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Let the Learning Flow
Victoria Joseph
St. Philip Lutheran School, Resource
3-8 Art, 3-8 Technology, 2-4 Library
$1,800
What happens when you combine music with games and vocabulary? You get students who become engaged, life-long learners! Ms. Joseph's dream is to foster a love of learning through something almost everyone can relate to - the love of music! This is precisely why she wishes to use Flocabulary, a fun, engaging website that teaches important concepts primarily through rap and hip-hop videos.
"There are two different types of musical games that review each concept of an instructional video. In one example, Flocabulary offers a vocabulary review game. Using vocabulary words taught through a song, students then take a 'quiz' to help reinforce retention of the definition. For each correctly answered question, a new instrument is unlocked, and students are able build their own instrumental beat, ultimately composing their own song! Through the 'Lyric Lab' feature students create their own song or rap about the concept using the vocabulary words learned through the initial video."
By funding this dream, you may just inspire the next Mozart, Quincy Jones, Jay Z or Beyonce!
Book Nook
Michelle Minor
Holy Family School, Kindergarten
$2,000
"I am a teacher who loves books, reading to my students and having my students read to me. I need a new area to make this possible."
As someone whose passion is fostering a love for reading in her classroom, Ms. Minor wishes to provide her students with a reading space that reflects her passion. She hopes that you will support her dream of a brand-new set of furnishings that will allow her to organize classroom books, and provide seating for her little readers. With a funded dream, she will be able to increase the number of books that are available for student enjoyment, as well as preserve the quality of the books to keep for many generations of students to come. Join Miss Minor on her quest to cultivate new generations of avid readers by investing today!
Singing and Moving Helps You "Read and Write"!
Donna Beck
Saint Luke Academy, All Grades
$1,000
Help Ms. Beck liven up her classroom with the power of music! Her wish is to implement songs by Jack Hartman into her classroom so that she can teach and reinforce reading skills, while engaging students musically. By making this wish come true, Ms. Beck will combine singing, dancing, and learning, for an overall wonderful classroom environment.
Ms. Beck believes, "Hartman also has terrific break activities, encouraging movement with music. This is valuable for getting the brain activated and working. Everyone can use a brain break from time to time. This virtual opportunity would be part of our literacy month. It would be an all-school experience focused where most appropriate."
Welcoming the Nature Museum to St. Philip Lutheran
Linda Kim
St. Philip Lutheran School, Grades: 2-8
$1,400
Helping young students learn about the importance of species, habitats and the environment is the first step towards constructing a better planet for future generations. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, "Nature on the Go" program, provides the opportunity to bring rich hands-on learning experiences into St. Philip classrooms. This will be a touchstone experience for students from kindergarten through eighth grade!
Kindergarten and first graders will partake in their "Junior Critter Investigators" and "Bugs Alive" program. Grades 2-5 will combine to participate in their "Reptiles Up Close" and "Collections and Specimens" program. The sixth through eighth graders will participate in the "Schoolyard Biodiversity" and "Collections and Specimens: Ecosystems" programs. By granting this dream, the students of St. Philip will have a unique, hands-on, expert-led learning experience, all centered around investigating local species and habitats.
Sensory Field Trip to the Farm!
Kaitlin Rozny, First Grade
St. Paul Early Childhood Center
$655
Sadly, students have missed out on school field trips for two years! The great news is that there are amazing teachers, like Ms. Rozny, who are committed to making up for lost time. Granting this dream will allow her students to go on a field trip to the Honeybee Garden Family Farm in Downers Grove, IL., giving her students the experience of getting in touch with the natural world outside of the classroom!
Furthermore, students will connect to the plight of the bee. They will learn that the bee is an endangered species, and how it is vital for the survival of humanity. Students will learn measures to take to help ensure the survival of the bee, and hence human survival.
Make this wish come true and become a part of the mission to ensure and help Ms. Rozny's first graders learn how to save the bees and save our planet!
Creating My Own Dress-Up
Irene Camacho, Prek 3 and 4
Lutheran Day Nursery
$1,654.30
Ms. Camacho dreams of providing her two and three-year-old students with new materials for their dramatic play area so that they can pretend, imagine and be creative. She would love for them to be able to explore and recreate their home, school and community life with items in the dramatic play area like dress up clothes, hats, firefighter helmets, work gloves, stethoscopes, nursing scrubs, and a pretend doctor kit.
Fulfill this dream and help the children of Lutheran Day nursery develop numerous skills! This upgraded area will promote high level thinking, problem solving and turn taking. Their classroom will be a place where they will use their fine motor skills, spark up conversations, increase vocabulary and develop a sense of independence.
Ms. Camacho shares, "As children are growing in their new skills, we as educators will help facilitate their growth and help take them to the next level."
Sand & Water Table: A Sensory Window to the World
Doris Knuth and Laurie Mauga, Preschool & Kindergarten
Grace Lutheran School
$565.00
Grace Lutheran School is committed to improving their Early Childhood program by expanding enrollment to include 3 year-old children in their 4 year-old preschool classroom. An appropriate classroom environment enables young children to explore the world around them. Grace is asking for a Sand & Water Table to enhance their Early Childhood classroom environment to provide sensory interactions with a variety of materials.
