Past projects 7
Kinetic Sand for Sensory Fun
Funded Sep 26, 2022The kinetic sand has been a huge hit in my classroom with all of my students. My students are able to use the sand area multiple times a day, including during arrival first thing in the morning, after breakfast, during work time, before lunch, and during pick up time.
It is especially liked by a student who has had a very traumatic few years and who has a behavior plan to help him learn new coping strategies. He plays in the sand as a way to calm down and redirect his energy.
Lately, students have been interested in building pyramids and other tall structures with the sand, as well as hiding treasure in the sand for others to find. And of course, the staff and cleaners love that it's an easier cleanup than regular sand!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Zajac
Writing Area Supplies
Funded Sep 26, 2022Thank you so much for choosing to donate to my classroom. My students will have so much fun writing on the LCD writing screens and they will be engaging their fine motor muscles at the same time. With the stamp pads, we will be able to use them at small groups and for holiday projects and I won't have to borrow another classroom's any longer.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Zajac
Kindles for Kids
Funded Dec 25, 2021Thank you so much for contributing to my classroom project and funding our Kindles. My students will be so excited to be able to use tablets during small group rotations, and it will help them gain familiarity with tablets in an educational setting, which will help them when they do state testing in kindergarten.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Zajac
Enhancing Our Learning Environment
Funded Aug 22, 2021The reading area storage bench and durable pocket chairs have been such game-changers to my classroom this year.
The reading bench and all the storytelling items it holds are one of my students' favorite spots to play, read, and relax. There are several times a day when students can choose to go to the reading area or do other quieter activities while others finish eating or doing their work, and most of my students choose to go to the book area. They pick a stuffed animal or storytelling prop and read a book to it or just sit with a friend or teacher and listen to a story being read to them. Students also enjoy just sitting on the bench and looking out the windows at our bird feeder and the playground and woods.
The chair pockets have also had a huge impact in our daily routine. Each student has a chair pocket and in it, they have a pencil box, a crayon box, a notebook, a clipboard/dry erase board, a dry erase pocket that holds their daily work, their mask, and a small pack of tissues. Because students have all their materials within reach, it has greatly cut down on the number of transitions and the time wasted waiting for kids to get their supplies off a shelf. Students take ownership in their chair pocket supplies, and it helps to teach them responsibility and respect for classroom materials. The chair pockets are very sturdy and hardly show any wear from 4 months of daily use. With the old brand I used last year, I had replaced each pocket at least twice by this time. These chair pockets will be used for many years.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Zajac
Riding Our Way to Balance and Strength
Funded Apr 27, 2021The students at my school were so excited when the balance bikes and scooters arrived. Previously, we only had one scooter and a few very heavy tricycles, and the younger children and students with special needs struggled to use them because of the balance and strength required. Now, students of all ages and abilities have something they can ride when we are out playing on the tennis court. It's especially fun when students race one another using the different vehicles and it has led to discussions on why a scooter is faster at first than a bike, but the bike catches up and often wins. We use the bikes and scooters every day and will continue to do so until snow covers the tennis courts. Eventually, I would like to get a few more balance bikes because the number of students we have has increased this year and they're very popular. Especially because of our increased numbers, I am so thankful for your support on this project because we wouldn't have enough materials for kids to use while outside without these scooters and bikes.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Zajac
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 2 other donors.Winter Recreation Materials
Funded Dec 2, 2020Thank you so much for your contribution to the Winter Recreation Materials project. The giant magna-tiles and shovels were used every day this winter. During half of our outside time each day, we are out on an unused tennis court, so we have to bring out any items we want to use. The students worked together using the shovels to create paths in the snow for pulling friends on sleds and on making a pretty large sledding hill. They also created snow forts and as the weather got warmer, they used the shovels to clear the snow out of the way so we could bring bikes out. With the magna-tiles, students created 5 foot tall towers, large houses, and they reinforced their snow forts with the tiles as well. We are also able to use the magna-tiles when we play in the woods, where they have created obstacle courses and elaborate "traps" for the squirrels and rabbits.
When I brought the boxes of shovels and magna-tiles into the classroom and showed the students what they were, they were extremely excited. We had had a couple shovels before, but they had cracked and broken, so we'd been without for a month. My students love our small classroom magna-tiles and were shocked to see ones so big.
Now that the weather is nice, we will be adding fabric pieces to the magna-tiles so they can create tents and other shelters to play and read in. We will also be using them for a comparison measurement project, where they will measure items with the giant magna-tiles and then again with the small ones to compare the measurements. We will be able to use these items for years to come and I will always be appreciative of your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Zajac
This classroom project was brought to life by PNC Grow Up Great® and 7 other donors.Safely Pretending in Preschool
Funded Jul 18, 2020Thank you so much for the gift of easy to clean multicultural kitchen items and face shields for my staff. We are able to use the kitchen area every day and clean and sanitize the items. When school was shut down for 2 weeks because of Covid, no students in my class contracted it, partly due to our daily sanitizing process.
As you can see in the photos, the kitchen area is a very popular spot for children to play in. The kitchen area is especially popular with many of my special education students and the Speech Therapist regularly does her push-in therapy services there, using the food items and play scenarios that stem from the items as the basis for her therapy sessions. Part of what the ST does includes repeated food exposures and trying new foods as part of a program called Adventures In Eating, and she focuses on fruits and vegetables that children may not typically encounter, such as lemons, kiwi, radishes, etc. Many of the foods she uses are part of the food sets donated, so children are becoming familiar with the foods even prior to Adventures In Eating.
We will continue to use these items for many years to come, thanks to the high quality of the products and, most importantly, your generosity. All of my students love them and say thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Zajac