{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Benjamin Franklin Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":29.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":5496592,"projectId":9440128,"letterContent":"With our new carpet and flexible seating, my kindergarteners will have a safe, comfortable, and inviting space to learn and grow. The carpet will give them a cozy area for group lessons, reading and sharing ideas, while flexible seating will allow them to choose the spots where they can focus and do their best work. These resources will help my students feel more engaged, supported, and excited to come to school every day. Your generosity will not only transform our classroom environment but also inspire a love of learning that will stay with them for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1758829527275,"projectUrl":"project/from-the-ground-up-a-better-classroom/9440128/","projectTitle":"From the Ground Up: A Better Classroom for Growing Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Whittington","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5496592_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1530297325820","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5496592"},{"teacherId":4654859,"projectId":9304031,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for this wonderful science gift! The students had a blast learning the basics of how to work a microscope. We started with the smaller one and enjoyed this mostly during indoor recess and free time. Then we moved on to the more complex one. The more complex one has a better light and more power to magnify. We decided to house the more complex one with the 5th grade science teacher in our school who originally loaned us a beat up microscope (her only one) which introduced us to the idea of getting one. The smaller microscope will be housed in our program and used through out the school year (hopefully for many years to come). The students enjoy the mix of different types of prepared slides. The blank slides are harder for us to use but we looked up ideas online and did some investigations of bacteria and mold. It has been fun working with multiple grades at the same time. For example, the 4th graders had a moldy bread experiment and it was their experiment that we used for our blank slides! Having 2 new microscopes in our school has really contributed towards what we can do as a team and sharing it among classes is ideal because students are helping one another. Thank you, once again, for your donation that made this project come to life.","fullyFundedDate":1746447178219,"projectUrl":"project/microscopic-ideas-become-a-macroscopic-r/9304031/","projectTitle":"Microscopic Ideas Become a Macroscopic Reality","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Houser","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4654859_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1509583075535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/tamara-houser"},{"teacherId":4654859,"projectId":9011071,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your support with last year's fitness project. I am happy to share that the students LOVED being able to use these items indoors and outside! The hallways became a common space for students from 4 classrooms, and we used the sensory room too. The students enjoyed the floor tiles and teachers from other rooms saw how popular they were and have begun to put these on their wish lists too. The regular and Chinese jump ropes provide both individual and group challenges. We've printed up instruction cards, challenge cards...and laminated them. The ink we received from this project was a key factor in getting colorful cards for students to use as motivational ideas. The balance boards are fun for students to use when they need a break from sitting. We found they work best when there is something to hold on to nearby...just in case. We also ordered at large elastic that is a fun brain/body challenge. It's like a giant rubber band that several student step inside of at once. We've made several challenges that get harder and harder as the kids get better and better at communication with this. The \"band\" stretches for about 6 feet and creates a need for teamwork when accomplishing tasks together (like picking up a ball and getting it to the basket across the room without letting the band touch the ground). These items will continue to be used by students in our school and program during the upcoming school year. We truly appreciate your donation and what we've been able to provide students with thanks to your efforts!","fullyFundedDate":1739222053405,"projectUrl":"project/movement-is-fitness-during-indoor-recess/9011071/","projectTitle":"Movement is Fitness During Indoor Recess","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Houser","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4654859_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1509583075535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/tamara-houser"},{"teacherId":9458062,"projectId":8893500,"letterContent":"Thanks to your support, students across the school now have access to tools that are really helping them manage their emotions, handle challenges, and stay engaged during the school day. The materials you helped fund, like situation cards, games, and sensory tools, are now part of the sessions I run with students who need more individualized support.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, students were immediately curious and excited. One student walked in, saw a new sensory tool, and said, \"Can I try that? I think it will help me calm down.\" Another student who usually struggles to talk through social problems used the situation cards to work through a tough moment without shutting down. These kinds of tools help students connect with what they're feeling and give them a way to work through it that makes sense to them.\r\n\r\nI've been using the materials during individual and small group sessions to practice coping skills, talk through social situations, and reinforce positive strategies. The rewards have been a great way to keep motivation up, and students are starting to use these tools outside of sessions too, which is exactly what we hope for.\r\n\r\nRight now, I'm helping students figure out which strategies work best for them and how to use those independently throughout the day. The goal is for them to feel more confident, more in control, and more successful across different parts of their school life.