A dedicated Sand & Water table designed for classroom use will give children endless experiences exploring a variety of materials to support a multitude of activities including but not limited to: pouring, sifting, feeling, moving, changing, weighing, creating, building and discovering. Using the Sand & Water table will also support children's development in science and math.
Grant this dream and help Grace Lutheran provide sensory play for their children and support the Mission and Vision of this expanded program!
Super Centers
Ali Pepper, Kindergarten
Holy Family School
$1,391.50
Having an engaging classroom environment is one of, if not, the most vital aspects of effectively teaching young children. Ms. Pepper's dream is to revitalize her learning centers so that she can do her best to teach her students while providing a safe and secure social environment. With your funding, Ms. Pepper will be able to bring new learning centers into her classroom so that she can provide a myriad of new learning experiences for her students, as well as advocate for more social activity and positive peer relationships.
"Studies show that when students are playing while learning, they are much more likely to absorb the information. Centers time also provides an incredible opportunity for students to take ownership of their learning and lead one another. Each day we see students lean on each other and support one another's goals of getting ready for first grade. New materials would significantly improve this vital time each and every day for learners by keeping them engaged and invested in the activities."
Reflex for Math Fact Fluency
Amy Stephens, 1st and 2nd
Pilgrim Lutheran School
Reflex is a FUN way for students to engage and practice their math facts and become more fluent in math. This is why it is Ms. Stephen's dream to implement the use of Reflex. Reflex is a supplemental math fact fluency program on an iPad or Chromebook. The students at Pilgrim Lutheran School are all assigned individual iPads and Chromebooks. This program can be downloaded on each device to accommodate 168 students. The games are leveled by the ability of each student. The levels change as students progress and gain a better understanding of the skill.
Ms. Stephens believes, "Reflex is the most effective solution for any student that needs to build math fact fluency. Using fact families and delivering the right facts at the right time for each individual student, it meets students where they are. It's been used in thousands of classrooms to successfully support students at grade level, at risk, and with special needs."
Fund this dream and give the first and second graders at Pilgrim Lutheran School the gift of FUN MATH at their own pace!
Once Upon a Time
Amy Struve, Preschool
$1,484.35
Imagination is key to every early childhood program. Puppets help enhance this in children. Students retell stories they have heard, conversations they remember, and make up their very own during play. Conversations and vocabulary are also increased at this time. Adding a felt board, story pieces, a puppet theater, and a new table for our dramatic play area will allow their storytelling and play to soar to new heights!
Materials for Infant Room
Mariah Green, Infants
Concordia Place on Whipple
$1,838.00
The first year or two of our lives are some of the most important developmentally speaking. Our wonderful infant teachers are great at creating an enriching environment. The classrooms are lacking certain materials that would benefit the children physically, emotionally, and creatively. Materials such as sensory toys, mirrors, and sorting mats will allow the infant teachers to create new opportunities for exploration.
As a school that supports all children in an equitable manner, having materials that will enhance learning and development are integral. Fulfillment of this dream would allow our youngest learners to have learning and sensory experiences from the get go. Having new and well made materials will allow infant teachers to create experiences that will benefit their kiddos in multiple facets of development.
Gross Motor Materials for Concordia Place Students
Brianna Hyde, Toddlers
$1,770
Ms. Hyde is asking for materials that will allow Concordia Place's students to release pent up energy while working on developing and strengthening their gross motor development. Teeter totters, rocky boats, stepping stones, and mini trampolines are great tools in reaching this goal.
Kids are full of energy and always need a way to get that out. Gross motor development is all about running, jumping, climbing, twirling, and more. Caregivers and teachers help children strengthen this aspect of development by providing equipment that allows children to practice these skills. Being in Chicago, we have windy, snowy, and bitter cold winters which makes getting to the playground difficult. These materials will be a great alternative when mother nature doesn't allow us to get outside!
Classroom Library and Reading Nook
Brett Bravo, 7th and 8th Grades
Mr. Bravo's dream is to create a classroom library that is an inviting space and helps children fall in love with reading. His dream is to acquire a collection of new books that includes young adult novels and classics written by a diverse assortment of authors. The books would be chosen in consultation with his current students. His vision is to have books in a dedicated space with a bookshelf and a couch for independent reading.
"If they (my students) could have sets of new books, rather than the donations and out of date catalog I currently have shelved, as well as a comfortable and inviting space, they would be excited for independent reading and find a book to connect with that might inspire them," says Mr. Bravo.
Fund this dream and help Mr. Bravo to build a classroom library that is an inviting space and helps children fall in love with reading!
Roots in Reading
Rachel Lieneman, Kindergarten
Our Saviour Lutheran Preschool & Kindergarten
$1,284.77
When a kindergartener reads a page from a book for the first time, his confidence shines! Ms. Lineman believes that each of her students deserves to learn in an environment where students can choose to have moments to themselves to read independently or with peers. Having a space in the room devoted to only reading will create an atmosphere that is full of excitement, creativity, and wonder of what they will read next.
"In my short experience of teaching, I have found that a lot of insecurity and lack of confidence can stem from a student not quite being able to read, yet. However, with the books and resources I have included with my dream, I could help further their learning and create an environment to do so."
Grant this dream and help Ms. Lineman's students build confidence and shine!
