{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Early Childhood Education Center - Lemon Grove","outOfStateSupporters":8.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10365555,"projectId":9938925,"letterContent":"Donating play dough mats, kinetic sand, shape stickers, and other hands-on learning materials gave my TK students meaningful opportunities to learn through play. These resources strengthen fine-motor and pre-writing skills while supporting early math, language, creativity, sensory exploration, and social-emotional development. With these materials, students can explore during f\r\nIndependent play, create, practice, and build important kindergarten-readiness skills in an engaging and developmentally appropriate way.","fullyFundedDate":1774963782755,"projectUrl":"project/little-lemons-love-to-play/9938925/","projectTitle":"Little Lemons Love to Play","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10365555_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1764645592639","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10365555"},{"teacherId":10365555,"projectId":10191989,"letterContent":"My Transitional Kindergarten students are using the new outdoor resources, including the balancing beams, stepping stones, and water play materials, during outdoor learning and exploration. One of our favorite activities has been creating an obstacle course with the balancing beams and stepping stones. Students practice balancing, jumping, stepping, and coordinating their movements while encouraging their classmates. During water play, students pour, scoop, transfer, and experiment with water while developing early science and math skills. These activities turn outdoor play into meaningful hands-on learning. My students were immediately excited when they saw the new materials. They could not wait to touch, explore, and try everything! The balancing equipment encouraged students to challenge themselves physically, while the water play materials sparked lots of curiosity and imaginative play. I loved hearing students encourage one another by saying things like, \"You can do it!\" and \"Watch me!\" They were excited to learn through movement, exploration, and play.Our next steps are to continue using these materials to explore balance, movement, water, measurement, and problem-solving. Students will make predictions about what will happen during water play, compare amounts, and practice new vocabulary in Spanish and English. They will also continue building obstacle courses and challenging themselves to improve their balance and coordination. These resources will help us create an outdoor classroom where students can be active, curious, collaborative, and confident learners.","fullyFundedDate":1776205136048,"projectUrl":"project/outdoor-play-for-little-lemons/10191989/","projectTitle":"Outdoor play for Little Lemons","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10365555_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1764645592639","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10365555"},{"teacherId":10394908,"projectId":10189983,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my \"Outdoor Fun in TK\" project! My students were so excited to see all of our new outdoor materials arrive! They couldn't wait to inflate our new playground balls, blow bubbles with our new bubble kit, and make roads in our sand pit area. \r\n\r\nOutdoor play is so important for TK students because young children learn best when they can move, explore, and experience things hands-on. It's much more than just \"recess\"—it supports my students' gross motor skills, communication skills, and imagination. They can do just that with all of our new outdoor materials. \r\n\r\nThank you for helping make our playground a place where my students can move, explore, play, and grow! Your generosity has made a wonderful difference in our TK classroom, and we are so grateful!","fullyFundedDate":1776793788625,"projectUrl":"project/outdoor-fun-in-tk/10189983/","projectTitle":"Outdoor Fun in TK","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Casper","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10394908_orig.jpg?crop=1868,1868,x766,y685&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767333649572","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10394908"},{"teacherId":10394908,"projectId":10219543,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my \"Don't Let the TK'ers Read\" project! My students and I were so excited to receive all of our new books. Your donation has helped expand our library of interactive books, which are especially important for TK students because they turn reading from something children just listen to into something they can actively participate in.\r\n\r\nThese books have quickly become classroom favorites. My favorite part of them is listening to my students laugh as they listen and read the books with me. I love watching my students grab these books during free choice and read them together, laugh at the silly stories, and \"read\" the pages in their own way. Your generosity has helped make our classroom library more engaging and has given my students books they are genuinely excited to pick up again and again.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping my TKers become enthusiastic, confident little readers!","fullyFundedDate":1778033529015,"projectUrl":"project/dont-let-the-tkers-read/10219543/","projectTitle":"Don't let the TK'ers Read!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Casper","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10394908_orig.jpg?crop=1868,1868,x766,y685&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767333649572","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10394908"},{"teacherId":10394908,"projectId":10177135,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating new Tonie characters to our classroom and helping us expand our Toniebox library! My students are so excited to have new stories and music to choose from, including favorites like Clark the Shark, Pete the Cat, Elmer the Elephant, and more.\r\n\r\nThese new Tonies give my TK students even more opportunities to listen to stories, build vocabulary, strengthen early literacy skills, and enjoy books in a fun and independent way. They love choosing a character, settling in, and getting lost in a story!