{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Union Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":28.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6918317,"projectId":10321755,"letterContent":"Technology has become an invaluable tool in our first-grade classrooms, helping students engage deeply with reading in ways that were previously difficult to achieve. With the new headphones and audio-supported reading programs, our students have the opportunity to listen to multiple read-alouds. This listening allows them to absorb language patterns, encounter new vocabulary in context, and strengthen their background knowledge, which is critical for comprehension and long-term reading success.\r\nWhat excites the students most about this technology is the independence it provides them. They can explore stories at their own pace, listen to pronunciations they might struggle with, and revisit passages as often as needed to build confidence and understanding. The ability to control their own learning makes the classroom experience more personal and enjoyable.The new technology has been particularly transformative for our neurodivergent learners. Headphones help reduce sensory distractions, allowing these students to focus more fully on the content. It also provides a consistent, supportive way for them to practice listening and comprehension skills in a calm, controlled environment. We've noticed that students who once struggled to participate in group read-aloud sessions are now actively engaged, asking thoughtful questions, and sharing new vocabulary they've learned, demonstrating growth in both understanding and enthusiasm.","fullyFundedDate":1782912680222,"projectUrl":"project/listen-learn-and-lead-headphones-for/10321755/","projectTitle":"Listen, Learn, and Lead: Headphones for First Grade Focus!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Phillippe","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6918317_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1716068387341","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6918317"},{"teacherId":10271240,"projectId":10239377,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous contributions, my new classroom went from a blank slate to a warm, welcoming environment that was ready for learning. Many of the items in this project weren't the most exciting items, but are completely crucial to a functional and productive classroom. Tape, hot glue, paper, cleaning supplies, whiteboard accessories, scissors, staplers, labels and sticky notes are absolutely essential items that my students and I use on a daily basis. Every item on the walls, every bit of organization, and every part of our daily routines in the classroom have been positively impacted by you.\r\nMy students absolutely love my classroom. They find it comfortable, welcoming, and well-organized so they can easily find and use whatever they need. Their enjoyment and comfort in our room is thanks to your generosity.\r\nThank you so much for contributing to my project. You have made an amazing difference in my life and the lives of my students, not just this year, but for years to come. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.","fullyFundedDate":1779802036056,"projectUrl":"project/start-mrs-donofrios-classroom/10239377/","projectTitle":"Start Mrs. Donofrio's Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Donofrio","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10271240_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x510,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1778677631262","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-donofrios-class"},{"teacherId":9301302,"projectId":9982665,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our DonorsChoose project! Because of your generosity, our classroom now has playdough and hands-on materials that are already making a meaningful difference in our daily learning. Students are excited to explore, create, and engage in lessons in new ways, using these resources to build letters, shapes, and ideas with their own hands.\r\n\r\nYour donation has helped create a more interactive and inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive. These materials support creativity, strengthen fine motor skills, and encourage collaboration among classmates. It's incredible to see how something as simple as playdough can spark imagination and boost confidence in young learners.\r\n\r\nWe are truly grateful for your kindness and commitment to education. Your support has not only provided supplies but has also inspired joy and curiosity in our classroom. Thank you for making a lasting impact on our students' learning experiences!","fullyFundedDate":1768413071558,"projectUrl":"project/hands-on-learning/9982665/","projectTitle":"Hands on Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bradsher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9301302_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1695517863000","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9301302"},{"teacherId":107802,"projectId":9881249,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the parachutes, bean bags, and scarves. We have enjoyed them so much in class. \r\nOur students have loved learning about musical form with the parachutes and creating routines to match the form of the music.\r\n Our 3rd grade students have enjoyed using the beanbags in our \"Plainsies Clapsies\" song, and having enough for everyone has made the song even more fun for them.\r\nOur students love that the scarves are in our house colors and have already experienced several movement routines. They get extremely excited when I tell them we are using our scarves. Thank you so much for your support.","fullyFundedDate":1763144240703,"projectUrl":"project/music-exploration-through-parachutes-and/9881249/","projectTitle":"Music exploration through parachutes and scarves!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wright","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/suewright"},{"teacherId":6918317,"projectId":9816344,"letterContent":"Your donations provided more than just books; it provided 'I can do it' moments! My struggling 1st graders are finally able to apply their phonics skills to real stories without the frustration of guessing. By using these decodable readers in small groups and for take-home practice, we are building foundational reading skills that will last a lifetime. I love that I can match my phonics instruction with decodable reading materials to support the skill being taught. Thank you for making reading success possible for every child in our classroom","fullyFundedDate":1760913606244,"projectUrl":"project/building-confident-readers-who-will-deve/9816344/","projectTitle":"Building Confident Readers who will Develop a Love for Reading!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Phillippe","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6918317_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1716068387341","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6918317"},{"teacherId":9330118,"projectId":9755317,"letterContent":"My students have absolutely loved these new books! We have used them in so many different ways. They love to read them during my small group, then reading them to a partner. The best part has been allowing them to take them home to read to their families at night. Since they are decodable, students are able to ready them independently which makes them feel confident about their reading ability. \r\n\r\nMy students have enjoyed having the wide variety of choices to choose from. They read so many books throughout the week, this was the perfect addition.","fullyFundedDate":1759426568005,"projectUrl":"project/eager-for-books/9755317/","projectTitle":"Eager for Books!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Rhea","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9330118_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1697154853145","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/rheak"},{"teacherId":9301302,"projectId":9812938,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of my DonorsChoose project to fund decodable readers for my classroom. Because of your kindness, my students now have access to books that are thoughtfully designed to support early reading skills. These decodable texts give children the confidence to apply the phonics skills they are learning and experience real success as readers.\r\nHaving these readers in our classroom makes a meaningful difference every day. Students are excited to read independently, practice new sound patterns, and celebrate their progress. For many of my learners, these books are the bridge between learning to read and believing they can read, and that confidence is invaluable.