{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Grady A Brown Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":20.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10218460,"projectId":9643187,"letterContent":"This donation has had such a great impact on myself and the students that I serve. I have been able to use the thera putty in numerous ways to support my students growth towards their goals. From small object, search and finds to rolling for in hand; these activities have contributed to improved student strength, dexterity, improved pincer grasp for overall improved pencil grasp to practicing manipulation and cutting for improved bilateral coordination And so much more and has been invaluable. Through your donation of such a large amount of theraputty I've been able to use it in group settings as well for warm-up exercises, group therapy, and have even been able to distribute it to various students around the school to add to their sensory tool kits. The laminator sheets have also gone a long way in allowing me to create sturdy, visual, supports for students in school and to send home, create sensory tool kits with use of Velcro and laminated options, as well as countless other items like laminated worksheets that students can participate in during calm down time or therapy warm up activities that promote visual motor and attention. \r\n\r\nThe theraputty has always been every single students most favorite activity that they choose as either or warm up or cool down activity, so everyone has been extremely excited to have more. Before I was very limited with how much I had and have never been able to give this helpful tool away or allow large groups to use at a time. Students have also reacted very well to the laminated sheets that go home with them or that they utilize in the school system. With the amount of extra laminated sheets I've been able to laminate some student projects to send home which students just adore. Your contributions mean the world to myself and my students and these items especially the theraputty will continue to be used for many many years to come so thank you so much for your generosity and your contribution to the students growth!!!","fullyFundedDate":1756925114397,"projectUrl":"project/student-ot-supplies/9643187/","projectTitle":"Student OT Supplies","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Anne Marie","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10218460_orig.jpg?crop=1007,1006,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755904973926","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10218460"},{"teacherId":7166979,"projectId":9522320,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations to my classroom. It has been so exciting to see and hear students be excited about our new books. Many of the series you helped me purchase are new stories, characters, and series that students have never read before. Students have loved reading the new books and have been motivated to persevere through reading a harder text. Reading difficult texts are essential to closing achievement gaps and it is crucial that these texts are engaging for young students. These books are on a wide range of levels to meet the individual needs of my students. Thank you for making this learning and excitement possible!","fullyFundedDate":1755700483138,"projectUrl":"project/readers-gotta-read/9522320/","projectTitle":"Readers Gotta Read!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7166979_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y504&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753990387657","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7166979"},{"teacherId":482312,"projectId":9395828,"letterContent":"Thank you so very much for your continued generosity to my school and our music program! Without your help, I would have been stuck purchasing all these materials myself. \r\nThese durable folders will help keep my students' recorder music organized and safe. My hope is that they will be able to keep the same music all year instead of losing it and asking for a new copy again and again. :)\r\nMy students have already begun using the folders as part of our Recorder Karate Program. Each student in 4th and 5th grades now has a music folder to help keep track of their music. I will collect these at the end of the year so that many future students will also benefit from them. \r\nThank you again for your generosity!","fullyFundedDate":1749150280689,"projectUrl":"project/fold-in-the-music/9395828/","projectTitle":"Fold in the Music","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tafoya","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-tafoya"},{"teacherId":5874755,"projectId":9125259,"letterContent":"In thanking you for your contribution toward our second year of Battle of the Books, I wanted to highlight the impact the Battle of the Books titles have had on our students, our school, and even our district. \r\n\r\nMost important is the increased enthusiasm our students have developed around reading in general and reading multiple genres featured on the NC Book Battle list. \r\nStudents who participated last year, were walking the halls the opening week of school talking about which books they had read over the summer and were making plans about the books they will check out from the library this year. The buzz and excitement has filled the air and we are recruiting new members thanks to the success and positivity generated by last year's students.