{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"New Heights Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":38.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9739644,"projectId":10599693,"letterContent":"Your generous donation transformed our outdoor learning environment into a space filled with exploration, sensory experiences, meaningful social interactions, and opportunities for students of all abilities to learn and grow. What originally began as a project to enhance our outdoor learning for PreK classrooms has become something much greater. The materials have not only benefited our PreK students, but have also provided valuable opportunities for kindergarten students, teachers and support staff throughout our school. Of all the materials we received, the sandbox has had the most immediate and remarkable impact. From the moment I assembled and introduced it to our students it became an instant favorite. The students were naturally drawn to the sand, they were eager to dig, scoop, pour, build and explore. The best part has not been how much they love the sandbox, but the social interactions that are happening because of it. \r\nMany of the students in PreK have different exceptionalities and difficulty engaging with their peers, some prefer to play independently and rarely acknowledge other students playing during play activities. But, when gathering around the sandbox students who normally play alone are now playing alongside one another, watching what their peers are doing, sharing the same space, and beginning to interact in ways we don't see during other activities. Watching these connections happen has been one of the best experiences of this project.\r\nThese moments are more than students simply playing outside or in the sand, they are opportunities to develop joint attention, social awareness, communication, turn-taking, cooperation and early friendships. For some of our students, willingly remaining near another child or showing interest in what a peer is doing is a significant developmental accomplishment. Your donation has created an environment where these important skills can emerge naturally, without the pressure of a structured lesson. \r\nOne of the most unexpected and heartwarming outcomes has been seeing students from other grade levels benefit from the project. It is great to see the learning environment we created continues to support students even after they have moved beyond our PreK classrooms. The canopy provides shade for outdoor activities, helping to create a more comfortable environment for our youngest learners. The insect viewers and catching nets encourage curiosity, observation, language development, and hands-on scientific exploration as students investigate the natural world around them. And I love that we have been able to create a learning space where students can participate at their own developmental level and experience success. \r\nThank you for making such a meaningful and lasting difference in our school. Your generosity has helped create a space where every student can explore, connect, build confidence, and learn through play.","fullyFundedDate":1789106876025,"projectUrl":"project/sunshine-sand-and-science/10599693/","projectTitle":"Sunshine, Sand, and Science","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Leacock","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9739644_orig.jpg?crop=2058,2058,x501,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1793460797676","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-leacock"},{"teacherId":9739644,"projectId":10326216,"letterContent":"Your generous donation made a meaningful difference in my PreK ISCS (ASD) classroom by providing hands on, engaging materials allowing my students to learn in ways that are accessible, enjoyable and meaningful to them. One of the biggest challenges in my classroom is finding activities that meet each students individual developmental level while encouraging participation, communication and independence. A lot of my students have a difficult time attending to tasks, using writing tools, communicating their wants and needs or participating in group activities. Because of your generosity I have a greater variety of materials that allow me to adapt learning experiences to each child's abilities, interests and sensory needs. \r\nThe easy-grip alphabet and number stampers, jumbo paint dabbers and washable paints have expanded our opportunities for hands on learning, we have used these materials for our trick or treat trail decorations that the students helped to make, we have made sensory paint splatter activities, as well as we do not have to expect our students to hold a traditional paint brush or writing utensil and I can now introduce letters, numbers, colors and early writing concepts through stamping, painting and sensory exploration while strengthening fine motor skills, making choices and following simple directions. \r\nThe felt story boards and finger puppets have brought a whole new level of interaction to our literacy activities. Familiar songs and nursery rhymes are not hands on experiences with students manipulating characters, imitating actions and identifying familiar objects. They are beginning to participate using gestures, sounds and other alternate communication. The storyboards have helped my students that struggle to remain engaged provide access to stay within the area and remain with the group longer than they have in a long time. \r\nThe canvases, blank books, multicultural art materials and other craft supplies have helped me create some inclusive and creative learning environments for my students. My students have been able to express themselves without the pressure to produce a perfectly finished product, and they are able to explore textures, experiment with colors, make independent choices and experiences pride in something they have created. The diverse skin tone art materials also help ensure that our classroom projects can reflect our students and their families.