\r\n\r\nWe are so grateful for your generosity and for helping make our classroom library even more exciting. Thank you for giving my students more stories to discover and enjoy!","fullyFundedDate":1775681072715,"projectUrl":"project/storytelling-in-tk/10177135/","projectTitle":"Storytelling in TK","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Casper","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10394908_orig.jpg?crop=1868,1868,x766,y685&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767333649572","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10394908"},{"teacherId":10394908,"projectId":10059184,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my \"Tonie for Tots\" project! My students and I are incredibly grateful for our new Toniebox and the wonderful collection of Tonies you provided for our classroom. It has quickly become my students' favorite center and is something they look forward to using every single day!\r\n\r\nI have one student in particular who absolutely loves our Toniebox and spends all of our free choice time using it. He is usually very quiet and is still developing his English, but he always asks when he can use the Toniebox. It has been amazing to see him so engaged and excited about something in our classroom. For him, the Toniebox provides a comfortable way to hear new vocabulary, practice listening skills, and experience language through stories and music.\r\n\r\nI am so thankful for your generosity and for giving my students another way to learn, grow, and fall in love with books and stories. My students can choose a story, listen independently, and revisit their favorites over and over again. Your support has truly made a difference in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1774963651399,"projectUrl":"project/tonie-for-tots/10059184/","projectTitle":"Tonie for Tots","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Casper","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10394908_orig.jpg?crop=1868,1868,x766,y685&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767333649572","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10394908"},{"teacherId":10365555,"projectId":10161883,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for providing sensory books for my Transitional Kindergarten students! These books have made a meaningful impact on the way my students engage with stories and develop early literacy skills. Sensory books give children an opportunity to learn through more than just listening. They can touch different textures, feel interactive elements, look closely at pictures, and physically participate in the story. This hands-on approach has helped make reading more exciting, accessible, and meaningful for my young learners.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first received the sensory books, they were immediately drawn to the different textures and interactive features. They were eager to touch, explore, and turn each page. Instead of simply sitting and listening to a story, students became active participants. I noticed that children who sometimes have difficulty staying engaged during a traditional read-aloud were especially interested in these books. They wanted to investigate each page, talk about what they felt, and share their discoveries with their classmates. Their excitement created natural opportunities for conversation, vocabulary development, and social interaction.\r\n\r\nThe sensory books have also had a specific impact on our early literacy instruction. During read-alouds, students practice holding books, turning pages, looking at illustrations, making predictions, and connecting pictures to words and ideas. The interactive features encourage students to slow down and pay attention to details. For example, students may describe something as soft, rough, smooth, bumpy, fuzzy, or hard. These simple sensory experiences help expand their vocabulary while connecting new words to something they can actually feel. This is particularly valuable for Transitional Kindergarten students who are still developing language and communication skills.\r\n\r\n\r\nAnother important impact has been supporting social-emotional learning. Sensory books provide a calming and engaging activity that students can explore at their own pace. During independent reading, quiet time, or small-group activities, students can use the books to focus their attention and regulate their bodies. They also give children opportunities to talk about how different textures and experiences make them feel. This helps students develop awareness of their senses and emotions while creating positive associations with books and reading.\r\n\r\n\r\nMost importantly, these books have helped create a classroom where students are excited about reading. My goal is to help children see books as something they can explore, enjoy, and interact with. Sensory books have helped make that goal possible by giving my students memorable, hands-on experiences with stories. I look forward to continuing to use them during whole-group read-alouds, small groups, literacy centers, and more!","fullyFundedDate":1775681043012,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-books-in-tk/10161883/","projectTitle":"Sensory Books in TK","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10365555_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1764645592639","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10365555"},{"teacherId":10394908,"projectId":10058906,"letterContent":"Having a large drying rack has changed the way we do art in our classroom! Thank you so much for your donation! We would have been unable to do this without your support! We are now able to do whole class art projects and have a designated, safe place to let those masterpieces dry. \r\n\r\nWe have been able to do so many art projects this year and have been able to create larger projects and use varied art mediums, like watercolor paint, all because your donation gave us the space and ability to do so. \r\n\r\nWe have been able to do all this and so much more:\r\nCelebrated our nation by finger painting an American Flag\r\nCreating a spring collage using bleeding tissue paper and scrapbook paper tiles\r\nCreating a garden of veggies and flowers using our hands and feet\r\nDecorated umbrellas and sprayed watercolor rain to add texture\r\nMother's Day handprints\r\nLetter Z stripped craft\r\n\r\nI wholeheartedly appreciate your support for all teachers and want you to know that your donation to my classroom made a big impact for