Thames River Magnet School in Groton, Connecticut on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Thames River Magnet School","outOfStateSupporters":36.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":3033173,"projectId":9321057,"letterContent":"I wish you could have seen our Groton PreK/TK students meet their bears this year! The excitement in the classrooms was palpable. Each child waited eagerly to meet their bear, to name them, and to become best friends! As we described the personality of the bears, you could see the child intended for the bear start to light up, knowing without a doubt they had found their perfect match! \r\n\r\nEach day, children come into school and immediately grab their bears for a morning hug! The bears join the kids in play centers, help them sit snug on the rug for group time, and listen to the kids tell stories as they look at books together. When someone is hurt or upset, their bear can be the best comfort away from their families. I've even seen a child who was comforted by their bear a prior day, offer to get the bear of a friend who is having a difficult moment. Sometimes the bears are so attached that they even try to come along to specials or recess! One bear made it all the way to the Art Room before she was discovered! \r\n\r\nOne of my favorite things is the naming of the bears. This year we have several bears have several bears named after their child. We have bears named Caramel, Brownie, and Goldie, named for the color of their beautiful fur. We have bears named after favorite people at home and bears named for superheroes! Some bears still await their names, as a uncertain child ponders the possibilities. \r\n\r\nThe bears bring so much joy to our children and comfort on the hardest days. Social emotional development is a key feature to readying the children for academic skills. The comfort of the bears has helped us to prepare the kids to work hard, learn lots and to enjoy each day at school. We couldn't have done it without your support!","fullyFundedDate":1750256128819,"projectUrl":"project/bears-to-bring-love-to-groton-prek/9321057/","projectTitle":"Bears to Bring Love to Groton PreK","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Walker","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3033173_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1496263574255","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/megwalker"},{"teacherId":3033173,"projectId":8874222,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for our light table! It has truly brightened up our classroom! It is even more magical than I imagined. There are so many color options, from solid colors to flashing lights but our favorite of all is the transition between rainbow colors! The first few days we were just mesmerized by the colors and would turn off our lights to enjoy the glow. We tried all the different settings, mixed colored lights with colored objects to create new colors and explored our new manipulatives.\r\n\r\nSince those first few days, the kids' imagination have run wild! They love building glowing houses with magnet tiles. They have made beds for their bears and living spaces for people. They love to turn the table green to hide the green \"zombie\" people and then to turn it white to find them. They use the blue circles to make a swimming pool and the green balls to be ooze. They are constantly coming up with new ways to play and incorporating toys in new ways.\r\n\r\nWe are just beginning to explore learning with the light table. We have experimented with color mixing, sorted objects and gotten into counting large groups. We have used the table to make math magical, make science sensational and even to light up our classroom to celebrate together! I cannot wait to see how this table continues to enhacne our learning and our play for years to come! Thank you for making an impact and \"Lighting Up TK!\"","fullyFundedDate":1739456452919,"projectUrl":"project/light-up-transitional-kindergarten/8874222/","projectTitle":"Light Up Transitional Kindergarten","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Walker","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3033173_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1496263574255","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/megwalker"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_130340","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":501,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":65,"percentAsian":7,"percentBlack":8,"percentWhite":44,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":23,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"UNCLASSIFIED","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":63.6,"schoolId":130340,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Thames River Magnet School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Thames River Magnet School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/connecticut/groton-public-schools/thames-river-environmental-marine-science-magnet-school/130340"}

About this school

Thames River Magnet School is a suburban public school in Groton, Connecticut that is part of Groton Public Schools. It serves 501 students in grades Pre-K - 5. Its teachers have had 6 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades Pre-K - 5

501 Students

# of teachers unavailable

250 Brandegee Ave

Groton, CT 06340 View local requests

https://trms.grotonschools.org/

Evidence-based impact

Inspire teachers to stay in the classroom and boost student achievement.¹

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

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

Thames River Magnet School Teachers on DonorsChoose

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. Each classroom request for funding was created by a classroom teacher and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works

Thames River Magnet School Demographics

65%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

38%

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.

Thames River Magnet School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 5, 2025

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.