{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Smalley Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":45.1,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2066058,"projectId":9859676,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in supporting our project, \"Unlocking Learning: Breakout Challenges for Curious Minds\"! When we introduced the Breakout EDU Digital+ platform to our students at Smalley Elementary School, their excitement was incredible. They were eager to dive into game-based learning, and their energy filled the room as they realized they would be working together on interactive digital adventures and puzzle challenges.\r\n\r\nThis platform has completely transformed how our students practice problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork. During a recent collaborative challenge, students worked in small groups to solve a series of clue-based puzzles to \"unlock\" the final answer. It was wonderful to watch them talk through different strategies, test out ideas, and cheer each other on when they finally cracked a difficult clue. Even when a initial guess didn't work, they showed amazing resilience by re-evaluating their choices, communicating clearly, and trying again until they succeeded.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward, we are excited to integrate Breakout EDU across more academic subjects, allowing students to deepen their decision-making and logic skills. Furthermore, students will soon have the opportunity to design and share their own custom games on the platform, giving them voice and choice in their learning journey. Your support has provided our young learners with a safe, engaging space to become confident, creative problem-solvers, and we are so grateful for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1763577699864,"projectUrl":"project/unlocking-learning-breakout-challenges/9859676/","projectTitle":"Unlocking Learning: Breakout Challenges for Curious Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Woodward","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2066058_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1559255634332","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/nwoodward127"},{"teacherId":2066058,"projectId":9756365,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in supporting our project, \"Little Hands, Big Readers\"! When the boxes arrived at Smalley Elementary School, my students were absolutely thrilled. Their eyes lit up as we opened the supplies and they saw the Play-Doh, therapy putty, bright cardstock, dough tools, and craft punches. The energy in our classroom was contagious as everyone couldn't wait to start using these fun tools during our literacy lessons.\r\n\r\nThese resources have made a huge difference in connecting fine motor development directly with early reading practice. During a recent small-group literacy session, my students worked on letter-matching and phonics activities while using the therapy putty and Play-Doh to form letters and pinch out sound segments. Another crowd favorite was assembling our \"monster squeezers\" made with tennis balls and googly eyes—the kids had a blast squeezing them open to \"feed\" them letters and sight word cards, giving their hand muscles a great workout while sharpening their reading skills.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, we are excited to keep building on this momentum by introducing more fine motor crafts using the bright cardstock, craft punches, and lacing kits. Students will continue working in small groups to refine their precision and hand strength, creating a strong foundation for pencil control, writing, and fluent reading. Your support has truly helped our young learners grow their hands and minds at the same time, and we are deeply grateful for your help!","fullyFundedDate":1763577695995,"projectUrl":"project/little-hands-big-readers/9756365/","projectTitle":"Little Hands, Big Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Woodward","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2066058_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1559255634332","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/nwoodward127"},{"teacherId":2066058,"projectId":9715005,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in supporting our project, \"Stack, Lace, and Create: Fine Motor Fun for Growing Minds\"! When the boxes arrived at Smalley Elementary School, my kindergarten and first-grade students were beyond thrilled. Their faces completely lit up as we unpacked the colorful dominoes, geoboards, wooden pattern blocks, lacing sneakers, and stacking cups. They couldn't wait to dive in, and their enthusiasm filled the entire room as they immediately started exploring the materials.\r\n\r\nThese resources have transformed our classroom into a vibrant space for hands-on learning, fine motor development, and creative problem-solving. During a recent center activity, my students worked in small groups using the speed stacking cups to build collaborative towers. They had to communicate constantly, steady their hands, and test out balance strategies together. When a stack tumbled over, instead of getting frustrated, they encouraged each other to adjust their base and try again—a huge step in building perseverance and confidence! Others have been using the lacing sneakers to practice shoe-tying, celebrating every successfully tied bow, while another group built domino chain reactions to test out engineering ideas.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we are excited to expand our math and spatial reasoning lessons using the pattern blocks and geoboards. Students will soon begin creating complex geometric designs, exploring symmetry, and discovering early fraction concepts. Your support has given these young learners the exact tools they need to grow into confident, independent, and resilient thinkers every day. We are so grateful for your kindness!","fullyFundedDate":1760996710696,"projectUrl":"project/stack-lace-and-create-fine-motor-fun/9715005/","projectTitle":"Stack, Lace, and Create: Fine Motor Fun for Growing Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Woodward","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2066058_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1559255634332","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/nwoodward127"},{"teacherId":10069583,"projectId":9556543,"letterContent":"\"Initiative to Promote Attendance and Engagement at our School\"\r\n\r\nThe most important component in my classroom is building a classroom community where students feel safe, loved and respected by me, their peers and their parents. I do this by holding monthly students recognition and family meetings. \r\n\r\nI am commitment to student achievement and to helped shape one of the most impactful attendance in our school. The recognition and the family engagement allowed us to monitor student progress with precision, and ensure that every student received the support they needed. Your organization and support in helping us achieve some of our strongest student attendance.