{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Scholars Academy","outOfStateSupporters":62.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":3511947,"projectId":9722444,"letterContent":"Thank you for investing in the curiosity, creativity, and potential of our students. Your generosity has provided more than just classroom materials—you have given our young scientists, inventors, and problem-solvers the opportunity to explore, experiment, and discover.\r\n\r\nInspired by Stay Curious and Keep Exploring by Emily Calandrelli, this project encourages students to ask questions, investigate ideas, and see how curiosity can lead to innovation. Thanks to your support, our classroom will become a hands-on learning laboratory where students can launch balloon rockets, explore chemical reactions, investigate air pressure, and create exciting STEM projects that bring science concepts to life.\r\n\r\nOur gifted and talented learners thrive when they can move beyond reading about science and actively experience it. These materials will allow them to test theories, solve problems, and develop the confidence that comes from learning through discovery. Just as importantly, they will learn about diverse scientists, inventors, and innovators whose stories help them see that science is a field where their own voices, experiences, and ideas belong.\r\n\r\nYour support is helping students connect the discoveries of the past with the possibilities of the future. You are showing them that innovation begins with a simple question and that their curiosity has the power to change the world.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping us create a classroom where wonder is celebrated, exploration is encouraged, and future innovators can dream big.","fullyFundedDate":1765574756978,"projectUrl":"project/from-inspiration-to-innovation-the-powe/9722444/","projectTitle":"From Inspiration to Innovation: the Power of Curiosity & Exploration","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Dormann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3511947_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1726404160168","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsdgt"},{"teacherId":3511947,"projectId":10049097,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generosity and kindness in supporting our project. Because of your gift, my students will receive warm, comfortable shirts that will help them feel safe, cared for, and ready to learn each day.\r\n\r\nMy students amaze me with their resilience, curiosity, and compassion. They come to school eager to learn and support one another, even while facing challenges that many children should never have to experience. Your donation is more than just clothing... it is a reminder that there are people who believe in them and want them to succeed.\r\n\r\nHaving properly fitting, comfortable shirts will remove a barrier that can distract students from learning. Instead of focusing on being cold or uncomfortable, they can concentrate on their schoolwork, participate confidently in classroom activities, and fully engage in the learning experiences we share together.\r\n\r\nYour support sends a powerful message to my students: they are valued, important, and worthy of care. Thank you for helping create a classroom environment where every child can feel comfortable, confident, and ready to reach their full potential.","fullyFundedDate":1769254572774,"projectUrl":"project/a-simple-shirt-a-powerful-message/10049097/","projectTitle":"A Simple Shirt, A Powerful Message","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Dormann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3511947_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1726404160168","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsdgt"},{"teacherId":10303710,"projectId":10041782,"letterContent":"On behalf of our entire classroom, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation of the light table. Your kindness will have a lasting impact on our students and the way they interact with their learning environment.\r\nThe light table will be an incredible tool in fostering creativity and enhancing hands-on learning experiences. It provides an engaging, sensory-rich space for students to explore concepts in art, science, math, and more. The ability to interact with light and color opens up new opportunities for exploration and discovery, helping to develop fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and collaboration among peers.\r\nThank you again for your thoughtful contribution. It's support like yours that truly makes a difference in the lives of our students!","fullyFundedDate":1769142756015,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-regulation-and-science-learning/10041782/","projectTitle":"Sensory Regulation and Science Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Shapiro","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10303710_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760278891719","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10303710"},{"teacherId":8468394,"projectId":10021143,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to our project. We are so excited about our new rocking chair. We work with many students with complex communication and sensory needs. They are using the chair often to regulate their senses.\r\n\r\nNot only is the chair a great addition for sensory regulation, the students enjoy sending balls down it like a slide. This therapy room is child-directed and play-based. The chair has added another new place to explore. \"Ready, set, go!\" and \"Down!\" is exclaimed as the balls are dropped.