{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"PS255Q @ PS397","outOfStateSupporters":53.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":660143,"projectId":10130685,"letterContent":"\"Every child deserves a safe space to grow, reflect, and thrive.\" Thanks to your incredible generosity, my students now have the foundation of a Calm Down Corner that is almost completely set up and ready for full use. The storage unit, bins, bookshelf, rug, posters, pillows, and chair fit together perfectly to create a cozy and inviting nook within my classroom. I am currently printing, laminating, and organizing the final materials that will fill the lower bins, along with labels to help students independently identify where items belong. Even before the space is officially finished, my students have already begun gravitating toward it by cuddling with the pillows, relaxing on the couch, and exploring the fidget toys available to them.\r\n\r\nI am so excited to make this Calm Down Corner a permanent part of my classroom and to see the positive impact it will have on my students with autism. This space will provide them with a structured environment to practice self-regulation, manage overwhelming emotions, and develop coping strategies when they need a break from classroom demands. It will also encourage independence, increase emotional awareness, and help students return to learning feeling calm and ready to participate. Your support has helped create a space where my students can feel safe, comfortable, and understood. Thank you for investing in their success and well-being.","fullyFundedDate":1774457186210,"projectUrl":"project/building-compassion-one-calm-moment-at-a/10130685/","projectTitle":"Building Compassion One Calm Moment at a Time","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. S. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp660143_orig.jpg?crop=653,653,x0,y165&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683609112717","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/srlopez"},{"teacherId":660143,"projectId":9960860,"letterContent":"\"Efficiency creates opportunity.\" Thanks to your generosity in providing a self-sharpening paper cutter for my social skills classroom, I am able to create adapted materials for my students with autism more quickly and accurately than ever before. Since receiving this much needed tool, I have already created three books and a variety of visual supports in about half the time it would have previously taken. The precision and reliability of the paper cutter has made a tremendous difference in my daily preparation process.\r\n\r\nYour support is already having a direct impact on my students and classroom. I currently have materials queued up for summer school, and knowing I can prepare them efficiently allows me to spend more time focusing on instruction, student needs, and other important classroom responsibilities. I am incredibly grateful to have a paper cutter that works so well and significantly reduces material preparation time. Thank you for investing in my students' success and helping me provide the resources they need to learn and thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1778116015413,"projectUrl":"project/cutting-pathways-to-possibility/9960860/","projectTitle":"Cutting Pathways to Possibility","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. S. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp660143_orig.jpg?crop=653,653,x0,y165&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683609112717","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/srlopez"},{"teacherId":1751148,"projectId":10137133,"letterContent":"Thank you very much for supporting this project for our Annual Autism Walk/Resource Fair! We held this event on April 25th and it was a huge success! Despite the rain, we had many students and families joining us for a fun-filled day of activities and important resources! This was all made possible through your generosity! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!\r\n Through hosting this event, we were able to raise awareness and acceptance of Autism! We handed out bracelets, pins, and bubbles during this event!\r\n Thank you for donating to this project and providing all the items needed for this important event! We are extremely grateful for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1773613862587,"projectUrl":"project/promoting-autism-awareness-and-acceptanc/10137133/","projectTitle":"Promoting Autism Awareness and Acceptance through Our Annual Autism Walk!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kelly","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1751148_orig.jpg?crop=1776,1776,x0,y165&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1613407324836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1751148"},{"teacherId":1751148,"projectId":10155984,"letterContent":"Wow! Thank you all very much for donating to this project and providing items for our planting unit! My students were so excited to start this project! The supplies arrived quickly so we were able to begin planting right away! My students were smiling from ear to ear! It was wonderful to see how focused my students were on everything, from scooping the dirt, making sure to pour it into their pot, adding seeds, watering the plant, and looking at it everyday to see the changes! What a wonderful experience, all made possible through your generosity!\r\n My students absolutely loved this experience of learning how a seed grows into a plant! With our guidance, each student took responsibility for planting a seed, watering it, ensuring it received enough sunlight, and caring for it as it grew! \r\n My students also had so much fun decorating their own pots with flower and Spring stickers, and writing their name on their pot!\r\n Throughout this unit, my students worked on communication, social skills, and fine motor skills! My students were able to take the beautiful flowers they grew home to share what they have learned with their families!\r\n Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping to fund this project for our students with Autism! We are so extremely grateful for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1776351510155,"projectUrl":"project/watch-us-grow-life-cycle-of-a-plant/10155984/","projectTitle":"Watch Us Grow: Life Cycle of a Plant!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kelly","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1751148_orig.jpg?crop=1776,1776,x0,y165&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1613407324836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1751148"},{"teacherId":8110087,"projectId":9807691,"letterContent":"Thank you for making this project possible. My students have been using the new materials obtained as part of this project every single day. The variety and scope of supplies that were received reach to all ages and ability levels. \r\n\r\nThe weighted sloth sits on the therapy table. Some students are comforted by soft fur and deep pressure provided when holding it in their arms or lap. Some students enjoy pretend play scenarios with the sloth and are motivated to work on skills, such as manipulating fasteners, in this manner. The dressing vests - in multicultural patterns -have been a huge hit and one student wanted to keep it on all day!