{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Sunny Sands Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":19.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":3342290,"projectId":9753673,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donation to our \"Bragging Good Time in TK\" project. I have never been able to reward students for all of the things that they are learning. Having the ability to reward students for learning their address and being a great student is amazing. Students have already started receiving their tags and putting them on their necklaces. \r\n\r\nI have really seen a tremendous improvement in the work they are doing. They are excited to earn a tag and love putting them on and can't wait to wear them home and share them with their families. \r\n\r\nThank you again for your generous donation and taking the time out of your day to support our class.","fullyFundedDate":1758812275280,"projectUrl":"project/a-bragging-good-time-in-tk/9753673/","projectTitle":"A Bragging Good Time In TK","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hughes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3342290_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1449264920536","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbrownk6"},{"teacherId":3086982,"projectId":9748931,"letterContent":"When our art supplies arrived, the classroom was filled with excitement. My students' eyes lit up when they first saw the paint sticks, movement ribbons, and colorful sand waiting for them. They could not wait to get started. One of our first projects was using the paint sticks to create holiday cards. The children loved how easy they were to use and proudly shared their artwork with classmates and families.\r\n\r\nThe movement ribbons quickly became a favorite during music and movement time. Students twirled and danced with joy, building confidence while practicing coordination. The kinetic and colored sand have been just as popular. During small-group centers, students dig, shape, and explore while strengthening fine motor skills and sharing ideas with friends.\r\n\r\nThese resources have transformed our daily learning. They make lessons more engaging and hands-on, and they allow every child to express creativity in a way that fits their style. Our next step is to use the supplies for upcoming holiday projects, including ornaments and classroom decorations, which the children are already excited about. Your generosity has made a lasting impact, bringing both learning and joy to our TK classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1758720621811,"projectUrl":"project/help-my-students-learn-with-art-sand-p/9748931/","projectTitle":"Help My Students Learn With Art, Sand, Paint, and Movement!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McKinley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3086982_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1526589961202","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-clawrence"},{"teacherId":4797284,"projectId":9140299,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to our 4th grade classroom! Your support has brought so much excitement and energy to our learning environment. We've been using the new resources daily—whether it's diving into science experiments, enhancing our reading centers, or collaborating in small groups with new learning tools. One of the most memorable moments was during our recent phonics lesson, where students were able to build words, in a fun and creative way, that made it more memorable and useful. The room was buzzing with creativity, teamwork, and pride in their accomplishments!\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the materials, their faces lit up with joy and curiosity. Many of them couldn't believe these items were just for our class. One student said, \"These things (tools) will help me with my phonics and reading skills. I'm so glad you got them for us!\" Your contribution has empowered them to take ownership of their learning, and I can't wait to see where their curiosity leads next. Thank you again for making such a meaningful impact!","fullyFundedDate":1746787381749,"projectUrl":"project/phonics-for-all/9140299/","projectTitle":"Phonics for All!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Peterson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4797284_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1720482366473","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrspetersonsuperclass"},{"teacherId":9990834,"projectId":9230293,"letterContent":"I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your heartfelt donations. You have helped our small seeds grow with the proper tools needed for any classroom. These books will help the next generation of students learn how to enjoy reading and how to utilize information from books. Many of these books will follow along with our lessons on how to make friends, understanding families and what a community looks like. We start off our year with how to make friends. Some of the books you helped acquire include: A Friend for Henry, Little Blue Truck Makes A Friend and This is How We Make Friends. These books show examples of how students can meet and make new friends. This is especially important as many of these children have not socialized much with others their own age. It is an important skill that will last them a lifetime. Another theme we explore in our class is learning about different animals. Some of the books we acquired include: The National Geographic level 1 books on animals and Eric Carle board books on animals. As we live in a desert region, many students do not have the opportunity to see many of these animals. These books help lay the foundation for knowledge they will need heading into Kindergarten. Our class also looks at our community as a way to develop positive relationships with others. One particular project we do in our