{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Southern Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":45.2,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10321304,"projectId":9844976,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, my Special Ed kindergarten classroom has been transformed into a hands-on, multi-sensory literacy environment where students can truly engage in learning. The tactile letter cards, magnetic letters, alphabet puzzles, tracing boards, and sensory writing materials we received are now an essential part of our daily routine. These tools have allowed my students to explore letters not just by seeing them, but by touching, building, tracing, and saying the sounds aloud. For many of my learners, this type of active engagement is exactly what they need to make meaningful connections.\r\n\r\nBefore receiving these materials, several of my students struggled to remain focused during traditional paper-and-pencil tasks. Fine motor challenges, attention difficulties, and limited hand strength often made writing frustrating. Now, instead of avoiding literacy activities, they look forward to them. \r\n\r\nYou have helped create an environment where little hands can explore, build, and strengthen the foundational skills necessary for lifelong reading success. The impact of your generosity will continue far beyond this school year, as these early literacy skills form the building blocks for everything that follows. Thank you for believing in my students and investing in their growth.","fullyFundedDate":1760919213153,"projectUrl":"project/abc-adventures-multi-sensory-learning-f/9844976/","projectTitle":"ABC Adventures! Multi-Sensory Learning for Special Ed Kinders","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Barb","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10321304_orig.jpg?crop=1350,1350,x0,y220&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760810842733","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10321304"},{"teacherId":10341405,"projectId":9874585,"letterContent":"The donations provided by DonorsChoose have impacted my classroom immensely. I teach 4th-grade special education students who are still learning to read, and finding targeted resources that are not \"baby-ish\" can be difficult. The academic materials I received from DonorsChoose have been used to help my students improve their reading skills, and the classroom decor helped to create a safe and comfortable environment for them to learn and read. \r\n\tThe Hand2Mind alphabet kits provide a tactile learning experience for my students as they spell and decode words using the magnetic letters and trays. We use these materials daily during our reading lessons, and they align directly with the curriculum we teach. This hands-on practice helps make the connection between letters and the sounds they make, as well as how they blend together to form words. The trays include a number of different display sheets so students can practice putting the letters in alphabetical order, sort by sounds, place in letter boxes, and segment syllables. All of the materials are organized easily within the tray, and my students enjoy having their favorite color tray to call their own. \r\n\tMy emergent readers are thoroughly enjoying the Lakeshore Phonics Skill-Building Book sets. The color-coded reading levels make it easy for both the students and myself to find the right book while not explicitly labeling them. I can tell my students working on CVC words to read the blue set, while students working on digraphs are given the red set. Because the books are organized by letter patterns, they align perfectly with my students' IEP decoding goals, giving them extra practice in the specific areas they require. The color-coding also helps when returning the books to the right place in our classroom library, ensuring that the next student to pick a book from the set gets the appropriate level. \r\n\tI added two items to my DonorsChoose list that were not specifically academic, but that are helpful supports for when my students are doing independent work. My students are required to complete a certain number of minutes on online reading and math programs every week, which involve listening to directions, examples, words, and sentences. However, my school cannot provide every student with headphones. This would create a very loud and disruptive environment as students attempt to listen to their Chromebooks while hearing the noise from everyone else's. The headphones donated to my classroom have helped ensure the classroom environment stays quiet so students can stay focused on their individual assignments. Nine-year-olds are not known for being careful, so even though I only have 11 students in my class this year, the pack of 20 headphones has come in handy when a student breaks their cord or loses an earpiece. \r\n\tI also ordered a set of seat cushions for my students to use when they are on the carpet, in the library area, or working independently. I have a few areas in the classroom of dynamic seating arrangements, allowing my students to choose a quiet and comfortable area to work their best. The floor cushions have added an extra layer of comfort and relaxation to these areas, and there are enough for every student, so they no longer have to fight over who gets a pillow at quiet reading time. A safe and comfortable classroom environment promotes student learning, and the cushions provided by DonorsChoose have made a positive impact in my students' focus and comfort. \r\nThe support from DonorsChoose has positively