{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"PS 721X Stephen McSweeney School","outOfStateSupporters":30.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":4079142,"projectId":9682578,"letterContent":"We are so thrilled that you were able to help us achieve this goal! Students are having fun using the new resources, such as Magnatiles, Lego, kinetic sand, and more. The sensory experiences that students are gaining from having access to these materials are unparalleled. When students first saw the materials, they were so happy! They started by simply looking at the materials. Then they started to point, and lean in closer. They were visually assessing the colors, textures, and shapes of their new sensory toys! Eventually, students began to experiment with different sensory experiences and had so much fun doing so.","fullyFundedDate":1758898896963,"projectUrl":"project/essential-for-living-essential-for-thri/9682578/","projectTitle":"Essential for Living, Essential for Thriving","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mauriello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4079142_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1484618417235","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missmauriello"},{"teacherId":10034510,"projectId":9351921,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our classroom! Because of you, my students now have access to a printer that helps them take real steps toward independence, printing resumes, job applications, and other important documents for their futures.\r\n\r\nI'm thrilled to share that several students were able to print their resumes and proudly bring them to job interviews. For many, it was their first time holding a resume with their name at the top, a powerful moment that boosted their confidence and gave them a sense of professionalism they hadn't felt before.\r\n\r\nYour kindness has made a direct, lasting impact on their lives. Thank you for believing in them, and for helping make their future just a little more accessible, one printed page at a time.","fullyFundedDate":1747841004887,"projectUrl":"project/from-classroom-to-career-printing-their/9351921/","projectTitle":"From Classroom to Career: Printing Their Next Steps","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Chal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10034510_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1747141292429","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10034510"},{"teacherId":9931750,"projectId":9132401,"letterContent":"We are so excited to share how your generous support has made a real difference in our classroom!\r\n\r\nThanks to you, our new iPad charging station has transformed our daily routine. Before this project, we often struggled with tangled cords, missing chargers, and dead devices that disrupted our learning time. Now, each iPad has a safe and organized place to charge. The charging station not only keeps our devices powered throughout the day, but it also helps my students—who are emergent bilinguals and emergent readers—practice responsibility and independence by returning their iPads to the station after use.\r\n\r\nIn our self-contained special education classroom of students, technology plays a critical role in every part of our learning. Whether we are using interactive literacy apps, listening to text-to-speech stories, practicing life skills, or translating vocabulary into our home languages, iPads help make the curriculum accessible for all. With the new charging station, my students now have uninterrupted access to these tools throughout the day.\r\n\r\nIt's amazing to see the pride my students feel when they take care of the equipment and keep our classroom organized. That simple change has made a big impact on their independence and confidence.\r\n\r\nFrom all of us—thank you for believing in our class. Your donation has brought consistency, order, and opportunity into our learning environment. We are deeply grateful for your kindness and support.\r\n\r\nI have attached photos of our students opening the packages and putting together the charging station that they will access to every day!","fullyFundedDate":1741222754559,"projectUrl":"project/help-keep-our-ipads-charged-for-learning/9132401/","projectTitle":"Help Keep Our iPads Charged for Learning!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Marcillo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9931750_orig.jpg?crop=416,416,x64,y117&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1740594446565","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9931750"},{"teacherId":4797878,"projectId":8789905,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donation. The financial literacy materials I received have made such a big difference for my students who are deaf and hard of hearing and come from low-income backgrounds. These are students with special needs, and it's rare that they get the chance to learn about financial literacy in school. That's why I thought this project was so important.\r\nThe resources are designed for different grade levels, which is exactly what I needed. My students function on different academic levels, so I chose materials that I could tailor to each student's ability. I really like that all of the books—even though they're for different grades—cover the same topics. That means I can pull from different levels depending on how a student is doing in certain areas, like math, reading, or vocabulary. The vocabulary sections especially are very helpful, and the stories that go with the words keep my students interested and engaged.\r\nBecause my students are deaf and hard of hearing with additional needs, I always have to differentiate the lessons. For the vocabulary, I usually create Google Slides with pictures and the word in sign language, if the student benefits from sign support. The visuals help a lot with understanding. I also make custom worksheets based on the materials—sometimes I use the same worksheets but with larger print, added visuals and sign language included. This really helps the students grasp the content. \r\nOne of my high school students has an IEP goal that focuses on learning new vocabulary. His short-term goals include matching words to definitions, learning synonyms, identifying parts of speech, and making his own sentences. I used the Grade 4 Evan-Moor financial literacy book with him. He's a non-reader, so I read the story to him and we pause along the way to review each word. He highlighted the words and matched them to pictures. One story was about rock climbing gear. He had some experience with indoor climbing, but not with the gear mentioned, so I provided him with pictures and labels for items like harnesses, chalk bag, and climbing shoes before starting the story. He also worked on matching words with pictures and definitions using cards I created. After the lesson, he was able to remember and explain the meaning of some of the vocabulary in his own words, which showed me he really understood it.\r\nFor the next topic, earning money at a job, I'll be using the Grade 5 book with him because the vocabulary in that section is more appropriate for him.\r\n\r\nI also have another student using the Grades 6–8 resource. He has a summer job and is planning to work during the school year, so the content fits him well. He's working on job and life skills for after high school. I used the same format—previewing vocabulary, reading the story, and then doing follow-up activities. One worksheet had him label a time sheet, and then I made an extension activity where he had to fill out a full time-sheet based on a work scenario. He had to figure out hours worked, break time, and total pay. I even showed him my own time-sheet so he could see a real example and how salaried jobs work differently. We talked about how I'm not paid by the hour like he is, and how some jobs require signatures and tracking days worked instead of hours.