{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Silvermine Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":30.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":118665,"projectId":9662160,"letterContent":"This project has truly been a phenomenal one! The students have never been so excited to learn and work on all different types of assignments! The treasure chest has been a huge hit! Even reluctant students are working diligently and for longer stretches of time to earn a token or a small reward. \r\n\r\nSince there are so many different rewards to choose from, they are always thinking about their next prize. I am thankful to have these simple resources to keep them motivated and excited about learning. The bar is set high and students have to work very hard to earn a token, but I am happy to reward them with a prize of their choice. \r\n\r\nThese simple projects are often the most impactful because young student students are motivated by different items than older students. These bookmarks and glow rings and squishy balls have been game changers. We all thank you deeply for your dedication to public education and for funding this very special and impactful project. We look forward to you, enjoying the pictures of the students receiving their prizes and we look forward to your continued support in the future. On behalf of all 36th of my grade 3 students, I thank you deeply!","fullyFundedDate":1757454368077,"projectUrl":"project/readers-are-leaders-treasure-chest/9662160/","projectTitle":"Readers Are Leaders Treasure Chest!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bianca Rivera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp118665_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708281502805","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/118665"},{"teacherId":10111398,"projectId":9533972,"letterContent":"Flexible seating has benefited students with special needs by creating a more inclusive and adaptive learning environment. The flexible options for students with conditions like ADHD or autism provide crucial sensory input and opportunities for movement, which can help regulate their nervous system and improve their focus. By offering a range of choices—from wobble stools and therapy balls to soft floor cushions and bean bags—we have empowered these students to select the learning space that best supports their individual needs. This has lead to increased student motivation, ownership of their education, and, ultimately, better academic engagement and performance. Goals and objectives on students IEP's are demonstrating progress. \r\nOne of the most profound effects of flexible seating is the students are demonstrating their ability to focus and learn. For students who are sensory-seeking, options like ball chairs, wiggle cushions, or standing desks allow for the constant, quiet motion their bodies crave to stay calm and alert. Students have demonstrated greater participation in class and less frequent needs for behavioral interventions.\r\n\r\nBeyond addressing sensory and physical needs, flexible seating fosters social-emotional growth and a sense of belonging for students with special needs. By allowing students to choose who they sit and work with, flexible seating creates a more welcoming and communal atmosphere that can nurture friendships and improve communication skills. All students deserve a space that is tailored to meet their needs while boosting their confidence and self esteem. The school wide SEL curriculum and Kickboard have been reviewed for effects on self esteem and behavioral instances. The 15 students who were designated for this project have had less behavioral instances and more positive comments shared on kickboard. \r\n \r\nWhile the benefits are significant, implementing flexible seating for special needs students within the general education classroom they also support students in their small group reading. This requires careful consideration and planning. The space was organized to enable students to choose seating each day and their individual book bins for materials provide the flexibility to not require desks. Clear rules and expectations to ensure a productive environment were introduced. The transition to small group and attention to task has been positively impacted. This project has empowered all students to learn comfortably and successfully.","fullyFundedDate":1755912254789,"projectUrl":"project/flexible-seating-impacts-engagement-and/9533972/","projectTitle":"Flexible Seating Impacts Engagement and Attention","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hickman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10111398_orig.jpg?crop=1066,1066,x266,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1754334793978","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10111398"},{"teacherId":8993978,"projectId":9532538,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous donations, my students and I have been able to maintain a clean, organized, and welcoming classroom environment. We use the hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes daily to keep our shared materials and desks clean, especially during transitions between subjects. The broom and dustpan help us practice responsibility.\r\n\r\nMy students were so excited! They couldn't believe we had brand new supplies just for our classroom. They immediately wanted to help set up and organize everything. When I explained that kind donors made this possible, they were surprised and touched \r\nseveral of them said, \"They care about us!\" It was a wonderful opportunity to talk about kindness, generosity, and community.\r\n\r\nWe are currently working on a bilingual wall and plan to use the bulletin boards to proudly showcase their work. Having a tidy, bright space helps them focus and take pride in their classroom . It truly makes a difference in how they learn and feel each day.","fullyFundedDate":1758223972390,"projectUrl":"project/healthy-spaces-essential-cleaning-suppl/9532538/","projectTitle":"Healthy Spaces: Essential Cleaning Supplies for Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Martinez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8993978_orig.png?crop=1206,1205,x0,y771&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752084328210","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8993978"},{"teacherId":118665,"projectId":9349374,"letterContent":"So very thankful to you, Ms. Michelle! The students have been exceptional at keeping their room clean! But we have already had a run with a serious stomach bug! But we are hard at work! Keeping 60 kids moving in and out of the classroom healthy is not an easy task, but you have helped tremendously! \r\nMost teachers are willing to go the extra mile in cleaning and sanitizing, but the cost can be very high. So with your help, we are able to clean our spaces daily and have a fresh and clean and bright space to learn. The children love to contribute and help with all things sanitizing. \r\n\r\nI am very thankful for your help and generosity and love towards students you have never met and I invite you back to our next project for classroom essentials that is ALMOST fully funded! We appreciate your continued support here at Silvermine School!","fullyFundedDate":1747944622032,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-essentials-for-smooth-operatio/9349374/","projectTitle":"Classroom Essentials for Smooth Operations!