{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Appletree @ Spring Valley","outOfStateSupporters":50.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10243294,"projectId":10100693,"letterContent":"When the new language games arrived in our classroom, the room was buzzing with anticipation. At three years old, opening a delivery box feels like uncovering a treasure chest. Gathering on our meeting rug, the children leaned in with wide eyes as we revealed each game—colorful picture tiles, tactile rhyming puzzles, and interactive vocabulary activities. Their faces lit up with spontaneous giggles and questions: \"Can we play now?\" and \"What does this picture say?\" Having games tailored right to their developmental level made them instantly eager to explore, transforming abstract language concepts into inviting, touchable objects.\r\n\r\nThese materials have become the centerpiece of our daily literacy rotations and small-group circles. In one recent activity, small groups gathered to play a rhyming and compound word picture-matching game. One of our three-year-olds picked up a card showing a frog and carefully scanned the table before gleefully shouting, \"Frog and log, they rhyme!\" The entire table erupted in proud claps, cheering each other on as they took turns naming familiar objects, listening for matching ending sounds, and practicing conversational turn-taking. What looks like pure playtime to them is actually powerful language acquisition in action—building expressive vocabulary, auditory discrimination, and early phonological awareness in a setting where every child feels confident speaking up.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward this fall, we are using these foundational skills to transition into interactive storytelling and cooperative language adventures. With their growing vocabulary and sound recognition, the students are now creating their own short tales during circle time, identifying beginning sounds of classroom objects, and connecting spoken words to the illustrations they draw. Your generosity has turned early literacy into an engaging, collaborative joy for our youngest learners. Thank you for believing in our classroom and giving our students the tools to find their voices!","fullyFundedDate":1774963714931,"projectUrl":"project/language-games-for-my-prek-3-class/10100693/","projectTitle":"Language Games for My Prek 3 Class","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ellen","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10243294_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757113288454","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10243294"},{"teacherId":10243294,"projectId":10100724,"letterContent":"When the delivery boxes arrived in our classroom, the excitement was absolutely contagious! At three years old, receiving a big delivery feels like pure magic. As we gathered on the carpet to unbox everything together, eyes went wide and gasps of delight filled the circle. The vibrant colors and tactile shapes instantly drew the children in; before I could even finish unpacking, little hands were reaching out, eager to touch, hold, and explore. \r\n\r\nFor young learners entering Pre-K, having fresh, inviting materials designed specifically for their size made them feel wonderfully special, valued, and ready to learn.We quickly incorporated these resources into our daily morning discovery stations and small-group fine motor centers. One of our favorite moments happened during a color and counting sorting activity: students worked with tongs, tweezers, and scoopers to grasp, sort, and transfer colorful manipulatives into matching bowls. The level of focus was incredible—brows were furrowed in concentration, tongues peeked out in determination, and triumphant smiles lit up the room every time a student successfully squeezed the tweezers to transport an item without dropping it. \r\n\r\nThese activities feel entirely like joyful play to them, but watching their little fingers build bilateral coordination, hand-eye tracking, and the pincer grip necessary for future pencil control has been nothing short of transformative. Looking ahead, our class is using this newfound hand strength and finger dexterity to transition directly into pre-writing strokes, early tracing, and scissor skills. Now that their finger muscles and grip stamina are growing stronger each day, we are introducing structured line-tracing adventures, shape forming, and guided cutting stations. Every milestone they reach in fine motor control brings a huge leap in their daily independence—from zipping jackets to writing their names. Thank you so much for your generosity and belief in our little learners; your kindness has laid a vital foundation for their school journey","fullyFundedDate":1778169628733,"projectUrl":"project/tiny-hands-big-skills-fine-motor-fun-i/10100724/","projectTitle":"Tiny Hands, Big Skills: Fine Motor Fun in Pre-K 3","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ellen","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10243294_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757113288454","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10243294"},{"teacherId":10243294,"projectId":10201684,"letterContent":"Dear Donors,\r\n\r\nWhen the boxes arrived, my preschoolers could hardly contain their excitement—they immediately gathered around, eyes wide, asking what surprises were inside! The very first afternoon we unboxed everything, their faces lit up with pure joy. Seeing the bubble machine fill our play yard with hundreds of floating bubbles set off an instant wave of laughter, running, and cheers. Opening the Guidecraft Little Bricks brought just as much awe; the children were eager to pick up each weighted brick, testing the texture and immediately brainstorming what kinds of structures they could create outside.\r\n\r\nThese wonderful resources have completely energized our daily outdoor learning time. One of our sweetest moments happened just this week after reading We Walk Through the Forest. Inspired by the story, we took our own nature walk around the yard to collect twigs, leaves, and acorns. The children brought their nature finds over to the Guidecraft Little Bricks and began collaborating in small groups to build miniature \"forest homes\" for imaginary woodland creatures, carefully balancing real bricks on natural ground and negotiating where the walls should go. Meanwhile, our bubble machine has turned simple gross motor play into a lively laboratory of airflow, wind direction, and teamwork as students dash together to catch bubbles before they land.