my students, past and present. Art has always been a mode of expression, but in TK especially, it allows for creativity, exploration, and development of student identity. Thank you for your contribution!","fullyFundedDate":1778869840383,"projectUrl":"project/smudge-happens-we-need-a-drying-rack/10058906/","projectTitle":"Smudge Happens - We Need a Drying Rack","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Casper","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10394908_orig.jpg?crop=1868,1868,x766,y685&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767333649572","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10394908"},{"teacherId":10394908,"projectId":9977078,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your support in donating STEAM materials to my classroom. My TK students are a very curious bunch and love to learn about the world around them through the use of hands-on materials. In TK, we learn primarily through play. The materials donated allow my students to do just that. \r\n\r\nThe nature blocks look just like real ice cubes, boulders, and tree logs. My students had so much fun building slides for the penguins, tree houses for the birds, and a towering rock tower for our lions. One of my students stacked up the boulders to make two towers that met in the middle. He then put one of the female lions and one of the male lions next to each other and \"married\" them! These were such a great addition to our animal unit! I can't wait to extend their use into our math centers where students can practice using positional words and moving the animals to match. For example, the bird is on the tree, the penguin is under the ice, etc. \r\n\r\nIn addition to our animal blocks, my students have thoroughly enjoyed creating designs and shapes on their new geoboards. Most recently they've been practicing making different shapes and comparing them to other classmates to see how they are similar vs. different. \r\n\r\nNone of this interactive learning would be possible without your support! Thank you so much for your generous donation to my classroom. Both my students and myself appreciate you!","fullyFundedDate":1769192050957,"projectUrl":"project/tk-loves-steam/9977078/","projectTitle":"TK Loves STEAM","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Casper","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10394908_orig.jpg?crop=1868,1868,x766,y685&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767333649572","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10394908"},{"teacherId":9523171,"projectId":9071342,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, our classroom has been transformed into a hands-on learning environment where young children can explore, build, and grow through meaningful play. Your support helped provide essential materials that encourage fine motor development, early literacy, STEM exploration, and organization within our preschool special education classroom.\r\n\r\nStudents are already actively engaging with many of the materials you helped provide. For example, children are using the Giant Alphabet Beads to practice early letter recognition while strengthening fine motor and bilateral coordination as they thread beads onto strings. Others are exploring cause-and-effect and spatial reasoning with the magnetic gears and building blocks, turning and connecting pieces to see how movement works. The Silly Suckers suction toys have been especially exciting for students as they experiment with sticking, pulling, and building structures while developing hand strength and coordination.\r\n\r\nYour donations have also helped create an organized and accessible learning environment. The multipurpose drying rack allows students' artwork to dry safely while encouraging independence in caring for their projects. Storage materials such as book baskets, manipulatives containers, and puzzle racks help students independently access and return materials, promoting responsibility and classroom routines. Our new HP Smart Tank printer allows us to quickly create visual supports, learning materials, and communication tools that support our diverse learners.\r\n\r\nThese materials are especially meaningful for the students in our program because many benefit from tactile, hands-on experiences to build foundational skills. Activities such as sorting gears, threading beads, manipulating locks and keys, and constructing with magnets allow students to strengthen fine motor control, problem-solving abilities, and early math and literacy concepts.\r\n\r\nThanks to your generosity, our students now have opportunities to learn through exploration, creativity, and discovery every single day. The excitement on their faces (and busy hands!) shows just how impactful your support has been. Your kindness has directly enriched the learning experiences of our young learners and helped create a classroom environment where every child can succeed.\r\n\r\nFrom the bottom of our hearts, thank you for investing in our students and their futures.\r\n\r\nWith gratitude,\r\n\r\nMaribel Tico\r\nEarly Childhood Special Education Teacher","fullyFundedDate":1746786474684,"projectUrl":"project/empowering-our-youngest-learners-classr/9071342/","projectTitle":"Empowering Our Youngest Learners: Classroom Management Tools for Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Maribel Tico","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9523171_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1779574686881","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9523171"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_131853","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":270,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":51,"percentAsian":5,"percentBlack":10,"percentWhite":10,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":69,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":3,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - K","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"UNCLASSIFIED","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":91.7,"schoolId":131853,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Early Childhood Education Center - Lemon Grove on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Early Childhood Education Center - Lemon Grove","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/lemon-grove-school-district/early-childhood-education-center-lemon-grove/131853"}