Little Raiders University in Derby, Connecticut on DonorsChoose

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They practiced brushing and \"styling\" the doll heads, greeting one another, and even pretending to make appointments. This type of play has been especially meaningful in our inclusive classroom, which serves both typically developing students and those receiving special education services. Students are naturally practicing turn-taking, communication, and cooperation. For some of our students who need extra support with social interaction, the salon has provided a comfortable and motivating way to engage with peers and build confidence.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the materials, their excitement was immediate. They were eager to explore each item and could not wait to begin playing. The salon quickly became one of the most popular areas in the classroom. Even students who are usually more reserved were drawn in by the hands-on and imaginative nature of the materials. It was wonderful to see how quickly they began interacting, sharing, and working together.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we plan to continue building on this experience by connecting the salon to our classroom learning goals. We are incorporating it into lessons about community helpers, helping students understand real-world roles and responsibilities. We are also using it to encourage language development by prompting students to use descriptive words, ask questions, and engage in conversations during play. Additionally, we are introducing simple step-by-step routines, such as \"brush, style, finish,\" to support sequencing and cognitive skills.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has created meaningful opportunities for our students to learn, connect, and grow. Thank you for supporting our classroom and for helping us create an inclusive environment where every child can thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1765996699582,"projectUrl":"project/my-hair-my-crown/9947062/","projectTitle":"My Hair, My Crown!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Morrison","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9458964_orig.jpg?crop=2410,2410,x590,y540&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1707164336293","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9458964"},{"teacherId":9458964,"projectId":9688664,"letterContent":"Thank you so much to Donors Choose and the families of our LRU students that have supported our classroom. The new Cubbies have extended the space in our classroom to provide all of our students with the space they need for their belongings. Each child is now able to find their cubby without support. \r\n\r\nThe children also love the new table and chairs. Many meals are prepared and then the table is set for family dinners with this new added addition to our classroom. their socialization skills are more enhanced with this new addition to our classroom. Thank you again to everyone involve in making this Donors Choose project come to life.","fullyFundedDate":1757697121426,"projectUrl":"project/home-away-from-home/9688664/","projectTitle":"Home Away From Home","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Morrison","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9458964_orig.jpg?crop=2410,2410,x590,y540&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1707164336293","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9458964"},{"teacherId":3844138,"projectId":9468776,"letterContent":"The new carpet donated to our classroom was a beautiful addition. Together as a class, we opened the package and set it up the minute it arrived! 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About this school

Little Raiders University is a public school in Derby, Connecticut that is part of Derby Public Schools. Its teachers have had 25 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Grades Not specified

# of students unavailable

# of teachers unavailable

75 Chatfield St

Derby, CT 06418 View local requests

https://www.derbypride.org/our-schools/little-raiders-university

Direct, proactive support

Empower teachers at Little Raiders University to request what their students need.

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

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

Little Raiders University Teachers on DonorsChoose

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Little Raiders University Demographics

56%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

66%

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.

Little Raiders University Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Mar 19, 2026

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.