{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Fall Creek Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":17.2,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":4249301,"projectId":9571214,"letterContent":"Fall Creek kids and teachers are loving our beautifully crafted new puppets and puppet theaters! I thought the Pre-K and Kindergarten students would be the most excited to interact with the puppets but it turns out the older kids are having a ball making up stories and explaining concepts through the puppets too!\r\nWe have been using the puppets in many different ways. In Pre- K and Kindergarten the puppet theater is a center for students to retell stories they have heard. In first and second and third grade students are using the puppets to create their own stories and in fourth and fifth grade, students are using the puppets in the content areas to explain strategies and new concepts.\r\nThe puppets also give a voice to students who are nervous about speaking in front of people. Engaging people through a puppet's voice is a great alternative. Puppets also draw in students who are having a difficult day- they cuddle with the puppets and talk using the puppets to express their feelings.\r\nThank you so much for your donation. Children and adults are drawn to the puppets and we keep finding new ways to bring them into our curriculum. We will use these puppets for years and stimulate creative thinking!","fullyFundedDate":1758820092852,"projectUrl":"project/puppets-promote-language-and-creativity/9571214/","projectTitle":"Puppets Promote Language and Creativity!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gilroy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4249301_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1485800049157","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4249301"},{"teacherId":4249301,"projectId":9299778,"letterContent":"In the library we have a Maker-Space that encourages creativity and imagination. We learn together to build and sew and tackle STEM challenges. Many of the children over the years have asked if they could learn to cook, and with your donations of cooking utensils and tools we have made it happen!\r\nStudents were so excited to start cooking and when we opened the boxes of materials they were delighted. So many students signed up for cooking in the Maker-Space that we have to do a rotating schedule with the classes.\r\nI teach about cleanliness and safety when we cook and we have watched videos and had demonstrations of proper ways to use each cooking utensil. We meet up at the end of our cooking class to talk about what went well and what we need to improve and of course to enjoy our delicious food. So far this year we have made applesauce, banana-strawberry smoothies, scallion pancakes and guacamole. Students have made a giant list of things they want to cook and recipes they would like to create. This class that you made possible has given our population of English language learners, kids with disabilities and kids who are feeling left out, a place where they can feel useful and part of a community. We all love to eat!\r\nThank you for helping us create a space for all kids to shine!","fullyFundedDate":1749385003215,"projectUrl":"project/maker-space-cooks/9299778/","projectTitle":"Maker-Space Cooks!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gilroy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4249301_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1485800049157","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4249301"},{"teacherId":9907128,"projectId":9189078,"letterContent":"Our class has been hard at work in the garden, using the new dirt, shovels, and gloves to grow our own vegetables. One highlight was watching the students dig into the soil with enthusiasm, planting lettuce, strawberries, and kale. It became a collaborative effort—students worked together as a team to care for the plants, water them daily, and observe their growth. The garden has become not only a science lesson, but a hands-on experience in responsibility and teamwork.\r\nThe moment the materials arrived was filled with excitement. The students' eyes lit up when they saw the large bags of dirt—some of them even asked, \"How are we going to carry all of this?\" But instead of being overwhelmed, they quickly formed teams and figured out how to carry everything to the garden bed together. It was a great moment of problem-solving and cooperation.\r\nRight now, the students are eagerly watching their lettuce grow. They've already made plans to harvest it and create a class salad once it's ready. It's a fun and healthy goal that ties together science, nutrition, and the reward of patience and care.","fullyFundedDate":1744329283953,"projectUrl":"project/gardening-with-first-grade/9189078/","projectTitle":"Gardening With First-grade","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Clark","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9907128_orig.jpg?crop=300,300,x475,y1064&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1741896684260","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9907128"},{"teacherId":9907128,"projectId":9288572,"letterContent":"Our class has been hard at work in the garden, using the new dirt, shovels, and gloves to grow our own vegetables. One highlight was watching the students dig into the soil with enthusiasm, planting lettuce, strawberries, and kale. It became a collaborative effort—students worked together as a team to care for the plants, water them daily, and observe their growth. The garden has become not only a science lesson, but a hands-on experience in responsibility and teamwork.\r\nThe moment the materials arrived was filled with excitement. The students' eyes lit up when they saw the large bags of dirt—some of them even asked, \"How are we going to carry all of this?\" But instead of being overwhelmed, they quickly formed teams and figured out how to carry everything to the garden bed together. It was a great moment of problem-solving and cooperation.