\r\n\r\nWe are grateful for all you have contributed. Thank you for being such an important part of our team and for helping our students and their family.","fullyFundedDate":1767098767468,"projectUrl":"project/initiative-to-promote-attendance-and-eng/9556543/","projectTitle":"Initiative to Promote Attendance and Engagement at our School","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Nebby Sanchez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10069583"},{"teacherId":6969971,"projectId":9521632,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous support of our classroom project. Your donation will directly provide meaningful resources that enhance learning for my elementary students. These materials will help create more engaging, hands-on lessons that support different learning styles and build excitement in the classroom. Your kindness helps strengthen student confidence, participation, and achievement. I am truly grateful for your support of our school community and for making a lasting difference. Thank you again!","fullyFundedDate":1756325798469,"projectUrl":"project/dazzling-departmentalized-third-grade/9521632/","projectTitle":"Dazzling Departmentalized Third Grade!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Posca","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6969971_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1574558877660","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6969971"},{"teacherId":6969971,"projectId":8639093,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous support of our classroom project. Your donation will directly provide meaningful resources that enhance learning for my elementary students. These materials will help create more engaging, hands-on lessons that support different learning styles and build excitement in the classroom. Your kindness helps strengthen student confidence, participation, and achievement. I am truly grateful for your support of our school community and for making a lasting difference. Thank you again!","fullyFundedDate":1723754697943,"projectUrl":"project/back-to-school-essentials/8639093/","projectTitle":"Back to School Essentials!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Posca","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6969971_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1574558877660","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6969971"},{"teacherId":6969971,"projectId":8189666,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous support of our classroom project. Your donation will directly provide meaningful resources that enhance learning for my elementary students. These materials will help create more engaging, hands-on lessons that support different learning styles and build excitement in the classroom. Your kindness helps strengthen student confidence, participation, and achievement. I am truly grateful for your support of our school community and for making a lasting difference. Thank you again!","fullyFundedDate":1707077369793,"projectUrl":"project/1st-year-in-3rd-grade-halfway-through-t/8189666/","projectTitle":"1st Year in 3rd Grade- Halfway Through the Year!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Posca","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6969971_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1574558877660","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6969971"},{"teacherId":5746722,"projectId":9970364,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in funding our project, \"Creating a Cozy, Language-Rich Classroom for Multilingual Learners.\" The arrival of these new materials has completely transformed our classroom environment. By combining comfortable, welcoming seating with vibrant, accessible language resources, you have helped create a space where my multilingual students feel safe, valued, and excited to learn every single day.\r\n\r\nThe impact on their learning has been immediate. Many donors use technology or traditional desks at home, but in a modern language-learning classroom, comfort and community are key. The cozy new setup has given my students a dedicated space to lower their affective filters—meaning they feel relaxed enough to take risks with their new language. They are absolutely thrilled to gather in our new cozy area, and it has quickly become the most popular spot in the room for collaborative speaking activities and independent reading.\r\n\r\nWe have a few quiet, introverted multilingual learners who initially struggled to engage or speak up during lessons. Since introducing these inviting new materials, I have seen a beautiful shift. They have completely warmed up to the space, often being the first to settle into the cozy seating with a book or partnering up with a peer to practice their English vocabulary. Thank you for investing in our classroom and giving these amazing students the comfortable, resource-rich environment they need to thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1772550429291,"projectUrl":"project/creating-a-cozy-language-rich-classroom/9970364/","projectTitle":"Creating a Cozy, Language-Rich Classroom for Multilingual Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bugnacki","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5746722_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1550170060335","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/emily-bugnacki"},{"teacherId":5746722,"projectId":9970321,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in funding our project, \"When I Grow Up: Exploring Community Careers Through Research.\" These new texts have completely transformed the way reading and learning look in our classroom. Through these books, my students are not only strengthening their core literacy skills—such as identifying main ideas, comparing texts, and vocabulary building—but they are also developing critical research and inquiry skills as they dive deep into the diverse world of community careers.