your generosity, this will not be in the case in our new reading unit!

    This new unit is an information reading unit in which students will be learning about the rainforest. This is a high-interest unit and I know my students will be so excited to be able to better engage in their learning with a book in their own hands!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. Landheer

  • Basic Classroom Materials For Learning And Teaching

    Funded Dec 1, 2020

    This is incredible! Thank you so much for supporting this project! The students will be very excited to hear the news. We are hopeful that we will be able to return to the school site soon and that the class will be able to use all the materials. Nonetheless, the students will be able to pick up some of the materials and use them at home, while the rest of the materials will be ready for use when they return. Your contribution really means a lot - our class thank you for your donations!”

    With gratitude,

    Ms. B

    This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 16 other donors.
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