\r\n\r\nMy youngest students have been able to work on foundational fine motor and visual motor skills with the pop-up toy, shapes puzzle, wooden block beads, squigz suction toys, and peg board set.\r\n\r\nThe various tracing boards including the magnetic alphabet and numbers and LCD tablets have made pre-writing and writing practice more approachable and appealing with the multisensory features - especially for those averse to pencil and paper tasks. \r\n\r\nIt's been exciting to see many students progress from having no idea what to do with a pair of scissors to completing cut and paste activities - with the help of loop scissors which require a bit less coordination to use. \r\n\r\nAll of this and more is thanks to your generosity. My current and future students will also benefit from these supplies in the years ahead. So thank you, again, for your support. I couldn't have done it without you. Your impact will reach further than you can imagine.","fullyFundedDate":1771370113667,"projectUrl":"project/tools-for-learning-independence/9807691/","projectTitle":"Tools for Learning & Independence","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Emily","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8110087_orig.jpg?crop=2136,2136,x594,y483&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694006579618","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missemilyot"},{"teacherId":660143,"projectId":10130684,"letterContent":"\"Small tools can make a big difference in helping students feel calm, safe, and ready to learn.\" Thanks to your generosity, my students and teachers now have sensory field trip bags filled with fidget and sensory tools to support regulation during community outings. This project was originally planned for summer school, but due to schedule changes and several trips being added in May and June, I decided to begin creating the pouches sooner. Starting early turned out to be a wonderful opportunity because we were able to provide bags to three additional teachers to support even more students throughout the building. During our field trip this past Friday, I saw teachers actively using the materials with students who needed extra sensory support in overwhelming environments.\r\n\r\nIt was heartwarming to watch students smile as they assembled the pouches, especially while choosing and packing some of their preferred sensory toys. These tools help students regulate their emotions, stay engaged, and participate more successfully during field trips that may otherwise feel overstimulating. One of the best parts of this project was being able to spread kindness beyond my own classroom and support teachers whose students are not regularly on my caseload. Their gratitude for the unexpected surprise was truly touching. Your support has helped create more inclusive, supportive experiences for so many students, and I am incredibly grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1778092175659,"projectUrl":"project/kindness-that-pops-all-summer-long/10130684/","projectTitle":"Kindness That Pops All Summer Long","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. S. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp660143_orig.jpg?crop=653,653,x0,y165&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683609112717","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/srlopez"},{"teacherId":660143,"projectId":9886927,"letterContent":"\"Smell the flower, blow the pinwheel, and let your body feel calm.\" Because of your generosity, my classroom is now filled with breathing pals, pinwheel crafts, and a DIY flower-making machine and accessories that will help my students with autism learn calming strategies and mindful breathing techniques. These hands-on materials make breathing exercises more engaging, interactive, and accessible for my students as they practice self-regulation skills in meaningful ways.\r\n\r\nAlthough this project was originally planned for March, unexpected delays pushed our start date back to this week. Even so, the excitement has already started to grow in our classroom. The students have noticed the prepared materials, and one student eagerly pointed to the sample pinwheel and asked, \"What is it?\" I recently finished creating adapted books and lesson materials to support these activities, and I am so excited to see the students' unique pinwheel and flower creations come to life before the end of the school year.\r\n\r\nTeaching breathing and calming techniques can be challenging, but your support is giving my students concrete tools to better understand these important skills. My hope is that they will begin connecting \"smelling a flower\" with inhaling and \"blowing a pinwheel\" with exhaling, eventually following breathing patterns alongside one of our breathing pals. Your kindness is helping create a classroom filled with creativity, calm, and opportunities for growth.","fullyFundedDate":1771190083191,"projectUrl":"project/calming-tools-for-growing-minds/9886927/","projectTitle":"Calming Tools for Growing Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. S. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp660143_orig.jpg?crop=653,653,x0,y165&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683609112717","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/srlopez"},{"teacherId":8048342,"projectId":10274585,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our Teachers Pay Teachers gift card! This gift allowed me to purchase specialized, teacher-created resources that are designed specifically for students with autism and diverse learning needs.\r\nWith these materials, I am able to bring in more visual supports, differentiated lessons, social skills activities, and communication tools that directly support my students' goals. It helps me better meet each child where they are and provide instruction that is engaging, accessible, and meaningful.\r\nI am truly grateful for your support. It makes a real difference in my classroom by helping every student have the opportunity to learn, participate, and experience success each day.","fullyFundedDate":1778223757055,"projectUrl":"project/empowering-students-with-autism-through/10274585/","projectTitle":"Empowering Students with Autism Through Engaging Learning Resources","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Michalina","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8048342_orig.jpg?crop=1860,1860,x0,y80&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1630898960817","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-michalina"},{"teacherId":8048342,"projectId":10237140,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom storytelling project! These books and storytelling kits have brought so much excitement, engagement, and joy to our students each day.\r\nMy students were especially excited about the \"Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?\" and the \"Little Blue Truck\" storytelling kits. They absolutely love using the animal props and characters to act out the stories, imitate sounds, answer WH-questions, and retell events from the books. The book \"It Looked Like Spilt Milk\" has also become a classroom favorite. My students love looking at the different cloud shapes and making predictions about what they see. It has created so many opportunities for communication, imagination, and describing skills.