{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Mary Jo Sheppard Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":31.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2463451,"projectId":10626033,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our classroom! Your kindness helps us provide everyday essentials that make a big difference for our students. The wipes will help us maintain a clean, healthy, and comfortable learning environment, while the fruit snacks will provide special treats, positive reinforcement, and a little extra encouragement throughout the school day.\r\n\r\nIn our special education classroom, even the smallest things can have a big impact! Your generosity allows us to focus on what matters most—helping our students learn, grow, and celebrate their successes. We are so grateful for your support and for helping us make each school day a little brighter!","fullyFundedDate":1792019565187,"projectUrl":"project/caring-hearts-comfortable-classrooms/10626033/","projectTitle":"Caring Hearts, Comfortable Classrooms","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2463451_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789594081540","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mirandawilliams"},{"teacherId":2463451,"projectId":10684426,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping us add these wonderful Christmas and winter books to our classroom library! My students love books that are interactive, colorful, and engaging, and these new stories will make our holiday learning even more exciting. The sound books and familiar seasonal stories will provide fun opportunities to work on literacy, listening, counting, communication, and comprehension skills.\r\nThese books will be enjoyed during read-alouds, small-group instruction, independent reading, and our seasonal classroom activities. Having a variety of books also allows me to provide reading experiences that are accessible and meaningful for students with different learning needs and ability levels.\r\nThank you for helping make our classroom library a little more magical this holiday season. Your generosity gives my students new ways to learn, participate, and experience the joy of reading. We are so grateful for your support of our classroom! ❤️📚🎄","fullyFundedDate":1790776474423,"projectUrl":"project/holiday-stories-learning-cheer/10684426/","projectTitle":"Holiday Stories, Learning & Cheer","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2463451_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789594081540","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mirandawilliams"},{"teacherId":2463451,"projectId":10661131,"letterContent":"hank you so much for supporting my classroom! The file folders, adhesive hook-and-loop dots, and ink cartridges will be incredibly useful in helping me stay organized and create meaningful learning materials for my students.\r\n\r\nThese supplies will help me prepare individualized activities, organize student work, and create visual supports and learning resources tailored to my students' needs. Having these materials readily available allows us to spend more time learning and less time worrying about supplies.\r\n\r\nI am so grateful for your generosity and for helping make our classroom a more organized, welcoming, and successful place for my students to learn and grow. Thank you for investing in our classroom! 💙","fullyFundedDate":1790170664693,"projectUrl":"project/little-folders-big-learning/10661131/","projectTitle":"Little Folders, Big Learning!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2463451_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789594081540","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mirandawilliams"},{"teacherId":2463451,"projectId":10626131,"letterContent":"We are so incredibly thankful to our generous DonorsChoose supporters for providing these wonderful craft supplies for our classroom! These materials are going to play an important role in our students' upcoming Christmas craft project, where they will create handmade items to sell at our school's Christmas craft fair. What may look like simple craft supplies are actually tools that will allow our students to practice creativity, fine-motor skills, vocational skills, decision-making, communication, and even money-management concepts in a meaningful and exciting way.\r\n\r\nOur students will be using the colorful beads, beadable pens, charms, and pen-designing materials to create fun and unique pens that can be sold at our Christmas craft fair. The variety of colors, shapes, textures, and designs gives our students the opportunity to make choices and express their individual creativity. Instead of every student making exactly the same product, they can make decisions about which colors and beads they would like to use and create something that feels personal and special.\r\n\r\nThe beadable pens will also provide excellent opportunities for developing fine-motor skills. Picking up small beads, sorting them, deciding on an arrangement, and placing them onto the pens requires hand-eye coordination, dexterity, visual attention, and persistence. For some of our students, these are skills that require significant practice. Having a fun and motivating activity gives them a reason to work on those skills while creating something they can be proud of.\r\n\r\nThe pen designer materials will help us teach students how to follow a process from beginning to end. We can break the activity into manageable steps, such as choosing a design, gathering the materials, creating the pen, checking the finished product, and preparing it for sale. This gives students the opportunity to practice following directions and completing a task in sequence. These are important skills that can transfer to future classroom jobs, vocational settings, and everyday activities.\r\n\r\nThe Christmas craft fair itself provides an especially meaningful learning experience for our students. Rather than simply making crafts for fun, our students will have the opportunity to see their work become a product that other people want to purchase. This gives them a genuine sense of accomplishment and helps them understand that their effort, creativity, and skills have value.\r\n\r\nWe can also incorporate functional academics into the process. Students can practice counting beads, identifying colors, sorting materials, comparing quantities, and determining how many items have been completed. We can discuss prices, money, purchasing, and making change in ways that are directly connected to something they have created themselves. These real-world experiences can make academic concepts much more concrete and meaningful.