{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"P721R Hungerford @ New Dorp High School","outOfStateSupporters":42.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":3362752,"projectId":9559219,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donations, as they have greatly impacted our classes. We have used your gracious donations for the duration of all of our classes this year. We are currently doing a unit on bowling and your donations of bowling pins have helped us immensely. Prior to this unit, the classes all participated in a fitness gram test in which we used the tape measure donation; as well as the steeple bricks for exercising.\r\nWe were also allowed to use the school track to run relay races using the relay batons.\r\n For our next steps, we will be doing a unit on the rules of hockey; as well as the importance of practicing safety while playing. For that unit we get to use the soft touch hockey set, while practicing safety. On days where a choice for play is provided, students are given the option to choose and one of our choices is table tennis in which we will use the provided table tennis balls. To conclude, i would like to thank you once again for your accommodating donations, they are greatly appreciated everyday.","fullyFundedDate":1758899254004,"projectUrl":"project/lets-get-healthy/9559219/","projectTitle":"Let's Get Healthy","teacherDisplayName":"Teacher D'Alessandro","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3362752_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1473177355040","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3362752"},{"teacherId":4256453,"projectId":4504852,"letterContent":"This was by far my students' biggest Donors Choose hit! It was done a few years ago but we still use the item on a regular basis. Cooking is a big hit in my self-contained 6:1+1 classroom! I have incorporated the Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy sessions into my cooking lessons. We have also combined classes to encourage working collaboratively with others. Some of the items we make as gifts, others we sell on our snack cart. The entire school has benefited from this project. Thank you so much for helping us be able to do this.","fullyFundedDate":1571062835750,"projectUrl":"project/help-us-with-our-cookingbaking-skills/4504852/","projectTitle":"Help Us With Our Cooking/Baking Skills!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Pollock","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4256453"},{"teacherId":6076335,"projectId":9755975,"letterContent":"Thank you so very much for thinking about my students and for striving to make a difference in the lives of my students. Every item and supply we can get to my students helps propel them to the ultimate goal of becoming a high school graduate. Thank you for thinking about my students and for making a difference in their lives. I always heard growing up that it takes a community to raise a kid, and on behalf of my students I wanted to thank you for being a part of their community. These supplies will truly make a difference! Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1758898992661,"projectUrl":"project/a-color-revolution-for-our-special-ed-st/9755975/","projectTitle":"A Color Revolution For Our Special Ed Students","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Zak","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6076335_orig.jpg?crop=480,480,x81,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1758674047656","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrkneider"},{"teacherId":6076335,"projectId":9755861,"letterContent":"Thank you so very much for thinking about my students and for striving to make a difference in the lives of my students. Every item and supply we can get to my students helps propel them to the ultimate goal of becoming a high school graduate. Thank you for thinking about my students and for making a difference in their lives. I always heard growing up that it takes a community to raise a kid, and on behalf of my students I wanted to thank you for being a part of their community. These supplies will truly make a difference! Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1758898960175,"projectUrl":"project/help-keep-our-special-ed-classroom-stock/9755861/","projectTitle":"Help Keep Our Special Ed Classroom Stocked!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Zak","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6076335_orig.jpg?crop=480,480,x81,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1758674047656","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrkneider"},{"teacherId":6076335,"projectId":9681767,"letterContent":"Thank you so very much for thinking about my students and for striving to make a difference in the lives of my students. Every item and supply we can get to my students helps propel them to the ultimate goal of becoming a high school graduate. Thank you for thinking about my students and for making a difference in their lives. I always heard growing up that it takes a community to raise a kid, and on behalf of my students I wanted to thank you for being a part of their community. These supplies will truly make a difference! Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1758899161186,"projectUrl":"project/help-us-set-up-our-classroom/9681767/","projectTitle":"Help Us Set Up Our Classroom!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Zak","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6076335_orig.jpg?crop=480,480,x81,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1758674047656","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrkneider"},{"teacherId":3438103,"projectId":8962049,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our sensory storage and life skills project! Since receiving the storage cabinets and hot plate, our classroom environment has transformed into a more nurturing and inclusive space. The sensory tools are now organized and easily accessible, allowing students to independently manage moments of stress and sensory overload. One memorable moment was when a student who often became overwhelmed was able to choose a calming fidget toy from the cabinet and refocus during a challenging task—this made a clear difference in their engagement and confidence. The excitement in the room when the hot plate arrived was contagious; students eagerly gathered to learn cooking skills, gaining hands-on experience preparing healthy meals and building essential life skills.