\r\n\r\nTo review the impact of the Battle of the Books club on reading scores, my co-coach and I looked at End-of-Year Reading assessment growth for our 5th graders and 4th graders who participated and compared their growth against the rest of their class. Keep in mind that most BOB members are high readers and these students are more difficult to grow. In the 5th grade, our students averaged 7.18 points growth in their scale scores compared to the class average of 6.37. In 4th grade our readers grew an average of 5.81 points compared to the 3.69 points of the grade at large. So the data shows that this program is impacting scores, bolstering student confidence and most importantly fostering a love of reading!\r\n\r\nFinally, our school was the second elementary school to fully participate in Battle of the Books. We conducted a county wide faux battle in April of 2025 and have inspired two more schools to join the Battle this school year. We now have 4 of our 7 schools battling it out in reading! \r\n\r\nPlease know that your support has provided the books that are allowing our young readers to make connections and explore genres. Your role as donors to this cause has even inspired several readers whose families purchased books from the list to donate them after they read them. Our students know you have charitably donated to their cause and they want to do their part to support other readers. Thank you for serving as a model of generous giving.","fullyFundedDate":1746479891156,"projectUrl":"project/voracious-readers-need-books/9125259/","projectTitle":"Voracious Readers Need Books!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Scarlett","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5874755_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1536942883090","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5874755"},{"teacherId":6967552,"projectId":9124793,"letterContent":"In thanking you for your contribution toward our Battle of the Books year 2 library, I wanted to share how this program and these books have impacted our students, our school, and even our district. \r\n\r\nMost important is the increased excitement our students have developed around reading in general and reading BoB books in particular. Sharing a common text in small groups has de facto created book clubs at Grady Brown. Several students have brought me into literary discussions about stories and situations they are reading about. In class, they have made comparisons between characters and plot elements between BoB books. The success we experienced last year (our first year in BoB) in terms of the number of books students read compared to prior years and in some cases in terms of increased complexity of text has inspired students to begin reading the new BoB books over the summer to get a jump on this year's competition. The excitement is palpable and we have been hounded by students for these first 4 weeks of school to start the club. It was officially launched as of last week and the students are back to reading daily with their clubmates.\r\n\r\nTo review the impact of the Battle of the Books club on reading scores, I looked at our 5th graders and 4th graders who participated and compared their growth against the rest of their class. Keep in mind that most BoB members are high readers and these students are more difficult to grow. In the 5th grade, our students averaged 7.18 points growth in their scale scores compared to the class average of 6.37. In 4th grade our readers grew an average of 5.81 points compared to the 3.69 points of the grade at large. So the data shows that this program is impacting scores. \r\n\r\nFinally, our school was the second elementary school to fully participate in Battle of the Books. We conducted a county wide faux battle and have inspired two more school to join the Battle. We now have 4 of our 7 schools battling it out in reading! \r\n\r\nPlease know that your support has provided the books that are inspiring our young readers. Your role as donors to this cause has even inspired several readers whose families purchased books from the list to donate them after they read them. Our students know you have charitably donated to their cause and they want to do their part to support other readers. Thank you for serving as a model of generous giving.","fullyFundedDate":1742924852039,"projectUrl":"project/let-the-2025-26-battle-of-the-books-begi/9124793/","projectTitle":"Let the 2025-26 Battle of the Books begin!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Touchette","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6967552_orig.jpg?crop=480,480,x121,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1574799383040","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6967552"},{"teacherId":9114365,"projectId":8448277,"letterContent":"Many of my students are nonverbal or minimally verbal, but their joy exploring with new art materials was clear: wide smiles, happy squeals, and eager hands reaching for paint, sand, stamps, playdoh, and stickers! For students with severe autism, art provides a powerful outlet for expression, and these materials have allowed each child to engage, create, and connect in their own unique way.\r\n\r\nOne of our most meaningful projects this year has been \"All About Me\" collages. Students used the new materials to choose colors, shapes, and textures that represent themselves. Some used stamps and paint rollers to create bold patterns, while others gently explored the feeling of soft brushes or foam shapes. These projects not only supported fine motor development and sensory regulation, but also gave students a sense of ownership and pride.