{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Barnum School","outOfStateSupporters":40.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9606467,"projectId":9712740,"letterContent":"My students are drawn to our new sensory table center more than any other center in the classroom. They love the new kinetic sand - it is really soft, easy for them to squeeze and manipulate and provides the perfect medium for play. \r\n\r\nThe center is a four square table, which provides an opportunity for four children to play together at once. It's been amazing to hear the conversations they have while playing, from pretending to dig up fossils in the sand, to making cupcakes and looking for seashells.\r\n\r\nWith your support, my students have a fun, educational center in our classroom that they look forward to playing in on a daily basis. They are working on social skills and communication without even realizing it, listening to and learning new words in our vocabulary, working on patience and delay of gratification, turn taking and sharing. \r\n\r\nThe next steps for this project is to add more small manipulatives that can coordinate with the seasons and holidays, such as blue sand and snowflakes for the Winter and green sand and bugs/butterflies for the Spring.","fullyFundedDate":1760733653938,"projectUrl":"project/touch-see-and-learn-a-language-based-s/9712740/","projectTitle":"Touch, See and Learn: a Language-Based Sensory Exploration","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McGuire","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9606467_orig.jpg?crop=2573,2573,x2651,y779&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1722162898225","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9606467"},{"teacherId":2673693,"projectId":9567065,"letterContent":"When the sports equipment arrived, my students were absolutely thrilled. Their eyes lit up as we unpacked soccer balls, basketballs, jump ropes, and other gear — it felt like Christmas morning in our classroom! One student exclaimed, \"We get to use all of this?!\" and immediately began planning games for our Friday extra recess.\r\nWe've already started using the equipment to promote teamwork, physical activity, and social skills. On Fridays, students earn extra recess as part of our PBIS incentives, and the new gear has transformed that time into something truly special. One memorable moment was watching a group of students organize a mini soccer match, taking turns as referees and cheering each other on — something they hadn't done before without structured equipment.\r\nThis project has made a huge difference for my students, especially those in special education who benefit from movement-based breaks and opportunities to build peer relationships. The next step is to incorporate the equipment into structured activities that reinforce SEL (social-emotional learning) goals and motor planning skills. We're also planning a student-led \"Recess Olympics\" where they'll design games using the equipment and practice leadership and collaboration.\r\nThank you for giving my students the tools to play, grow, and connect. Your generosity has brought joy and meaningful learning to our Fridays — and beyond.","fullyFundedDate":1756173854356,"projectUrl":"project/sports-equipment/9567065/","projectTitle":"Sports Equipment","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. C.","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2673693_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1517511157260","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2673693"},{"teacherId":4788769,"projectId":9174946,"letterContent":"On behalf of my students, I want to extend a sincere thank you for the new student mailbox system. From the moment it was introduced, my students have been genuinely excited about having it in the classroom!\r\nHaving a designated spot for student folders and workbooks has been a game-changer. The students are eager to organize their materials and have shown great enthusiasm in keeping everything in order. This simple but effective resource has helped them feel more prepared and focused, especially as we start the year. It's already making a positive impact on our daily routines, and I'm confident it will continue to be a helpful tool throughout the year. But even more magical than that is that you are showing my students that so many people care about their education and want them to succeed and that alone makes them want to try harder and learn more.\r\nThank you again for your thoughtful contribution to my students' learning environment. Your support is truly appreciated!","fullyFundedDate":1750774656503,"projectUrl":"project/mail-time/9174946/","projectTitle":"Mail Time!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bradley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4788769_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1505494661511","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mbradley20"},{"teacherId":9166342,"projectId":9257790,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to our class project. My students loved getting to read The Wild Robot as a class this year. Having their own copy of the book helped to keep it engaging and meaningful for each student. My students looked forward to our read aloud time each day, and they loved following Roz's journey throughout the book. Reading this book together helped to create a classroom culture by allowing us to come together and enjoy the story as a class each day. My students loved the story so much, I had to buy the next few books in the series so we could continue to read about Roz's journey.