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Mrs. Mellem from Aurora CO is requesting reading nooks, desks & storage through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Second Graders Seeking 21st Century Classroom!

Help me give my students flexible seating and STEAM station options! My English Language Learners would really benefit from these puzzles and hands-on learning toys!

  • $1,176 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

My Students

I teach at a low-income​ Title I school in Colorado filled with students from all over the world. Walking into my classroom, you will see a group of beautifully diverse students (we have over ten languages represented -- Arabic, Spanish, Twi, Dinka, Kannada, Romanian, Ukrainian, and Russian to name a few!). We also have students with different needs who have autism and ADD/ADHD. Therefore, learning styles and needs of my students vary greatly!

Many of our students face struggles that no child should ever have to deal with.

My goal is to make sure that they never feel like they have less of a chance of succeeding than any other of their peers. They should believe that nothing can get in their way and have a chance to fulfill their dreams. One of the most rewarding things for me to see as a teacher is seeing students blossom into children who are independent, inspired, innovative, kind, and most of all, happy.

My Project

Kids get told where to go, what to do, and how to do it all throughout their days. I want to give my students more choice in their days in any way possible so they are more engaged and feel like they have a say in their own learning.

Research has proven how beneficial flexible seating is for today's kids.

Flexible seating allows for movement, responsible decision making, community building, and makes my students have so much more enthusiasm about learning! I hope to give my students space for collaboration and group work during STEM stations instead of having to sit uncomfortably on the floor without proper support or in a desk that doesn't allow for collaboration or hands-on work.

Incorporating more choice into my classroom is such motivation, and I want them to feel excited and proud to come to their classroom each day. Sadly, there is no money allocated for teachers to spend money on items beyond the curriculum that help create and calm and comfortable learning environment. Each year I spend what I can to keep bringing items into my classroom like flexible seating and STEAM items, and they really change the whole dynamic of my classroom!

Mrs. Mellem
Grades PreK-2

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
LC756 - Flex-Space Rectangular Floor Table - 30" x 48" • Lakeshore Learning Materials $259.00 1 $259.00
42 Piece Tegu Magnetic Wooden Block Set, Tints • Amazon Business $89.00 1 $89.00
ECR4Kids Scoop-Front Storage Bins, Easy-to-Grip Design Storage Cubbies, Kid Friendly and Built to Last, Pairs with ECR4Kids Storage Units, 10-Pack, Powder Blue • Amazon Business $38.20 2 $76.40
Award Winning Hape All-in-One Wooden Kid's Art Easel with Paper Roll and Accessories • Amazon Business $67.99 1 $67.99
DD420SB - Calming Colors® Little Beanbag Seat - Sky Blue (26") • Lakeshore Learning Materials $59.99 1 $59.99
DD420SG - Calming Colors® Little Beanbag Seat - Sage Green (26") • Lakeshore Learning Materials $59.99 1 $59.99
Jamohom Wooden Alphabet Puzzles Set Upper Case, Lower Case Letter and Numbers Learning Board Early Educational Toy for Kids  • Amazon Business $26.99 1 $26.99
Froogz - 25 Piece Suction Toy Construction Set | Building Kit • Amazon Business $24.95 1 $24.95
Fat Brain Toys Squigz Toobz • Amazon Business $23.00 1 $23.00
Hape Flexistix STEM Building Truss Crane, Featuring 94 Multi-Colored Bamboo Pieces • Amazon Business $19.99 1 $19.99
Hape Creative Toddler Wooden Peg Puzzle • Amazon Business $15.56 1 $15.56
We're All Wonders • Amazon Business $14.22 1 $14.22
Faber-Castell Back to School Beeswax Crayon Coloring Set - 24 Beeswax Crayons, Crayon Sharpener & Doodle Pad • Amazon Business $13.00 1 $13.00
LEGO Duplo My First Bricks 10848 Colorful Toys Building Kit for Toddler Play and Pretend Play (80 Pieces) • Amazon Business $11.99 1 $11.99
Coogam 130 Pcs Wooden Pattern Blocks Set Geometric Manipulative Shape Puzzle – Graphical Early Educational Montessori Tangram Toys Brain Teasers STEM Gift for Kids with 24 Pcs Design Cards • Amazon Business $11.99 1 $11.99
Gamie IQ Building Blocks Set for Kids - Wooden Tetris Puzzle Game with 15 Blocks, 60+ Challenges and Wooden Case - Fun Educational Brain Teaser, Learning Toy for Boys and Girls, Great Gift Idea • Amazon Business $11.97 1 $11.97
Green Toys Dough 4 Pack Activity Set • Amazon Business $11.50 1 $11.50
ABC See, Hear, Do 3: Blended Ending Sounds: Learn to Read Another 51 Words! • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
ABC See, Hear, Do 2: Blended Beginning Sounds (Volume 2) • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
The Invisible Boy • Amazon Business $10.59 1 $10.59
Jabari Jumps • Amazon Business $10.50 1 $10.50
Green Toys Tool Essentials Dough Set Activity • Amazon Business $10.49 1 $10.49
ABC See, Hear, Do: Learn to Read 55 Words • Amazon Business $9.91 1 $9.91
Learn to Read: A Magical Sight Words and Phonics Activity Workbook for Beginning Readers Ages 5-7: Learn to Read and Write Made EASY | 100 + Practice ... | Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grade • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
Those Shoes • Amazon Business $6.78 1 $6.78
A Bike Like Sergio's • Amazon Business $6.69 1 $6.69
40Pcs Wooden Tetris Puzzle 3D Tangram Jigsaw Educational Toys Preschool Children • Amazon Business $6.59 1 $6.59
My First Toddler Coloring Book: Fun with Numbers, Letters, Shapes, Colors, and Animals! • Amazon Business $5.22 1 $5.22
Faber-Castell DuoTip Washable Markers - 12 Markers, 24 Colors • Amazon Business $5.00 1 $5.00

Materials cost

$898.27

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $57.49

3rd party payment processing fee

$13.47

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$999.23

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$176.33

Total project goal

$1,175.56

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $1,175.56

2 Donors

-$1,175.56

Donations toward project cost

-$999.23

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$176.33

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 Mrs. Mellem and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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