\r\nWe have had a lot of fun turning everyday learning objectives into meaningful experiences that each of my students can access. These materials have given us more flexibility to provide individualized instruction, small group activities, sensory experiences, and opportunities for peer interactions. In a classroom like mine the tiniest accomplishments are generally the biggest victories. By independently holding a stamper, choosing a color, and participating in a song or remaining engaged in an activity are important steps toward greater communication, confidence and independence.","fullyFundedDate":1788467603834,"projectUrl":"project/bringing-stories-to-life-in-prek/10326216/","projectTitle":"Bringing Stories to Life in PreK","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Leacock","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9739644_orig.jpg?crop=2058,2058,x501,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1793460797676","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-leacock"},{"teacherId":6679536,"projectId":10156212,"letterContent":"We have already begun reading The Magnificent Makers and my students are learning all about ecosystems and food chains. They love having a copy of the book to read along, especially since this book has some questions and puzzles in the beginning that they want to solve on their own. As you can see in the pictures everyone enjoys putting the puzzle of South America and Latin America together. They love pointing out where their families are from and this sparks some good discussions. The majority of my students do not have jigsaw puzzles at home, so the experience of learning how to solve one in school is valuable. Your donation makes this possible and the puzzles get used from year to year as we collect different continents.\r\n\r\nI changed my intermediate book to The One and Only Ivan after the proposal was written. My intermediate students will begin reading this together in September. We do have lessons around this book, but mostly we're reading it for the love of the story. I want more of my students to read for pleasure instead of only for school. I hope that some of them will continue on to read more by this author.","fullyFundedDate":1773886381568,"projectUrl":"project/biomes-and-bookworms/10156212/","projectTitle":"Biomes and Bookworms","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wilber","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6679536_orig.jpg?crop=1877,1877,x0,y50&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658612654854","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6679536"},{"teacherId":9739644,"projectId":9707332,"letterContent":"Because of your donation my classroom has become an even more structured flexible and supportive learning environment for my students. The new play panel and legs have allowed me to create distinct learning areas throughout my classroom that are easily adjustable depending on our activities and instructional needs each day. These defined spaces have helped my students stay focused on their own learning and reduced distractions from other groups. The lightweight design of the play panels also allows me to quickly create calm down areas when my students need support regulating their emotions or bodies. Having the ability to move and adjust the panel as needed has made it possible to respond immediately to students needs in a safe and supportive way.","fullyFundedDate":1768316298987,"projectUrl":"project/supporting-focus-and-independence-in-our/9707332/","projectTitle":"Supporting Focus and Independence in Our PreK Asd Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Leacock","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9739644_orig.jpg?crop=2058,2058,x501,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1793460797676","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-leacock"},{"teacherId":9739644,"projectId":9911558,"letterContent":"Because if your generosity my students now have access to meaningful movement supports that transformed our classroom environment. \r\nThe swivel/spin bucket seats have become an essential part of our daily learning routine. These seats allow my students to regulate their bodies through calm controlled movement while remaining engaged during circle time, small group instruction and learning centers. For many of my students movement is a necessity rather than a distraction. Being able to move and spin while listening and participating has helped students stay focused, calm and ready to learn. \r\nThe new trampoline also quickly became a classroom favorite from the moment I set it up. It helps provide a safe and appropriate way for my students to take different movement and sensory breaks as needed helping them to release energy, reset their bodies and return to learning. \r\nYour support has made it possible for my students to thrive in ways that meet their unique sensory and learning needs and I thank you for believing in them and helping to create a classroom where all students feel supported, regulated and ready to learn.","fullyFundedDate":1765710318045,"projectUrl":"project/jumping-spinning-thrivingsupporting/9911558/","projectTitle":"Jumping, Spinning, Thriving...Supporting My Sensory Seekers!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Leacock","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9739644_orig.jpg?crop=2058,2058,x501,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1793460797676","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-leacock"},{"teacherId":10284698,"projectId":9762572,"letterContent":"Thank you again for your generosity and support of our classroom. My students and I have already started using our new DonorsChoose resources during small group instruction and literacy and math centers, and they have truly made such a positive impact. When I first introduced the materials, the excitement was immediate. I saw the biggest smiles and so many students asking if they could start using them right away. It was such a special moment because they felt proud and valued knowing that people cared enough to invest in their learning. The students absolutely love reading all the new books. They are excited to grab them during independent reading and are even asking for extra time to read. The toys and materials have also been wonderful for positive reinforcement, giving students something meaningful to work toward and helping create a more encouraging classroom environment. These resources have helped me better differentiate instruction while keeping all students engaged and focused. Our next steps are continuing to build independence and confidence as they apply their skills more consistently and take ownership of their learning. I'm already seeing more engagement and stronger participation, and I'm just so grateful for the support that's helping my students grow every single day.","fullyFundedDate":1764789086535,"projectUrl":"project/bright-minds-big-dreams-help-my-2nd-gr/9762572/","projectTitle":"Bright Minds, Big Dreams: Help My 2nd Graders Shine","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Litherland","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10284698"},{"teacherId":9776262,"projectId":9487476,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity and support of our classroom. Because of you, my students have access to engaging, meaningful resources that are already making a powerful impact on their learning and excitement for school.