A Diverse Library for 2022 and Beyond
Jennifer Goolsby, Multiple Grade Levels
$1,063.05
The goal of this dream is to begin the 2022/2023 school year with a library fully stocked with new books that will engage, entice and represent all of our students.
Ms. Goolsby is determined to modernize Pilgrim Lutheran's lower school library with socially, culturally relevant, and historically accurate books that represent the world our children live in.
Receiving the Dream Award, would provide our library with books that will speak to our students, expand their horizons and spark their interests on subjects they don't even know about yet.
Little Hands
Judith Acosta, Preschool 4
Bethesda International Academy
$1,085.68
Ms. Acosta's dream is to have a rich variety of materials to help strengthen fine motor skills, like grasping, reaching, releasing an object and turning the wrist. She would like to create a Fine-Motor Center with inviting, colorful, challenging materials that could be available to them at any given time.
Ms. Acosta says, "Having materials available for students such as the ones I am requesting would create opportunities for fine motor development even during free play. This would enhance each child's development and learning."
Funding this dream would help facilitate opportunities to exercise students' fine-motor skills, while at the same time developing and practicing other skills such as letter recognition, number recognition, building, creating and much more.
Sharing Jesus
Jill Giannotta, Kindergarten
Grace Christian Academy
$1,037
"Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." Matthew 19:13-15
Mrs. Giannotta's dream is to bring her Kindergarten students closer to Jesus with the new CPH religion curriculum called Enduring Faith. She wishes for the teacher's kit and enough books for each student. This classroom has been making do with an incomplete series with a copyright date of 2001.
Grant this wish and help provide an updated series with new ideas to teach the wonderful stories of the Bible and enough material for the children to take home to share with their families.
Leaping Into Literacy!
Angela Balice, Pre K 4
$1,659
Early exposure to rich literacy experiences helps children understand the world and people around them. Ms. Balice wishes for nothing more than to provide her pre K students with engaging literacy lessons that shape their futures. This is why she hopes you fulfill her dream of a Language and Literacy Instant Learning Cart from Lakeshore Learning. This center provides many amazing options for young learners to enhance their literacy skills and work together during center time.
Ms. Balice adds, "We are wanting to enhance our small group literacy experience, and this bundle truly would be what we would need to do that. I know my students love to work hands on, and I see many great opportunities with this bundle. Thank you for your consideration!"
50 Voices to Foster Diversity and Inclusion in Our Library
Meagan Mesirow, Social Work
$584.29
Books give students a window into what it is like to experience life in different ways. This is why Ms. Mesirow's dream is to add 50 books that feature authors and stories that celebrate diversity and send positive messages of belonging and acceptance to her students. Adding 50 new books, filled with stories that celebrate diverse voices and positive messages of acceptance to the library will enhance this classroom's learning of themselves and others.
Funding this dream will help Ms. Mesirow provide her students with the opportunity to learn from as many stories as they can and use the library to foster an atmosphere of acceptance and inclusion of everyone.
Kindergarten Science Curriculum
Karen Nelson, Kindergarten
Ms. Nelson truly looks forward to broadening her Kindergarteners' understanding of living things, our changing world and ways to protect our Earth. This is why she dreams of providing her students with a well-rounded science curriculum called Inspire Science. This curriculum is bright and engaging - perfect for the curious Kindergartener. It introduces little ones to topics such as the environment, plants and animals as well as direction and speed. This curriculum will benefit Kindergarteners as it reinforces concepts clearly and concisely.
Funding this dream will enhance Ms. Nelson's teaching skills and will provide her students with a solid science foundation. It may even INSPIRE a future scientist or two!
Dream Big in Dramatic Play
Lavell Ballard, Pre-Kindergarten
In Ms. Ballard's classroom, students often discuss their dreams for the future. One question that is often asked is, "If you could be anything in the world, what would you be?" However, Ms. Ballard wants to go beyond just discussion and wants to allow her students to become who they want to be in the classroom.
Funding her dream of a dramatic play area in a classroom will allow her to do so, and will give her students the opportunity to dramatize familiar stories and create their own. This PreK classroom is in need of clothes, food, and theme related materials such as doctor items, grocery store items, house products, puppets, and miscellaneous items such as a camera, sunglasses, and hair products.
If granted, the materials provided will enhance students' learning and give them multiple opportunities to play while gaining new skills!
Making Math Make Sense
Letica Bush, 5th Grade Math
Ms. Bush would love to be able to provide her students with various learning tools and resources to help her students grow in mathematics. The math tools she has highlighted in her dream give visual representations that help turn abstract mathematical concepts into concrete representations. The tool kits she wishes to supplement her instruction with include place value disks, centimeter cubes, and fraction tiles.
Ms. Bush believes that "Tool kits are perfect for skills practice, reinforcement learning, math learning centers and more. Portable tool kit provides year-round support for core math skills such as strategies, and fractions!"
Lovin' the Library
JoAn Markworth, Grades 2, 3, & 4
Good Shepherd Christian Academy
$1814.40
The students in Mrs. Markworth's class LOVE going to the library - they go every week! Her students have plenty of scheduled time for independent reading in the multi-grade classroom, so Mrs. Markworth tries her best to keep them supplied with new things to read. Unfortunately, Good Shepherd does not have a librarian, and it is quite the burden to check out books for students. As many books do not have a check out system, teachers must make a card for students to record their name and grade and the teacher is tasked with having to put a pocket in the book. The table of "checked in" books is piled quite full of books that need re-shelving.