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, our class is diving into a focused outdoor construction and storytelling study. The students will be using the bricks and natural elements to design blueprints for animal shelters, testing how sturdy their walls are against the elements and practicing descriptive language as they narrate their builds. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for investing in our classroom, nurturing our students' natural curiosity, and bringing so much active, joyful learning into our days!","fullyFundedDate":1777663950269,"projectUrl":"project/stem-stories-bubbles-in-the-sunshine/10201684/","projectTitle":"STEM, Stories & Bubbles in the Sunshine","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ellen","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10243294_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757113288454","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10243294"},{"teacherId":10243294,"projectId":9800901,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity through DonorsChoose, our classroom has been filled with excitement and purposeful play! The fine motor tools—scoopers, tongs, and graspers—have transformed our sensory table and small group time. Each day, my three-year-olds eagerly use the tools to transfer pom-poms, sort small objects by color, and carefully \"rescue\" letters from our sensory bins. These playful activities are building the small hand muscles they need for writing, strengthening coordination, and increasing focus. One special moment was watching a student who usually avoids table work spend nearly fifteen minutes using tongs to sort items by size—smiling proudly and saying, \"My fingers are strong!\"\r\n\r\nThe Feed the Animals kit from Lakeshore Learning quickly became a class favorite. When I first introduced it, the children squealed with excitement and immediately began \"feeding\" the animals using the tongs. They had to squeeze, control, and carefully drop the pretend food into each animal's mouth, which required concentration and patience. Beyond strengthening fine motor skills, the activity sparked counting, color recognition, and rich language development as students described what each animal was eating. One student even announced, \"The dog needs more bones because he's still hungry!\"—leading to a spontaneous math conversation about \"how many is enough.\"\r\n\r\nNext, we are building on this enthusiasm by incorporating the tools into small group literacy and math centers. Students will use the tongs to count and feed animals a specific number of items, sort by beginning sounds, and practice name-building activities. I am already seeing stronger grips, increased stamina during drawing, and more confidence during pre-writing tasks. Your support has truly strengthened both their hands and their love of learning. Thank you for investing in our youngest learners!","fullyFundedDate":1766067019359,"projectUrl":"project/fine-motor-skills-for-pre-k-3/9800901/","projectTitle":"Fine Motor Skills for Pre-K 3","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ellen","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10243294_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757113288454","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10243294"},{"teacherId":10243294,"projectId":9689975,"letterContent":"Our new classroom instruments have quickly become a meaningful part of our daily routine. We use them during circle time to support counting, turn-taking, and listening skills, as well as to accompany seasonal and thematic songs. One special moment was watching students work together to keep a steady beat during a fall song, taking turns with the instruments and encouraging one another. The instruments have helped even our quieter students participate more confidently, making music a joyful and inclusive learning experience.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the instruments, their excitement was immediate and contagious. Their eyes lit up as they explored the different sounds, carefully shaking, tapping, and ringing each one. Many students began humming familiar songs on their own, while others eagerly asked when we could use them during circle time. The materials sparked curiosity and enthusiasm, setting a positive tone for learning and creativity.\r\n\r\nNext, we will continue building on our music experiences by incorporating the instruments into lessons focused on patterns, movement, and seasonal celebrations. Students will practice following simple rhythms, playing together as a group, and matching sounds to emotions and stories we read in class. These next steps will help strengthen early literacy, social-emotional development, and cooperation, all while nurturing a lifelong love of music.","fullyFundedDate":1758830098667,"projectUrl":"project/adding-music-and-movement-to-pre-k-circl/9689975/","projectTitle":"Adding Music and Movement to Pre-K Circle Time","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ellen","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10243294_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757113288454","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10243294"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_134473","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":null,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":48,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":63,"percentWhite":7,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":12,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":3,"gradesServed":"Not specified","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"MDR District Record","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":50.0,"schoolId":134473,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Appletree @ Spring Valley on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Appletree @ Spring Valley","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/district-of-columbia/district-of-columbia-public-charter-school-board/appletree-spring-valley/134473"}