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Honesty of Kids

28 Feb By 6 Comments

Awhile back MomDots forum won $10K to donate to charitable projects on Donors Choose. We picked out some fabulous projects and funded so much stuff – computers, library books, cameras, microscopes, fingerprinting materials, even playground equipment.

Probably the most awesome thing I have ever been involved in.

Now on Donors Choose they always send you follow up pictures of the classroom using the items you funded and a note from the teacher. If you donate over $100 to a project, you can also count on handwritten thankyous from the kids themselves in the mail. I have gotten cards, pictures, amazing drawings, letters, and book reports.

I can always tell the creative kids in the class.

Every now and then Ill get a note that has some real personality to it.  Usually kids say thankyou and draw a picture, or tell me their favorite part of whatever is new to thier classrom (ie if they got books, tey tell me thier favorite ones, etc), but sometimes you get something really personalized.

Like one time a kid wrote to tell me that he doesnt like Peyton Manning.  It was so left field, it was funny.

That was the best letter I had gotten so far till I got this one last week:

My fav line is “its nice, but some of the kids are bad.”

Good job recognizing the problem kid…now you just need to fix it.

~Trisha

Filed Under: Sidebar News Tagged With:

See the change, be the change.

4 Dec By 14 Comments
We funded these projects via Donors Choose! Thankyou to the MD community for coming together for this project. If you want to affect change like this, head over and donate to a classroom in the US that needs you.
~Trisha
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Dear Trisha,

Thank you again for your generous donations, helping us to get an awesome digital microscope for our classroom! The microscope is an absolutely amazing tool. We have already used it to look at many everyday objects such as feathers, tiny insects, leaves and hair, delighting my students and even inspiring a few to ask for books about microscopes from the library. I am looking forward to using the microscope to deepen our understanding of minerals and crystal structures, as the images we get from the old student microscopes (or worse, scratched-up hand lenses) are fuzzy and confusing at best. Not only is the digital microscope so much better as a tool, but it also can take and save pictures of what we find for later reference. This will make a huge difference in the quality of our learning.

Without your help, having a digital microscope would have remained a dream. You have made a positive impact in the lives of my students, not only for this year but for many years to come. Thank you!

With gratitude,
Mrs. P.

flea———————————————————————————————-

Dear Trisha,

I wanted to thank you for your generous donation to my students. We have made good use of all the items that we received from you. My students were so excited when we received them that you would have thought it was Christmas. They were the most excited about the expo markers because they have been begging to use the whiteboards and I keep telling them that we have to wait until we get some markers. So when I opened the box and they saw all the markers they were jumping up and down.

You will never know how those markers have made a huge impact in my class. Students that normally refuse to do work, are working and therefore understanding more concepts then they would have through paper/pencil activities. I even let them use them to do classwork and then rewrite their work on paper, so they are actually doing the work twice without even realizing it. Which in turn, helps them understand the concepts better.

The pencils/erasers/pencil sharpener have come in handy as well. At the end of the 1st quarter we had to take a district wide test and I was able to provide students with the supplies they really needed to succeed on the test. Those pencils, being new and nicely sharpened made some of my students so happy because they are used to having to use short, stubby pencils that are badly in need of a sharpening. TWith gratitude,
Mrs. H.

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Dear Trisha,

Our semester long CSI unit is almost complete! I want you to know that the unit came alive by using the microscope that you so generously donated. During our lessons, the students viewed hair samples, DNA cells, blood types, fiber samples, and fingerprints. We set up a mock crime scene and the students used the microscope to look at evidence up close and determine who the criminal was. They had so much fun while learning advanced science skills at the same time. My students are now becoming interested in science careers; several of them have expressed interest in careers in criminology as well. We will be using the microscope in several more science units and it will be used in the years to come.