To solve this matter, Mrs. Markworth's dream is to establish a Library Club, after upgrading the space with new furnishings, fresh paint and new chairs. The Library Club would learn to help with re-shelving books on a regular basis. Fulfilling this dream would help make our library a great place to be in and allow students to find good books to read! It would also mean making the library visits a little more fun for teachers, as well!
G.R.O.W.I.N.G. - Getting Responsible Outside with Intentional Nature Glorifying
Robin Rocans, Fourth and Fifth Grade
St. John's Lutheran School
$500
We would like our students to clean and beautify the school and church grounds. We plan on doing the cleaning part starting in Spring but would also like to beautify the grounds with plants and flowers. Our dream would allow us to purchase trash bags, cans, soil, plants, tools, mulch, gardening gloves and an outdoor storage box.
We have attached a photo of the larger items and their costs from Walmart. Any extra funds within our budget will be used for garbage bags, bags of topsoil and mulch as well as flowers.
This dream would help students grow in their responsibility by keeping the school grounds clean and attractive to church and school members as well as the community at large. It also strengthens their faith by caring and praying for God's creation, their academics by monitoring and measuring the growth and costs of plants, and their relationships with each other as we care for our church, school, and community together. In addition, we feel that this project would build a growth mindset for students as they develop patience caring for the plants over a period of time.
A Better Place
Lauren Whittington, 3yr Pre-K
Our Saviour Lutheran Preschool and Kindergarten
$1,719.46
We are all familiar with the adage, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." What bigger purpose do we have than to bring young, scholarly souls closer to God? Please help Ms. Whittington by funding her dream of having a more cleanly, organized, beautiful, safe space to provide her students with. She is currently dealing with poor, outdated storage equipment that undermines classroom productivity and sometimes even causes injuries to her and her students. With your investment, Ms. Whittington will be able to establish a much more efficient organizational system that will not only increase the amount of learning being done but maintain the safety of her students as well.
Ms. Whittington explains, "The current storage I have in my room is stained and quite old. The cabinet we have has also given a few of my kids and myself splinters. Currently, I have two separate storage shelves on one side and a very old cabinet on our classroom back wall. I would love this rolling storage unit to replace the current three I am using. The ability to close it to use as a table and to easily move it from my classroom when we empty out our classrooms would be so helpful to me."
Safe Clean and all In-between New Desks are our Dream
Ashley Strong, Preschool and Kindergarten
St. Paul Lutheran School (Austin)
As the world slowly readjusts to a new normal after such a treacherous pandemic, it has been difficult for schools and teachers to balance safety, closeness, and educating young children. Considering this, Ms. Strong wishes to purchase desks and chairs that will safely maximize the total capacity of students for each classroom. Choosing to fund this dream will allow this early childhood program to enroll more students, create a more organized environment, while still maintaining safety protocols.
Ms. Strong believes, "These desks will also allow children to have the proper sized work environments where they can engage in class. These desk and chair sets are specifically for this age group which will make writing, reading, and other class subjects easier for our students"
Please fund this dream and help Ms. Strong maximize space, maximize enrollment, and most importantly, maximize learning for her students!
All About Aesthetics: Our Learning Environment Matters!
Deana Spencer, Junior Kindergarten - JK,
$1,647
Classrooms and school hallways filled with colorful pictures, artwork and essays are visually appealing, but also serve an important purpose in the school community. Displaying student work is important for communicating with parents, fostering community and helping students feel valued. From bulletin boards to display cases, students feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when they see their work displayed.
Ms. Spencer would love to enhance the Holy Family building aesthetics by showcasing children's artwork, displaying real photography of the photography club throughout the building and having floor and cushion seating throughout the building, especially in the classroom.
Support this dream, and help students feel a sense of school culture and pride when they see carefully crafted displays in their learning spaces!
Take a Seat
Matt Runge, K-8 Physical Education
St. James Lutheran School
When it comes to high school athletics, there is an array of benefits for students who participate. Not only can it improve physical and emotional wellness, but there are also long-lasting skills such as teamwork and sportsmanship that develop for athletic students. Mr. Runge wants to ensure he is providing his student athletes with the best equipment possible so they can reap all of the benefits.
St. James is in the process of renovating the gym. Athletes currently use folding chairs as a bench. This dream would allow sports teams and the scorer's table volunteers to sit comfortably during the game in order to enhance the overall game experience.
Mr. Runge adds, "Having these chairs would provide our athletes with superior comfort during games, it would allow each athlete to feel a greater sense of school pride, and enhance the overall game experience."
Loving Literacy in the Saint Luke Library
Alison Pildner, Library
Saint Luke Academy
$1,106.45
Cultivating a love of reading and an appreciation of books is extremely important. Having a comfortable space for students to listen to stories can help keep young children engaged for longer. This is why Ms. Pildner has been working on making the Saint Luke's school library a fun and inviting place for the students. She has reorganized the books and created an online system for students to search for and borrow books each week.