impacted my students academically and social-emotionally. The reading resources provide my students with more opportunities to learn phonics and fluency in a hands-on approach, and the pillows and headphones allow for a comfortable and quiet environment in which to learn. My entire class thanks DonorsChoose for all they have done for us!","fullyFundedDate":1763014221502,"projectUrl":"project/tackling-tough-words/9874585/","projectTitle":"Tackling Tough Words","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gonzalez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10341405"},{"teacherId":10334800,"projectId":9862547,"letterContent":"I am incredibly grateful for your generous support the students that I work with. Because of you, my students now have access to meaningful, hands-on tools that are already making a powerful difference in their daily learning.\r\n\r\nAs an occupational therapist working with students across grade levels, I focus on building fine motor skills, sensory regulation, handwriting, self-care skills, and independence in the classroom. We are using the new resources every single day. These tools are giving my students engaging ways to work on their fine motor skills that are motivating to them. \r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, the students were immediately curious and excited. Many of them benefit from visual and tactile learning, so simply being able to explore the new textures, colors, and movement-based tools sparked engagement right away. \r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we are continuing to build independence through structured work stations and sensory-motor circuits. Our next steps include using these materials to support a classroom-wide handwriting and self-regulation project. Students are setting small personal goals—whether it's improving letter formation, increasing task endurance, or learning a calming strategy they can use independently. Because of your generosity, I can better individualize supports and gradually fade assistance as students gain confidence and skill.\r\n\r\nYour donation has done more than provide supplies—it has created opportunities for growth, independence, and joy. Thank you for investing in our students and for being part of their journey.","fullyFundedDate":1761829662663,"projectUrl":"project/creating-independence-in-young-learners/9862547/","projectTitle":"Creating Independence in Young Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Webb","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10334800"},{"teacherId":10334805,"projectId":9862555,"letterContent":"Thank you very much for the materials and supplies that I was gifted to use with my students as an Occupational Therapist. My students were very excited to engage with the new activities. The materials and supplies purchased allow the students participate in new activities to target their fine motor and visual motor skills. Having the new materials have made my sessions with students more exciting and engaging! My students are excited to use all the new materials!\r\n\r\nThank you for the new resources and materials. I am very grateful!","fullyFundedDate":1761830369804,"projectUrl":"project/materials-for-school-based-occupational/9862555/","projectTitle":"Materials for School-Based Occupational Therapist","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Warren","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10334805"},{"teacherId":3899470,"projectId":9862566,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your support, the impact of the sensory materials on our classroom environment has been truly transformative. Thanks to your generosity, my students now have access to tools that help them self-regulate when they feel overwhelmed or overstimulated. When a student feels anxious or restless, they now have the autonomy to visit our sensory area or grab a fidget tool, allowing them to \"reset\" their bodies and minds. It is heartwarming to watch them independently reach for a weighted lap pad or a textured sensory ball during group lessons, which allows them to channel their energy in a healthy way and stay engaged with the class.\r\n\r\nFurthermore, the fine motor manipulatives have brought a new level of excitement to our hands-on learning centers. My students are enthusiastically strengthening their hand muscles and coordination without even realizing they are \"working.\" Whether they are using tweezers to sort objects, manipulating therapy putty, or snapping connecting blocks together, they are developing the crucial pincer grasp and dexterity needed for holding a pencil and writing. Seeing the pride on their faces when they master a new manipulative—and watching that translate into better control during writing tasks—is a direct result of your support.","fullyFundedDate":1761757667484,"projectUrl":"project/my-hands-on-learning-superstars/9862566/","projectTitle":"My Hands-On Learning Superstars","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Holdren","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3899470"},{"teacherId":10329259,"projectId":9857181,"letterContent":"I am so grateful for the opportunity to use the items that were funded through my project. Thank you very much for providing my students and I with access to an abundance of materials that have allowed them to play, learn, grow, and communicate. Over the last few months, I have seen tremendous student progress within these areas. It has been an absolute pleasure to witness this. \r\n\r\nWhen I first introduced the materials to my students, their reactions were