In preparation for the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays, my students recently created a bulletin board with a huge turkey on it. On the turkey’s construction paper feathers, the students wrote what they were thankful for. On a bright blue feather in a 3rd grade child’s squiggly handwriting is “I am thankful for Trisha who gave to us when she didn’t even know us.” As I told you before, I teach in a very low income school. My students have very little, and many come from heartbreaking home situations. They have high goals for themselves, and I believe that they will do amazing things. Thank you for giving them the tools to succeed and believing in them. My students absolutely could not believe that someone who didn’t even know them would be so kind to choose them to give to. Small things do make a big difference, especially in the life of a child. I pray that you are blessed for your decision to give. Words can not express how thankful I am for your generosity.With gratitude,
Mrs. O.

microscope——————————————————————————————–

Dear Trisha, Just a short note to let you know that my students are using the sketchbooks made possible by your generous donation are being used on a daily bases. My Advanced Placement Studio Art students have begun to sketch out some amazing images for their portfolios.

It is hard to put into words the excitement that my students demonstrated as they received their sketchbooks. Having their own sketchbooks brings their creativity and critical thinking about art to a new level. Thank you so much for your generosity. It is wonderful that you are able to provide support for students interested in the arts. Thank you for sharing my vision for preparing students for their college experience. Without actual hands-on opportunities, art is only theory but with materials, my students can apply their creativity to the theories and create their own art.

Thank you so much for your generous donation, which is enabling my Two-Dimensional Design students to use sketchbooks as part of the college level experience Advanced Placement Studio Art can provide. Preparing for and then submitting their work to the Collage Board will be a significant step towards their collage experience. Thank you so much for your donation to my project.

With gratitude,
Mrs. C.

artstudents————————————————————————————-

Dear Trisha,
Thank you so much ! These two wonderful net books just arrived the other day and already some things are changing. There are more students hanging around the technology office just waiting to go. These two net books will have a special roll in our school, because they were requested to help the learning disabled and traumatic brain injury student. These net book will be used to teach basic note taking and writing skills to these students. Often these students have a lot to say , but their organizational and writing skills need remediation. It is hope with these primary tools that they will begin to regain some of the skills that might have been lost.
In addition to this, I will begin seeking out funding for a dynamic tool such as the digital pen, to work in conjunction with the net books. In this manner students will be able to write their notes, plug their usb pen into their notebook and have their notes typed out clearly. I believe that this project will certainly improve the organizational and writing skills of these students. Ultimately with good notes these students test scores will improve in all subject ares
Once again I thank you for helping fund this worthy project
With gratitude,
Mr. D.

netbooks————————————————————————

Dear Trisha, Words cannot express how grateful I am for your generosity. With your thoughtfulness, my students will have more resources to allow them the opportunity to grow into successful young adults. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

English is a challenging language to master, and for a student learning English for the first time, it becomes more difficult. With these vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension games, my students will be able to apply their knowledge of the English language in an engaging way.

Thank you for helping me show my students that someone cares about them. Thank you for giving my students the opportunity to love learning. Thank you!

With gratitude,
Ms. L.

playingwithwords

Filed Under: All About Trisha, Family Travel Tagged With: , ,

Donors Choose, a classroom we affected

4 Dec By 2 Comments
Dear Trisha,
I want to say thank you for the wonderful gift you have given to my first graders. My students have been enjoying using the listening centers and working on all the great activities that were ordered. I have noticed some of my reluctant readers going to the center and finding great success. At the same time I’ve been able to challenge some of my advanced readers with activities that you provided.
What a great addition this has been to my classroom. Words are just not enough …

With gratitude,
Mrs. C.

listening

want to donate? Go to DonorsChoose.org

Filed Under: charity Tagged With: ,

Donors Choose

9 Nov By 13 Comments

A month or two back we won an iRobot ingenuity challenge contest and were given a $10,000 gift card to help fund individual teacher projects all over the US.

I wanted to share some of the feedback of the projects that we funded so you all can know the impact you made as part of this project.