She wishes to continue this work by adding a reading rug, as well as places to store big books and stickers for printing barcodes to make the check-out process easier and more efficient. A shelf for big books will allow teachers to more easily find stories that can be seen by all and a more efficient system for checking out books will encourage children to check out books to take home and read again and again.
Fund this dream and help Ms. Pildner to cultivate a love of reading in her students!
Mats for Matt
$980.70
St. James has the great privilege of hosting a lot of games and is beginning to host more tournaments. With so much traffic, Mr. Runge wants to ensure that the gym stays in tip top shape and that the players stay safe. This is why he is asking for logo floor mats to cover the entryway into the gym, so that during winter months less snow is tracked in.
According to Mr. Runge, "Our fans sit right next to the court. When they come in with wet shoes, the court get wet and causes a slipping hazard for the players. Having these mats located in the hallway and entryway to the gym will lessen the amount of snow/water that is tracked into the gym."
Grant this wish and provide St. James students with safety, school spirit, and overall pride in the school!
One Classroom Many Purposes
Paula Raabe, Math, Grades 4-8
Ms. Raabe values fostering a classroom where students can easily work independently, collaboratively, or in a whole group. However, her current furniture makes it difficult to provide these opportunities. This is why her wish is to upgrade her classroom furniture. She would like to have flexible seating to allow for individual work or group work, along with safe technology power/charging capabilities.
Ms. Raabe believes, "Having some versatile seating would help to make all of this work more smoothly. Additionally, we are continually challenged with electrical power spots for charging Chromebooks, laptops, ipads, and phones. The Power Tower has one cord, and numerous AC and USB ports. The trapezoidal desks, with storage racks, can be used individually or positioned around the Power Tower."
Fund this dream and give this classroom a much needed upgrade!
Storage of a Lifetime
Heather Gunter, Early Learning
Concordia Day on Milwaukee
$1,721.55
Educators today are expected to fill many different roles, which is why teaching can be a challenging profession. The key to success in the field is a teacher's ability to organize herself, her classroom, and her students. Anything that saves time and assists with organization for teachers is a great help and allows for more time spent delivering instruction. This is why Ms. Gunter is asking for her dream of having outdoor storage in their playlot.
Ms. Gunter explains, "Unfortunately, we do not own our playlot, so we have to bring our toys, blocks, books, and balls outside and remember to bring them back inside. To assist the teachers in getting toys out, we would like to purchase an outdoor storage cart."
Fulfill this dream and allow teachers to simply enjoy taking the children outside to play without a hassle!"
AaAHhh, so Fresh and so Clean, Clean
Renque Portillo, PreK
$550
Water joins and unites the mind and body. According to research, it aids kids and young adults with "a desire to make goals and have a purpose." At Lutheran Day Nursery, the pre-kindergarten classroom is the only room which has NO water fountain. Every time a child needs water, the entire lesson is interrupted, the teacher has to call someone in the office to let them know that a child needs water and water is then brought up from the kitchen.
Ms. Portillo's dream is to reduce these distractions and provide her students with an in-classroom water fountain to keep them healthy and hydrated! Having every child hydrated will keep their brains functioning, thinking, focusing, energized and increase attention span. In turn, it will help enhance and enrich the "whole" child's development.
Grant this dream and provide this pre-kindergarten class with a deluxe top-loading water dispenser that will benefit both the flow of the classroom and the health of the children!
Doodle the Stress Away
Antonette Lamberty, 3rd Grade
$1,819.51
Research shows that drawing and doodling can actually help students to relax, focus, and learn. As a result of the pandemic, many students have fallen behind socially, physically, and mentally, so providing students with relief and coping strategies needs to be a top priority for educators. This is why Ms. Lamberty's dream is to give the students of Saint Luke Academy a much needed stress release by providing them with supplies and resources like AMC Mouse and construction paper, to use for artistic expression.
Ms. Lamberty believes, "We need to bring more art into our world in a meaningful and fun way. It will help our children focus on the task at hand, through the exploration of art. These experiences will happen in our digital world through computer programs, as well as the physical world, with paper, foam, and other creative expressions."
Granting this dream will help Ms. Lamberty to give the students of Saint Luke Academy a much needed stress release!
Let Us Sing Unto The Lord
Katrina Jurica, PreK - 8th Music
$1,975
Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! (Psalm 95:1)
Ms. Jurica's dream is to give the students of St. John's Lutheran School even more songs to sing. With the purchase of enough hymnals for our 2nd-8th grade students to use daily, the music that they learn, full of scripture and truth, will live in their hearts even beyond their time at St. John's. As a part of Music class, students learn a new hymn each month. This hymn is sung during chapel every week. Having enough hymnals to put in the hands of these students would allow them to explore the Christian church's rich hymnody beyond their time in music class and in chapel.
Having access to these hymnals will enrich the students spiritually and emotionally, too. When going through times of trouble or sadness, they will be encouraged to find a favorite song in the hymnal. Using music for healing is powerful, which is exactly how God intended it.
Music, Music Everywhere!
Kelley Schau, K-8 Music and 3rd & 4th Homeroom
St. Philip Lutheran School
$1,899.97
Music education is an important aspect of providing children with a well-rounded education. When allowed to work in harmony with other subjects and areas of study, music helps children grow in self-esteem, build essential skills and prepare for bright futures. This is why Ms. Schau wants to enhance her music classroom for all grades, kindergarten through 8th grade, with ukuleles and drums. Having access to ukuleles and drums in her music classroom will allow students to put the music theory that they are learning to practice. It will increase their understanding of music and give them an opportunity to learn an instrument. The children will also use these instruments to give praise and glory to God through music in both the classroom environment and during church services.