\r\n\r\nYour generous donation has opened up a world of creativity and opportunity for my students. Thank you for believing in them and in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1719420915090,"projectUrl":"project/empowering-expression-without-words-the/8448277/","projectTitle":"Empowering Expression without Words; The Art of Autism","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cox","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9114365"},{"teacherId":4285605,"projectId":8833163,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donations to our class. Your funds provided a beautiful rug with an underwater scene for our 2nd graders to enjoy everyday. I had not told my class about my Donors Choose project. When the rug arrived right before Christmas, my students were convinced that it was a Christmas gift. After explaining that this was not the case, they were shocked to find out that people who did not even know our class or me, cared enough about them to give their own money for a rug to make our class more inviting.\r\n My students use our new rug more than any other part of our room. Throughout the day, we have whole group instruction there. And when given a choice where to play a game with a friend, or relax to read, my students always choose the rug first. I have had to limit how many students can be there at a time, it is such a hot commodity. They even take special care to keep it clean, which is a pleasant surprise.\r\n Again, thank you so much for your generosity. Through your gift, our class has seen how we can advocate to improve our class and school by reaching out to a community who we may not know, to be rewarded by their kindness. Our class and myself are very appreciative of your thoughtfulness.","fullyFundedDate":1732748628546,"projectUrl":"project/ocean-rug-to-expand-our-sea-of-knowledge/8833163/","projectTitle":"Ocean Rug to Expand Our Sea of Knowledge","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Berger","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4285605"},{"teacherId":5874755,"projectId":8821869,"letterContent":"Imagine the difference you have made in the lives of 70 elementary students by supporting our initiative to promote a positive reading culture. This year's NC Book List has a diverse collection with eight realistic fiction, three historical fiction, one science fiction, two mystery, and two fantasy titles. As a coach, I have utilized this collection to expose students to several genres and focus on strategies to aid in reading comprehension. Before starting Book Battle, students were aware there were different types of books, but now students are actually reading different genres and developing \"reading interests\" after experiencing the difference between a historical fiction and science fiction. Some of our students would have never walked over to explore the mystery section of the library, but now they are eager to see if we have any mystery series books. To track student thinking, they have been making connections and creating visualizations, which helps them grasp what they are reading. After our independent reading time, students reflect by drawing an image that captures what they read and they include a summary or they write down any connections to themselves, the world, or to another book. These strategies help students improve their reading comprehension and provide opportunities for students to talk to other students about what they are reading. Thanks to your kind donation, many of our students have reignited their passion for reading for fun and that makes a difference! \r\n\r\nImproving students' silent, sustained reading stamina is one more way our Book Battle program is impacting student learning. Students and teachers alike are seeing a difference in the amount of time that students can remain focused on reading. Students are surprised that now they can read for the full 30 minutes and are disappointed when it is time to stop and others are starting to notice that they are reading more pages within the 30 minutes than they were in the beginning because they are using a reading log to track their daily reading. This boost in stamina has also increased student confidence and we are ready to see if student assessment scores for quarter two reflect an improvement from quarter one. \r\n\r\nIn our classroom, are constantly striving to live the CHAMP life and live up to some of our school motto's like \"never give up\" and \"always do your best.\" To help motivate our students and provide a since of accomplishment, we have images of all sixteen book titles displayed on the wall and when a student completes a book they write their name on a star and it is placed beside the corresponding book. On a daily basis, you would see students coming in and immediately starting to read or turning in a book they finished and selecting another book they wish to read. On Thursday or Friday, we see an increase in students asking to check out an additional book because they anticipate finishing a book and want to have another to begin over the weekend which is exactly the outcome we are looking for as students develop a positive relationship with reading! Because of the materials provided, our students are learning that reading for pleasure can be rewarding and can expose you to so many new experiences. An added bonus, has been that students are now starting to recommend titles to classmates and explaining why their classmate should make a particular book their next must-read book! Thank you for supporting students and making a difference!","fullyFundedDate":1728522321524,"projectUrl":"project/new-gab-book-battle-team/8821869/","projectTitle":"New GAB Book Battle Team","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Scarlett","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5874755_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1536942883090","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5874755"},{"teacherId":5874755,"projectId":8770556,"letterContent":"Imagine the difference you have made in the lives of 70 elementary students by supporting our initiative to promote a positive reading culture. This year's NC Book List has a diverse collection with eight realistic