{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"John F Miller Special School","outOfStateSupporters":38.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":7754229,"projectId":10587562,"letterContent":"The Bumble BLS vibration bracelets have been incredible. Many of my students do not \"feel\" their bodies the way the rest of us do. The vibration bracelets help them feel where to focus their energy and which muscle to turn on for more success with the activity we are doing! One of my students uses them on her wrist extensors or triceps so that when she is riding the bike, she can get her hands to handlebars. This will facilitate future independence on the adaptive tryke so that she can learn to steer herself! Another one of my students used them on his belt over his gluteus medius muscle to facilitate better balance and he is standing and taking new steps by himself. Another student is learning to sit on his own but has difficulty propping with his arms so he collapses forward without help. He wears the bracelets up by his deltoids to help signal his shoulders to do some work and push through the floor and he sat for over a minute independently last week! Thank you so much for these tools to support my students into more independent motor skills!","fullyFundedDate":1788656203456,"projectUrl":"project/body-awareness-tools/10587562/","projectTitle":"Body Awareness Tools","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Santoro","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7754229"},{"teacherId":10284636,"projectId":10571786,"letterContent":"The drying racks and trays we received were put to work immediately! Our classroom has already used all the equipment and supplies, except for the tumbler spinner, in our last three projects. These items have been essential to keeping our classroom running smoothly.\r\n\r\nWe created neon cactuses using chalk, sugar skulls using glitter trays, and papel picado using adapted scissors, two of which needed time to dry on the racks. We also used the trays for watercolor painting, and other daily organization of supplies. Every art classroom needs a guillotine paper cutter, and I've used ours to cut down the watercolor paper for some beautiful landscape paintings.\r\n\r\nOur Art Club has also used the watercolor paper to create remarkable, spring-themed spin-art landscapes for the Happy Times Calendar Contest (fingers crossed!).\r\n\r\nThank you so much for helping our STEM Art classroom produce more than 300 stunning works of art created by our special needs students in just over a month. Your generosity has made a meaningful difference in our classroom and has helped our students explore their creativity and artistic abilities!\r\n\r\nOh, and as for that tumbler spinner, we'll be putting it to use next month to decorate our pinch-pot project celebrating Native American cultures. We can't wait to see what our students create with it!","fullyFundedDate":1788563610681,"projectUrl":"project/racking-up-the-beauty-of-stem-art/10571786/","projectTitle":"Racking Up the Beauty of STEM Art","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Chavez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10284636_orig.jpg?crop=450,450,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1769806137093","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10284636"},{"teacherId":8125019,"projectId":10553202,"letterContent":"Thank you so much to the Nevada Department of Education for their generous donation that funded my project. Many of my students have difficulty with self-regulation or have difficulties relaxing their bodies due to muscle spams. These crystal singing bowls have helped me create a space in my room that can address their needs. Many are able to feel the vibrations of the bowls and it helps to calm their mind and body. \r\n\r\nWe also received some steel-tongue drums that make a calming sound that is not as aggressive as a traditional drum sound. We are also looking forward to creating an experiment with \"rain\" in our classroom to drip onto the drums and hear what that sounds like. \r\n\r\nThank you again for the donation!","fullyFundedDate":1788467775207,"projectUrl":"project/immersive-sound-and-vibrations/10553202/","projectTitle":"Immersive Sound and Vibrations","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Gibson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8125019_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1633982458837","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8125019"},{"teacherId":10641730,"projectId":10572410,"letterContent":"Thank you for your donation. My students are thoroughly enjoying the resources you have provided including the Tonie Box. My students are trying to learn how to intentially set objects down and this Tonie Box is the perfect graded activity that provides high reward. The individual characters allow me to provide each student with their favorite characters and songs. I am hosting a session after school next month with my new soldering supplies to teach other teachers how to adapt toys for our students. The shake plate is used at my middle school to help students regulate. Just in one day I witnessed three students reset and prepare to learn but using this as a warm up modality. Thank you for all of these wonderful resources.","fullyFundedDate":1789012531798,"projectUrl":"project/regulation-and-adapting-tools-for-medica/10572410/","projectTitle":"Regulation and Adapting Tools for Medically Fragile Students","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Miller","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10641730"},{"teacherId":10644235,"projectId":10575139,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my middle school students with multiple disabilities! I was thrilled when we heard that the shredder had been delivered.\r\nOur students are using the commercial-strength shredder as part of our pre-vocational activities. They practice a work routine by gathering paper, placing it into the shredder with adult guidance, and communicating when they are finished. Students use their AAC devices to make choices, request help or a break, and communicate their needs during the activity. This hands-on experience helps them practice task completion, fine motor skills, and communication.\r\nWe will continue incorporating the shredder into our pre-vocational lessons and gradually increase students' independence. Our goal is for each student to build confidence while developing meaningful skills they can use in school, at home, and in future employment settings.","fullyFundedDate":1788633908018,"projectUrl":"project/a-shred-of-opportunity/10575139/","projectTitle":"A Shred of Opportunity","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. G","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10644235"},{"teacherId":4780346,"projectId":10196443,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous support of our school-wide mural project through DonorsChoose. Because of your kindness, our students now have \"Mobility in Wonderland\"—a bright, engaging Alice in Wonderland-themed mobility playground that was designed just for them.