I received these beautiful cards the other day in the mail and it just touched my heart.

orlando 087

orlando 090
orlando 089
orlando 088
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Dear Trisha,
You have truly blessed our class with your generosity. We received the books on tape last week. As I opened the package I explained to the students what was inside the box and how this box got to our classroom. I told them how you gave so that we would have a fun listening center. I took out each book and showed all 22 each new fantastic story that we would soon read. They “ooohhhed” and “aahhed”, giggled and laughed.

I set up the listening center right away. I rotated 4 students in and and out showing each how to take care of the books and how to work the tape player. Immediately they were engrossed with ‘The Three Bears”. I never heard a peep. They carefully followed along and turned each page gently. Every once in a while I’d hear a sweet giggle.

Again, thank you for seeing a need and providing. We’ve only made it through 1 book but thanks to you we have about 9 more to explore. I know this will be a very popular center all year long.With gratitude,
Mrs. T.

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Dear Trisha,

This is just a small note to express my gratitude for your generous donation to my classroom. The cart and the presentation clicker that you donated have helped my students every single day. It is great to be able to walk around the room to help students without feeling the need to rush back up to the board to point something out or change the slide. The presentation clicker is also a big hit with the students who now love to get involved more with the lesson so that they can use the clicker too. I can only speak wonders about the cart and how it has helped the organization of both myself and my students. Each class knows that they have a certain color drawer in the cart. When the period begins they go right to their drawer to pick up materials and drop off anything that needs to be handed in. Now I don’t have to worry that students will be confused as to where things are in the different rooms that we have to use. Have this piece of organization helps to counteract the disorganization of not having my own classroom.


Our school, like many others, is working to stretch our budget as much as possible. Your donation has made it possible to purchase the equipment that will provide the enrichment that my students are looking for.

Donors like you make learning possible in today’s schools and I can’t thank you enough.

With gratitude,
Ms. C.

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Dear Trisha,
Thanks again for funding this project for my students! I hope you know how much your donations mean to us. Something as simple as batteries truly makes a difference in our classroom.

Growing up in the suburbs in a middle-class school district, we were never affected by hard economic times. My teachers never “scraped by” with materials, and my classmates’ parents always had enough money to buy them school supplies. Thank you for contributing to our urban classroom — every dollar makes a difference!With gratitude,
Mrs. N.

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Dear Trisha,
Thank you so much ! These two wonderful net books just arrived the other day and already some things are changing. There are more students hanging around the technology office just waiting to go. These two net books will have a special roll in our school, because they were requested to help the learning disabled and traumatic brain injury student. These net book will be used to teach basic note taking and writing skills to these students. Often these students have a lot to say , but their organizational and writing skills need remediation. It is hope with these primary tools that they will begin to regain some of the skills that might have been lost.
In addition to this, I will begin seeking out funding for a dynamic tool such as the digital pen, to work in conjunction with the net books. In this manner students will be able to write their notes, plug their usb pen into their notebook and have their notes typed out clearly. I believe that this project will certainly improve the organizational and writing skills of these students. Ultimately with good notes these students test scores will improve in all subject ares
Once again I thank you for helping fund this worthy project
With gratitude,
Mr. D.

————————————————————–

Dear Trisha, Just a short note to let you know that my students are using the sketchbooks made possible by your generous donation are being used on a daily bases. My Advanced Placement Studio Art students have begun to sketch out some amazing images for their portfolios.

It is hard to put into words the excitement that my students demonstrated as they received their sketchbooks. Having their own sketchbooks brings their creativity and critical thinking about art to a new level. Thank you so much for your generosity. It is wonderful that you are able to provide support for students interested in the arts. Thank you for sharing my vision for preparing students for their college experience. Without actual hands-on opportunities, art is only theory but with materials, my students can apply their creativity to the theories and create their own art.

Thank you so much for your generous donation, which is enabling my Two-Dimensional Design students to use sketchbooks as part of the college level experience Advanced Placement Studio Art can provide. Preparing for and then submitting their work to the Collage Board will be a significant step towards their collage experience. Thank you so much for your donation to my project.

