{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Gaffney Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":37.7,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10349241,"projectId":9892973,"letterContent":"We are writing to express our heartfelt gratitude for your thoughtful donation of colored construction paper to our classroom. Your generosity has made an immediate and meaningful impact on our students' learning experience. We have already begun using these vibrant materials in our clothing unit, where students engaged in a clothesline craft project. Through cutting and pasting various clothing designs, our students not only developed fine motor skills but also created beautiful artwork that they proudly displayed and took home to share with their families—keepsakes they will treasure for years to come.\r\n\r\nWhat has been particularly remarkable is how our students responded to the bright, vivid colors you provided. For our learners, who are primarily on the autism spectrum, this sensory engagement has been genuinely transformative. The variety of colors sparked enthusiasm and motivation that we don't always see in our classroom activities. This kind of engagement is invaluable as we work to foster our students' participation and investment in different learning tasks and creative endeavors.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward this month, we are excited to build upon this momentum. Our students are now studying shoes, and thanks to your donation, they will be able to design and create their own unique shoe artwork using the construction paper you so generously provided. We cannot thank you enough for supporting our students' creativity, confidence, and growth. Your contribution truly makes a difference in our classroom every single day.","fullyFundedDate":1764632158442,"projectUrl":"project/extra-extra-paper-is-needed/9892973/","projectTitle":"Extra, Extra- Paper is Needed!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Merlini","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10349241"},{"teacherId":6212221,"projectId":9819433,"letterContent":"I can not begin to thank you enough for your generosity! These toys have helped my students stay engaged during their speech therapy sessions, and have given them meaningful reasons to practice communicating! The light up toys are always a hit, but unfortunately break relatively quickly, so having a few on hand has been very helpful. Some of the simpler cause and effect toys, like the Ferris wheel toy, have captured the attention of some of my students who are not generally interested in toys, and have lead to increased independence when learning to request. By far the most popular toy has been the numbered barns with finger puppets inside, at least half of my caseload (and probably more) love this toy, and have demonstrated so many different skills while playing with it, including requesting, commenting, imitating animal sounds, demonstrating joint attention and imitating motor actions like putting the finger puppets on their fingers! Thank you again for your generous donations, I hope you know how much of a positive impact you have on the students I work with!!","fullyFundedDate":1761327907900,"projectUrl":"project/building-communication-through-cause-e/9819433/","projectTitle":"Building Communication Through Cause & Effect Play","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Russo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6212221_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1693999909008","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6212221"},{"teacherId":6212221,"projectId":9743070,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, I have been able to make low tech AAC systems that are already making a daily impact. The high-quality binders, secure-flap page protectors, and lanyards have allowed us to build durable, low-tech AAC binders that students can carry confidently and independently throughout their school day.\r\n\r\nMany students now have a personalized communication binder with core words, choice boards, and topic-specific vocabulary. Because the page protectors close securely at the edge, we don't have to worry about picture symbols slipping out, getting bent, or getting lost—a problem we frequently ran into with traditional protectors.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nNow that our AAC binders are reliable and portable, we're expanding how students use them across environments. Some next steps include:\r\n\r\nPracticing communication during walks around the school (gym, hall, playground, etc).\r\n\r\nAdding new vocabulary pages related to upcoming curriculum units.\r\n\r\nTeaching students how to independently maintain their binders—turning pages, finding categories, and using the lanyard system safely.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, our students have tools that honor their voices and empower them to express themselves more confidently. Thank you for helping us build communication systems that will grow with them all year long.","fullyFundedDate":1758838816381,"projectUrl":"project/toys-and-page-protectors/9743070/","projectTitle":"Toys and Page Protectors","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Russo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6212221_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1693999909008","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6212221"},{"teacherId":10096475,"projectId":9505438,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation, my students have loved having materials available to them without worry! We have been using the headphones and bean bag chair daily! Everyday my students come to class excited to use their devices so they can have \"colorful headphones\"! We have been using the whiteboards for graphic practice; this allows each student to have their own board to enhance their handwriting skills. \r\nWe have been using the paper for monthly self portraits and the glue for a variety of art activities that the students absolutely love!!\r\nYour kindness has not only impacted my current students, but also my future students. Some of these materials will last us for years and I'm so happy to be able to allow my students to have these amazing learning opportunities thanks to you! Words cannot express my gratitude enough. You are both amazing people. I hope you understand how much of a difference you have made in the lives of some very deserving 4 and 5 years olds. Thank you again!!","fullyFundedDate":1758858926726,"projectUrl":"project/white-boards-and-glue-sticks-and-head/9505438/","projectTitle":"White Boards, and Glue Sticks, and Head Phones, Oh My!