{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Watson - Williams Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":25.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6174661,"projectId":9639408,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, our new Learning on Display: Chart Stand and Paper has quickly become a daily centerpiece in our classroom. My students use it during whole-group lessons and small-group literacy work, and it has become a powerful visual support for my English Language Learners.\r\n\r\nWhen we first set it up, the students were so excited—they immediately gathered around to help create our first bilingual anchor chart. Even my quieter learners were eager to come up, add vocabulary, and share their ideas.\r\n\r\nWe're now using the chart stand to build vocabulary lists, track reading comprehension skills, and create collaborative posters. Students refer back to their charts throughout the day, and they feel proud seeing their work displayed.\r\n\r\nYour support has made a real difference, giving my students a shared space to think, create, and learn together. Thank you for making this possible!","fullyFundedDate":1758654638133,"projectUrl":"project/learning-on-display-chart-stand-and-pap/9639408/","projectTitle":"Learning on Display: Chart Stand and Paper","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salerno","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6174661_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755958272601","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6174661"},{"teacherId":9589139,"projectId":9310100,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for contributing to the my fine motor project, which helped so many of my students! It has been an absolute joy watching each student use the products received and observe the growth they have already made. \r\n\r\nWhen you're a school based therapist, you tend to purchase items yourself. I have had to do that over the years to create an environment students enjoy learning in. Therefore, having this opportunity for others to donate to the therapy room of Watson Williams, with brand new toys, sensory items, and games has been an absolute game changer! They are eager to come and see what activity they get to complete with one of the items! \r\n\r\nSo once again, thank you so much for not only helping me be a better therapist with new tools but having the opportunity to bring a smile to my kids faces during OT!","fullyFundedDate":1755701321106,"projectUrl":"project/fine-motor-fun/9310100/","projectTitle":"Fine Motor Fun!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Totaro","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9589139"},{"teacherId":9129788,"projectId":9107749,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to the Watson Williams Drama Club! With your donation, the students were able to put on an amazing performance of Lion King Kids! The drama club students had a dress rehearsal on 5/28/2025 in front of their fellow students and teachers/staff members. The drama club students were so excited to wear the costumes that were provided by all of you! There were plenty enough animal ears, tails, paws, etc. that every drama club member was able to get into character.\r\nOn 5/29/2025, the students performed the play for their parents and community members. We had a packed house of over 200 audience members! When getting ready for the show, the drama club committee was able to get the students stage ready by using the makeup and brushes that were donated to us. The students looked so cute with their animal painted faces! We also had a lot of positive comments regarding the backdrop that we used on the stage, which really set the scene for the entire performance.\r\nThank you again for all of your donations! With how successful the play was last year, the Drama Club Committee has already started planning for this years school play!","fullyFundedDate":1743788055360,"projectUrl":"project/lion-king-kids/9107749/","projectTitle":"Lion King Kids","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Nash","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9129788"},{"teacherId":6174661,"projectId":6373848,"letterContent":"Here's a 500-word thank you letter you can adapt for your DonorsChoose project:\r\n\r\n⸻\r\n\r\nDear Supporters,\r\n\r\nI am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation to our classroom through DonorsChoose. Thanks to your kindness, our students now have access to high-quality headphones that are already making a noticeable difference in their learning experience.\r\n\r\nIn our classroom, technology plays an important role in providing differentiated instruction, meeting the diverse needs of students, and giving each child the opportunity to learn at their own pace. Before your donation, we struggled with limited and unreliable headphones. Many students had to share or work without them, which made it challenging to concentrate during online lessons, reading activities, and language development programs.\r\n\r\nNow, because of your support, each student has their own pair of comfortable, durable headphones. This simple yet powerful resource has created a quieter, more focused environment where students can engage deeply in their work. For example, during reading intervention time, my English Language Learners can now listen to audiobooks and phonics lessons without background noise, allowing them to hear every word clearly. Students working on math fluency programs can focus without distraction, and those who benefit from speech-to-text tools can use them without disturbing their classmates.\r\n\r\nThe impact goes beyond academics. These headphones have given students a sense of ownership and pride in their learning. When they receive tools that are \"just for them,\" they feel valued and supported. One student told me, \"It's like having my own little world to learn in.\" That confidence carries over into class discussions, group work, and even independent projects.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has also given me the flexibility to design lessons with more multimedia components, knowing that each student can access them without technical barriers. I can assign videos, interactive simulations, and personalized learning tasks without worrying about whether everyone will be able to hear clearly. This has made instruction smoother, more engaging, and more equitable.