With gratitude,
Mrs. C.

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Dear Trisha,
I can’t thank you enough for your generosity to my students. The books came in and the kids were so interested and responsive and eager to start reading. My American History juniors were wanting to read the books and I said sorry, they are for the senors and I heard “I am taking law next year !”
I am so appreciative of you fostering an interest in criminal law in my classroom. We are all going to read the book about Ted Bundy and then watch the biography about him. We will talk about the impact of a a person like this, talk about justice for the victims and how the police are part of the solution for the problem of crime.

Thank you so much. I am just overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers. It makes reading about the worst man can do, easier when I think about how many people are good and giving. I want to help the kids realize how to protect themselves and their younger brothers and sisters and I want them to think about being part of the justice system.

I thank you for giving to my class. These books will be used by my law students for years. This is my 10th year teaching law and I have never had resources like this. I am so thankful for donorschoose and the fact that I am able to give people a way to give directly to the kids-it went straight to my students as you can see from the photos.


I just hope some small part of this letter reaches your heart and you feel how much I appreciate you giving to my students and my Law 410 class.With gratitude,
Mrs. R.

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HERE ARE ALL THE PROJECTS MomDot Community Funded with the help of iRobot via DONORS CHOOSE.

* Dictionary Dilemma!
$34.00 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* When Are We Going To Dissect?
$119.37 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Living On My Own
$48.95 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Be Active Little Stars
$47.83 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Picture Perfect Photography
$47.80 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Help First Graders Learn To Read!
$47.76 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Twist and Shout, Help Us Out!
$47.17 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Climate Change: Debating with Nonfiction Texts
$46.91 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Make Believe Magic!
$45.00 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Reading is FUN-damental
$44.45 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* I Would Read That in English!
$40.22 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Bring Books Alive
$38.31 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Club Caribbean – Wow That’s Beautiful !
$34.20 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Special Ed. Needs Back to Basics Games
$33.45 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Eyes on Me! (K Special Ed Class)
$162.89 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* A New Look At Life
$184.35 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Can you solve the murder?
$48.99 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* English Language Learners Question History
$146.61 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Everything You Need to Know, You Learn in Kindergarten!
$717.07 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Everything You Need To Know, You Learned In Kindergarten!
$439.87 contributed on October 18, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Please Help Make Me Mobile!
$329.28 contributed on October 14, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Listening to Learn
$47.56 contributed on October 14, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Make Us Mobile With A Technology Cart!
$48.20 contributed on October 14, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Dynamic Dictionaries!
$47.90 contributed on October 14, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* The Paper (and Pencil) Chase
$49.25 contributed on October 14, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Print-Making, Pretty, Pretty, Please!!!
$49.61 contributed on October 14, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Open Your Binders, Open The World!
$47.57 contributed on October 14, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Weight our Learning!
$41.99 contributed on October 14, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Why Societies Form
$199.38 contributed on October 14, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* “Listen And Learn”
$206.39 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Outdoor Fun!
$830.17 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Oprah Has A Book Club – We Need One Too!
$73.18 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Microscope Magic!
$74.88 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Where Are All The Books?
$98.68 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* The Biggest Winners
$109.00 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Touch a Heart through a Card
$181.85 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Creative Learning Through Art
$156.39 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Math Magicians
$152.76 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* You Can Read!
$74.00 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* From Bytes To Books
$172.56 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Help, We Desperately Need the Basics!!!
$98.49 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Hands On Learning In Reading Centers
$106.13 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Storage Solutions
$286.45 contributed on October 13, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Hands On! Hands On!
$0.00 contributed on October 12, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* We Want To Be Scientists!
$186.87 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Bare Essentials- An Art Island Plan
$493.90 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* ABC’s in Many Ways
$51.93 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* “Frenzy” Learners
$57.66 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Sketchbooks for Advance Placement Studio Art Students
$50.16 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Playing With Words
$58.83 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Picture Perfect
$47.43 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* It’s Time for Kids
$46.84 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Creative, Captivating, And Clean!!!!
$46.63 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* A Wonderful World of Words!
$44.41 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Copycat Needed!
$43.01 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Having Fun Practicing Math: Dry Erase Review — PART II
$40.86 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* What Can I Do for Oklahoma?
$40.05 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Leveled Book Library
$39.34 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Nurturing Nimble Bodies
$34.02 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Everyone wants to get into the ACT
$33.71 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* The 3 Little Pigs Save the Day
$33.30 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Math Mania
$98.71 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Read Around El Mundo
$69.22 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Scoping Out the Crime Scene: We Need a Microscope!
$225.21 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Throw The Book At Them! Help My Senior Law Class!
$271.27 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Help Us With Our Job, Man!!
$123.25 contributed on October 11, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* First Grade Teacher Needs Your Help
$274.39 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* DVD-VCR Combo Television Needed for Media Center
$350.14 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Playground Equipment Would Be Excellent!
$148.27 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Listen and Learn
$139.43 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Critically Ill Students Need Access to the Computer
$680.39 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* My Students are Begging Me for New Books to Read
$131.24 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Batteries Needed to Power Our Classroom!
$40.28 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
$35.37 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Weekly Readers Literally
$29.85 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* It’s the Little Things that Count
$29.09 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Decompression Zone!
$99.18 contributed on October 10, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Science on a Cart
$39.78 contributed on July 19, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Science on a Cart
$34.00 contributed on July 19, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message
* Listening Centers Build Skills, Part 2
$66.00 contributed on July 19, 2009 | View project cost report | Add Message