truly priceless. The smiles and laughs that I received were heartwarming. My excitement has grown as I am eager to keep putting these materials to use, to continue providing opportunities for learning. \r\n\r\n\r\nOne specific moment that I would like to highlight is when one of my students independently approached me and verbally requested 'ABC Popsicles'. I had brought this material with me to use with this student, as I know he really enjoys playing with this item. I collaborated with the teacher and occupational therapist to have this student practice identifying the letter and the sound of the picture presented, and match the correct letter with the picture. Following this, he wrote out the letter on a white board and practiced using verbal language to request 'more' of the activity. It was extremely rewarding to see how this material facilitated this student's learning in many ways. \r\n\r\nI am very excited to continue using these materials each day. Specifically, I am excited for a dramatic play lesson that I am planning, using my toy cupcakes and ice cream play set. This will allow more opportunities to develop communication skills, peer interaction, play skills, and literacy in a fun and interactive way.","fullyFundedDate":1762273085043,"projectUrl":"project/supporting-literacy-social-emotional-le/9857181/","projectTitle":"Supporting Literacy, Social Emotional Learning, Self-Regulation, and Communication for All","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ramirez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10329259"},{"teacherId":10341022,"projectId":9873460,"letterContent":"On behalf of myself and the students that I serve, thank you deeply for your thoughtful donation of materials to support literacy, speech and overall regulation and engagement for our elementary learners. your generosity has made an immediate and meaningful difference in our speech therapy sessions. These materials are being used every day to create engaging learning opportunities that help students build foundational skills in reading, communication and self-management. \r\n\r\nThe students that I pull to the speech resource room have been so excited to choose from all of the new and motivating materials that I have available to work for as reinforcers. Not only are the materials beneficial to use as reinforcers, but they also provide a variety of new language opportunities and new vocabulary to write about and discuss. I am deeply grateful for your support and the positive impact that it has had and will continue to have for our students.","fullyFundedDate":1762299648316,"projectUrl":"project/promoting-literacy-participation-and-co/9873460/","projectTitle":"Promoting Literacy, Participation and Communication for All Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kelly","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10341022"},{"teacherId":10328356,"projectId":9855447,"letterContent":"Thanks to you my students were able to build emotional regulation and functional communication skills essential for learning. The materials helped my students recognize their feelings, calm their bodies, and communicate needs using speech, visuals, and/or AAC. With improved regulation, each of my students were more engaged, independent, and confident. \r\n\r\nMy students especially enjoyed the emotions posters. They took turns identifying their emotions, and providing a \"why\". Based on their selection, we were able to use the other materials provided by the donors to help support their self regulation. \r\n\r\nOverall, each of my students, regardless of communication modality, were able to better regulate and communicate due to the materials provided.","fullyFundedDate":1761515692372,"projectUrl":"project/building-regulation-sensory-social-emo/9855447/","projectTitle":"Building Regulation, Sensory, Social-Emotional Learning, and Communication for All Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Frazier","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10328356"},{"teacherId":10315820,"projectId":9862982,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom through DonorsChoose. Your generosity brought materials that truly matched our students' interests and communication needs.\r\n\r\nMany of my students are nonspeaking or minimally speaking, but their excitement was clear the moment they saw the new toys. Through smiles, body language, and engagement, they showed how eager they were to explore toys that light up, spin, include letters and the alphabet, and small figurines that captured their attention. These materials immediately motivated them to participate and interact.\r\n\r\nBecause the toys were so engaging, students also used their AAC devices more during sessions. They used their devices to request favorite items, make choices, and comment while playing creating meaningful communication opportunities throughout the day.\r\n\r\nThanks to you, we will continue building communication skills through play, student interests, and AAC use. Your support has made a real difference for students who communicate in many different ways.","fullyFundedDate":1761751340639,"projectUrl":"project/building-communication-regulation-and/9862982/","projectTitle":"Building Communication, Regulation, and Literacy Through Play","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tuohey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10315820"},{"teacherId":10334826,"projectId":9862600,"letterContent":"I am thrilled to share the incredible impact your generosity has had on my students through our project, \"Building Strong Hands for Bright Futures.