{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"PS 721X Stephen McSweeney School","outOfStateSupporters":30.1,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2405433,"projectId":9927674,"letterContent":"Let me start with my sincerest thanks to each of you who supported this project and saw the importance of creating hands-on learning opportunities. When the students arrived in the morning and saw the shipping box on our main table, they couldn't contain their excitement at another \"mystery surprise\" present for our classroom and learning.\r\n\r\nJust as in our previous projects, the students practiced their hard and soft vocational skills to unpack all the parts of the grow tower, utilize the directions to check for all pieces, and follow the steps to put the grow tower together. After putting it together, we talked about the purpose of a grow tower, how they can help people, and how we were going to utilize it. Some of my students made the connection to the larger grow towers they worked with in their previous vocational-based classroom.\r\n\r\nWe chose several different herbs that we would use in recipes and cooking to begin growing in the pods, and within one week, the students were already witnessing sprouts. It was truly amazing to see how this worked, especially with the automatic timer we set with two watering cycles. As we are beginning our new gardening season, we are preparing to transplant the sprouts from the pods into small pots to continue growing before transplanting them into our community garden spot at the worksite. \r\n\r\nThe students can't wait to start the next cycle of seeds and watch the magic happen. We have already started discussing different ways we can share our seedlings with others around the worksite and at home. They are now seeing just how a little space and the right tools can help people grow all sorts of plants inside without needing access to outdoor garden plots. Just another real-world connection that would not have been as easily accessible and understood without the tools to make it hands-on, which was made possible by each of you.","fullyFundedDate":1764864873439,"projectUrl":"project/soil-to-saut-growing-chefs-in-our-clas/9927674/","projectTitle":"Soil to Sauté: Growing Chefs in Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mead","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2405433_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1600872433745","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-kristenmead"},{"teacherId":2405433,"projectId":9927490,"letterContent":"I want to start by thanking each and every one of you again for supporting my students in their vocational educational careers. Without generous and kind-hearted people like yourselves, many hands-on opportunities would be missed. When we received the delivery, the students were surprised to see what we got since this project was a surprise. Upon opening the shipping box, I could see the wonder and excitement on their faces as a few exclaimed, \"A time clock?!?\"\r\n\r\nContinuing our daily work on some of our hard and soft skills that are needed in the vocational and work setting, we worked together step by step to get our new time clock set up. The students remembered and demonstrated the importance of finding the directions, checking off each piece to ensure we had everything we needed, and setting up a large enough workspace to set it up. The students recognized that there was a QR code to watch a video on how to set up the time clock, and immediately got a tablet to get the video started. After setting it up, each of the students got the opportunity to try it out. We discussed the importance of a time clock at work, its purpose, and why it is an important skill to know and practice.\r\n\r\nSince we received our time clock system just before the holiday break, we discussed beginning to use it regularly when we came back in the new year. We designated a space on top of the lockers (our previous project) for the punch clock and set up their time cards and the time card holder on the wall next to the punch clock. The first day back, the students immediately started using the punch clock system without any verbal reminders. We have been focusing on clocking in and out for the day, and when they are fully independent, we will add in punching for meal breaks, just as you would at any job.\r\n\r\nThe students love the time clock system and the responsibility of having to punch in and out, and request a new card at the beginning of the month. They have a new understanding of time manamgent within the workplace. And without amazing supporters like yourselves, this would have been another concept that would have been taught without the hands-on experience needed to make the real-world connection.","fullyFundedDate":1764721488838,"projectUrl":"project/mastering-time-management-at-the-workpla/9927490/","projectTitle":"Mastering Time Management at the Workplace","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mead","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2405433_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1600872433745","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-kristenmead"},{"teacherId":23574,"projectId":9926273,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the new range. You should have seen the faces on the students in my class when the big box was in the classroom when they returned from lunch. The oven was hooked up the same day and we made our first pizza the next day. It was amazing. \r\n\r\nThe air bake feature helped us warm up many trays of food for our annual Thanksgiving school celebration. We are still adjusting the cooking times down for our typical recipes. The stove is SO easy to clean and we have all burners working all of the time!\r\n\r\nThank you so much for your generosity. This range was a monumental improvement in the Green Room!","fullyFundedDate":1764197416929,"projectUrl":"project/lets-get-cooking/9926273/","projectTitle":"Let's Get Cooking!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Kottkamp","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp23574_orig.jpg?crop=432,432,x442,y421&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1582569235990","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/kottkamp"},{"teacherId":2405433,"projectId":9788989,"letterContent":"I want to start by thanking each and every one of you again for supporting my students in their vocational educational careers. Without generous and kind-hearted people like yourselves, many of our visions would continue as dreams for \"one day,\" and our goals would still be slightly out of reach. When we first received the delivery to our classroom, the students were excited for the new lockers and changes happening in our space.