\r\nReading this book was also a great way to review key reading comprehension skills at the end of the school year. This books lends itself to great conversations about character traits, character development, theme, and sequence. \r\nThis class set of books brought so much fun and engagement to my students this year, and I am planning to pass that same experience on to my fourth graders or years to come. Thank you so much for making this possible!","fullyFundedDate":1746479076870,"projectUrl":"project/wild-about-reading-a-class-set-of-the/9257790/","projectTitle":"Wild About Reading: A Class Set of \"The Wild Robot\"","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Robertson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9166342_orig.jpg?crop=2384,2384,x913,y871&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757192044334","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9166342"},{"teacherId":9606467,"projectId":9076605,"letterContent":"With your help and support, my students have been able to start building their pre-literacy schools through hands-on exploration. With the white boards and dry erase markers easily accessible, my students now have a writing center in the classroom. In the writing center, we work in small groups on math and literacy skills, such as adding and letter writing.\r\n\r\nWhile working on these important skills, my students are also strengthening their fine motor skills, working on following one and two step directions, building social skills through peer interactions and confidence through active exploration.\r\n\r\nThis wouldn't have been possible without your help and we sincerely appreciate your support. My students thoroughly enjoy their new writing center, and we plan to use it for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1747857003222,"projectUrl":"project/special-needs-pre-writing-support/9076605/","projectTitle":"Special Needs Pre-Writing Support","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McGuire","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9606467_orig.jpg?crop=2573,2573,x2651,y779&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1722162898225","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9606467"},{"teacherId":9744202,"projectId":8768787,"letterContent":"The materials and toys all have been AMAZING in my OT sessions!!! My kids love the different types of fidgets, textures and materials they can manipulate in their hands. It's very helpful when they need a movement break or are seeking input needed to regulate their bodies. Some of their favorite things are the scented markers and the scented play doughs! The variety of markers make crafting and coloring more fun! They love the play dough color options they can choose from, and guessing what the scent is based on the color or smell! \r\n\r\nMy kids were over the moon and excited to come to OT thanks to their new materials!! My next step is to continue to put my students' needs first and get what is necessary to help them regulate, perform, and participate in their academic environment. Thank you very much!","fullyFundedDate":1736172971128,"projectUrl":"project/blooming-thriving-and-growing-in-ot/8768787/","projectTitle":"Blooming, Thriving and Growing In OT!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Emily","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9744202_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753107391443","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9744202"},{"teacherId":9456473,"projectId":8995244,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for funding my project and helping me give my students what they need to learn!\r\n\r\nMy students are enjoying exploring new fine motor and sensory options to help them strengthen their hands and regulate to improve their attention and focus. My preschool aged students are especially benefiting from having a variety of new fine motor and sensory options which include much needed chew tubes to meet their oral sensory needs to a variety of sensory bins for them to explore with their hands. In addition, they are using the chair bands I received to help calm their little bodies and they love the sensory based fine motor color matching tools as well. All of the tools I received are being used on a daily basis and are having a positive impact!\r\n\r\nThank you again. I very much appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity in helping me meet the needs of my students.","fullyFundedDate":1740752532489,"projectUrl":"project/its-all-about-sensory-needs/8995244/","projectTitle":"It’s All About Sensory Needs!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bender","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9456473"},{"teacherId":4788769,"projectId":8185934,"letterContent":"I cannot express how thankful I am for your generosity! The students loved the new small group table! We were able to create the perfect place for small group time. With the use of the dry erase dots, students love being able to write on the tables to work out their math problems. We also love using to Orton Gillingham materials to enhance our literacy group. Our day runs so smoothly with having multiple working groups going on at once. None of this would have been possible without your support! \r\n\r\nThank you again for your kindness in donating to our resource room!","fullyFundedDate":1706942103452,"projectUrl":"project/spruce-up-the-small-group-center/8185934/","projectTitle":"Spruce Up the Small Group Center!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bradley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4788769_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1505494661511","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mbradley20"},{"teacherId":9606467,"projectId":8891141,"letterContent":"Your generous support has given my students freedom to select their own toys and books to play with throughout center time. With your help, we used the curtains and rods to mimic cabinet doors. They can be pulled closed to cover the items to minimize distraction or pulled open to give students freedom to select an item to use. \r\n\r\nIt's been wonderful to watch the students learn how to follow the red and green light system. They're working on peer interactions, social skill development and listening skills. When the \"light\" is red, the bookshelves are closed and the students can't help themselves to toys or books. When