\r\nYour generosity is helping lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Thank you for investing in my students and in their journey as growing readers. Your support will continue to impact them long after this school year.","fullyFundedDate":1760913606454,"projectUrl":"project/growing-confident-readers-with-nonfictio/9812938/","projectTitle":"Growing Confident Readers with Nonfiction Decodable Texts!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bradsher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9301302_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1695517863000","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9301302"},{"teacherId":9301302,"projectId":9812896,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of my DonorsChoose project to fund decodable readers for my classroom. Because of your kindness, my students now have access to books that are thoughtfully designed to support early reading skills. These decodable texts give children the confidence to apply the phonics skills they are learning and experience real success as readers.\r\nHaving these readers in our classroom makes a meaningful difference every day. Students are excited to read independently, practice new sound patterns, and celebrate their progress. For many of my learners, these books are the bridge between learning to read and believing they can read, and that confidence is invaluable.\r\nYour generosity is helping lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Thank you for investing in my students and in their journey as growing readers. Your support will continue to impact them long after this school year.","fullyFundedDate":1760913605946,"projectUrl":"project/empowering-early-readers-with-decodable/9812896/","projectTitle":"Empowering Early Readers with Decodable Books!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bradsher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9301302_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1695517863000","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9301302"},{"teacherId":9301302,"projectId":9812862,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of my DonorsChoose project to fund decodable readers for my classroom. Because of your kindness, my students now have access to books that are thoughtfully designed to support early reading skills. These decodable texts give children the confidence to apply the phonics skills they are learning and experience real success as readers.\r\nHaving these readers in our classroom makes a meaningful difference every day. Students are excited to read independently, practice new sound patterns, and celebrate their progress. For many of my learners, these books are the bridge between learning to read and believing they can read, and that confidence is invaluable.\r\nYour generosity is helping lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Thank you for investing in my students and in their journey as growing readers. Your support will continue to impact them long after this school year.","fullyFundedDate":1760913606125,"projectUrl":"project/building-strong-readers-with-a-decodable/9812862/","projectTitle":"Building Strong Readers with a Decodable Book Library!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bradsher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9301302_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1695517863000","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9301302"},{"teacherId":3462306,"projectId":9873658,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my classroom and helping fund the HDMI connector that allows me to project directly from my iPad to our SmartBoard. This simple piece of technology has made a surprisingly big difference in how smoothly I can teach and how engaged my first graders are throughout the day. Because of your generosity, our lessons are now more interactive, visually clear, and accessible for all learners.\r\n\r\nBefore this project, I relied mostly on my desktop computer, which limited the resources I could display and often slowed down transitions between activities. Now, with the ability to mirror my iPad instantly, I can move from phonics to math to read-alouds without interruptions. This flexibility allows me to use the tools that best support my students—interactive apps, drawing tools, digital decodable books, number lines, and more—right on the big screen where everyone can see. Thank you for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1763144240424,"projectUrl":"project/proximity-power-engaging-students-with/9873658/","projectTitle":"Proximity Power: Engaging Students With Mobile Teaching Technology","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cutrell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3462306_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1498496972094","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3462306"},{"teacherId":3462306,"projectId":9771791,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and helping bring decodable readers into the hands of my first graders. These books have already made a meaningful impact on their confidence and growth as developing readers. Decodable texts are intentionally structured so students can practice specific phonics skills—like short vowels, blends, digraphs, and long-vowel patterns—right in the stories they read. Because the words align with what they are learning in phonics, students experience real success sounding out new words instead of guessing based on pictures or memorized sight words. This has completely transformed how my students approach reading.\r\nIn our classroom, reading time is now filled with focused engagement and proud smiles. Students grab their decodable books, track each word with a finger, and use their decoding strategies. Your generosity has given my students the tools they need to feel capable, excited, and proud to call themselves readers. Thank you for investing in their journey—your support truly makes a difference.","fullyFundedDate":1759426568147,"projectUrl":"project/learning-to-read-one-sound-at-a-time/9771791/","projectTitle":"Learning to Read one Sound at a Time","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cutrell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3462306_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1498496972094","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3462306"},{"teacherId":10165711,"projectId":9568154,"letterContent":"The new stools, carpet circles, and rugs have completely transformed our classroom! Students are using the carpet circles for small group discussions and read-aloud time, and the stools give them flexible seating for writing, art, and independent work. Just last week, during our science project on plant growth, students gathered on the carpet for instructions, then moved to the stools to record observations and sketch diagrams—making learning smoother and more engaging.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the new materials, their excitement was contagious! They immediately explored the spaces, claimed favorite spots, and enjoyed the freedom to sit where they learned best. This enthusiasm has translated into more focus, participation, and collaboration during lessons.\r\n\r\nThanks to your generous support, our donors got a peek into our classroom, and your contributions are making a real difference. Next up, students will rotate between the rugs for small group math problem-solving and the stools for independent reflection—continuing to make learning hands-on, flexible, and fun.","fullyFundedDate":1755624602368,"projectUrl":"project/cozy-corners-for-big-ideas/9568154/","projectTitle":"Cozy Corners for Big Ideas!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lockner","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10165711_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1754764156479","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10165711"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_2315","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":661,"numTeachers":37,"percentFrplEligible":90,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":11,"percentWhite":65,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":15,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":7,"gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"17.9:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":72.0,"schoolId":2315,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Union Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Union Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/north-carolina/brunswick-county-school-district/union-elementary-school/2315"}