\r\n\r\nThank you again. Your support made a real difference, and we're seeing the impact every day.","fullyFundedDate":1736988105642,"projectUrl":"project/emotional-and-behavioral-regulation-reso/8893500/","projectTitle":"Emotional and Behavioral Regulation Resources and Incentives","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Sachs","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9458062_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1707135541226","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9458062"},{"teacherId":4654859,"projectId":8965185,"letterContent":"As we get ready to close out the 2024-25 school year, I would like to thank everyone once again for supporting this project! The plastic capsules that we put fidgets into are still being used and they will continue to be used next year, too. About half of them get returned and thus are recycled in that way. The other half are kept by students who like to keep small items inside of them. One student told me it's like getting two prizes for the \"price\" of one. These are used in our vending machine and all the funds raised are put directly back into this project so that it ideally supports itself. The fidgets we are able to put into the machines keep changing and thanks to this project we can buy highly requested items. The whole school community is able to benefit from this project. We are grateful to have these capsules and keep the vending machine running smoothly for students and teachers. The fidget items provided in the capsules allow parents and/or teachers to get their child a new item without having to buy in bulk. And, the mystery of what kids will get from the vending machine keeps conversation interesting with the \"What'd you get?\" line of questioning. Thank you for your donation, your support and your time spent reading this update!","fullyFundedDate":1733183791791,"projectUrl":"project/making-memories-with-vending-machine-pri/8965185/","projectTitle":"Making Memories With Vending Machine Prizes","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Houser","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4654859_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1509583075535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/tamara-houser"},{"teacherId":4654859,"projectId":8807532,"letterContent":"This project has been a year-long payout! The crayon themed books are STILL too popular to hide away in the cabinets! Normally I rotate books and keep it fresh looking but the crayon books have been popular ever since I introduced them. We read them one book a day and then moved on with the next step of our Crayon Initiative project. We ended up collecting just under 5 boxes of crayons and we're hoping to continue this project through the end of the year. \r\nThe copies of Charlotte's Web were given to students after we read about the characters, discussed fiction and non-fiction characteristics in a novel, and watched parts of the movie. Additionally, the book about Paul Bunyan and his blue ox was very appreciated by students. Half of the students still have their copies in their desks at school. It's written like a comic book so the students love it. With an easy-to-read storyline and fun, colorful pictures, it's a favorite that they turn to when they finish work early. I even have a student who reads it as a calm-down technique. Books are for reading time, but they're also for sneaking in when they think the teacher's not looking. I love that students can get their hands on high-interest texts that they can connect to! Thank you for making this project become a reality.","fullyFundedDate":1728151895395,"projectUrl":"project/books-about-crayons-spiders-and-a-big/8807532/","projectTitle":"Books About Crayons, Spiders, and a Big Blue Ox","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Houser","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4654859_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1509583075535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/tamara-houser"},{"teacherId":8184088,"projectId":9156901,"letterContent":"Thank you very much for your generous donation. The students were so excited when they saw the chairs in the classroom. \r\n The students are enjoying the stools. They no longer have to bring their desk chairs to the rotation table. Moving the chairs around the room disrupted the reading and math learning centers. More instruction time is now provided to the students. \r\n \r\n My current and future students will enjoy the chairs for many years to come! \r\nAgain, thank you or your generous generation.","fullyFundedDate":1744033107573,"projectUrl":"project/reading-and-math-instruction-increase-st/9156901/","projectTitle":"Reading and Math Instruction Increase student Knowledge","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wight","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8184088_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y504&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1742646786246","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8184088"},{"teacherId":8122167,"projectId":9027774,"letterContent":"W\r\nords cannot fully express our gratitude for your incredible support of our project to provide headphones for our sixth-grade students. Your generosity has made a significant impact on our students' learning experience.\r\n\r\nThanks to your kind donations, our students will now have access to:\r\n\r\nImproved Focus and Concentration: Headphones allow students to immerse themselves in audio lessons, educational videos, and interactive learning platforms, minimizing distractions and enhancing their ability to concentrate.\r\nPersonalized Learning: Students can now work at their own pace, listening to audio instructions and tutorials as needed, promoting individualized learning.\r\nEnhanced Language Development: Access to audio resources supports language acquisition and comprehension, particularly beneficial for English language learners.\r\nGreater Accessibility: Headphones enable students with auditory processing differences to engage more fully in classroom activities.\r\n\r\nYour contribution has directly empowered our sixth graders, providing them with essential tools for academic success. We have already seen increased engagement and enthusiasm in the classroom, and we are excited to see the long-term benefits of your support.\r\n\r\nWe are deeply grateful for your belief in our students and your commitment to their education. Your kindness will have a lasting impact on their lives.\r\n\r\nThank you again for your remarkable generosity.