adopt my classroom

[Yael Grauer]

I am trying to raise some money to buy much-needed organizational supplies, equipment and books for my classroom. I would like my students to have their own copies of books to take home for independent reading, and there are some supplies that would really improve my classes which I just don't have money for right now (and I've already spent about $900 out of pocket for equipment). Some are directly for the students and some are just to create a more organized learning environment.

All donations are tax-deductible. All donations go into an online "e-wallet" account, and I can use the funds with a network of online vendors to buy resources such as learning games, books and other materials that can help me create an engaging and effective classroom learning environment.

There is 100% accountability and transparency. Adopt-A-Classroom sends each donor an "Impact Report" which details item-by-item, dollar-for-dollar what the teacher purchased with the donation.

Please consider making a donation at this link.

Thanks.

[James R. Climer]

How is this going?

Do you really have 100 students in your class?

[Yael Grauer]

Originally Posted by James R. Climer

How is this going?

Do you really have 100 students in your class?

So far I have raised $125 with generous donations from Derek and Albert Fernandez. I bought some really cool books which should help my students with inferencing and drawing conclusions, inferencing and cause and effect and one on persuasive writing. I'm hoping to raise more so I can buy a file cabinet and such. I'm also trying to get donations from Arizonans which are repaid dollar per dollar in the form of tax rebates. These can be donated directly to my classroom at no cost to the taxpayer. Married couples can donate $400 and those filing as single taxpayers can donate (I believe) $250.

My largest class was 31, now it's down to 30. I have 100 total students. I have a 1st period class of 21 students, a 3rd/4th period block with 28 students, a 5th period class with 30 students and a 6th/7th period block with 21 students.

[Yael Grauer]

Thanks to generous donations, I was able to purchase a working clock (kids take out their cell phones to check the time and then get in trouble for carrying cell phones because my stupid clock won't work, despite the school "fixing" it several times), a timer (for bellwork), a working pencil sharpener (I had two broken ones--students had to go to other classrooms to sharpen their pencils, annoying other teachers...or spend ten minutes trying to use my crappy ones), a cardboard filing box (don't get me started), and three books on inferencing and drawing conclusions, inferencing and cause and effect, and persuasive writing.

My kid's benchmark scores have gone up phenomenally but there is still a LOT of work to do after break... reteaching objectives that weren't mastered and trying to get new ones in there... I saved up and shelled out the $150 for the continuing ed course I really needed. I am still trying to get donations to buy hardcover composition books for all of my students. My school district rations out paper so I may need to get more of that as well. The district is *supposed* to help me get transparencies, self-stick easel pads, colored pencils, a projector cart and screen, reusable handheld whiteboards, and some odds and ends (a doorstop that works, some cords for our computers, etc). in which case I will spend any leftover donations on reading material for my students.

OfficeMax has agreed to match all classroom donations $1 for $1 up to $40,000 through December 25 so if anybody wants to make a tax-deductible contribution now is the time. 50 bucks plus shipping matched by Office Max (plus the amount I still have in the account) will buy composition books for 75 kids.

Okay, that will be my last online solicitation...this year. Thanks to Derek, Lynne and Albert for donating. Y'all rock!