\r\n\r\nIn our classroom, reading has become an active, collaborative experience. Students are no longer just decoding words; they are engaging in meaningful discussions about the roles different workers play in making our community thrive. This project has sparked immense curiosity, particularly among a few of my reluctant readers who used to struggle to stay focused. Seeing real-world professions beautifully illustrated and explained has completely captivated them, and they are now the first to eagerly grab these books during independent reading time.\r\n\r\nYour support has given my students a window into their own futures, allowing them to dream big about who they want to become. We are incredibly grateful for your investment in our classroom and our community's future leaders.","fullyFundedDate":1767098764260,"projectUrl":"project/when-i-grow-up-exploring-community-care/9970321/","projectTitle":"When I Grow Up: Exploring Community Careers Through Research","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bugnacki","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5746722_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1550170060335","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/emily-bugnacki"},{"teacherId":5746722,"projectId":9908629,"letterContent":"I want to express my deepest gratitude for your incredible generosity in funding \"Bugging Out: A Library of Little Wonders.\" These new books have brought a wave of excitement and curiosity into our classroom. Reading in our room is a vibrant, hands-on experience, and having a dedicated library of beautifully illustrated, high-interest texts has completely transformed our daily reading routine.\r\n\r\nThese texts do so much more than just entertain; they are powerful tools for teaching critical literacy skills. Through these stories, my students are learning how to ask inquisitive questions, identify main ideas, and expand their scientific vocabulary. Several of my reluctant readers, who previously struggled to stay engaged during independent reading time, are now completely captivated by the bug and nature themes. They proudly rush to the library shelves each morning, eager to discover a new \"little wonder.\" Your support has not only provided books but has truly sparked a lifelong love for reading and discovery in these young minds.","fullyFundedDate":1765914105771,"projectUrl":"project/bugging-out-a-library-of-little-wonders/9908629/","projectTitle":"Bugging Out: A Library of Little Wonders","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bugnacki","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5746722_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1550170060335","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/emily-bugnacki"},{"teacherId":8494788,"projectId":9677977,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for these wonderful materials—they've already made a big difference in our classroom! The stickers and keychains have been a great motivator for independent reading, encouraging students to meet their goals and feel proud of their progress. Even reluctant readers are getting more excited about picking up books.\r\n\r\nThe cushions have helped create a cozy, flexible reading space, allowing students to get comfortable and stay focused longer. They absolutely loved them right away!\r\n\r\nNext, we'll continue building strong reading habits by setting goals, tracking progress, and sharing book recommendations. We truly appreciate your support in helping us create a positive reading environment!","fullyFundedDate":1765914104570,"projectUrl":"project/cozy-hive-reading/9677977/","projectTitle":"Cozy Hive Reading","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mazzarella","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8494788_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755750437978","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8494788"},{"teacherId":9335776,"projectId":9927765,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our first grade multilingual classroom! Because of your generosity, our students will have access to creative craft supplies, organizational materials, and classroom tools that help make learning engaging and supportive for everyone.\r\n\r\nThe folders will help students keep their work organized and take pride in their learning, while the dry erase markers and power strips will help us use our classroom tools and technology more effectively throughout the day. The craft materials—like pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and paint markers—will allow students to express their creativity during hands-on projects that build language, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.\r\n\r\nSmall rewards like keychains help celebrate student effort and encourage positive classroom habits, while cleaning supplies help us maintain a healthy learning environment for everyone.\r\n\r\nYour generosity helps create a classroom where multilingual learners feel supported, inspired, and excited to come to school each day. Thank you for investing in my students and helping make our classroom a joyful place to learn and grow!","fullyFundedDate":1765914104739,"projectUrl":"project/creative-tools-to-support-multilingual-l/9927765/","projectTitle":"Creative Tools to Support Multilingual Learners!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cipolla","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9335776_orig.jpg?crop=1170,1170,x0,y128&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1705076616374","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9335776"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_43735","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":584,"numTeachers":44,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":8,"percentWhite":6,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":78,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":4,"gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"13.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":54.9,"schoolId":43735,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Smalley Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Smalley Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/connecticut/consolidated-school-district-of-new-britain/smalley-academy/43735"}