Gift this dream and enhance an appreciation of music and encourage future musicians to follow their dreams!
Chute and Trikes - Out With the Old, In With the New
Donna Tennis, Preschool
$1,946.35
It has been ten years since St. Philip has purchased tricycles and parachutes for their students to use during play. Plainly put, it's time to let them go! Over the years, these items have succumbed to the wear and tear of daily use by preschool and school age children. Tricycle pedals fell off a long time ago and a low-rider seat was cracked and repaired with duct tape. The tricycles often go unused. Parachute handles are torn, and some are only held on by a thread. This is why it is Mrs. Tennis' dream of replacing some of the worn out items with four new tricycles and a new parachute.
Teachers incorporate parachute play not only during physical education classes and recess, but also music class. There are many benefits to parachute play. It encourages cooperation and taking turns. Kids learn how to follow directions and move rhythmically. Riding a tricycle also benefits children's growth and development in many ways.
Fulfillment of this dream would bring excitement and a desire to readily use the parachute and tricycles once again, and thus enhance their overall development!
Outdoor Learning Materials for Concordia Place Learners
Rachel Ozog, Social Work Intern
$1,862
Outdoor exploration opens the door for children to investigate nature and learn about science. Ms. Ozog wishes to provide this exploration for her students and wants to include materials that can be used for outdoor play for toddler and preschool children. Her dream is to provide materials such as large building blocks, a fossil exploration kit, a flower and bug math set, and a ramp exploration set in order to stimulate all areas of development for a variety of age groups. Funding this project will help children create new contexts for their learning, build social skills with their peers and caregivers, and promote physical health.
Grant this dream and allow the students of Concordia Place on Whipple to explore science and nature in age appropriate and engaging ways!
Activity Trackers: Health and Technology Education in the Classroom
Lawrence Bohl, Physical Education (PE), and After School program
Research suggests that children who experience regular physical activity during the academic day, not only perform better in the classroom, but are also happier to be in school. Unfortunately, with the growing demands of academic success on younger students, teachers often lack the time to provide new, engaging activities that motivate students and make movement fun! Mr. Bohl wishes to revolutionize physical activity so that students will be eager to participate in physical activity. His dream is to implement wearable technology coupled with exciting PE lessons, so that students perceive physical activity as a reward rather than a punishment or mundane task. By fulfilling Mr. Bohl's dream, he will be able to create a new era of PE, setting forth an overall healthier and happier environment for students to learn and grow!
"I was inspired for this project by a fellow physical education (PE) teacher from Naperville. He had spearheaded a research project and physical activity (PA) program to measure the effect of increasing PA on certain students. His findings showed that the students with increased PA had better grades, attitudes, and overall success in school (Ratey et al., 2021). I wanted to take his findings of increased student performance with increased PA and get students motivated to move with wearable technology."
Make this dream come true and help shape healthy hearts and happy minds!
Faith & Fitness
Trina Pongco, Multiple Grades
$1,985.61
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Ms. Pongco's Dream is to encourage students at St. Paul Austin to take care of their God given bodies. God has given us the beautiful gift of life in human bodies, and it is important that students learn the importance of keeping their bodies healthy. By granting this wish, Ms. Pongco will stress the importance of exercise, body movement, and health in the name of God.
By granting this wish, Ms. Pongco will stress the importance of exercise, body movement, and health in the name of God.
ACE!
$1,387.34
The members of the St. James community love to play volleyball. St. James currently has both a boys and girls team, a JV team that practices, an adult group that plays once a week and the school hosts a women's volleyball league for the Chicagoland area churches. The volleyball poles do not have protective mats around them, increasing the risk of an athlete running into the pole and injuring themselves. This is why Mr. Runge is asking that you fund his dream of new protective mats, new volleyballs, as well as a net antenna. A net antennae is an important tool in volleyball which gives volleyball players and referees a visual aid to judge whether or not a ball is in play or out of bounds as it travels over the net.
Funding this dream for Mr. Runge would provide the St. James with enjoyment, community gatherings, and would decrease the risk of injury for everyone who enters the gym!
Reverse, Reverse! Basketball Uniforms
$,1900
The St. James basketball program is expanding and the need for both home uniforms and away uniforms is rising. Having these uniforms would allow the student athletes the ability to have both a home and an away uniform in the convenience of one uniform! These new uniforms will give each athlete a greater sense of school pride, promote team spirit, and enhance the overall game experience.
As the saying goes, look good, feel good, play great! Funding this dream and help Mr. Runge's athletes do just that… look good, feel good, and play great!
Lutheran School League Track Meet Dream
John Franklin, 6-8 Math, Religion, PE, Health, Technology
Walther Christian Academy
$1,200
Any true sports coach wants his/her team to have the best athletic experience possible. This is the case for Mr. Franklin, whose dream is to provide the Walther Christian Academy Track and field athletes with a true track and field meet experience in 2023. This is why he is asking for the funds needed to supply an automatic timing system and an official starter for our annual track meet held in May.