\r\n\r\nThere are also important social and communication skills involved in preparing for and participating in a craft fair. Students can practice requesting materials, asking for help, working alongside classmates, sharing supplies, taking turns, making choices, and communicating with customers. Some students may even have opportunities to participate in the actual selling process. These experiences help build confidence and provide practice with appropriate workplace and community behaviors.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, this project gives our students the opportunity to be creators and contributors. Our students work hard every day to develop skills that will help them become as independent as possible, and projects like this allow us to put those skills into action. They get to experience the entire process of creating something, preparing it for others, and seeing the excitement when someone chooses to purchase something they made.\r\n\r\nThe colorful beads and themed pens will also help make the project exciting and appealing to our students. Having materials that are visually engaging and fun to work with can increase motivation and encourage students to participate. The variety allows us to adapt the project to different abilities, with students working on different parts of the process based on their individual strengths and needs.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping make this experience possible. Your generosity is providing much more than craft supplies. You are providing opportunities for our students to practice real-life skills, discover their creativity, develop confidence, and experience the pride that comes from making something with their own hands.\r\n\r\nWe are especially grateful because these materials will become part of a project that our students can look back on with pride. They will be able to say, \"I made that!\" and know that their hard work contributed to our Christmas craft fair. Thank you for believing in our students, supporting their abilities, and helping us create meaningful opportunities for learning, independence, and success. Your kindness will make a lasting difference in our classroom and in the experiences our students have this school year!","fullyFundedDate":1789569997001,"projectUrl":"project/beads-of-joy-spreading-christmas-cheer/10626131/","projectTitle":"Beads of Joy: Spreading Christmas Cheer","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2463451_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789594081540","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mirandawilliams"},{"teacherId":2463451,"projectId":10611480,"letterContent":"I am incredibly grateful to our generous DonorsChoose supporters for providing these wonderful hands-on materials for our classroom! As a life-skills teacher, my goal is to create learning experiences that connect directly to the skills my students will need throughout their lives. The new toys and materials you have provided will allow my students to practice important functional skills through meaningful, engaging, and hands-on activities.\r\n\r\nThe farm tractor set is going to be a wonderful addition to our classroom. The variety of tractors, farm animals, vehicles, trailers, and farm equipment gives us so many opportunities to explore different aspects of farm life and the world around us. We can use the set to practice vocabulary, sorting, matching, counting, following directions, identifying objects, and developing communication skills. Students can also use the pieces during imaginative play, allowing them to create their own scenarios and practice interacting with peers. The large pieces are especially helpful for students who benefit from having concrete objects that they can see, touch, and manipulate while learning.\r\n\r\nThe baby doll play set is another exciting resource because it allows our students to practice many important self-care and daily-living skills. The high chair, crib, toilet, and bathtub provide realistic opportunities to practice routines such as feeding, bathing, toileting, dressing, and caring for another person. These activities can help students learn about personal care and hygiene while also developing sequencing and communication skills. We can practice identifying what comes next in a routine, following multi-step directions, requesting items, and demonstrating appropriate care. These are skills that can be practiced repeatedly in a comfortable classroom environment before students encounter similar routines in real life.\r\n\r\nThe baby dolls and clothing will make these activities even more meaningful. Students can practice dressing and undressing the dolls, matching clothing items to different situations, and working on fine-motor skills such as manipulating clothing. Dressing a doll may seem like a simple activity, but it involves coordination, sequencing, problem-solving, attention to detail, and independence. It also gives students a safe and engaging way to practice routines that can eventually transfer to caring for themselves.\r\n\r\nThe Melissa & Doug Keys and Cars Rescue Garage is another fantastic resource for developing fine-motor and problem-solving skills. Students can practice matching the correct key to the appropriate garage, turning and manipulating the keys, opening the doors, and identifying the different vehicles. These activities encourage hand-eye coordination, visual discrimination, cause-and-effect understanding, and persistence. Students also have the opportunity to practice taking turns and sharing materials with classmates while engaging in pretend play.\r\n\r\nThe rescue vehicles provide opportunities for us to talk about community helpers and the important jobs they perform. We can discuss firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, mechanics, and other people who help keep our communities safe. These conversations can help build functional vocabulary and communication skills while introducing students to different careers and roles within the community.\r\n\r\nOne of the most important aspects of these materials is that they allow our students to practice skills without the pressure of being in a real-world situation. We can create pretend scenarios in our classroom where students can safely practice making choices, solving problems, following routines, communicating their needs, and interacting with others. Repetition is incredibly important for many of our learners, and having engaging materials that students enjoy using encourages them to practice skills again and again.\r\n\r\nThese resources also provide opportunities for students with different abilities and learning styles to participate together. Some students may focus on fine-motor skills, while others may work on communication, sequencing, vocabulary, social interaction, or imaginative play. The same material can be adapted to meet individual student needs, making these resources valuable for our entire classroom.