\r\n\r\nWe used this project to help work on some of our hard and soft skills that are needed in the vocational and work setting. As we opened the boxes to assemble our lockers, the students understood the importance of finding the directions, checking off each piece to ensure we had everything we needed, and setting up a large enough workspace to put the lockers together. Through some trial and error, we completed the first set of lockers and were in awe of them. They fit perfectly in the space we were planning for, and the students eagerly wanted to get started on the second set of lockers. \r\n\r\nAfter building the second set the next day, the students were ecstatic about their new lockers and having a space for their belongings. I bought dry-erase magnet labels so the students could label their lockers. We also used the empty lockers to start storing supplies and materials we use for cleaning, gardening, and cooking. \r\n\r\nThe students have been very appreciative of their new lockers and having a designated space for their personal items. They have a new understanding of respecting space and belongings within the workplace. And without amazing supporters like yourselves, this would have been another concept that would have been taught without the hands-on experience needed to make the real-world connection.","fullyFundedDate":1760726952590,"projectUrl":"project/employee-lockers-for-tomorrows-workforc/9788989/","projectTitle":"Employee Lockers for Tomorrow's Workforce","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mead","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2405433_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1600872433745","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-kristenmead"},{"teacherId":4079142,"projectId":9682578,"letterContent":"We are so thrilled that you were able to help us achieve this goal! Students are having fun using the new resources, such as Magnatiles, Lego, kinetic sand, and more. The sensory experiences that students are gaining from having access to these materials are unparalleled. When students first saw the materials, they were so happy! They started by simply looking at the materials. Then they started to point, and lean in closer. They were visually assessing the colors, textures, and shapes of their new sensory toys! Eventually, students began to experiment with different sensory experiences and had so much fun doing so.","fullyFundedDate":1758898896963,"projectUrl":"project/essential-for-living-essential-for-thri/9682578/","projectTitle":"Essential for Living, Essential for Thriving","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mauriello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4079142_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1484618417235","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missmauriello"},{"teacherId":10034510,"projectId":9351921,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our classroom! Because of you, my students now have access to a printer that helps them take real steps toward independence, printing resumes, job applications, and other important documents for their futures.\r\n\r\nI'm thrilled to share that several students were able to print their resumes and proudly bring them to job interviews. For many, it was their first time holding a resume with their name at the top, a powerful moment that boosted their confidence and gave them a sense of professionalism they hadn't felt before.\r\n\r\nYour kindness has made a direct, lasting impact on their lives. Thank you for believing in them, and for helping make their future just a little more accessible, one printed page at a time.","fullyFundedDate":1747841004887,"projectUrl":"project/from-classroom-to-career-printing-their/9351921/","projectTitle":"From Classroom to Career: Printing Their Next Steps","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Chal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10034510_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1747141292429","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10034510"},{"teacherId":9931750,"projectId":9132401,"letterContent":"We are so excited to share how your generous support has made a real difference in our classroom!\r\n\r\nThanks to you, our new iPad charging station has transformed our daily routine. Before this project, we often struggled with tangled cords, missing chargers, and dead devices that disrupted our learning time. Now, each iPad has a safe and organized place to charge. The charging station not only keeps our devices powered throughout the day, but it also helps my students—who are emergent bilinguals and emergent readers—practice responsibility and independence by returning their iPads to the station after use.\r\n\r\nIn our self-contained special education classroom of students, technology plays a critical role in every part of our learning. Whether we are using interactive literacy apps, listening to text-to-speech stories, practicing life skills, or translating vocabulary into our home languages, iPads help make the curriculum accessible for all. With the new charging station, my students now have uninterrupted access to these tools throughout the day.\r\n\r\nIt's amazing to see the pride my students feel when they take care of the equipment and keep our classroom organized. That simple change has made a big impact on their independence and confidence.\r\n\r\nFrom all of us—thank you for believing in our class. Your donation has brought consistency, order, and opportunity into our learning environment. We are deeply grateful for your kindness and support.\r\n\r\nI have attached photos of our students opening the packages and putting together the charging station that they will access to every day!","fullyFundedDate":1741222754559,"projectUrl":"project/help-keep-our-ipads-charged-for-learning/9132401/","projectTitle":"Help Keep Our iPads Charged for Learning!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Marcillo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9931750_orig.jpg?crop=416,416,x64,y117&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1740594446565","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9931750"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_451","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":24,"numTeachers":67,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":3,"percentBlack":34,"percentWhite":2,"percentIndigenous":1,"percentLatinx":57,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Not specified","studentTeacherRatio":".4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":69.9,"schoolId":451,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about PS 721X Stephen McSweeney School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"PS 721X Stephen McSweeney School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/new-york/new-york-city-dept-of-ed/ps-721x-stephen-mcsweeney-school/451"}