Having an official automatic timing and track meet management system, along with a track official starter, would allow all athletes from our city Lutheran schools to participate in an organized and "official" track meet similar to the high school and the state track meets. It would also allow coaches to spend more time coaching and working with their athletes during the track meet instead of focusing on other areas.
Grant this dream and allow the entire track team to enjoy an official track meet day!
We Are Family
Jenna Micko, English
Middle school is always often a difficult time for children to socially navigate. Peer support, approval, and the feeling of belonging are very important to this age group. This is why Ms. Micko's wish is to implement a Big Brother/Big Sister program at Walther Christian Academy to build upon the close knit community that already exists. The Big Brother/Big Sister program pairs sixth through ninth grade students with an upper class student mentor. The peer mentor supports his/her younger mentee by helping him/her navigate those confusing middle school or new high school moments. In addition to creating time and space for weekly student check-ins, Ms. Micko plans on extending the peer interactions to activities outside of school, such as bowling, nature hikes, fishing, team building exercises, volunteering, attending plays, or even live sports events.
Ms. Micko adds, "I want our families and students to know that academics are important, but so is the social and emotional growth of each student. I want this to be a yearly club so if we receive the award of the dream money, it could help establish the club for the first year, and in the future, we can get funding through other means such as fundraising. I would love to start this at orientation. We have so many amazing 11th and 12th graders who can share their experience at Walther, and they can help with mentoring new students in a way that only peers can."
A Chance to Dance
Megan Swiderek, Fine Arts and Pre-K 4
$1,095.65
As part of the Fine Arts Program at Our Saviour we teach creative movement, ballet and tap dance. We currently dance on plywood which gives the children splinters and doesn't provide enough space for all of the dancers. I would love to get my dancers a real dance floor, that is safer and larger for them to learn to dance on.
Dancing is a skill that pretty much everyone has wished they could say they were good at, so why not help those who wish to take that wish and make it their reality? With your donation, Ms. Swiderek will be able to transform her worn down dance floor into a state-of-the-art studio! Help Ms. Swiderek rebuild her dance floor so that one day she may nurture the next Josephine Baker or Michael Jackson!
Social/Emotional Learning and Sensory Materials
Amber Roberts, Assistant Director
$1,042
Social emotional learning is one of the most important aspects of development in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Social/emotional development allows children to better participate in educational activities, play, and have interactions with their peers and caregivers. It can be difficult for young children to learn to regulate their emotions and express them safely. This is why Ms. Roberts is asking for materials that will assist children in learning more about their emotions and how to have healthy interactions with their peers and caregivers.
According to Ms. Roberts, "Play is the best way to introduce new concepts to children and facilitate learning. These interactive toys and stories are a great way for educators to assist children in identifying concepts such as confidence, how to be helpful, and what their emotions mean. "
Granting this dream will provide Concordia Place on Whipple with materials that will aid in this learning and help teachers have more success with classroom management.
Full STEAM Ahead
Bonnie Draeger, Kindergarten/First Grade
$677.89
"But, why? But WHY?" asked EVERY child ever! Now, you can help Ms. Draegar support her students in finding the answers to the questions they seek! By funding this request for the STEAM app, you will allow this amazing science teacher to foster a scientifically engaged classroom of young, critical thinkers. This app combines scientific education and the fun, and hands-on use of technology to educate children on the importance of science.
According to Ms. Draeger, "This dream includes many items from a variety of areas of science and is hands-on. We will study and explore the human body, health, and nutrition. We will also perform real field experiments on a nature walk, and discover the habitats of many animals, particularly some of their favorites. Also included in this dream is the scientific investigation of magnetism and, in another area of study, how different surfaces affect motion."
So now...you ask, BUT WHY? BUT WHY? Because funding this dream will allow students to keep asking this important question while bringing the study of science to life!
Build Your Own Adventure!
Jill Certosimo, Preschool
Concordia Place on Seeley
$1,988.55
Certainly we all remember the seemingly infinite fun we had using our wildest imaginations to create wacky structures with Legos! Now, imagine bringing that amount of fun into the classroom! Ms. Certosimo's dream is to enhance learning by adding more STEM materials to the classroom so that her students can work hard through play. Adding these STEM lego sets will help increase student's understanding of STEM concepts through hands-on learning.
Additionally, these Lego sets will help build creativity and imagination and support SEL concepts. These materials will help support social emotional development and growth, as the materials are designed to be used in small groups. This will promote sharing and group cooperation. The use of Legos in small groups will also help develop community and will allow students to find value in considering the opinions, contributions and ideas of others. These are important life skills that need to be fostered early.
Supporting this dream will help Ms. Certosimo to build a classroom where the possibilities are endless.
STEM Materials for Concordia Place Students
Estafania Ornelas, Home Visitor
Preschool age children love learning about science, math, and other STEM topics. Preschool is the time that children build the foundations of these subjects that will follow them through the rest of their education. Manipulatives like gears, magnets, and ramps expose students to new ideas and allow them to learn through play. This is why Ms. Ornelas is asking for these materials in order to enhance STEM learning in classrooms.
Additionally, Concordia Place is dedicated to providing a rich and equitable learning experience to all children that walk through the doors. STEM concepts can be difficult to teach without hands-on materials that children can engage with. Funding this project will allow our teachers to give all of their kiddos a chance to explore new topics and ideas!
