by Jennifer Johnston
1st grade Teacher
The Orcas Island Elementary School first graders and their families would like to give a big “Thank You” to Robert Gates and his family for their generous donation this school year and every year. Robert Gates was the Secretary of Defense during both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama presidencies. He retired to Orcas Island, and he and his family have been consistently giving to our schools for many years. The donations to the district have consisted of, but are not limited to, science materials, art supplies, flexible seating options, enrichment opportunities and cultural experiences. The first graders have been happy recipients of the Gates family’s generosity. For instance, they have been lucky enough to receive several iPads over the last few years. The first graders and their families would like to share a little about how this donation has improved their learning experience.
First graders
Evie Dennis explains, “During Outdoor Ed days, at Moran State Park and Westcott Farm, we take a couple of the iPads with us and use them to take photos of what we see. We have learned that we can’t leave a trace, and can’t take things we find home, but we can take pictures of things. When we get back to class we sometimes share and write about the pictures we took.”
Alejandro Villa told one of our classroom aides in Spanish, “A veces fotografiamos insectos, plantas o incluso ranas que encontramos. Luego intentamos identificarlos.” (“Sometimes we take photos of bugs or plants or even frogs we find. Then we try to identify them.”) Then he added in English, “One time we found a dead snake, too!”
Aiden Parkerson says, “We get to use SeeSaw on the iPads to show our parents what we’re learning in school. I can take a photo and record my voice, or make a video. We do this a lot. Mrs. Johnston says it’s to keep our parents in the loop. My favorite one was drawing and talking about the Apollo moon landing.”
Max Frix adds, “I learned how to read this year, and each time I finished a new book, I got to use Seesaw on the iPad to send a video of my reading to my mom and dad so they could hear it. They would make a big deal about it.”
Footnote: SeeSaw is a secure digital portfolio for elementary students (PreK-6) that connects teachers, students and families. It has drawing, recording, video and interactive tools for communicating their learning. The text is sent to parents in their home language. Each student has a private family collection of posts to cherish for a lifetime.
Parents
Dear Gates Foundation,
We, the parents of Mrs. Johnston’s first-grade class at Orcas Island Elementary, wanted to send a massive thank you for the generous donation of the iPads, for which our children were the recipients! Seriously, this has been such an amazing gift for us as parents. Let us tell you why.
One of the coolest things for us as parents is how much more we get to see what our little ones are actually learning. It’s like we get a sneak peek into their school day!
Remember when we all learned about volcanoes? The excitement when the vinegar meets the baking soda! We got to be a part of that moment with these super sweet videos as they created their own eruptions. We got to experience the excitement as their little villages either got washed away or not. We could hear all the kids cheering for each other with pure childish enthusiasm.
Then there were the drawings of the solar system – hearing them proudly describe each planet they drew and all the facts they had learned about each one was just the best.
Honestly, hearing them read stories out loud, which we have heard about them working on in class, but then to hear it on the iPads? It’s so sweet to be able to really hear how much they’re improving, not just at home but in the classroom, too.
We wouldn’t normally get to experience these little victories, and it’s all thanks to you.
It’s really special how these iPads connect us to what our kids are doing in the classroom. Getting to actually hear them explain things they’ve learned – things we wouldn’t have seen or heard otherwise – is just incredible.
So, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for this truly wonderful gift. You’re making a real difference in our kids’ education and in how we get to be a part of it. We’re so grateful for your generosity!
With all the thanks,
Parents of Mrs. Johnston’s First Grade Class
Orcas Island Elementary
