Google makes dreams come true for six Parkwood teachers

A major donation from Google fulfilled 388 classroom requests for 295 teachers in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties - including six at Parkwood Elementary in Shoreline.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced Monday that Google had fully funded the classroom requests of every teacher in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties on the education crowdfunding site DonorsChoose.org.

As a result of Google’s $338,000 donation, 295 teachers will receive materials for over 36,000 students – ranging from paper, pencils, and books to laptops, musical instruments, and microscopes.

“There’s no better way to start off the school year than with this surprise funding for our local teachers. This generous donation to our classrooms is greatly appreciated,” said Mayor Murray, who made the surprise announcement in front of teachers at Highland Park Elementary School in Seattle.

On DonorsChoose.org, teachers post projects requesting materials they need for their classrooms, and donors support the projects that inspire them.

These projects were funded at Parkwood (which was the only Shoreline school on the site):

Parkwood Elementary – Mrs. Okazaki

Classroom In The Woods- Learning Science Through Experience

We teach 60 sixth grade students who come from a variety of economic levels and diverse cultural backgrounds. Twenty of our students speak a language other than English at home and 38% of our students receive free or reduced price lunch. 

Many of our students don't have the opportunity to go to the zoo, beach, camping or other outdoor experiences. Outdoor School is often their first time in a natural environment with trees, animals and sleeping away from home. The 6th grade Outdoor Camp is a memorable time for students who otherwise would not have these experiences.

 

At Camp Seymour students are given the opportunity to learn in a natural environment about themselves, the natural world and how each impacts the other. 

Request: My students need Outdoor Education scholarships for YMCA Camp Seymour due to being homeless and/or financial hardship.

Parkwood Elementary – Mrs. Serra

Sleeping Bags Needed For Science Camp! 

Our 6th graders always tell me that their favorite memory about the year was their time at camp. We spend three amazing days and two fabulous nights learning about the environment at YMCA camp in Washington. 

The students and their families often struggle to pay the tuition of camp. We often have to fundraise and ask for donations to cover these costs. I am asking for this grant so that I may offer these same students some help with supplies. 

Request: My students need 10 sleeping bags to go to their outdoor environmental education camp this fall.

Parkwood Elementary - Mrs. Overa

Request: Video camera and digital camera

The students are in Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. Our program serves students who are identified as having moderate to severe disabilities. 

We would love to have a flip camera and digital camera for two reasons. First, we have many therapists that collaborate with our students, staff and families. By creating and sharing videos and pictures, we can continue to strengthen our home to school communication systems by sending videos and pictures showing their student standing, walking, eating, speaking, working on an academic activity and so much more. 

Second, we would love to be able to create and share videos and pictures for families to see how hard their student is working to achieve their goals. From a single word or step to painting a picture, they can see their student hard at work! 

The digital camera and video camera will help our staff see how students are doing in therapy and ensure consistency. By sharing with families, we can continue the strong wraparound services we provide as a home to school team. 

Students will be able to share their daily activities and big accomplishments with their families. This can also serve as a communication prompt. Families have mentioned that they love knowing what is going on and would love to see their students' at work at school! 

Parkwood Elementary – Mrs. Ousley

Request: 41 books

Reading is the door that opens our lives to learning. I desire to help my students find the love of reading for their now and their future. 

I teach a wonderful, multicultural group of fifth graders. They are a well-behaved and energetic group who truly want to learn. Their parents are involved and want their children to learn as much as possible. My school is supportive of the teachers and families, though there isn't much funding for extra materials for the classroom. 

My students need 35 copies of The City of Ember, and two each of the second, third and fourth Books, The People of Sparks, The Diamond of Darkhold and the Prophet of Yonwood, all engaging novels to improve depth of story, character, and setting development. 

I have found a fantastic common core curriculum guide that uses novels to teach reading to students. One of the units uses the book The City of Ember which is a novel I love and have been interested in using with my class. 

I have requested through Donors Choose a class set of this novel along with the three books in the series as follow up independent reading. We would use these books during our reading and writing lessons to develop understanding of theme, along with developing characterization, vocabulary, point of view, and the genre of science fiction. 

Parkwood Elementary – Mrs. Newhouse

Request: 7 LEGOS sets and baseplates

I am the ELL (English Language Learners) teacher at a Title 1 elementary school that proudly boasts students from over 30 language backgrounds. I want 100% of them to be engaged in meaningful learning that prepares them for college and career 100% of the time. 

If you have ever wanted to travel the world, without all the cost or time in an airplane, simply come to work with me one day! There are 116 ELL students at our elementary school and they contain a very large variety of students. Some are refugees, others were born here, others have more complicated stories but all are kids who deserve the best education I can give them. Honestly, our school is a beautiful mix of cultures, and because our teachers work together so well; the students do, too. 

LEGO provides a unique building system that encourages children to give form, or expression, to their wildest ideas in the most rigorous ways (hard fun)!  

Parkwood Elementary – Mrs. Baird

My students need a carpet, Peg Number Boards, Magnetic Ten Frames, Hear Yourself Headphones, and other hands-on learning supplies. 

My students are all well below grade level. They are divided into two main groups: lower functioning and non-verbal with lower fine motor skills and higher functioning with higher fine motor and reasonable communication skills. 

I'm looking for materials to provide hands on learning that is higher interest and age appropriate. The classroom is 4th 5th and 6th grade. 

My students need a carpet, Peg Number Boards, Magnetic Ten Frames, Hear Yourself Headphones, and other hands-on learning supplies. I'm very inventive and create a lot of materials myself but often the materials needed for this kind of classroom need to be durable for heavier use. I have chosen mostly reading and math materials. The reading materials promote listening and verbal production abilities. The math materials will help both groups develop basic to more complex skills. 

I will use the carpet to establish a reading center. I also wanted something the students could use to relax with but also use as a learning tool. 

The donations for this project will make a big difference for my classroom. I am blessed with wonderful staff who are there 100% for my students but, without the necessary tools to meet their unique needs, we are limited in our ability to fully reach the children. Your contribution will put in capable hands, materials that will be used daily to help kids with self-help, social and vocational skills which will enhance their lives and the lives of their families. 

“We know how important it is for teachers to have the right tools for their work,” said Darcy Nothnagle, public affairs and government relations manager of Google’s Western Region. “We hope that by funding these requests, teachers in our area can create the best opportunities for their students.”

Over the past few months, Google has announced similar “flash funding” campaigns in San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Austin, Kansas City, and Los Angeles.

In addition to their project funding initiatives, Google has also supported several DonorsChoose.org programs over the years, including a $5 Million AP STEM Access program, which launched over 500 new AP STEM courses at high poverty schools nationwide.

Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org makes it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need. At this nonprofit website, teachers at half of all the public schools in America have created project requests, and more than a million people have donated $260 million to projects that inspire them. All told, 12 million students— most from low-income communities, and many in disaster-stricken areas— have received books, art supplies, field trips, technology, and other resources that they need to learn.