\r\nBecause of your generosity, I have been able to create more meaningful and interactive literacy lessons that support communication, social interaction, play skills, and comprehension for my students with autism. Thank you for helping bring stories to life for my students each day!","fullyFundedDate":1778094451794,"projectUrl":"project/touch-play-and-tell-storytime-for-stu/10237140/","projectTitle":"Touch, Play, and Tell: Storytime for Students with Autism 2","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Michalina","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8048342_orig.jpg?crop=1860,1860,x0,y80&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1630898960817","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-michalina"},{"teacherId":8048342,"projectId":10195953,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and helping provide a new iPad for my students! They were incredibly excited when they saw the new iPad arrive. Many of them immediately recognized it as a tool they could use to communicate, learn, and participate more independently. For some of my nonverbal students, being able to use AAC apps again has given them a way to express wants, needs, choices, and ideas throughout the school day. Seeing students independently request items or participate during lessons using the iPad has been such a powerful and emotional experience.\r\nWe have also been using the iPad for visual schedules, modeling videos, interactive literacy activities, and math apps that keep my students engaged in ways traditional materials often cannot. The students especially love taking turns during group activities and celebrating each other's successes when they complete tasks independently. Because of your generosity, I have been able to create more accessible and supportive learning experiences for my students. This iPad has helped increase communication, independence, participation, and confidence in our classroom every single day. Thank you for giving my students not just technology, but a stronger voice and greater access to learning.","fullyFundedDate":1778287619141,"projectUrl":"project/unlocking-communication/10195953/","projectTitle":"Unlocking Communication","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Michalina","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8048342_orig.jpg?crop=1860,1860,x0,y80&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1630898960817","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-michalina"},{"teacherId":8048342,"projectId":10163493,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and helping provide these hands-on learning materials for my students! Your generosity has made such a meaningful difference in our daily learning activities.\r\nMy students were so excited to explore all of the new materials. The letter crayons have been a huge hit in our classroom. My students love using them to build and read simple CVC words, and the hands-on format has made early phonics practice much more engaging and accessible. The stencils have also been incredibly helpful for students who are still developing fine motor skills and are not yet able to draw independently. Many of my students are now able to participate more successfully in writing and drawing activities with increased confidence and less frustration. The comparing sizes center, category sorting activities, and \"what goes together\" materials have created so many opportunities for language development, problem solving, and critical thinking. My students especially enjoy working together to sort, compare, and explain their answers during small group instruction.\r\nBecause of your support, I have been able to provide more interactive and meaningful learning experiences that meet my students at their individual levels. Thank you for helping my students strengthen their academic, language, and fine motor skills in ways that are engaging, supportive, and fun each day!","fullyFundedDate":1777597299224,"projectUrl":"project/building-words-voices-and-confidence-t/10163493/","projectTitle":"Building Words, Voices, and Confidence Through Hands-On Literacy","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Michalina","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8048342_orig.jpg?crop=1860,1860,x0,y80&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1630898960817","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-michalina"},{"teacherId":8048342,"projectId":10123353,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project! Your generosity has truly made a difference in our classroom.\r\nMy students were beyond excited when they first saw the microphone. Even some of my quieter students immediately wanted a turn to \"perform\" and hear their voices amplified. As soon as it got delivered, we started to use it during group activities, storytelling, and question-answering practice. The Yoto Player sound cards have quickly become a classroom favorite. My students love sitting together to listen to stories and songs, and many are now independently requesting their favorite cards by name. It has been such a special way to strengthen listening, language, and shared attention skills. Pete the Cat is definitely the star of our storytelling center right now! The students absolutely love using the storytelling props to act out the stories, answer WH-questions, and retell events from the book. Seeing students who are typically hesitant to communicate become engaged, vocal, and excited has been incredible.\r\nBecause of your support, my students are gaining confidence, strengthening communication skills, and learning that their voices matter. Thank you for helping give my students opportunities to speak, listen, participate, and roar each day!","fullyFundedDate":1777926899043,"projectUrl":"project/hear-me-roar-empowering-student-voices/10123353/","projectTitle":"Hear Me Roar! Empowering Student Voices","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Michalina","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8048342_orig.jpg?crop=1860,1860,x0,y80&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1630898960817","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-michalina"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_18707","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":null,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":89,"percentAsian":14,"percentBlack":2,"percentWhite":55,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":24,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"US Census Data for the surrounding geographic area","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":3,"gradesServed":"Not specified","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"Census ZCTA","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"UNCLASSIFIED","ncesMetroType":null},"inStateSupporters":47.0,"schoolId":18707,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about PS255Q @ PS397 on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"PS255Q @ PS397","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/new-york/district-75-city-wide-programs/ps255q-ps151q/18707"}