Brittan Acres Elementary School in San Carlos, California on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Brittan Acres Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":7.1,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9173495,"projectId":10196123,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for funding our project \"Outdoor Learning and Exploration in Transitional Kindergarten\". The TK team at Brittan Acres Elementary School requested several items to enhance the outdoor play space for our young learners. We had recently moved to a new location on campus with a dedicated play space that was completely empty. We spent the year designing & building our yard, transforming it into a joyful space with rich outdoor experiences.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, we received 2 child-sized wheelbarrows, a play tent, a bug discovery kit with specimens encased in resin, and a water exploration kit.\r\n\r\nThe wheelbarrows and play tent are used daily. One of the spaces we set up is an outdoor \"mud kitchen\", where students often pretend to be a \"family\". They make \"flower soup\" and other concoctions. The tent became a way for the \"family\" to go camping. And the wheelbarrows were used to transport the logs so that the kids could have a \"campfire\" and roast marshmallows. This is just one example of how these items have been used. The tent is also a quiet spot for kids to go to read a book or when they need a break from the more jubilant play. Wheelbarrows are fun and novel for the children. They are great for gross motor development and allow the children to perform \"heavy work\" which helps with balance, core strength, and even regulating their nervous system.\r\n\r\nWe used the bug specimen kit to capitalize on the children's natural curiosity about nature & its creatures. While exploring outdoors the children have noticed lizards, worms, sow bugs, ants, caterpillars, etc. We even saw what looked to be a millipede one day & on another day we spotted a salamander. Our new bug kit has provided a way to try to identify the bugs we see. It's also a way to examine the bugs more closely without having to capture the \"real\" bugs. And, we've been able to observe similarities and differences in various insects. Once the kids were thoroughly invested in observing & learning about bugs, we took it one step further and decided to raise butterflies in our classroom. We watched them grow from caterpillars to butterflies, & then released them and watched them fly away. What an exciting process to witness!\r\n\r\nFinally, the waterfall kit. The particular kit that was purchased with this grant is a 4-part mix-and-match design. Imagine, if you will, a small group of 4-year-olds as they discover that they can manipulate the course of the water, simply by repositioning the waterwheels or funnel pieces. And what's more fun on a hot day?!\r\n\r\nIf I'm honest, the outdoor learning items purchased with this grant have had a tremendous impact on the experiences we've been able to offer the children. We appreciate your generosity and cannot thank you enough.","fullyFundedDate":1777565226405,"projectUrl":"project/outdoor-learning-and-exploration-in-tran/10196123/","projectTitle":"Outdoor Learning and Exploration in Transitional Kindergarten","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bobich","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9173495"},{"teacherId":9173495,"projectId":9920111,"letterContent":"I can't even begin to express how thankful I am for your support of my \"STEM in Transitional Kindergarten\" project. Students at this young age (4 and 5 year-olds) need hands-on materials in order to make sense of the concepts they are learning.\r\n\r\nThe \"Science Viewers\" played a significant role in our \"Habitats\" unit of study. As we read books and learned about each habitat (arctic, desert, rainforest, & ocean), the students got a chance to view animals that live in these habitats using the science viewers. This learning center was visited daily by the students and was highly engaging. The culminating project for this unit was a 3-D habitat built by each student for an animal of their choosing. The viewers provided a way for students to reference what thy might include in the habitat they were building.\r\n\r\nIn our recent study of \"Force and Motion\", we were able to put the \"Stack and Match Magnetic Rings\" and the \"Engineer a Coaster\" kit to use. The \"magnet ring\" set was perfect to introduce the concepts of \"attract\" and \"repel\". The picture cards in this set ask students to replicate a set of magnetic rings of various colors stacked on a central pole. The colored rings will either lay on top of one another, or repel and appear to float on top of each other, depending on which direction they are placed on the pole. As the students played with this set and attempted to copy the design on the cards before them, they were simply aghast at their discovery. Seeing magnets repelling against one another (\"floating\"), seemed like magic! The \"coaster set\" is equally engaging. Working in teams, students place magnetic ramps on a vertical board and create a pathway for a rolling disc to work its way down their \"coaster\". Students can follow cue cards provided in the kit, or design something on their own. Not only did this engaging kit provide practice with STEM concepts, but the collaboration with teammates was equally valuable. As I stood near each group while they were working, I heard dialogue such as, \"Let's try it this way... No no, that didn't work; let's put the long one on top.\"\r\n\r\nThe \"Ramps and Ball\" set is perhaps the most engaging and widely used of all the materials. This set is used daily during our open-ended \"choice\" time. Students use these materials to build either independently or with peers. They've experimented with varying inclines as they've rolled balls or cars down the designs they've constructed; they've made tracks/roadways around the perimeter of the classroom as they've designed their own town; they've created homes and slides for stuffed animals during pretend play. This set of durable wooden ramps is a mainstay in our classroom and a game-changer for our program.\r\n\r\nThank you so much for investing in these young students. 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About this school

Brittan Acres Elementary School is a suburban public school in San Carlos, California that is part of San Carlos School District. It serves 372 students in grades Pre-K - 3 with a student/teacher ratio of 20.7:1. Its teachers have had 4 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Public School

Grades Pre-K - 3

372 Students

18 Teachers

2000 Belle Ave

San Carlos, CA 94070 View local requests

http://www.brittanacres.org

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Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

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

Brittan Acres Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

Ms. Bobich

Ms. Gausman

Ms. Wolf

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Brittan Acres Elementary School Demographics

11%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

28%

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.

Brittan Acres Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Jun 23, 2026

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