class includes making a model of their favorite building in our community. Books like The Great Big Book of Families, explores the different people in our community, It engages the students to build relationships with each other as they compare and contrast their similarities and differences in a positive environment. \r\n\r\nIn our classroom students are encouraged to explore the world through reading. We have a dedicated reading nook for 10 students to sit comfortably and read during free time. Some students have started exploring our new books on Kindergarten as many will be going there next year. One of the most popular new books is Next Stop: Kindergarten. This wonderful book helps students understand and address some of the emotional concerns they might have going to a new class. It approaches the transition in a manner that alleviates worries by comparing some of the things they learn to what they know in Preschool. \r\n\r\nYour donations have had such an impact on our classroom. I have taught for many years at Sunny Sands Elementary. I have taught for so long that children of previous preschool students are now my students. It is a classroom that has impacted multiple generations. I am so happy to continue helping students enter their educational career in a positive and loving environment. It is my hope that by building my classroom with the best tools I can help improve the impact I have made on our community. Teaching students to read and helping them discover the love for reading is a reward that doesn't compare. With your help I am able to provide this to all our precious kids.","fullyFundedDate":1744290653473,"projectUrl":"project/preschool-classroom-library/9230293/","projectTitle":"Preschool Classroom Library","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Dougherty","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9990834"},{"teacherId":3086982,"projectId":9179186,"letterContent":"I want to sincerely thank you for your generous support of our classroom project, \"Help Me Build a Dramatic Play Center for TK.\" Your donations made it possible for us to create a vibrant and interactive space where our students can explore, imagine, and grow through play. Your kindness and willingness to invest in our children's learning is truly appreciated.\r\n\r\nDramatic play is a vital part of early childhood development. It helps children build language and communication skills, practice problem-solving, develop empathy, and strengthen social relationships. Through role-playing and storytelling, our TK students are learning how to cooperate, express themselves, and understand the world around them—all while having fun in a creative environment.\r\n\r\nThank you once again for being such a vital part of our classroom community. Your generosity has made a lasting difference, and our students are already thriving in the new play center thanks to your support","fullyFundedDate":1742948457153,"projectUrl":"project/help-me-build-a-dramatic-play-center-for/9179186/","projectTitle":"Help Me Build a Dramatic Play Center for Tk!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McKinley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3086982_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1526589961202","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-clawrence"},{"teacherId":3342290,"projectId":7720682,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting plants and growing plants in our classroom. The students were so excited to watch the plants, seeds and seedlings grow. This year we were able to plant cuttings and allow students to take home seeds that we started in class as well as a planted starter. The students loved that they were able to see how plants grew and the process that they went through. They liked watering their plants and took ownership of their plant and the plants growth. In TK we watched carefully to make sure they didn't over water their plants. \r\n\r\nThank you again for your support.","fullyFundedDate":1693960609457,"projectUrl":"project/a-growing-good-time-in-tk/7720682/","projectTitle":"A Growing Good Time in TK","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hughes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3342290_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1449264920536","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbrownk6"},{"teacherId":3342290,"projectId":8237806,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation. The stickers have really helped the students with their pincher grip and practice using their hand muscles. A large part of TK is helping students develop those muscles that will help them for years to come. The students love to use the chart stickers in their Fine Motor Journals where they are using the stickers to practice letter writing. They also love the smelly stickers and will often smell all of the stickers before choosing just the right one. The are able to earn this stickers with their excellent behavior, their amazing friendship and being a good friend by helping each other. \r\n\r\nThank you again, so very much.","fullyFundedDate":1710254495465,"projectUrl":"project/stuck-on-learning-stickers-make-our-cla/8237806/","projectTitle":"Stuck on Learning: Stickers Make Our Class Go Round","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hughes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3342290_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1449264920536","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbrownk6"},{"teacherId":3342290,"projectId":8370674,"letterContent":"I can't thank you enough for your amazing donations to my classroom. The liquid water color paint has been such an awesome resource for my class to use. They are able to practice that very important pincher grasp while using eye droppers to create wonderful works of art. The students are excited to use the colors move and combine to understand color and