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bianca Rivera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp118665_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708281502805","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/118665"},{"teacherId":118665,"projectId":9221151,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness in fulfilling this project. The handheld personal sharpener has been a game-changer! Students are able to sharpen their pencils and keep working quietly. It avoids a lot of getting up and wandering around the classroom! So the students kindly thank you! \r\n\r\nDonors like you bring these projects to life and keep teachers like me sane and ready for the school day! Our school is a wonderful, safe place for students to learn and engage, and you have helped us to keep this going! Please continue to support Silvermine School as we love to have your support and generosity showered upon our awesome student body!","fullyFundedDate":1747252754828,"projectUrl":"project/sharpen-away-kiddos/9221151/","projectTitle":"Sharpen Away Kiddos!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bianca Rivera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp118665_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708281502805","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/118665"},{"teacherId":118665,"projectId":9129662,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the pencils, sharpeners and mini pencils for testing! We are in May but we are still working hard! We are so very appreciative of the work and generosity of our donors! \r\n\r\nIn grade 3 with my 40 students, they EAT pencils! They are so excited to write and learn. They go through pencils like water! For the first time this year, we have a pencil sharpener that works! We are so grateful! You are a partner that helps us. A $60-$70 pencil sharpener is a tool we desperately need but really cannot afford! So we thank you deeply. \r\n\r\nYou are a special partner in our education. We feel so connected to you! Although you are far away, you are an integral part of our day and our lives! All of my students know that Donors Choose us a huge part of our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1744033000645,"projectUrl":"project/pencils-galore-pencils-n-more/9129662/","projectTitle":"Pencils Galore! Pencils N' More!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bianca Rivera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp118665_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708281502805","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/118665"},{"teacherId":118665,"projectId":9011793,"letterContent":"This has to be one of the best projects we have ever done! Betty Beatriz is a fantastic addition to our classroom. She brings joy and serenity to our classroom. The children absolutely adore her, and she is a great therapy animal. She is calm and fluffy and totally loves being held by the students every day! \r\n\r\nThe students have totally taken ownership for her. They clean the cage and get her food and give her water. Now that it is finally warm in CT, we are taking her outside for recess and it is a true joy for all involved. \r\n\r\nPets are a great way to teach empathy and kindness and love. The students learn to think of others and take care of others! I am very thankful. The pictures we sent show the love we have. We use all of the resources daily! Her cage is cleaned every 5 days. The hay she loved to eat, and her pellets as well. The water bottle is a needed addition to her cage and the play pen is used daily as well. Thank you so very much and please check out our other projects!","fullyFundedDate":1741099887020,"projectUrl":"project/betty-the-guinea-pig-classroom-support/9011793/","projectTitle":"Betty, the Guinea Pig, Classroom Support Animal","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bianca Rivera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp118665_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708281502805","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/118665"},{"teacherId":118665,"projectId":9000535,"letterContent":"SEL is so vitally important for children and adults. Today as we did our morning social-emotional lesson, the children and I practiced positive thoughts and breathing exercises. This starts our day off on a positive note. I am so thankful to you for purchasing and sending the resources for student use! They absolutely love painting and expressing themselves. They love to sit with a friend, be creative, and chat. All the while, I am close by monitoring and encouraging them with useful strategies. \r\n\r\nThe long day of learning can be stressful and students need an outlet. The recess down time is essential in our daily schedule to give each one the opportunity to rest and recharge before the afternoon session. Students are able to positively engage with friends. They are able to express themselves through art and share their creations with others as gifts. The center has been a gift for students who needed a safe place to rest and recharge and paint.\r\n\r\nThank you so much for returning to a well-deserving classroom. One with 36 students and a devoted teacher. These children, although some live in poverty, deserve the best and you helped me to give it to them!","fullyFundedDate":1738257291149,"projectUrl":"project/lets-paint-and-do-sel/9000535/","projectTitle":"Let's Paint and Do SEL!