\r\n\r\nThe impact of your donation has been transformative. At the end of last school year, our students used the adaptive painting materials you funded to make their mark on our school. Using switch-adapted tools and creative solutions, they added textures and leaves to the trees in our mural, blew paint bubbles to create a whimsical mushroom garden, and used their individual access points to sponge and finger paint flowers through stencils. Every student, regardless of their physical abilities, was able to participate fully and contribute their artistic vision to this project.\r\n\r\nYour support made accessibility a priority in ways that extend beyond physical access. The mural features high-contrast colors and glow-in-the-dark elements, making the space more accessible to students with visual impairments, including those with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). This thoughtful design ensures that all of our medically fragile students can engage with and enjoy the space in meaningful ways.\r\n\r\nAfter our students created the foundation of this project, our school staff stepped up to complete \"Mobility in Wonderland,\" transforming the mobility space into an immersive playground. This space will continue to bring joy to our students by providing them with a playground designed specifically for their needs—a place where they can play, explore, and feel celebrated every single day.\r\n\r\nThank you for seeing the potential in our students and for investing in a project that affirms their creativity, abilities, and rightful place in our school community. Your generosity has created something truly magical.","fullyFundedDate":1776960063152,"projectUrl":"project/creativity-without-limits-adaptive-art/10196443/","projectTitle":"Creativity Without Limits: Adaptive Art","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Guillaume","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4780346_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1534036770072","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4780346"},{"teacherId":6619630,"projectId":10013060,"letterContent":"Our students have been so excited to use the new materials, and they've already made a big impact in our classroom. With the paper-making kit, students explored the process of recycling by creating their own handmade paper. They used their finished paper to design crafts that we proudly displayed and even contributed to items for our school's farmer's market. It was a meaningful way to connect creativity, sustainability, and real-world application. The Crayola Paint Pendulum quickly became a favorite during art time. Students loved experimenting with motion and color, watching how different movements created unique patterns. It sparked curiosity and led to great conversations about cause and effect, as well as artistic expression.\r\n\r\nThe sensory toys have been especially helpful in supporting focus and self-regulation, allowing students to engage more fully during lessons and transitions. Our new bulletin board materials have also helped us showcase student work in a more vibrant and organized way, giving students a sense of pride in their creations.\r\n\r\nThank you for making these meaningful experiences possible for our students!","fullyFundedDate":1768653451325,"projectUrl":"project/organized-fun-for-sensory-learning/10013060/","projectTitle":"Organized Fun for Sensory Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Maria","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6619630_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1637296013132","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mariamanansala"},{"teacherId":8128976,"projectId":10020382,"letterContent":"The Cricut materials have transformed our approach to hands-on learning. We recently started a project for our school-wide Farmers Market on Earth Day. The materials were used to make canvas bags for the market, as well as inspirational quotes for plant markers that go inside flower pots. Students helped paint the flower pots, using paint and brushes that we already had.\r\n\r\nThe initial reaction of the students was positive. They were able to create with the assistance of the staff. It was important to find access points for each of the students, with some using their hands or elbows and some using their feet. It was exciting to see their faces when they were able to participate in the Farmers Market prep. Sensory exploration is also very important for our students, so they were able to feel the paint, as well as the vinyl. \r\n\r\nThe next steps for our project is to sell their craft projects at our Farmers Market!","fullyFundedDate":1768616248366,"projectUrl":"project/designing-cutting-and-creating/10020382/","projectTitle":"Designing, Cutting, and Creating","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Agasi","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8128976"},{"teacherId":8158164,"projectId":10020776,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, our classrooms have been transformed into a bustling art studio. The reaction from the students and staff was pure excitement. \r\n\r\nStudents have been hard at work experiencing different sensory techniques utilizing the materials we received. They used the new brushes to experiment with different strokes on their rocks and canvases, learning how to layer colors to create depth. Watching them compare the smooth surface of the stone to the tooth of the canvas was a fantastic hands-on science and art integration. \r\n\r\nWe have also painted flower pots that will be showcased in the main courtyard during our upcoming Farmers Market event, allowing the students to take pride in a collective installation that honors their hard work and allowing families to see the creations our students have been working on.","fullyFundedDate":1768622552246,"projectUrl":"project/making-their-mark-sensory-art-for-speci/10020776/","projectTitle":"Making Their Mark: Sensory Art for Special Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Byrd","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8158164_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1635367140368","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8158164"},{"teacherId":5052261,"projectId":10024232,"letterContent":"The sensory materials have had a significant and meaningful impact on my profoundly disabled students by increasing their access to learning, engagement, and overall well-being. These materials provide critical sensory input that supports regulation, allowing students to achieve a calmer and more organized state in which they are better able to participate in activities.\r\n\r\nThrough the use of tactile, visual, and auditory sensory supports, students demonstrate increased attention and sustained engagement during instructional tasks. Items such as textured objects, switch-activated toys, and sensory-based activities encourage exploration and purposeful interaction, helping students build foundational skills such as cause-and-effect understanding, motor coordination, and intentional communication.