Rand Road Elementary School in Garner, North Carolina on DonorsChoose

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A few students who often struggle with transitions walked in calmly and began engaging with the materials right away. Their reactions made it clear that this environment would have a meaningful, positive impact on their emotional regulation and readiness to learn.\r\n\r\nWe now use the Sensory Motor Lab daily through structured rotations. These rotations give students opportunities to regulate their bodies, increase their focus, and prepare for academic tasks. The trampoline provides an outlet for movement, the swing offers calming sensory input, and the tactile and proprioceptive materials help students meet their sensory needs in safe and purposeful ways. Several students return to class more centered, attentive, and ready to participate in lessons. One particularly memorable moment was when a student who often becomes frustrated finished his rotation, smiled, and said, \"I feel better.\"\r\n\r\nThe next steps for our students include integrating the sensory equipment into routines aligned with their individual IEP goals. We will continue collecting data on how sensory input supports task completion, transitions, communication, and engagement during reading, writing, and math. Our goal is to help students learn to advocate for their sensory needs and recognize what strategies help them remain regulated throughout the day.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has provided our classroom with a space that supports every child's emotional and physical well-being. Thank you for helping us create a Sensory Motor Lab that truly makes a difference in our students' daily school experience.","fullyFundedDate":1755749886736,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-motor-lab/9437055/","projectTitle":"Sensory Motor Lab","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Hinnant","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2325699"},{"teacherId":10186496,"projectId":9618923,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for sponsoring our Book Beads program!\r\n\r\nI introduced the program to students before all the beads were even sorted, and they were immediately enthusiastic—many stopped by the library just to ask for updates.\r\n\r\nStudents in grades three through five can participate by completing a short form for each book they read, noting the title, whether they enjoyed it, and why or why not. For every book completed, they select a bead to add to a loop (provided with their first bead) that hangs on their backpack as \"backpack bling.\" Once students earn ten beads, they have the option to trade them in for a special, fancier bead.\r\n\r\nThe goal of the program is to promote the joy of reading. All books count. Students may read in any format that works best for them, whether that's listening to an audiobook, being read to, reading an ebook, or enjoying a physical book. Beads are organized in craft drawers, and students can collect the beads they've earned during their media class each week.\r\n\r\nSince the program began, we've been distributing about 100 beads per week! Backpacks across the school are now decorated with colorful beads, and when a student trades in ten beads for a special one, their classmates often cheer and clap.\r\n\r\nFor me, the most rewarding part has been watching students—especially those I didn't expect to participate—excitedly choose their beads and share what they've been reading with their peers.","fullyFundedDate":1755695590112,"projectUrl":"project/raiders-read-book-beads/9618923/","projectTitle":"Raiders Read Book Beads","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tronic","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10186496_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y61&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755610571769","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10186496"},{"teacherId":8906192,"projectId":7090850,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for funding our novel study of The Hero Two Doors Down. This project gave my students the chance to experience the civil rights movement and Jackie Robinson's story from a powerful narrative perspective. Reading the novel allowed them to connect with history in a more personal way and sparked meaningful conversations about fairness, courage, and social change.\r\n\r\nThrough vocabulary studies, discussions, and hands-on projects, my students explored how athletes like Jackie Robinson used their platforms to lead change and inspire others. They not only strengthened their reading comprehension and language skills, but also built empathy and critical thinking as they connected the novel's themes to broader lessons about leadership and resilience.\r\n\r\nYour generosity made it possible for my students to see history come alive and to understand the impact of one individual's courage on society. 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About this school

Rand Road Elementary School is a suburban public school in Garner, North Carolina that is part of Wake County Public School System. It serves 382 students in grades K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 10.9:1. Its teachers have had 20 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades K - 5

382 Students

35 Teachers

300 Arbor Greene Dr

Garner, NC 27529 View local requests

http://randroades.wcpss.net/

Direct, proactive support

Empower teachers at Rand Road 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

Rand Road Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

Ms. Amber

Ms. Campbell

Ms. Contreras- Hernandez

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Rand Road Elementary School Demographics

48%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

45%

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.

Rand Road Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 26, 2025

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