\r\n\r\nThe ripple effect of your donation is already evident. Students are completing more independent practice, staying engaged for longer periods, and producing higher-quality work. For many of my English Language Learners, the clarity provided by these headphones is helping them make faster progress in listening comprehension and vocabulary development.\r\n\r\nI also want to share that your gift has inspired conversations about kindness and generosity in our classroom. We've discussed how people from all over the country support students they may never meet, and my students are brainstorming ways they can \"pay it forward\" in their own lives. In that way, your impact is both immediate and lasting.\r\n\r\nOn behalf of my students, their families, and myself—thank you. Your belief in our potential, your investment in our growth, and your willingness to help meet our needs mean more than words can fully express. You have given us a tool that will be used every single day to create meaningful learning experiences, and we are deeply grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1651581634269,"projectUrl":"project/comfortable-headphones/6373848/","projectTitle":"Comfortable Headphones!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salerno","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6174661_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755958272601","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6174661"},{"teacherId":7760353,"projectId":9040346,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generosity, providing my reading disabled students with books they really want to read. They enjoyed the first Case Closed and begged for more! We started reading right after state tests were completed. \r\n\r\nThe students divided themselves into small groups and began to read. We started with \"Haunting at the Hotel\". These books are \"find your own path\". After learning about the haunted hotel, they are given choices as to what they want to do, and turn to the page indicated.\r\n\r\nStudents must keep track of clues, suspects and theories of the crime in journals. At the end of each class, they share and discuss their theories. This improves comprehension, paying attention to details, and writing skills. They get so excited discussing different clues, suspects and theories. They change their minds about what they think every day. Since these kids hate to read and write, it is amazing to see them enjoying themselves through this project.\r\nThank you once again.","fullyFundedDate":1738860524019,"projectUrl":"project/we-loved-the-first-mystery-can-we-read/9040346/","projectTitle":"We loved the first mystery! Can we read the next?","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tuttle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7760353_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683933921080","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7760353"},{"teacherId":8544066,"projectId":8981692,"letterContent":"This kind donation has really made an impact on my classroom! All of my students now have working headphones assigned to them to use daily! They are able to complete all of their online computer work with ease now that they have the headphones they need. \r\n\r\nWe are no longer struggling to find working headphones in the classroom. Some of my students were having to go without. My students and I are relieved to have enough headphones that we needed. This has taken a lot of stress out of our days in our classroom because technology is used everyday!\r\n\r\nThank you!","fullyFundedDate":1733249147450,"projectUrl":"project/help-with-headphones/8981692/","projectTitle":"Help With Headphones!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Wiater","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8544066_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658707173885","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8544066"},{"teacherId":7760353,"projectId":8392682,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, my students have been able to read books they are truly interested in! My goal is to increase reading ability, compression and vocabulary. I also want to increase confidence while reading.\r\n\r\nOne book club read \"Case Closed: Mystery at the Mansion\" This is a book where they choose what suspects to interview and clues to find. We chose interesting vocabulary words for them to research. We discussed which suspects/ clue to follow. The kids wrote their theories of the crime. They didn't even complain about having to write! The children increased skills, without knowing it because they were having fun!\r\nAnother group read, \"Mystery of the Missing necklace\". We discussed the text to ensure comprehension. Then they were able to find clues in the pictures. They wrote sentences about each clue and why it was important. We located interesting vocabulary words and researched what they meant. They had so much fun and learned without knowing they were learning. It's wonderful to see them enjoying learning!","fullyFundedDate":1725835505228,"projectUrl":"project/pick-a-book/8392682/","projectTitle":"Pick a Book!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tuttle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7760353_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683933921080","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7760353"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_22167","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":590,"numTeachers":42,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":33,"percentBlack":32,"percentWhite":7,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":17,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"14.0:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_SMALL"},"inStateSupporters":75.0,"schoolId":22167,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Watson - Williams Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Watson - Williams Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/new-york/utica-city-school-district/watson-williams-elementary-school/22167"}