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bianca Rivera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp118665_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708281502805","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/118665"},{"teacherId":118665,"projectId":9058885,"letterContent":"Keeping my students organized is a blessing!!! We are so thankful to have you as our partner in education. It is extremely hard to keep 36 third graders organized but the pencil box is a HUGE help! We use it daily and they have many materials in there. They have sharpened pencils, and a dry-erase marker, and a set of markers and colored pencils. They have everything they need and everything they need to be successful! \r\n\r\n\r\nIt is so rewarding to work with children, but we have so many things we need and being able to count on you for organizational needs of the students is incredible! Your extended and continued support. It is not easy in this day and age to teach, but DonorsChoose continues to be 100 percent in support of teachers getting the resources their children need to succeed! You are my support and my constant love! Thank you always for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1738074037727,"projectUrl":"project/everything-within-an-arms-reach/9058885/","projectTitle":"Everything Within an Arm's Reach!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bianca Rivera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp118665_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708281502805","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/118665"},{"teacherId":118665,"projectId":8846334,"letterContent":"This new and bright and strong easel has been a perfect addition to our classroom! The children are thrilled to use it daily! They have sentence templates on there daily. They reference that board to see if they need help for their writing! \r\n\r\nThe students also love to gather around this easel during extra work! They are called in small groups to the teacher table near the easel and they have complete access to go right up and write on it and explain their thinking! It is stacked with dry erase markers and they love to work there with a partner! \r\n\r\nI have so many thankful and appreciative students! They love the binders as well! We have organized their work in sections in the binders and it is keeping them organized and efficiently working! Many, many sincere thanks for your contributions and generosity towards my hard working students!!!","fullyFundedDate":1734802444134,"projectUrl":"project/easel-to-easily-see-the-lesson/8846334/","projectTitle":"Easel to Easily See the Lesson!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bianca Rivera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp118665_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708281502805","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/118665"},{"teacherId":118665,"projectId":8893610,"letterContent":"These cushions and snacks are used every single day! After my mini-lesson in math or ELA students are set to work in collaborative groups throughout the room. They usually work in pairs or threes. They can grab a cushion and sit anywhere (near the entrance door, near teacher's table, or near Betty the Guinea Pig). They love to have access to multiple areas around the room and they can relax and work collaboratively with their peers. It has been a wonderful way to cultivate new friendships and provide an opportunity for a relaxed learning environment. \r\n\r\nStudents also use the cushions and snacks during recess. I have a few students that are very food-motivated. They love to earn a snack and I have a little cabinet of food for them. When I remind them during academic work time that they will have peer- play/ relaxation time, they are much more motivated to get their work done. \r\n\r\nTeaching is so much more than just giving lessons. Every single day I have to read the room, and check the emotions of my students. I need to know how they are feeling and address their needs. Anxious, worried and stressed out kids cannot learn. I know you understand this because you provided these resources for my children to make sure they can be successful! They thank you and I thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1733340778798,"projectUrl":"project/mental-health-is-our-top-priority/8893610/","projectTitle":"Mental Health is our Top Priority!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bianca Rivera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp118665_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708281502805","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/118665"},{"teacherId":118665,"projectId":8964342,"letterContent":"I hope you realize the impact of simple knick-knacks and things for the classroom! I can get these kids to do any academic work with the promise of a sticker for their effort! They are absolutely over the moon for these stickers! I love seeing them so excited and know that I have plenty of stickers to reward them for their hard work! You are to be thanked for that! Students are having the best academic year of their life! I already have 80 percent in my class meeting their End Of Year Goals for reading. \r\n\r\nThe bookmarks you also purchased have been so exciting for them. They loved choosing from the rainbow colors and they loved using them in their daily silent reading block. Every day at dismissal, we read for 30 minutes. I am reading the Beverly Clearly series and the students have a few books in their personal book cubby and of course their bookmark! \r\n\r\nAs you saw in the pictures, students have all their markers in their personal pencil case ready for all activities during the day! They have access to a variety of colors and they cause them to add details in writing, reading or math. It is just a wonderful and very necessary resource in the third-grade classroom! The highlighters and sharpies and paint brushes have all been added to our art station for recess time! Thank you for returning to my classroom and loving us so much that you spent your hear earned money on our students!","fullyFundedDate":1734099438466,"projectUrl":"project/knick-knacks-and-things-for-daily-classr/8964342/","projectTitle":"Knick-knacks and Things for Daily Classroom Use!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bianca Rivera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp118665_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708281502805","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/118665"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_43533","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":428,"numTeachers":31,"percentFrplEligible":66,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":7,"percentWhite":7,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":81,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"13.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":69.1,"schoolId":43533,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Silvermine Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Silvermine Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/connecticut/norwalk-public-schools/silvermine-elementary-school/43533"}