Royal Oaks Elementary School in Woodbury, Minnesota on DonorsChoose

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The change has been remarkable: students arrive excited, motivated, and ready to engage in learning.\r\n\r\nThe Soft Start STEM Activities have helped students develop important skills in ways that go beyond academics. Each activity encourages critical thinking, persistence, and teamwork. Students learn to communicate their ideas, test hypotheses, and learn from mistakes in a low-pressure, supportive environment. These early morning challenges also allow students to take ownership of their learning, make choices, and explore concepts at their own pace. For some students who struggle with anxiety or transitions, starting the day with hands-on STEM activities provides a safe, predictable routine that helps them feel grounded and ready to learn. It has been incredible to see students who often feel rushed or overwhelmed in the morning become calm, focused, and confident as they work through each activity.\r\n\r\nThe collaborative nature of the activities has also strengthened our classroom community. Students naturally work in pairs or small groups, discussing ideas, sharing strategies, and celebrating successes together. These moments foster empathy, patience, and respect as students learn to listen to each other, compromise, and problem-solve as a team. Over time, I've noticed that students are more willing to participate in class discussions, help one another, and support each other's learning. The sense of accomplishment they gain from completing these early challenges carries over into the rest of the day, positively impacting behavior, engagement, and overall classroom culture.\r\n\r\nAnother powerful aspect of the Soft Start STEM Activities is that they make learning joyful. Students approach each activity with excitement and curiosity, eager to explore and experiment. They are proud of their creations, solutions, and discoveries, which builds self-confidence and reinforces a growth mindset. By starting the day with success, students are more resilient when facing challenges later in the day, more motivated to take risks in learning, and more willing to persevere through difficult tasks.\r\n\r\nOverall, your support has made a lasting difference in our classroom. The Soft Start STEM Activities have not only improved mornings—they have provided a foundation for student engagement, confidence, collaboration, and social-emotional growth. Students arrive at school ready to learn, explore, and grow, and I am so grateful that your generosity made this possible. Thank you for helping create a classroom environment where students begin every day feeling supported, inspired, and excited to learn. 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One example is using the magnet wands to blend words with the children—they absolutely love it, and it's been a fun, hands-on way to support their literacy development. Thank you for creating such meaningful and versatile resources!","fullyFundedDate":1755011292788,"projectUrl":"project/fine-motor-friday-help-us-build-dexteri/9261480/","projectTitle":"Fine Motor Friday: Help us build dexterity and fun!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lallier","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5797446_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1539046105726","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5797446"},{"teacherId":5898245,"projectId":8917821,"letterContent":"Yay! My student are segmenting and blending words better than ever!!! They practice every day with these tools! I taught them my whole group and small group! They had a lot of practice this year! Almost all of students met their end of the benchmark with reading and phonic awareness! I am so proud of my students!!! Thank you so much! \r\nMy incredible first grade students love love loved word work time where they got to use these games you provided them with!!! Words can't explain how delighted we are!! 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About this school

Royal Oaks Elementary School is a suburban public school in Woodbury, Minnesota that is part of South Washington County School District 833. It serves 451 students in grades K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 11.6:1. Its teachers have had 40 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Public School

Grades K - 5

451 Students

39 Teachers

7335 Steepleview Rd

Woodbury, MN 55125 View local requests

http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro

Direct, proactive support

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Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

Royal Oaks Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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Royal Oaks Elementary School Demographics

26%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

28%

of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

Royal Oaks Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Jan 11, 2026

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