You have a chance to affect real change in the US by funding projects, some as low as $30 to close out, and the requested projects and supplies are sent directly to the teacher. Consider working with Donors Choose and handing out a gift card in your stockings this year.

No run around, no hoops, you fund, it goes to the teacher and the students.

I cant say it enough, so I will say it again. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this by contributing as a community. I love you all and feel incredibly blessed.
~Trisha
Filed Under: charity, Family Travel Tagged With: , , ,

I got warm fuzzies today

20 Jul By 8 Comments

This week, as you probably know by now, I had a chance to visit iRobot up in Boston. Myself, along with 8 other bloggers, will be competing in a charity competition to win $10K to donate to projects on Donors Choose (more on that later) in August. I am beside myself in excitement.

Donors Choose is this really awesome website that directly connects you with teachers around the US who need a specific amount of supplies to complete a project that isn’t funded at their school. Think of like a “wish tree” for teachers. Its shocking how many there are and quite sad. But its also neat to go through and see how a $30 donation really brings crayons to kindergartners or $100 can bring basketballs into a school. I have never seen a charity have a more direct impact with your donations as this one does. You donate, they buy the supplies and send right to the classroom.

VERY cool.

Anyway, a rep from Donors Choose was there to talk to us and in doing so, gave all the bloggers a $100 gift card to donate to a project we wanted to fund and yesterday I sat down to go through the website. There is nothing more exciting then being able to gift to someone else.

I ended up splitting my donation between two teachers. But after I had used my gift card, one of the donations kept nagging me. It only took another $40 to fund the project, so I went back and donated the $40 myself.  ( I am also happy to report that the other project I partially funded has been completely by another donation and that teacher also got her wish)

This morning I opened up my email to this:

teachermail

My Donors Choose account said that I have “given resources to 114 students and 300 hours of instruction”

If your a teacher that needs assistance sign up and if you have a couple of extra bucks to give, go check it out. I told my DH this year I want to give out gift cards to everyone for Christmas here so they can truly appreciate the holidays by donating to charity. We did that one year with Heifer International. I am not sure that gifting my family pigs and chickens went over really well, but I think this will make a stronger impact.

~trisha

PS While this post may come off as an editorial or advertisement, I was not paid or asked to blog about this. This is a personal experience and I am just really excited to share it.

Filed Under: charity Tagged With: