My students are a diverse group from rural Montana who are eager to learn more about the world around them through art and language. They are creative, thoughtful and hard working.
Both in art and Spanish class, my students demonstrate the qualities that will make them successful in college, careers and most importantly, our communities.
Our Schools are located in St. Ignatius, a small town on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Western Montana. Many of our students are enrolled members or descendants of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, as well as numerous other tribes from around Montana and the United States. The surrounding area supports a strong farming and ranching community with a heavy reliance on seasonal tourism.
Our district slogan is "The gift of roots and wings" and our dedicated staff and students truly make our schools a special place to learn.
My Project
I am starting my second year teaching high school Spanish. Virtually the only materials in my classroom are a set of outdated textbooks. In order to be successful language learners, students need the opportunity to interact with the Spanish language in authentic ways.
This project will allow me to begin creating a classroom library of high quality children's books that are interesting and accessible to the beginning and intermediate Spanish speakers in my classroom.
These books will be used to support language development through thematic units around geography, art, family, celebrations and more. They will also provide students the opportunity to choose books for independent reading activities.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Shelman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.