fiction, three historical fiction, one science fiction, two mystery, and two fantasy titles. As a coach, I have utilized this collection to expose students to several genres and focus on strategies to aid in reading comprehension. Before starting Book Battle, students were aware there were different types of books, but now students are actually reading different genres and developing \"reading interests\" after experiencing the difference between a historical fiction and science fiction. Some of our students would have never walked over to explore the mystery section of the library, but now they are eager to see if we have any mystery series books. To track student thinking, they have been making connections and creating visualizations, which helps them grasp what they are reading. After our independent reading time, students reflect by drawing an image that captures what they read and they include a summary or they write down any connections to themselves, the world, or to another book. These strategies help students improve their reading comprehension and provide opportunities for students to talk to other students about what they are reading. Thanks to your kind donation, many of our students have reignited their passion for reading for fun and that makes a difference! \r\n\r\nImproving students' silent, sustained reading stamina is one more way our Book Battle program is impacting student learning. Students and teachers alike are seeing a difference in the amount of time that students can remain focused on reading. Students are surprised that now they can read for the full 30 minutes and are disappointed when it is time to stop and others are starting to notice that they are reading more pages within the 30 minutes than they were in the beginning because they are using a reading log to track their daily reading. This boost in stamina has also increased student confidence and we are ready to see if student assessment scores for quarter two reflect an improvement from quarter one.","fullyFundedDate":1726666365114,"projectUrl":"project/new-gab-book-battle-team/8770556/","projectTitle":"New GAB Book Battle Team","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Scarlett","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5874755_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1536942883090","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5874755"},{"teacherId":8813163,"projectId":8800533,"letterContent":"Thank you for your support. We use our floor seats at least 4 times a day and they have significantly improved students engagement during whole group lessons. We love using them to work in partners and groups as well as work around the room.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, we are really appreciative of the storage as it keeps our room tidy and decreases the amount of time it takes to put away and gather the floor seats!\r\n\r\nThank you again for your continued support of our students and their learning. We rely on generous folks like you.","fullyFundedDate":1727973207062,"projectUrl":"project/help-keep-our-students-engaged-during-wh/8800533/","projectTitle":"Help Keep Our Students Engaged During Whole Group Lessons","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Woody","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8813163_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1699273346870","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8813163"},{"teacherId":9114365,"projectId":8448368,"letterContent":"My classroom was so extatic to receive bright paint, squishy sand, bouncing balls, a calming tent, and a sensory boat. When my students arrived at school, their eyes lit up with excitement, and several couldn't wait to jump in and explore the different activities that were offered. One student carefully ran his fingers through the play sand with a big smile, while another climbed into the sensory boat and rocked with glee. These materials have quickly become a cornerstone of our daily routines, offering regulation breaks and supporting communication, fine motor, and social-emotional growth in meaningful, hands-on ways.\r\n\r\nWe've transformed a quiet corner of the room into a calming sensory space. Students now use the tent, boat, and sensory tools to take mindful breaks when they feel overwhelmed or overstimulated. For example, during a recent transition, one student became visibly upset. With adult support, he chose to enter the tent, squeeze a bouncy ball, and listen to the outside world—returning to the group five minutes later, calm and ready to participate. This space has given my students a safe and supportive way to manage their emotions, reduce behaviors, and build independence.\r\n\r\nThese resources have been a game changer for our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1718677664490,"projectUrl":"project/calming-corners-for-coxs-chameleons/8448368/","projectTitle":"Calming Corners for Cox's Chameleons","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cox","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9114365"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_3182","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":408,"numTeachers":37,"percentFrplEligible":61,"percentAsian":2,"percentBlack":11,"percentWhite":43,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":33,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"11.0:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"TOWN","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":79.7,"schoolId":3182,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Grady A Brown Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Grady A Brown Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/north-carolina/orange-county-school-district/grady-a-brown-elementary-school/3182"}