{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Hamilton Heights Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":32.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10217116,"projectId":10038892,"letterContent":"Reading is a central part of our classroom each day, and thanks to our donors, our students now have access to engaging, developmentally appropriate books that truly meet their needs. Many people love reading but may not realize how intentionally books are used to teach foundational skills, especially in a K–2 autism support classroom. The new texts, including Mo Willems' Pigeon books, Pete the Cat stories, and a variety of age-appropriate rhyming books, support literacy, communication, social-emotional learning, and engagement in meaningful ways.\r\n\r\nThe Mo Willems Pigeon books are a classroom favorite and introduce several important skills. These stories teach students about emotions, perspective-taking, and problem-solving in a way that is clear, humorous, and relatable. The expressive illustrations and repetitive dialogue allow students to predict outcomes, label emotions, and participate verbally or nonverbally. Many of our students practice turn-taking by \"answering\" the Pigeon, while others work on identifying feelings such as frustration, excitement, or disappointment. These books also support pragmatic language skills by modeling thoughts and reactions that students can connect to real-life situations!","fullyFundedDate":1768847195291,"projectUrl":"project/lets-read/10038892/","projectTitle":"Let’s Read!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Knight","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10217116_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1756675209324","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10217116"},{"teacherId":10217116,"projectId":10023433,"letterContent":"Thanks to the generosity of The Tepper Foundation, our classroom has been transformed in ways that impact my students every single day. The resources provided through this project, snacks, our book buddy rainbow basket, cozy blankets, an air purifier, Little Spot emotion tools, cleaning supplies, and first aid materials have helped create a learning environment that feels safe, regulated, and joyful for my students in our K-2 autism support classroom.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials arrived, my students were beyond excited! When they first saw the box of snacks, there were smiles, squeals, and lots of pointing to their favorites. \r\n\r\nOur book buddy rainbow basket has quickly become a classroom favorite. Students choose a book and a \"buddy\" to read with, which has encouraged independence, choice-making, and early literacy skills. Some students sit quietly flipping through pages, while others label pictures, imitate sounds, or practice shared attention with peers. \r\n\r\nThe blankets have been a surprising but powerful addition, especially during the colder months. After recess, when students often return overstimulated or uncomfortable, they can wrap up in a blanket while listening to a story or calming music. These cozy moments have helped students regulate their bodies and emotions, allowing smoother transitions back to learning. \r\n\r\nThe air purifier has made a noticeable difference in our classroom environment. With students who have sensitivities, allergies, and frequent illnesses, having cleaner air provides peace of mind and supports overall wellness. The cleaning supplies and first aid materials also ensure we can respond quickly and safely to everyday needs, keeping our classroom clean, healthy, and ready for learning without interruption.\r\n\r\nThe Little Spot emotion tools have become an essential part of our social-emotional learning. We use them during lessons, check-ins, and moments of frustration to help students identify feelings and practice regulation strategies. These tools support emotional awareness and communication, especially for students who are nonverbal or emerging communicators.","fullyFundedDate":1768638471040,"projectUrl":"project/warm-well-ready/10023433/","projectTitle":"Warm, Well, & Ready!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Knight","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10217116_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1756675209324","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10217116"},{"teacherId":3772341,"projectId":9117439,"letterContent":"The A Little Spot series is a valuable tool for building social-emotional learning in the classroom because each story connects emotions to concrete strategies that children can practice daily. For example, A Little SPOT of Anger, Anxiety, and Sadness teaches students to recognize strong feelings and use simple self-regulation techniques like deep breathing, counting, or asking for a break—skills that can be reinforced during challenging moments in class. A Little SPOT of Happiness, Confidence, and Kindness encourages students to celebrate successes, build self-esteem, and create a positive classroom climate through gratitude, encouragement, and kind acts. There are other books in the series too. These stories can be paired with morning meetings, class discussions, or daily reflection time to help students identify how they are feeling and how their choices impact others.\r\nOverall, these books help teachers introduce emotional vocabulary, model coping strategies, and create consistent routines for emotional check-ins. By weaving the lessons into daily practice, teachers can reinforce skills like self-awareness, empathy, and problem-solving, making the classroom a supportive environment where students feel safe to express emotions and learn constructive ways to manage them.\r\n\r\nReading a Little SPOT of Emotion book in my classroom can looks like an engaging, interactive experience where students are not just listening, but connecting the story to their own feelings and classroom routines. My students who struggle with self-regulation often enjoy these books because the Spot characters give their feelings a shape and a face. It makes big, overwhelming emotions easier to talk about. They giggle at the illustrations, point to the \"angry\" or \"sad\" spot, and say, \"That's me!\" which helps them feel understood and less alone. Also, my students who like routines and structure find comfort in the predictable, step-by-step strategies the books introduce. 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The adapted paint brushes are going to make such a difference for my students. \r\n\r\nOne of my goals for all students is to have them advocate for themselves including sensory needs. Having two body socks and a weighted blanket, has allowed my students to regulate themselves. My students are allowed to get both items at any point. My students have already learned how to use these materials to help them. \r\n\r\nI can't wait to use the rest of the resources!","fullyFundedDate":1746785985594,"projectUrl":"project/meeting-sensory-needs/9120148/","projectTitle":"Meeting Sensory Needs","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tamburini","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9926847_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1741455747872","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9926847"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_89821","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":553,"numTeachers":36,"percentFrplEligible":92,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":5,"percentWhite":67,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":14,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"15.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_SMALL"},"inStateSupporters":67.7,"schoolId":89821,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Hamilton Heights Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Hamilton Heights Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/pennsylvania/chambersburg-area-school-district/hamilton-heights-elementary-school/89821"}
Join the 96 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Hamilton Heights Elementary School is
a suburban public school
in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania that is part of Chambersburg Area School District.
It serves 553 students
in grades K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 15.4:1.
Its teachers have had 37 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
Share and help support Hamilton Heights Elementary School
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of students receive free or reduced price lunch
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Source: the National Center for Education Statistics
19%
of students are Black, Latino, Native
American, or Asian
Data about school demographics comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. The numbers in this chart may not add up to 100% because of limitations in the available data.
Hamilton Heights Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Feb 9, 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.
Hamilton Heights Elementary School
$17,024
raised using DonorsChoose
37
projects
funded
24
teachers
funded
96
donors
2
projects
for
basic supplies
3
projects for
technology
5
projects for
books
3
projects
for
art supplies
Hamilton Heights Elementary School has received support from
65 individuals from Pennsylvania and
31 individuals out-of-state.