\r\n\r\nAnother part of the workbook had a \"Designing Your Future\" activity where he had to look at job options, their salaries, and hours, then do calculations to compare pay. That part proved difficult for him, but it helped me see that we need to keep practicing how to calculate salary and wages.\r\n\r\nThe resources have given me a foundation to teach financial literacy skills that my students don't get in their regular classes. I can use the books as a base and then build around them with extra materials I create. The lessons are simple enough for my students to understand, and they connect well to real life.\r\n\r\nOne of the other great resources was the Menu Math materials. It included menus from three different restaurants and worksheets where students had to identify prices and calculate tax. One student was surprised to learn that we have to pay sales tax, and that tax rates are different depending on where you live. For the next part of that lesson, we're planning a trip into the community. He'll choose what he wants to order, look at the price, use the local tax rate, and figure out what the total cost will be. While he can calculate tax on paper, we'll focus on using a calculator, since that's more realistic. He's really excited about this, and I am too!\r\n\r\nI also wanted to share that I'll be attending a financial literacy workshop through the Department of Education, and I plan to bring these materials with me to show how I've used them with my students. Thank you again for helping make this happen. Your support means so much to me and my students!","fullyFundedDate":1727474828986,"projectUrl":"project/empower-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-youth-t/8789905/","projectTitle":"Empower Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth Through Financial Literacy","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Andino","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4797878_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1509925149239","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4797878"},{"teacherId":4079142,"projectId":9139016,"letterContent":"The iPad charging dock has revolutionized technology integration in our special education classroom, providing a reliable and organized solution for managing our digital learning tools. No longer do we struggle with low batteries, as the dock ensures that our iPads are always charged and ready for educational activities. This simple yet effective system has significantly reduced setup time and minimized technological frustrations, allowing us to focus more on student learning and engagement.\r\n\r\nTthe charging dock has become an incredible tool for teaching independence and responsibility. Students now have a structured routine for checking, charging, and caring for the classroom iPads, which helps develop important life skills and technology management capabilities. The visual organization of the dock has also been particularly beneficial for students who thrive on predictability and structure, creating a calm and systematic approach to our technology use that supports both individual learning goals and classroom management.","fullyFundedDate":1741865343099,"projectUrl":"project/power-up-our-ipads/9139016/","projectTitle":"Power Up Our iPads!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mauriello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4079142_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1484618417235","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missmauriello"},{"teacherId":4079142,"projectId":9131709,"letterContent":"The introduction of yoga mats to our special education classroom has been nothing short of transformative. These simple tools have become powerful sensory supports that help our students regulate emotions, improve focus, and develop body awareness. Students who previously struggled to remain calm during transitions now have a designated personal space where they can practice breathing techniques, do stretching exercises, or simply take a moment to center themselves when feeling overwhelmed.\r\n\r\nBeyond their calming properties, the yoga mats have become an incredible learning tool that promotes physical coordination, self-regulation, and social-emotional growth. We've observed significant improvements in students' ability to self-soothe, increased physical confidence, and enhanced motor skills. The mats provide a consistent, predictable environment that many of our students with sensory processing challenges find incredibly comforting, ultimately creating a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.","fullyFundedDate":1740862621838,"projectUrl":"project/posing-for-potential-a-yoga-project/9131709/","projectTitle":"Posing for Potential: A Yoga Project","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mauriello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4079142_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1484618417235","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missmauriello"},{"teacherId":9751728,"projectId":8788665,"letterContent":"My students and I would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous donations for our class project. With your help, we were able to replace our handheld iron with two beautiful, tabletop heat presses. This made it much easier for the students to manipulate and work the machines on their own when we made t-shirts and other items that needed designs ironed onto them for our school store. \r\n It was really wonderful getting our students comfortable on the handheld press machines. It was amazing watching them get into the routine of learning how to iron logos onto fabric. Soon, some of the students were able to help their peers in the process. They became comfortable with turning the machines on, setting the machine timers and temperatures, placing the shirt on the machine, placing the logo or text in the right position , and manipulating the machines on their own. It was very rewarding to see the students have the confidence to work independently.\r\nAs a teacher, I felt successful in just receiving these donations alone. I was excited on how receiving these materials would enhance my teaching practices. I was very excited to really expand on what we were doing in the classroom with these iron presses. These machines really helps solidify our business and enhance the work experience for the students. They really got to feel what it's like to work, create and make T-shirt's, vest, hats, etc. They get true work experience. Using actual machines that would be used to make real T-shirts, vests and hats gives the classroom a real business vibe. The students are learning how to make quality products while learning how to follow directions and job skills.","fullyFundedDate":1728825504778,"projectUrl":"project/help-customize-custom-designs/8788665/","projectTitle":"Help Customize “Custom Designs!”","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Rothfeld","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9751728_orig.jpg?crop=1179,1179,x0,y98&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1726581446309","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9751728"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_451","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":24,"numTeachers":67,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":3,"percentBlack":34,"percentWhite":2,"percentIndigenous":1,"percentLatinx":57,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Not specified","studentTeacherRatio":".4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":70.0,"schoolId":451,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about PS 721X Stephen McSweeney School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"PS 721X Stephen McSweeney School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/new-york/new-york-city-dept-of-ed/ps-721x-stephen-mcsweeney-school/451"}