\r\n\r\nWe are using every item daily in our classroom. Our new library rug has transformed our reading space into a warm, welcoming area where students read and do work. The Dog Man book series has quickly become a favorite! The students screamed of excitement for the books. As well as receiving flashlights to read the books with on Fridays! It has been our highlight on Fridays for \"Flashlight Friday.\"\r\nThe expo markers are used constantly during lessons allowing my students to actively participate, show their thinking, and make learning more fun. Our anchor chart paper is helping us capture important strategies and ideas together. We also had made some AWESOME math/reading posters. The colored paper has added creativity and excitement to student projects, writing assignments, and classroom displays. Also, treasure box has become a strong incentive for positive behavior and effort. Students are also loving their desk pets, which have helped increase focus, responsibility, and engagement during lessons. These are just a few ways we have used the items in our classroom! The list goes on!!\r\n\r\nWhen students first saw the materials, their reactions were priceless. There were gasps, cheers, and huge smiles as they realized these items were just for them. All the students were excited to explore the new books, see the new classroom rug, and couldn't wait to use the supplies. It was an exciting moment that made them feel valued, supported, and excited to learn.\r\n\r\nStudents will continue using these resources as we move forward with our reading, writing, and classroom community goals. As a teacher, it truly means more to me than I can put into words. Knowing that others believe in my students and want to support their learning reminds me that we are not doing this work alone. Your kindness has lifted a huge weight and allowed me to focus even more on creating a classroom where my students feel excited, supported, and valued every single day. I am incredibly grateful for everything you have done for my students and for me. Thank you again for everything!","fullyFundedDate":1758829911818,"projectUrl":"project/creating-reading-and-thriving/9487476/","projectTitle":"Creating, Reading, and Thriving","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Serrano","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9776262_orig.jpg?crop=1188,1188,x0,y847&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1727289032803","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9776262"},{"teacherId":9739644,"projectId":9844541,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, my Pre-K ASD/ISCS students now have new ways to communicate their wants and needs, and it has already made such a meaningful difference in our classroom. Even though the materials arrived just this week, I couldn't wait to start printing, laminating, and putting everything together before the Thanksgiving break. My students have been using the communication books and picture symbols to request items and share what they need without much frustration, and it has been incredible watching them light up when someone understands them right away.\r\nThe most exciting part of this project has been seeing my students find their voices, sometimes literally! The talking buttons have quickly become a favorite tool in our classroom. I started by placing them in the eating area, and already my students are pressing them to ask for \"help\", \"more drink\", or \"more food\". In a busy classroom with lots of movement and noise, these buttons give them a clear, easy way to get an adult's attention. The communication books are just as exciting, especially as students begin recognizing their own pictures and proudly sharing them with staff. These tools are helping our little learners communicate with confidence and independence.\r\nThe laminating sheets and Velcro you helped provide allowed me to prepare the communication books and single-page communication mats for meals and other resources around the room. More talking buttons will be added around the room to help students request breaks, choose centers, express feelings, and even participate during our letter-of-the-day activities. These supports are now part of our daily routines and are already helping students engage more in lessons, reducing frustration, and participate in the classroom with greater ease.","fullyFundedDate":1762967268816,"projectUrl":"project/communication-needs-in-a-prek-asd-classr/9844541/","projectTitle":"Communication Needs in a PreK ASD Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Leacock","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9739644_orig.jpg?crop=2058,2058,x501,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1793460797676","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-leacock"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_46949","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":628,"numTeachers":63,"percentFrplEligible":92,"percentAsian":8,"percentBlack":27,"percentWhite":20,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":36,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":7,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"10.0:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":61.6,"schoolId":46949,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about New Heights Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"New Heights Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/florida/pinellas-county-schools/new-heights-elementary-school/46949"}