\r\n\r\nSincerely,","fullyFundedDate":1743008105462,"projectUrl":"project/listening-stations-offer-a-multitude-of/9027774/","projectTitle":"Listening Stations Offer a Multitude of Benefits in Educational Settings","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Callinan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8122167"},{"teacherId":4654859,"projectId":8807533,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the support towards our classroom! We are now entering the \"almost Spring\" portion of the year and these favorites have been so essential to our classroom. The Minecraft Magnet Blocks and 20 pack of Play-doh were the biggest hits. They are used during indoor recess and sometimes during earned \"free time\". The games included Guess Who, Spiderman Yahtzee, and Connect 4. Those games have become easier to play because we included them as group activities during social-emotional learning time as well as Fun Friday afternoons. The 6 pack of cubby storage bins holds extension/charge cords, white board supplies, craft supplies, and more. They were the perfect fit for our cubbies. Because they are strong and sturdy, the students are able to access items appropriately. This encourages independence and makes them smile because they are proud of themselves for knowing how to do things on their own. The 12 pack of primary composition books are used almost daily. Students enjoy having plenty of lines to write on with the picture on the same page. This type of books allows them to keep pages together and look back on earlier journal entries like a timeline. Once again, thank you for your support. We truly appreciate the positivity and kindness!","fullyFundedDate":1727313863961,"projectUrl":"project/a-few-of-our-favorites/8807533/","projectTitle":"A Few of Our Favorites","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Houser","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4654859_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1509583075535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/tamara-houser"},{"teacherId":5496592,"projectId":9042878,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations to my Kindergarten classroom. This year we began a new curriculum and have seen the need for supplemental resources to aid my struggling learners with their acquisition of letter names and letter sounds. With these supplemental materials, myself and my classroom paraeducator will be able to provide extra learning and support for these students. Foundational skills in Kindergarten are necessary for all future success in school. Thank you again for aiding us with this endeavor.","fullyFundedDate":1738074023047,"projectUrl":"project/alphabet-manipulatives-for-kindergarten/9042878/","projectTitle":"Alphabet Manipulatives for Kindergarten Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Whittington","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5496592_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1530297325820","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5496592"},{"teacherId":4654859,"projectId":8633036,"letterContent":"It's hard to believe that the first 4 months of the school year have already passed! How have we used the supplies from this project? Let's start with the snacks. The crackers, fruit snacks and Rice Krispie treats are in our snack bin. The snack bin is used with adult supervision to trade what they earn anywhere within the school day. It's also used as a relief on late-opening days. During those days, the students miss breakfast and sometimes they come into school hungry due to changes in their morning routines at home. \r\nThe AA and AAA batteries are used throughout the classroom but also in other teacher's rooms. We have buzzers for game play and timers for behavior and academics. Twinkle lights in seasonal decorations continue to blink and light the way thanks to these boxes of batteries. We have been able to help replace batteries in games such as Operation and Let's Go Fishing. \r\nThe shopping bags have been used when we have wet clothing after playing outside and carrying home art projects that don't fit perfectly in our backpacks. The air dusters are mostly used for adult computers and the Chromebook charging station. Recently, they came in handy when crumbs got between keys of a student's electronic game. The calm that these products provided contributed to smoother school days and a way to model what happens when something unexpected happens.","fullyFundedDate":1723682440852,"projectUrl":"project/falling-into-the-2024-25-school-year/8633036/","projectTitle":"Falling into the 2024-25 School Year","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Houser","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4654859_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1509583075535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/tamara-houser"},{"teacherId":8543608,"projectId":8541066,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donations to my classroom! The items purchased have been put in the classroom prize box. These items are of high interest to the students in my classroom. The classroom prize box items are bought by students through the schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports. The students earn \"bulldogs bucks\" when they show positive attributes in the classroom, including respect for self, others and school. Students have been excited to look at the new items and be able to buy from the prize box when they reach a specific amount of \"bulldogs.\" This allows them to show pride in their positive attributes, as well as using life skills of saving their currency to buy items.","fullyFundedDate":1726698804934,"projectUrl":"project/prize-box-incentives/8541066/","projectTitle":"Prize Box Incentives","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cannon","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8543608"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_43974","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":357,"numTeachers":30,"percentFrplEligible":91,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":10,"percentWhite":27,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":53,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"11.9:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"UNCLASSIFIED","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":71.0,"schoolId":43974,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Benjamin Franklin Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Benjamin Franklin Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/connecticut/meriden-public-schools/benjamin-franklin-elementary-school/43974"}