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we plan to expand our lessons by integrating cooking with executive functioning skills, helping students like Angelica and Adam build independence and problem-solving abilities in real-life contexts. We will continue to use the sensory storage tools to support emotional regulation and social-emotional learning, reinforcing positive routines such as hygiene and organization. Your contribution has truly empowered us to create a safe, supportive, and skill-building environment where every student can thrive, and we are excited to share our ongoing progress with you!","fullyFundedDate":1739737724178,"projectUrl":"project/organizing-our-day-for-success/8962049/","projectTitle":"Organizing Our Day for Success!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Yan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3438103_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1729679377716","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3438103"},{"teacherId":1650428,"projectId":9067092,"letterContent":"My students use the beanbag as a reward for completing activities or having good behaviors. I also would offer the beanbag to for comfort, relaxation, and to promote engagement and learning, as well as for activities like reading, quiet time, or games. A bean bag's soft and comfortable construction will calm students and give them a spot to decompress while reading, having quiet time, or playing games. The polystyrene bead filling inside the bean bags gives optimum comfort and support as well as allowing the students to remain fully focussed on the task at hand. Using bean bags to encourage and enhance reading among students is already proving a great success in my class.\r\n\r\n My students and staff were so happy when they saw the beanbag. One student was asking to sit on and once he got the chance, he was so calm and had a big smile. \r\n\r\n After using beanbags in the classroom, the next steps can include transitioning to other seating options, engaging in activities that promote learning, or incorporating beanbags into various learning activities. The beanbag can be used to create cozy and inviting reading corners, encouraging students to relax and engage with books. The beanbag can be a part of a calming area in the classroom, providing a space for students to decompress and reduce stress.","fullyFundedDate":1742568735440,"projectUrl":"project/please-help-my-student-get-a-bean-bag/9067092/","projectTitle":"Please Help my Student get a Bean Bag.","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Emsak","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1650428_orig.jpg?crop=1440,1440,x0,y840&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1728568077649","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1650428"},{"teacherId":3438103,"projectId":8897389,"letterContent":"Impact of the Project on Students\r\nOur project focused on empowering students through occupational therapy using cooking skills has truly transformed the learning environment and enriched the lives of our students. \r\nUsing New Resources: \r\nWe are actively utilizing the new resources in various hands-on cooking sessions that have become a cornerstone of our curriculum. Recently, we completed a project where students prepared a simple yet nutritious meal, such as pancakes, eggs, salads. They used adaptive kitchen tools, like ergonomic utensils and measuring cups, to chop and measure ingredients. Through this experience, students practiced fine motor skills while also enhancing their executive functioning by planning the meal, sequencing the steps, and managing their time effectively. The excitement and pride they felt when they served their meal was a powerful testament to their growing independence.\r\nStudent Reactions: \r\nWhen students first saw the new materials, their reactions were filled with enthusiasm and curiosity. The adaptive tools sparked interest as they eagerly explored how to use them. Many students expressed feelings of excitement about the prospect of cooking, while others felt nervous yet hopeful about trying something new. One student remarked, \"I can't wait to make my own dinner!\" This enthusiasm created a positive atmosphere in the classroom, fostering a sense of community and collaboration as students worked together.\r\nNext Steps for Current Projects: \r\nAs we move forward, our next steps will involve incorporating a weekly cooking challenge where students will select recipes, plan their meals, and execute the cooking process independently or in small groups. This will not only reinforce their cooking skills but also further enhance their ability to manage tasks and reduce anxiety in the kitchen environment. Additionally, we plan to implement mindfulness practices before cooking sessions, utilizing mood lighting and calming music to prepare students mentally for the activity. \r\nYour generous support has made it possible for us to provide these essential tools and resources, helping our students learn valuable life skills while addressing their emotional and mental health needs. Thank you for being an integral part of their journey towards independence and self-confidence!","fullyFundedDate":1734321055680,"projectUrl":"project/hands-on-healing-bridging-occupational/8897389/","projectTitle":"Hands On Healing: Bridging Occupational Therapy and Mental Health","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Yan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3438103_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1729679377716","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3438103"},{"teacherId":9797774,"projectId":8865861,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the generous support from Donors Choose! The social-emotional supplies you provided have made a significant impact on my special needs students. The diffuser and Buddha create a beautifully relaxing environment that helps my students feel comfortable and at ease. The huggable weighted plush toys have been a tremendous hit, especially among my students with autism, as they use them to self-regulate their emotions. Your contributions have truly transformed our space, allowing us to focus on social-emotional well-being and health. I'm incredibly grateful for your kindness and support! Working with the special needs community has been my life's passion but I don't always have the resources to give them the experiences they deserve. Having people to donate and the incredible support from Donor's Choose has truly made a huge different this year. \r\n\r\nWhen I began my career, the population that I was working with was mostly with students with intellectual and emotional disabilities. However, over the years, the population of students with Autism has boomed. Our students with disabilities have entirely different needs than my other students with Intellectual, Emotional or Physical disabilities. They often need their sensory needs met in different ways throughout the day. Having items like the meditation cards, diffusers and the Buddha for meditation allows my students to enter a world of relaxation and to learn how to deep breath and learn mindfulness. \r\n\r\nMindfulness and meditation have been a tool I have been