\r\nSensory materials also promote increased independence and participation. Students who may otherwise be passive or disengaged are more likely to initiate interactions, make choices, and respond to stimuli when sensory supports are incorporated. This leads to improved access to their educational programs and greater opportunities for meaningful participation.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, sensory supports contribute to reduced anxiety and challenging behaviors by meeting students' sensory needs in a structured and supportive way. When students feel regulated and comfortable, they are better able to tolerate transitions, engage with staff and peers, and remain in learning environments for longer periods of time.\r\n\r\nOverall, the integration of sensory materials is essential in supporting the unique needs of profoundly disabled students, enhancing their ability to access instruction, communicate, and interact with the world around them.","fullyFundedDate":1768691510478,"projectUrl":"project/can-you-feel-it-yes-we-can/10024232/","projectTitle":"Can You Feel It!? Yes We Can!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hutchings","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5052261_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1515606039252","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/garleen-hutchings"},{"teacherId":10177590,"projectId":10025728,"letterContent":"I am incredibly grateful for your generosity in helping bring meaningful STEM experiences into my classroom. Because of your support, my students with significant special needs have been able to engage in hands-on learning opportunities that go far beyond traditional instruction. These experiences are not just lessons; they are moments of discovery, confidence, and growth.\r\n\r\nThrough activities like creating a volcano eruption, building with Picasso Tiles, and exploring plant growth using a root viewer, my students are learning to make sense of the world around them in ways that are both accessible and deeply engaging. Each project has provided unique benefits that support their academic, social, and emotional development.\r\n\r\nThe volcano experiment, for example, allowed students to observe cause-and-effect in a highly visual and exciting way. As they combined ingredients and watched the eruption, they were able to connect actions to outcomes—an essential cognitive skill. For many of my students, the predictable sequence of steps and the visual payoff created a sense of anticipation and joy. It also had a calming effect, as students were focused, engaged, and regulated while waiting their turn and watching the process unfold.\r\n\r\nUsing Picasso Tiles, students explored early engineering and spatial reasoning. They practiced problem-solving, pattern recognition, and creativity while building structures. These activities encouraged collaboration and communication, as students worked together, shared ideas, and celebrated each other's creations. The repetitive, hands-on nature of building also provided a soothing, sensory experience that helped reduce anxiety and increase time on task.\r\n\r\nThe root viewer offered a completely different, yet equally powerful, learning experience. Students were able to observe plant growth over time, fostering patience and an understanding of natural processes. Watching roots develop day by day helped them grasp concepts like growth, change, and life cycles. This slow, observable transformation was especially meaningful for students who benefit from visual learning and routine, as it reinforced consistency and predictability in a calming way.\r\n\r\nAcross all of these STEM activities, I have seen remarkable increases in engagement, focus, and confidence. Students who are often hesitant to participate are now eager to explore, ask questions, and take risks in their learning. These projects stimulate their minds while also supporting emotional regulation, making the classroom a place where they feel safe, capable, and inspired.\r\n\r\nYour support has made it possible to create these moments. You are not only providing materials—you are opening doors for my students to think critically, understand processes, and experience the joy of learning in ways that truly meet their needs.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and for helping them build skills that will last a lifetime.","fullyFundedDate":1768673577055,"projectUrl":"project/stem-and-students-with-disabilities/10025728/","projectTitle":"Stem and Students with Disabilities","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Mason","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10177590_orig.png?crop=1024,1024,x0,y119&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1788409959551","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10177590"},{"teacherId":8125019,"projectId":10020931,"letterContent":"Thank you for the generous donation of musical instruments for my classroom. My students were so excited to see, hear and feel the new instruments. Each instruments has its own unique sound so the students are having fun exploring them. Several students had a huge response to the sounds of these new instruments the first time we played them. One student laughs every week he comes in and hears me play the agogo bells. \r\n\r\nWe are getting ready for a unit on jazz and improvisation and I am looking forward to incorporating these instruments. They will be able to select which one they would like to play by using a special switch and then playing along with some basic chords in the background. I can't wait to see their smiles!\r\n\r\nThank you again for supporting my music classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1768673413204,"projectUrl":"project/lets-explore-the-instrument-petting-z/10020931/","projectTitle":"Let's Explore the Instrument \"Petting\" Zoo","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Gibson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8125019_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1633982458837","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8125019"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_82953","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":80,"numTeachers":22,"percentFrplEligible":79,"percentAsian":6,"percentBlack":13,"percentWhite":27,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":43,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":1,"percentMultiracialImputed":6,"gradesServed":"Not specified","studentTeacherRatio":"3.6:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":61.5,"schoolId":82953,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about John F Miller Special School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"John F Miller Special School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/nevada/clark-county-school-district/john-f-miller-school/82953"}