Missing What Fits
$270
It has been proven, both in research and personal experiences, that the use of puzzles during the years of early childhood is of great benefit to students that will carry on and build from for years to come. Ms. Portillo would like to continue building a strong foundation for her students, which is why she is asking that she receive her dream of replacing her old puzzle sets with new ones. Ms. Portillo's puzzles are old and worn down and many of them are missing pieces, so the young ones are not able to benefit from completing them as they should be.
Ms. Portillo adds, "Fulfillment of this Dream enhances the quality in our classroom in the most meaningful manner and that is the development of the "whole" child. It provides cognitive, language, social-emotional, motor skills and creativity development."
Support this dream and give this preK classroom the missing pieces!
Mad about Early Math and Science!
Laura Gonzales, Preschool
$1,292.30
Ms. Gonzales wants nothing more than to peak the interests of her students and lead them to new discoveries! She simply needs some new materials that will allow her to do so. Hence, her dream is to update her math and science learning centers with new materials that will support fun and learning!
According to Ms. Gonzales, "The fulfillment of this dream will enhance our children's learning in science and math. They will be able to measure, weigh, sort, and group with their new materials. They will also be able to investigate, observe, compare, and predict!"
Fuel this dream and inspire future scientists and engineers!
Building our Imagination with Loose Parts in Construction
Brittani Mosinski, Junior Kindergarten
$875
Building and creating is a pillar of Early Childhood Education. When a child is in a construction center it may look like she/he is just building a tower but there is so much more happening. Children are building imagination, self-expression, problem solving skills, mathematics, creativity, social skills, and self esteem. Ms. Mosinski wants to enrich and enhance the construction area in the classroom by incorporating loose parts, ramps, chutes, and arches. These items will help students challenge themselves while building and help create new play opportunities.
Loose parts are open-ended materials such as blocks, ramps, sheets, pipes, log rounds, cups, and rocks that children can adapt, move, design and transform in many different ways. They can be moved, combined, redesigned, lined up, taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. Adding these pieces to the program would give students more open ended play time, allowing students to stretch and push the limits of what they can build.
Provide Ms. Mosinski's dream, and help create an environment where students can challenge each other to build and grow!
Podcasting the Kids' Way
Joseph Doss, After School 6-12 year olds
$1,450
Mr. Doss' dream for his after school students is to upgrade their podcasting equipment. Podcasting is a recording of an audio discussion on a specific topic that others can listen to and also be participants involved in creating it. The equipment his class presently has is limiting the student's ability to truly flourish due to poor sound quality and having 3 students to share 1 microphone. New equipment is needed to produce a better podcasting experience for the students.
Mr. Doss explains, "When my class began podcasting in our program, it positively shifted our environment and atmosphere. Podcasting empowered my students in a way where they were able to express their ideas and connect with the world around them. It gave them opportunities to interview each other, and they learned how to take real life scenarios and voice their opinions."
Grant Mr. Doss' dream and help his students provide information in a fun and engaging way!
Charging Up Chapel
Don Shanahan, K-8 Technology
$555.84
Chapel is an all-school event that unites the Holy family community and serves as a weekly recharge for building morale across both students and teachers. Despite current times having made it difficult to be in person, Holy Family has been striving to get close to the same energy and experience remotely. Having a better quality live stream would do wonders for student engagement and refining the shared good word and messages that Pastor Hunter presents. By also broadcasting our Chapel services via social media on Facebook and YouTube, Holy Family can multiply their audience reach, religious impact, and communication connections.
These new technology components will reside at the A/V table atop the bleachers in the gym, and will also be used for other school programs and assemblies. Just like Chapel, Holy Family has begun to live broadcast the holiday programs and end-of-year graduation ceremonies. These upgrades will greatly improve those school-wide events and gatherings as well. Yet, it all starts with that core that is Chapel!
The Right Tech To Teach
William Methling, 5-6/ ELA & Social Studies
Technology can facilitate communication and collaboration between students and their teacher. Students who develop a strong familiarity with technology in the classroom are better-equipped to remain proficient users of new technologies throughout their lives. This is why schools often focus on technology upgrades for students. However, upgrading computers for teachers should not be sacrificed, as teachers need to be on the same page and should be able to enhance student learning from their end: lessons, video projects, educational and social-emotional games are so much easier and engaging when the technology on the teacher's end is up and ready to go.
This is why Mr. Methling is asking that you support his dream of receiving a new laptop. He explains, "It all comes down to functionality and general ease in teaching lessons in a way that is engaging and motivating. Literally everyone in the school will benefit as I often make presentations and videos for the school. I have a great goal of editing class videos, creating podcasts and presenting lessons in the most engaging way possible."
Support this dream and provide this up and coming technology superstar teacher at Holy Family, with a work laptop that can handle all of the programs he likes to use with his students, while functioning at a high speed!
Tiny Toes Music
Illa Doss, Preschool
Through a partnership with CLEF and the Zion Lutheran Early Childhood Education Center, Lutheran Day students participate in the Tiny Toes Music Program. The school dreams of continuing the program, which incorporates dancing, singing, musical instruments and a lot of laughter into students' lives.
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