Union Elementary School in Shelby, North Carolina on DonorsChoose

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It has created such a fun learning environment.","fullyFundedDate":1764869311813,"projectUrl":"project/get-louder-with-a-tonie/9858905/","projectTitle":"Get Louder with a Tonie!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Savage","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2235307_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1679093826526","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/savageprek"},{"teacherId":2235307,"projectId":9243782,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for contributing sensory and tactile materials to our Pre-K classroom. The students have been so excited to have these materials incorporated in our classroom and activities. \r\n In Pre-K, a large part of our curriculum and learning is social- emotional. I have created a calming corner in my classroom using the bean bag chair, color tiles, and several smaller sensory items. Students have learned to use this area of the classroom when they are having big feelings and need a moment to calm down. It is the perfect spot for a child to reflect on HOW they are feeling, WHY they are feeling that way, and WHAT solution can we come up with to make things better with teacher guidance until they are able to gain these skills on their own. \r\n I have also incorporated sensory materials into our learning centers so the students have options for multisensory learning. The table is used as a sensory table- with a variety of materials changed out. Currently we have plastic noodles with a mixture of buttons, beads, etc for students to string the noodles on to practice their fine motor skills. \r\n Students learn in so many different ways and have a variety of preferences to how they learn best. These sensory items have helped make my classroom more sensory friendly for these young learners.","fullyFundedDate":1746786429718,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-tactile-and-inclusive-classroo/9243782/","projectTitle":"Sensory, Tactile, and Inclusive Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Savage","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2235307_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1679093826526","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/savageprek"},{"teacherId":9396616,"projectId":8080526,"letterContent":"My students love using the light up manipulatives and materials that have been added to our classroom. It has added to our light table center and our sensory center. When the students first used the materials, they lit up with excitement! They all wanted to use them right away. \r\n\r\nWe are using these materials to meet many of the students goals such as counting, sorting, creating patterns, measuring, color recognition, number recognition, and alphabet recognition. The sensory items are meeting the sensory needs of many students who need a way to stay focused or be calm.","fullyFundedDate":1709052677354,"projectUrl":"project/enlightening-minds-illuminating-learnin/8080526/","projectTitle":"Enlightening Minds: Illuminating Learning with a Sensory Light Table","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ruppe","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9396616_orig.png?crop=1086,1086,x0,y61&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1701316955933","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9396616"},{"teacherId":2235307,"projectId":8905500,"letterContent":"When my classroom received our Tonie Box and the new tonies my students were so excited! \r\nThey love to dance and sing so the first thing I did with my students was play the puppy tonie and let my students sing and dance to the familiar songs. We have since learned new songs on the Story Bot tonies, Disney Tonies, DoggieLand, etc. After my students were taught how to use the Tonie Box and tonies, I put the tonie box in music center where students could listen to the music tonies at their free choice and dance and sing. \r\n\r\nWe also use our Tonie Box for literacy. One of the books in our Pre-K curriculum is Llama Llama Red Pajama and I used the Llama Llama Tonie as the read aloud while following along with the book. It was later moved to the Classroom Library center where students could listen to the story again, follow along with the book, while holding the Llama plush. The students also enjoyed hearing the other Llama Llama stories and songs on the tonie. \r\n\r\nThe other tonies we received with our Donors Choose project correlate with our curriculum and the students have enjoyed using these tonies as well. The Tonie Box has greatly enhanced our literacy and music (without screens) in our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1736692750303,"projectUrl":"project/tonie-about-a-good-listening-center/8905500/","projectTitle":"Tonie About A Good Listening Center","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Savage","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2235307_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1679093826526","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/savageprek"},{"teacherId":9630131,"projectId":8924639,"letterContent":"The whiteboards have been a game-changer in the classroom! They're versatile and help create a more interactive, engaging, and flexible learning environment.\r\n\r\n1. Increased Student Engagement: With the ability to write, draw, and quickly update information, whiteboards allow for more dynamic, student-centered activities. For example, students can work on problems or brainstorm ideas directly on the whiteboard, keeping them more engaged and active during lessons.\r\n\r\n2. Collaborative Learning: Whiteboards are great for group work, as students can work together on a task. They can contribute ideas, draw diagrams, or organize thoughts together, promoting teamwork and collaboration.\r\n\r\n3. Interactive Learning: Whiteboards allow for activities like quizzes, games, or class polls, where students can interact with the material in real-time. It can make learning feel more fun and less formal, which often leads to better student participation.\r\n\r\n4. Flexible Use: Whether it's for a quick explanation, a group discussion, or independent practice, whiteboards offer flexibility. You can use them for all subjects—from math equations to writing exercises—adapting to different needs throughout the lesson. \r\n\r\nI originally planned to use these for our phonics program, but I found that they work for so much more, as I have expressed above. 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About this school

Union Elementary School is a rural public school in Shelby, North Carolina that is part of Cleveland County School District. It serves 379 students in grades K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 12.2:1. Its teachers have had 91 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades K - 5

379 Students

31 Teachers

1440 Union Church Rd

Shelby, NC 28150 View local requests

http://www.clevelandcountyschools.org

Direct, proactive support

Empower teachers at Union Elementary School to request what their students need.

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

Union Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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Every donation funds real needs — pencils, books, lab equipment, art supplies, and more — helping students learn and thrive. We ship supplies directly to the school, and you'll see exactly where each dollar goes.

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Union Elementary School Demographics

95%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

30%

of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

Union Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Feb 13, 2026

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.