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bisson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10096475_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753795457941","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10096475"},{"teacherId":7155504,"projectId":9485524,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations to my classroom. Having these basic supplies available day one allowed my students to start the year off making art immediately. \r\n\r\nRecent budget cuts have made it difficult to provide my students with high quality materials. This donation of paper and crayons sets my students up with a great supply of basic supplies. With over 400 students we go through a huge amount of drawing paper each year. This donation allows my students to be creative risk takers without fear.","fullyFundedDate":1754619438107,"projectUrl":"project/crayons-paper-back-to-basics/9485524/","projectTitle":"Crayons & Paper: Back to Basics","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Flynn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7155504_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1696471527809","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7155504"},{"teacherId":7155504,"projectId":9565725,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations. These materials helped my students to experience something that was collaborative and helped bring them together as a whole school community. This paper was above and beyond the basics that we usually have to work with in the classroom and helped the students get creative with color choices and patterns. All of the students in the school were able to use these materials and were successful in creating a part of our mural. Students, staff and family members were really blow away by the final result. Thank you for helping to create this!","fullyFundedDate":1755738640560,"projectUrl":"project/bright-and-bold/9565725/","projectTitle":"Bright and Bold","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Flynn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7155504_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1696471527809","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7155504"},{"teacherId":6212221,"projectId":9192965,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of my project! Because of you, our speech therapy sessions have become even more engaging, meaningful, and full of joy for my preschoolers with autism. The new toys have already made such a big difference in how my students connect, communicate, and grow.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials arrived, the excitement in the room was contagious. One of my students, who usually hesitates to participate, couldn't wait to take a turn with the brand-new jack-in-the-box. These toys may seem simple, but they are powerful tools—motivating my kids to request, comment, take turns, and share in ways that build their emerging communication skills. Every squeal of delight or request for \"more\" is a small but important step forward.\r\n\r\nAs we continue our work this year, I'm using these new toys to build lessons around core words, joint attention, and social interaction. Because we now have a wider variety of highly engaging materials, I can better match toys to each child's unique interests—which helps spark even more communication during our sessions. Your support has truly brought more than just materials into our classroom—you've brought joy, connection, and growth. Thank you for believing in my students and giving them the tools they need to find their voices.","fullyFundedDate":1744211245084,"projectUrl":"project/toys-to-help-preschoolers-learn-to-commu/9192965/","projectTitle":"Toys to Help Preschoolers Learn to Communciate!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Russo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6212221_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1693999909008","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6212221"},{"teacherId":1639431,"projectId":7048548,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation of copy paper to our elementary classrooms! Your support has had an immediate and meaningful impact on both our students and teachers. With your help, we are now able to create and distribute essential materials such as center activities, differentiated worksheets, homework packets, and newsletters for parents—resources that directly support learning and connection.\r\n\r\nHaving a steady supply of copy paper means we no longer have to limit or delay printing important materials. Teachers can now easily prepare customized assignments that meet students at their individual levels, reinforcing key skills and offering challenges where needed. We're also able to maintain regular communication with families through printed updates and reminders, which strengthens the home-school connection. Your generosity has truly made a difference in helping us provide a more engaging, personalized, and organized learning experience for every child in our classrooms.","fullyFundedDate":1673799596996,"projectUrl":"project/paper-basics-please/7048548/","projectTitle":"Paper Basics Please!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Medeiros","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1639431_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464612124116","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/medeiros17"},{"teacherId":1639431,"projectId":6589550,"letterContent":"On behalf of my students and myself, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your incredibly generous donation of Teachers Pay Teachers gift cards and the funding for Science of Reading materials. Your support has had an immediate and lasting impact on our classroom.\r\n\r\nWith the Teachers Pay Teachers gift cards, I was able to purchase high-quality, research-backed resources that have been invaluable in helping to create differentiated instruction tailored to meet the diverse needs of my students. From interactive reading strategies to engaging phonics activities, these materials have allowed me to provide support for students reading below grade level, as well as those well below their expected reading benchmarks.\r\n\r\nThe Science of Reading materials have been equally transformative. By incorporating evidence-based methods, I've been able to implement structured literacy practices that not only support struggling readers but also build foundational skills for students who need a more robust challenge. In many cases, the targeted instruction and resources have helped close academic reading gaps that seemed insurmountable.\r\n\r\nThanks to your kindness, my students are more confident, engaged, and prepared to take on the challenges of reading. It is because of you that we are able to make significant strides in literacy and continue to see remarkable growth every day.