\r\nRight now, the students are eagerly watching their lettuce grow. They've already made plans to harvest it and create a class salad once it's ready. It's a fun and healthy goal that ties together science, nutrition, and the reward of patience and care.","fullyFundedDate":1745793454401,"projectUrl":"project/gardening-with-first-grade/9288572/","projectTitle":"Gardening With First Grade","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Clark","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9907128_orig.jpg?crop=300,300,x475,y1064&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1741896684260","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9907128"},{"teacherId":9908033,"projectId":9080688,"letterContent":"Since the creation of the Clay Station, the space has received so much love from the children. The Clay Station is a hub for all things tactile. I have several students who are sensory seekers, and the Clay Station is their absolute favorite place to be! Beyond that, I have been able to share my love for pottery with the children, teaching them basic techniques, such as how to make a pinch pot, and how to effectively use clay tools. All children have learned quite a lot about clay - how it's made, how we work it, and how to store it! We actually have a Clay Museum in the class, where children can display their clay works.\r\nClay is not something that is experienced in most first grade classrooms. Perhaps, they may be introduced to it in art class sometime, but it is another experience altogether to have a place, in the room, where they can create and recreate through clay. \r\nI teach in an inclusive classroom, and there are children who have gone through significant trauma. I find that the clay station has been a place where children can take out frustrations, pinch, mold, and create to relieve stress. One child, in particular, is identifying strongly as an artist, and finds the clay station to be his peaceful place. I am so grateful that you took a chance to help us fund this project. It certainly has made a f difference in our classroom, and I","fullyFundedDate":1738847251332,"projectUrl":"project/first-grade-clay-station-for-big-emotion/9080688/","projectTitle":"First Grade Clay Station for Big Emotions","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Jessica","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9908033_orig.jpg?crop=1512,1512,x0,y252&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1737819557476","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9908033"},{"teacherId":9830759,"projectId":8951123,"letterContent":"I would like to take this opportunity, to thank each and every one of you for your donations to this ongoing Kindergarten project. Many of the purchased items from the grant, are used daily within the learning space, during many different academic exploration times and during choice time. The ultimate focus of this project, was enhancing engagment levels within hands on academics and doing so through play. All of the materias continue to be big hits. What is extra amazing about this project, is that all different types of learning styles and levels are easily able to be acsessed through the materials. Some of the materials also help support the inclusive practices that we value within our district. As an educator who recently moved grade levels this year, I have enjoyed the journey to finding the love of learning and endless possibilities that can take place through purposful play with simple materials. These basic materials, such as sand, Pluffle, Kinetic sand, LED boards, allow for student led creativity and project based learning. There is such a genuine appreciation on my part, for each donor, because each classroom is only provided with a yearly budget of a few hundred dollars. This budget is used mostly for basic supplies and snacks for the class.","fullyFundedDate":1737473624163,"projectUrl":"project/kindergarten-magic-learning-academics-t/8951123/","projectTitle":"Kindergarten Magic: Learning Academics Through the Joy of Guided Play","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Hart","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9830759"},{"teacherId":9907128,"projectId":9079635,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your contributions to help my classroom. These lamps have already begun to make an impact on my students. The calm energy of the room has made a huge difference in behaviors and classroom community. \r\nMy students with behaviors have excelled in using this room as a calm down space rather than leaving the room. My students with anxiety have appeared less anxious and nervous. My students with special needs are able to focus more. \r\nThank you all so much for your donations they have been so impactful!","fullyFundedDate":1741908473366,"projectUrl":"project/lamps-for-learning/9079635/","projectTitle":"Lamps for Learning!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Clark","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9907128_orig.jpg?crop=300,300,x475,y1064&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1741896684260","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9907128"},{"teacherId":4249301,"projectId":8881702,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for funding my project for lightning and genre bins for the library. Students have been so pleased with the new lighting. They have said now the library is cozy and others have said it just makes them feel like reading! The genre bins have made student book selection more independent. Now students can look at the bins labeled with Adventure or Funny or Magical and can find just the right book all by themselves!\r\nStudents always notice new additions to the library and all the new lamps and genre bins were no exception. Students, teachers and families have commented positively on how calm and restful and well organized the library is with softer lighting and new organization for particular genres of books.\r\nThanks again for your generosity!","fullyFundedDate":1730488745601,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-friendly-in-the-library/8881702/","projectTitle":"Sensory Friendly in the Library","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gilroy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4249301_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1485800049157","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4249301"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_22729","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":217,"numTeachers":17,"percentFrplEligible":65,"percentAsian":4,"percentBlack":5,"percentWhite":62,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":13,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"12.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_SMALL"},"inStateSupporters":82.8,"schoolId":22729,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Fall Creek Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Fall Creek Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/new-york/ithaca-city-school-district/fall-creek-elementary-school/22729"}