\r\n\r\nWe greatly appreciate your support of our students. We are developing their skills for their education path. This rocker will soothe students for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1768790177151,"projectUrl":"project/rocking-preschoolers/10021143/","projectTitle":"Rocking Preschoolers","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Simons","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8468394_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1652099889585","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8468394"},{"teacherId":8468394,"projectId":9641209,"letterContent":"I can't thank you enough for these materials. They have been an outstanding addition to our therapy sessions. My farm-themed toys are used every day and these resources have added to our interactions and communication attempts.\r\n\r\nThe chicken. I wish you could see the kids in action with the chicken. The chicken dances, sings, and lays eggs. The students are engaged, requesting, and commenting. The hamster (a stretch for farm, but we go with it) repeats what we say. My student with selective mutism whispers to hear her voice repeated louder by the hamster. The communication buttons for sound are a wonderful addition to our AAC for students who use limited vocalizations. The students use them during Old MacDonald and while playing with the toys. Sometimes they repeat what they hear.\r\n\r\nWe greatly appreciate your support of our students and therapy room. Your generous donations have added engaging activities to our speech-language sessions. We will use them for years to come. Thank you so much.","fullyFundedDate":1767297622925,"projectUrl":"project/fall-farm-fun/9641209/","projectTitle":"Fall Farm Fun!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Simons","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8468394_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1652099889585","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8468394"},{"teacherId":10303710,"projectId":9843917,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous and thoughtful donations. It means so much to my students and classroom environment. \r\n\r\nStudents in my class are 3, and this may be the first tint they have experienced many things such as writing with a pencil, or completing a puzzle. \r\n\r\nHaving appropriate materials helps learners be successful. Thick pencils are best got early learners, epically those in a pre school disability room. \r\n\r\nStudents have counted the numbers on the puzzle and dinosaur manipulative counting set.","fullyFundedDate":1762266305471,"projectUrl":"project/pre-k-disability-emerging-mathematic-abi/9843917/","projectTitle":"Pre K Disability Emerging Mathematic Abilities","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Shapiro","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10303710_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760278891719","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10303710"},{"teacherId":8468394,"projectId":9812072,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to our classrooms. These new sensory materials have been valuable additions to our program. The students use them in various activities throughout the day.\r\n\r\nAs you can see in the pictures, the students use the weighted items during seated activities or to calm their systems throughout the day. The weighted book and dog are not only fun for preschoolers but also serve an important function.\r\n\r\nThe sensory bin materials can be used daily for themed activities. The students love to find what's hiding in their sensory table. They target language and fine motor skills while engaging in sensory tasks. \r\n\r\nWe greatly appreciate your support of our preschoolers. These materials will be used with students for years to come!","fullyFundedDate":1760733328167,"projectUrl":"project/a-place-to-crash/9812072/","projectTitle":"A Place to Crash","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Simons","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8468394_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1652099889585","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8468394"},{"teacherId":8468394,"projectId":9301812,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for our new categorization tool! We are using it to sort the toys in many different ways. The students are sorting the animals by home, balls by type, people, and more. Not only are we working on an early semantic task to build their vocabulary skills, our room is much more organized. We can easily find what we need. The students are using the new shelves every day!\r\n\r\nOur students are working hard to develop their communication skills. Having the necessary tools and resources to develop their educational, social, and cognitive foundations is important. Your generous donation provides us with the support we need to educate our children. We are grateful for your contributions.","fullyFundedDate":1750774692422,"projectUrl":"project/farm-forest-jungle-or-sea-where-shou/9301812/","projectTitle":"Farm, Forest, Jungle, or Sea? Where Should You Be?","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Simons","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8468394_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1652099889585","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8468394"},{"teacherId":8468394,"projectId":9139829,"letterContent":"Thank you! These popping toys have been a hit! The students request them again and again. We have used them to develop the students' communication skills in almost every session.\r\n\r\nTwo students said their first words when using these new toys. Another said her first sentence! These engaging toys help to maintain their attention. They provide opportunities to take turns, request, comment, and more! Many of the students have just turned three years old. They are in a new school with a structured schedule. These new materials provide a fun outlet while the children develop their receptive and expressive language skills. \r\n\r\nThank you again for your thoughtful donation. We greatly appreciate these new materials and will use them for years to come!","fullyFundedDate":1748882772875,"projectUrl":"project/popping-toys-for-preschool-language-deve/9139829/","projectTitle":"Popping Toys for Preschool Language Development","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Simons","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8468394_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1652099889585","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8468394"},{"teacherId":8468394,"projectId":9431041,"letterContent":"\"Wow!