\r\n\r\nOnce again, thank you for investing in the future of my students. Your generosity is not just appreciated—it's changing lives!","fullyFundedDate":1660145735558,"projectUrl":"project/science-of-reading-benefits-all-and-harm/6589550/","projectTitle":"Science Of Reading Benefits All and Harms None!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Medeiros","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1639431_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464612124116","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/medeiros17"},{"teacherId":1639431,"projectId":6384670,"letterContent":"On behalf of our students, families, and teaching team at [School Name], I want to extend our deepest gratitude for your generous donation of Science of Reading resources to our classroom. Your support has already begun making a meaningful difference in the lives of our learners.\r\n\r\nThe past few years have presented unprecedented challenges for our students, particularly due to the learning interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of our young readers experienced setbacks during critical developmental years, with gaps in foundational literacy skills that have proven difficult to close through traditional methods alone.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n The Science of Reading materials you provided—grounded in research-based practices—are allowing us to deliver structured, explicit, and systematic instruction that targets phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, and comprehension. These tools are not only engaging our students but also restoring their confidence as readers and learners.\r\n\r\nWe have already seen early signs of progress among those who struggled most. Students who previously hesitated to pick up a book are now actively participating in literacy centers, decoding new words with pride, and discovering the joy of reading—many for the first time. It is no exaggeration to say your donation is helping to rewrite their educational stories.\r\n\r\nYour investment in literacy is a step toward equity, ensuring that all students—regardless of the disruptions they've faced—receive the instruction they need to thrive. We are inspired by your belief in the power of education and your commitment to helping us close the reading gap for our most vulnerable learners.","fullyFundedDate":1651271616569,"projectUrl":"project/science-of-reading-resources/6384670/","projectTitle":"Science of Reading Resources","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Medeiros","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1639431_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464612124116","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/medeiros17"},{"teacherId":1639431,"projectId":6381837,"letterContent":"I want to express my deepest gratitude for your generous donations to our classroom! Thanks to your support, we now have an abundance of copy paper and Science of Reading resources that are already making a significant impact on my students' learning experiences. The copy paper has allowed us to print engaging and interactive materials that support literacy development, while the Science of Reading resources are helping us implement evidence-based strategies that enhance phonics, comprehension, and vocabulary skills.\r\n\r\nYour contributions have not only improved the quality of instruction but have also empowered my students to engage more deeply with the content. The resources are particularly beneficial for students who need additional support, as they provide structured, multisensory learning opportunities that are proven to help struggling readers. Thanks to you, we are actively working on closing the reading gap and giving all students, regardless of their starting point, the opportunity to become confident and capable readers.\r\n\r\nThank you once again for investing in our classroom and the future success of my students. Your support is truly making a difference!","fullyFundedDate":1650511278726,"projectUrl":"project/paper-for-learning-and-science-of-readin/6381837/","projectTitle":"Paper for Learning and Science of Reading Resources","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Medeiros","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1639431_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464612124116","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/medeiros17"},{"teacherId":1639431,"projectId":6074993,"letterContent":"I'm writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous contributions to our DonorsChoose project, which brought essential reading resources into our classroom during a critical time of recovery after the pandemic. Your support has truly made a difference in helping my students reconnect with the joy of reading.\r\nThese books have become classroom favorites and are helping to build a strong reading culture. Students have laughed, imagined, and discussed stories together—many for the first time since returning to in-person learning. It's amazing to see how characters like Ralph the mouse and James have sparked curiosity, collaboration, and renewed excitement for reading.\r\nBeyond the academics, these books have offered comfort and consistency. After years of disrupted learning, they've helped re-establish a classroom environment filled with discovery and connection. For some students, it's their first time owning or finishing a full novel—and that's a milestone we celebrated together.Your gift is more than just a donation—it's an investment in each child's confidence, creativity, and future. Thank you for being part of this important journey.","fullyFundedDate":1640899809965,"projectUrl":"project/lets-make-reading-engaging-and-set-the/6074993/","projectTitle":"Let's Make Reading Engaging and Set the Bar High!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Medeiros","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1639431_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464612124116","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/medeiros17"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_43728","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":572,"numTeachers":45,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":2,"percentBlack":10,"percentWhite":15,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":65,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"12.7:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":62.3,"schoolId":43728,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Gaffney Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Gaffney Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/connecticut/consolidated-school-district-of-new-britain/gaffney-elementary-school/43728"}