color theory in such a different and unique way. Most of the class can talk about how yellow and blue make green, not just because they have memorized it, but because they have seen the colors flow into each other and create those secondary colors. \r\n\r\nThank you again for enriching the learning in my classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1715170427105,"projectUrl":"project/water-coloring-our-way-through-tk/8370674/","projectTitle":"Water Coloring Our Way Through TK","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hughes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3342290_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1449264920536","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbrownk6"},{"teacherId":3342290,"projectId":8341557,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donation to our classroom. The kids are loving the finger print paper, the finger paints, the pip squeak markers and the awesome large box of markers. I know that the kids love having materials that are their size and they are able to use independently. This has allowed them to make and create art that tells stories when their writing skills and letter writing skills are still developing. I am also able to allow students to use materials as they want, without the fear of kids \"running out\" of something. \r\n\r\nYour donation has changed out classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1715341138840,"projectUrl":"project/a-colorful-way-to-end-tk/8341557/","projectTitle":"A Colorful Way To End TK","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hughes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3342290_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1449264920536","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbrownk6"},{"teacherId":3342290,"projectId":8364332,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donation of laminating pages and plastic pencil pouches. I was able to create hundreds of learning bags for the kids to practice counting. Kids are able to count little treasures. Having the key chains on the zippers allow myself and the teachers assistants to know the target number the students are counting. \r\n\r\nWe use laminating sheets for everything. We love to have the kids create and then laminate it and send it home for a forever craft project. It really takes a bit of stress off of me to be able to supply the students with things that they need that I don't have to buy myself. THANK YOU","fullyFundedDate":1716399527474,"projectUrl":"project/the-best-centers-are-teacher-made-center/8364332/","projectTitle":"The Best Centers Are Teacher Made Centers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hughes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3342290_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1449264920536","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbrownk6"},{"teacherId":3086982,"projectId":8364089,"letterContent":"On behalf of our second-grade class, I want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation of pencil boxes, markers, and water bottles. Your kindness has made a world of difference in our classroom!\r\n\r\nThe pencil boxes have helped each student stay organized and take pride in their supplies, fostering responsibility and independence. The markers have unleashed incredible creativity during art projects and learning activities, allowing students to bring their imaginations to life. And the water bottles? They ensure our students stay hydrated and focused, especially during these warm and busy school days.\r\n\r\nYour support has truly set the tone for a positive and productive school year. Thank you for making such a meaningful impact on our learning community.","fullyFundedDate":1715360267297,"projectUrl":"project/the-start-of-a-new-school-year/8364089/","projectTitle":"The Start of a New School Year!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McKinley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3086982_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1526589961202","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-clawrence"},{"teacherId":3342290,"projectId":7398395,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donations. The students are loving the tape, and art supplies. These supplies are allowing the students show their creativity and express themselves in multiple ways. \r\n I love that the students are able to pick and choose how they want to show their creative side. Students have made cards, pictures of themselves, flowers to give as thank you notes. We were also able to have students use the paint sticks as a free choice. The ability to leave arts and crafts materials out for students to use is an amazing feeling that many teachers can't have. Many teachers need to conserve these materials. \r\n\r\nThank you again for your donation.","fullyFundedDate":1693602899811,"projectUrl":"project/art-ing-our-way-through-tk/7398395/","projectTitle":"Art-ing Our Way Through TK","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hughes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3342290_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1449264920536","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbrownk6"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_54866","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":684,"numTeachers":31,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":4,"percentBlack":1,"percentWhite":7,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":84,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"22.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":80.2,"schoolId":54866,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Sunny Sands Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Sunny Sands Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/palm-springs-unified-school-district/sunny-sands-elementary-school/54866"}