\" The preschoolers' voices echoed through our room as they entered and saw our new decor. Each child that entered, pointed out the new decorations on our walls. They love it!\r\n\r\nOur classroom is a welcoming oasis filled with toys. Many refer to it as a Disneyland that the students don't want to leave. The bare cement walls contrasted starkly with the our therapy room vibe. Now the walls welcome the children and reflect our message. \"Play!\" \"Imagination!\" \"Together!\" \r\n\r\nWe greatly appreciate each generous donation that funded this project. Together your support created a beautiful and welcoming space for our students to develop and grow in. Thank you from each student and our staff.","fullyFundedDate":1758807172356,"projectUrl":"project/new-decor-for-threes-and-fours/9431041/","projectTitle":"New Decor for Threes and Fours!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Simons","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8468394_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1652099889585","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8468394"},{"teacherId":3511947,"projectId":9594467,"letterContent":"Our classroom has never been so alive with energy — quite literally! Thanks to your generosity, this project became one of those rare learning experiences that lit up every corner of our room (and echoed down the hallways with laughter, \"whoas!\", and \"I got it!\" moments).\r\n\r\nEach week, students arrived bursting with curiosity, ready to test, tweak, and tinker. They raced balloon cars, launched mousetrap racers, and watched energy transfer from one motion to another — not because it was in a textbook, but because they could see it, feel it, and build it. The materials you provided turned abstract physics concepts into something tangible, joyful, and deeply understood.\r\n\r\nWhen it came time to design their pinball machines, everything they had explored suddenly clicked. They debated angles, adjusted friction, redesigned flippers, and celebrated every successful launch with pride that only comes from true ownership. They weren't just following directions — they were thinking like engineers, collaborating like teammates, and discovering the power of persistence.\r\n\r\nYour support made this magic possible. You gave our students the tools — and the belief — that they could turn ideas into motion and imagination into innovation. The pride on their faces as they showed off their working machines said it all: They built this. They understand this. And they love this.\r\n\r\nThank you for fueling their curiosity, amplifying their confidence, and helping them see science not as something to memorize, but as something they can make come alive.","fullyFundedDate":1757507933657,"projectUrl":"project/from-force-to-fun-the-science-behind-ou/9594467/","projectTitle":"From Force to Fun: The Science Behind Our Favorite Games","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Dormann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3511947_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1726404160168","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsdgt"},{"teacherId":3511947,"projectId":9594206,"letterContent":"Thanks to your incredible generosity, our classroom has become a hub of creativity, innovation, and hope for a more sustainable future! \r\n\r\nOur students jumped into this urban planning project with contagious enthusiasm. From the moment they began sprouting microgreens and designing their own vertical gardens, their imaginations took off. They've been experimenting, sketching, and sharing bold ideas for how cities can grow food, reduce waste, and build thriving, sustainable communities. Every day, they bring new energy and curiosity—testing what works, learning from what doesn't, and thinking like real-world problem solvers.\r\n\r\nYour support made these experiences possible. Because of you, students aren't just learning about sustainability—they're living it. They've grown food in small spaces, explored farm-to-table systems, and designed models of zero-waste neighborhoods they can be proud of. Their excitement and sense of ownership have been inspiring; they see themselves as changemakers who can shape the future of their city.\r\n\r\nFrom every seed sprouted and every idea shared, your generosity continues to grow. Thank you for believing in our students, their creativity, and their vision for a healthier, more sustainable world.","fullyFundedDate":1757503440872,"projectUrl":"project/sprouting-solutions-for-our-city/9594206/","projectTitle":"Sprouting Solutions for Our City","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Dormann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3511947_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1726404160168","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsdgt"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_109032","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":80,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":74,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":45,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":49,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - Pre-K","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"MDR District Record","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":null},"inStateSupporters":37.2,"schoolId":109032,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Scholars Academy on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Scholars Academy","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/new-jersey/orange-public-schools/scholars-academy/109032"}