Valley Road Elementary School in Stanhope, New Jersey on DonorsChoose

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Students formulated definitions, expressed their opinions with reasoning, took turns listening to their peers share personal experiences with stress, and debated the pros and cons of stress. \r\n\r\nDepending on grade level, in the following few sessions students either watched a kid-friendly video explaining what stress is or read a World Health Organization article that addressed frequently asked questions about stress. These activities served to increase knowledge on the topic to then support students as they tackled speech/language goal-specific tasks (e.g., summarizing information, defining idioms, using context clues, articulation, answering wh-questions, listening comprehension, etc.) that all involved content on the theme of stress. Students also engaged in meaningful dialogue about what wellness looks like in one's body, mind and relationships. \r\n\r\nFinally, students took to the materials from this DonorsChoose project to create stress balls that they can use to help themselves alleviate stress. Students continued to need to employ their speech / language skills to understand the oral and written project directions, learn the vocabulary for unfamiliar supplies (e.g., funnel, yarn), sequence the steps to create and decorate the stress ball, and engage in perspective taking and shared problem solving when things did not go as planned (things got quite messy with the flour at times!). They were so proud of themselves and even paired their stress balls with new breathing techniques. 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I have used this device to model on AAC apps to promote their language development so they can be more engaged with their lessons and communicate with peers and staff.\r\n\r\nFor students that have their own AAC devices, this iPad has been instrumental in showing them that they are not the only ones who communicate using technology, giving them a sense of normalcy. It's been amazing to see their faces light up and eyes follow my modeling on the AAC eagerly. Then they get excited and initiate messages on the device. When a student temporarily lost their AAC device or it was left at home, this iPad has served as a way for them to still have their voice!\r\n\r\nThank you again so much for making this project possible!","fullyFundedDate":1734552441619,"projectUrl":"project/everyone-deserves-a-voice/8791329/","projectTitle":"Everyone Deserves a Voice","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Neli, Speech Language Pathologist","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9527526_orig.jpg?crop=1455,1455,x353,y1292&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1726972399264","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msneli"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_59139","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":317,"numTeachers":31,"percentFrplEligible":18,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":2,"percentWhite":56,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":33,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"10.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":false,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":66.7,"schoolId":59139,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Valley Road Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Valley Road Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/new-jersey/stanhope-school-district/valley-road-school/59139"}

About this school

Valley Road Elementary School is a suburban public school in Stanhope, New Jersey that is part of Stanhope School District. It serves 317 students in grades Pre-K - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 10.2:1. Its teachers have had 5 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Public School

Grades Pre-K - 8

317 Students

31 Teachers

24 Valley Rd

Stanhope, NJ 07874 View local requests

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

Valley Road Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

Ms. McManus

Ms. Neli, Speech Language Pathologist

Ms. Strangeway

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Valley Road Elementary School Demographics

18%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

36%

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.

Valley Road Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 5, 2025

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