utilizing especially this year as I find it to be extremely helpful in assisting my students with regulating their emotions. A simple five or ten minute meditation could make all the difference in my students day especially if they are having a more difficult one. Allowing them the time and space to reset the button so that they can continue to have a successful day is so impactful. Having resources like the calm ball can be utilized as a fun activity to incorporate mindfulness into my student's daily life especially if they are new to understanding or engaging in that type of activity. The yoga pads for our seats and sometimes the floor is an amazing way for our students to fully engage in a meditation activity. \r\n\r\nI cannot even begin to express my deepest gratitude for having my Donor's Choose project funded and receiving so many incredible resources. It means everything to me and my students that we have been able to create a relaxing, mindful and socially engaging space in which they can be themselves, explore their emotions and explore healthy strategies for managing big feelings. We all try to teach our students that big feelings happen sometimes and that we have to handle them in a healthy way so that it doesn't impact our entire day or life. Teaching them these types of strategies can be something they can use in and outside of school which is so impactful. So many of my students since I have been able to create this space, have requested these items and are excited to participate and that really says it all. \r\n\r\nThank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity and support. We are so very grateful!\r\n\r\n\r\nWarmest Wishes,\r\n\r\nCatherine Schiazza & The Hungerford Students at New Dorp High School","fullyFundedDate":1728676825525,"projectUrl":"project/mental-health-resources-for-students-wit/8865861/","projectTitle":"Mental Health Resources for Students With Disabilities","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cat","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9797774"},{"teacherId":9811008,"projectId":8893646,"letterContent":"Your donations have made such an impact on my students. We have been practicing for our production of High School Musical that will be taking place in March. My students have been able to express their feelings about being on stage on a daily basis while using the donations.\r\n \r\nMy students have shown such joy using the microphones while they are singing and dancing the songs to High School Musical. We can't wait to make props with all the other donations! My students have also shown happiness using the gong, and wearing the clothes that were donated! We are truly thankful!","fullyFundedDate":1729536013999,"projectUrl":"project/support-mental-health-through-the-arts/8893646/","projectTitle":"Support Mental Health Through the Arts!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Raimondi","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9811008"},{"teacherId":6164116,"projectId":8866804,"letterContent":"Your donations have made such an impact on my students. We have been practicing for our production of High School Musical that will be taking place in March. My students have been able to express their feelings about being on stage on a daily basis while using the donations.\r\n\r\nMy students have shown such joy using the pom-poms while they are singing and dancing the songs to High School Musical. We can't wait to make props with all the other donations! My students have also started to design images to make with the vinyl, tumblers and canvas bags. We have set a date for our cast party, which we will be using the table clothes to celebrate the student's achievements. We are truly thankful!","fullyFundedDate":1728431271223,"projectUrl":"project/support-mental-health-through-theater/8866804/","projectTitle":"Support Mental Health Through Theater","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Frank","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6164116_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x712,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1728407563499","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6164116"},{"teacherId":3680638,"projectId":8867007,"letterContent":"You have the sincere thanks from both my whole class and myself. You've allowed us to access materials that are not only more engaging than most programs (what's more engaging than music?), but also academically and social/emotionally focused. \r\n\r\nWe use the program weekly to discuss Current Events through their Week in Rap videos. The videos talk about the big events of the week, focus on new vocabulary in each of the stories, and provide comprehension questions at the end. After reviewing the vocabulary they even have a game where it presents the new words and their definitions and use all while earning different instruments to make a beat. \r\n\r\nMost importantly, a major focus is Social and Emotional learning. The Flocabulary program offers a number of videos and materials around different emotions and how to deal with them, building empathy, diversity, and over 40 other lessons directly or tangentially connected to building students up with mental health skills and coping mechanisms.\r\n\r\nAgain, thank you so much for funding the program for my class. Engagement can be difficult with typically developed students, and that difficulty increases with students with disabilities. Anything that can engage them on a higher level will increase academic rigor and further connect students to the material.","fullyFundedDate":1729107987339,"projectUrl":"project/flocabularys-academicssocial-emotional/8867007/","projectTitle":"Flocabulary's Academics/Social Emotional Learning Through Rap for Students with Disabilities","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Tyler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3680638_272x272.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1541079481162","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/tyler-ciccarelli"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_109172","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":null,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":74,"percentAsian":14,"percentBlack":16,"percentWhite":12,"percentIndigenous":1,"percentLatinx":34,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Not specified","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"MDR District Record","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":null},"inStateSupporters":57.1,"schoolId":109172,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about P721R Hungerford @ New Dorp High School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"P721R Hungerford @ New Dorp High School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/new-york/new-york-city-dept-of-ed/p721r-new-dorp-high-school/109172"}