the \"light\" is green, students have the freedom to browse and select what they want to use. \r\n\r\nIt's been great for the students to work on patience, waiting and listening skills, following directions and making choices.","fullyFundedDate":1737574844809,"projectUrl":"project/distraction-free-learning-centers-for-sp/8891141/","projectTitle":"Distraction-free Learning Centers for Special Needs Students","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McGuire","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9606467_orig.jpg?crop=2573,2573,x2651,y779&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1722162898225","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9606467"},{"teacherId":9606467,"projectId":8891135,"letterContent":"Your gift has given my students the chance to hold and manipulate books independently, in centers and during structured \"reading\" time. My students are free to squeeze, touch, bend and even mouth the books and this is such a wonderful gift for sensory-seeking special education children. \r\n\r\nMy students didn't know that they'd be allowed to mouth the books, because typically we have told them not to put books in their mouths. However, we have them a special container with these books and they know they're allowed to mouth and manipulate the books. \r\n\r\nOur next steps will to be to continue phonemic awareness with print-rich books in our classroom. Your support has given my students a chance to feel comfortable in the classroom without restrictions.","fullyFundedDate":1737574845045,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-books-for-special-education-pre-/8891135/","projectTitle":"Sensory Books for Special Education Pre-K Students","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McGuire","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9606467_orig.jpg?crop=2573,2573,x2651,y779&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1722162898225","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9606467"},{"teacherId":9166342,"projectId":9018045,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to this project. My students love to read, and these resources have really helped to freshen up my selection of books. My two students who had specifically requested a couple of these books were elated when the packages arrived. They immediately wanted to help me label them so they could check them out. The 3-in-1 Naruto book quickly became the most highly coveted book in my library! Many of the girls in my class have really gotten into the Litter Sisters Babysitters Club series, and others were happy to get to read the next few books in the original Babysitters Club series. \r\nThe choose your own adventure books are also a big hit. We read a couple as a class just so the students could get to know how they work, and now not a day goes by where they do not ask me to read another one with them! \r\nWe have also been using the googly eye pointer fingers a lot in both whole group and small group lessons and the students love them. They keep them focused and engaged while they read, and they encourage them to track the text with their finger. \r\nI am so grateful for your generosity in fully funding this project. Instilling a love of reading in my students is so important to their academic growth. These nice new books have helped me to continue to do that. Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1735669702309,"projectUrl":"project/empowering-readers-one-book-at-a-time/9018045/","projectTitle":"Empowering Readers, One Book at a Time!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Robertson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9166342_orig.jpg?crop=2384,2384,x913,y871&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757192044334","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9166342"},{"teacherId":9166342,"projectId":9014124,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to our classroom. We have already gotten so much use out of the materials. The folders have been keeping all the students organized, and they have facilitated prepping independent work so every student receives work that challenges them appropriately. My students have also been loving the multiplication card game. It has become a fan-favorite at the hands-on station. I cannot wait to introduce the fraction war game when we begin working with fractions next month. The mathelogical liar game is another big hit. A few of my students love it so much they choose to play it together during their recess time! \r\n\r\nThe student privacy folders are also a great addition to our classroom. I use them for tests, and I encourage students to grab them when working at their desk so they can remain focused. I have even had a couple of teachers stop in and ask where they are from. \r\n\r\nThese materials have seriously made a huge difference in our classroom this year. My students and I are extremely appreciative of your generosity in making this happen!","fullyFundedDate":1735669702354,"projectUrl":"project/small-groups-big-math-wins/9014124/","projectTitle":"Small Groups = Big Math Wins","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Robertson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9166342_orig.jpg?crop=2384,2384,x913,y871&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757192044334","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9166342"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_43409","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":588,"numTeachers":47,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":22,"percentWhite":5,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":68,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"12.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":59.5,"schoolId":43409,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Barnum School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Barnum School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/connecticut/bridgeport-public-schools/barnum-school/43409"}