\" Thanks to your support, my students now have access to developmental tools and resources that help strengthen their fine motor skills, build confidence, and engage more fully in hands-on learning.\r\n\r\nThe first time my students saw the new materials, their eyes lit up with excitement! They eagerly explored the activities and couldn't wait to get started. We are now using the tools to support ongoing fine and visual motor skills while increasing engagement through multi-sensory activities. The progress has been remarkable, and these materials provide additional opportunities and stimulation tailored to my students' individual needs. I am excited to see them apply these skills in upcoming interventions and classroom projects.\r\n\r\nYour support has truly made a difference in my students' learning experiences. Because of you, they are not only strengthening their hands they are building confidence, independence, and joy in learning. Thank you for investing in their bright futures!","fullyFundedDate":1761829541489,"projectUrl":"project/building-strong-hands-for-bright-futures/9862600/","projectTitle":"Building Strong Hands for Bright Futures","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sullivan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10334826"},{"teacherId":7604441,"projectId":9858920,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the incredibly generous donations for my classroom. I work in a C setting classroom (all of my students have disabilities so I have a smaller class size, 8 students), so all of my students have IEPs and have specific individual needs. My team and I work very hard to support their individual needs and your donations helped out more than you know! \r\nMany of my students require adapted seating while in the classroom. This can look different for each student. I have several different options in the classroom and your donations have my students many more options. Several of my students work best while on a wobble stool because it helps keep them moving, but while in a safe, seated position. I have one student who loves the comfy blue chair. She has difficulty attending to a task with the whole group, but having the blue chair as an option has helped her join the whole group and stay engaged. \r\nMy students also need frequent sensory breaks, so the blue spin chair is a great safe way to take a movement/sensory break. My students can become easily distracted as well, so your fidget donations have been greatly appreciated. They love having a fidget to help keep them focused. \r\nThank you so much for the generous donations. We use them every day in the classroom. The adapted seating and fidgets have really helped keep my students engaged with their learning and provide sensory breaks and movement as well. We are very appreciative over here in B1 at Southern Elementary. Thank you!!","fullyFundedDate":1761534957089,"projectUrl":"project/ms-shalks-classroom/9858920/","projectTitle":"Ms Shalk’s Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Shalk","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7604441"},{"teacherId":10336728,"projectId":9866478,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project, Building Independence and Inclusion Through Movement and Play. Because of your generosity, our students now have access to tools that make learning safer, more engaging, and more inclusive.\r\n\r\nThe gait belt you provided is already making a meaningful difference. It allows classroom staff to safely support students as they work on balance, mobility, and accessing classroom materials. With this added support, students are able to participate more fully in instructional activities while building confidence and independence.\r\n\r\nThe obstacle course materials have transformed our classroom into a space where learning and movement go hand in hand. Students now practice literacy skills while moving through play-based challenges, making reading and learning active, fun, and accessible. These activities help develop coordination, strength, and focus while reinforcing important academic concepts.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, your support promotes inclusion. Every student can participate alongside peers in a safe, supportive environment where movement and learning are connected. You have helped create opportunities for our students to grow physically, socially, and academically.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in our students and investing in their success. Your kindness and generosity are truly making an impact every day in our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1762027214699,"projectUrl":"project/building-independence-and-inclusion-thro/9866478/","projectTitle":"Building Independence and Inclusion Through Movement and Play","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Capone","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10336728"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_44537","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":825,"numTeachers":64,"percentFrplEligible":66,"percentAsian":3,"percentBlack":49,"percentWhite":34,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":8,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"12.9:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":54.8,"schoolId":44537,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Southern Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Southern Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/delaware/colonial-school-district/southern-elementary-school/44537"}