\r\n\r\nThank you for recognizing the importance of hands-on learning and for helping us provide materials that go beyond traditional academics. Your generosity is helping us teach skills that have real meaning in our students' everyday lives. You are giving our students opportunities to practice independence, build confidence, communicate with others, and discover new interests in a fun and supportive environment.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, your donation helps us create a classroom where learning is active, purposeful, and enjoyable. Every time a student successfully completes a new task, makes a choice independently, communicates what they need, or proudly shows us something they have learned, we are reminded of how important these opportunities are.\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in our students and helping us prepare them for life beyond the classroom. We are so thankful for your generosity and for the many learning opportunities these materials will provide for our students throughout the school year!","fullyFundedDate":1789582122604,"projectUrl":"project/little-hands-big-career-dreams/10611480/","projectTitle":"Little Hands, Big Career Dreams","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2463451_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789594081540","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mirandawilliams"},{"teacherId":2463451,"projectId":10290883,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity and for supporting our classroom through DonorsChoose! As a life-skills teacher, I am always looking for ways to make learning meaningful, hands-on, and connected to the real world. The items you provided will give my students opportunities to practice important skills in ways that are engaging, purposeful, and accessible to them.\r\n\r\nOne of the most exciting additions to our classroom is the digital weather forecaster. Weather is something that affects all of us every single day, making it a wonderful opportunity for my students to practice functional academic skills while learning about their environment. With the indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity readings, my students can observe, compare, and discuss weather conditions. We can use the information to practice numbers, reading, vocabulary, communication, decision-making, and daily routines. Students can check the temperature and determine what type of clothing might be appropriate for the day. This turns an abstract lesson into something they can actually experience and use in their everyday lives.\r\n\r\nThe clothing Shopping List Booster Pack will also be incredibly valuable in our classroom. Learning how to identify clothing, make choices, and understand what we need when shopping are important life skills for our students. The cards will allow us to practice vocabulary, categorization, matching, making choices, following a shopping list, and understanding the difference between items we need and items we may simply want. These skills can be practiced repeatedly and in different situations, helping students build confidence and independence.\r\n\r\nThe shopping list educational game will provide another wonderful way to incorporate functional academics into our classroom. Shopping is a routine that most people encounter throughout their lives, and practicing these skills in a safe classroom environment can help prepare our students for greater independence. Students can work on memory, following directions, identifying items, making selections, and remembering what they need to find. Games like this also encourage students to take turns, interact with their classmates, and practice communication skills.\r\n\r\nThe sorting and stacking toys featuring community helpers, magnetic wooden cars, number blocks, and nesting boxes will provide our students with opportunities to practice several developmental skills at once. We can use these materials for counting, sorting, matching, sequencing, color recognition, number recognition, and fine-motor development. The community helper pieces also give us a way to talk about different jobs and the people who help our communities. For students who benefit from hands-on learning, having objects they can manipulate while learning can make a tremendous difference in their engagement and understanding.\r\n\r\nThe French fry sorting and stacking toy will be another fun addition to our classroom. While it may look like a simple toy, it provides valuable opportunities for students to develop fine-motor coordination, sorting skills, counting skills, visual discrimination, and hand-eye coordination. These foundational skills support many everyday tasks, from handling classroom materials to completing personal-care routines and other activities that require coordination and precision.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, these materials allow my students to learn through doing. Our classroom is not just about completing worksheets or memorizing information. We are preparing students for life. We work on communication, independence, problem-solving, social skills, functional academics, vocational skills, and the everyday routines that will help our students participate more fully in their homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.\r\n\r\nYour donation helps us create a classroom filled with opportunities to practice those skills in a way that feels fun rather than intimidating. It gives my students the chance to make choices, try new things, make mistakes, try again, and celebrate their successes. Those moments of success can build confidence and encourage students to take on new challenges.\r\n\r\nThank you for seeing the value in our students and for investing in their education and future. Your generosity is helping us provide meaningful learning experiences that our students can use far beyond the classroom. We are incredibly grateful for your support and for helping make our classroom a place where every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and feel successful!","fullyFundedDate":1789569616189,"projectUrl":"project/play-learn-grow-life-skills-for-every/10290883/","projectTitle":"Play, Learn, Grow: Life Skills for Every Day!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2463451_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789594081540","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mirandawilliams"},{"teacherId":2463451,"projectId":10286143,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to our classroom! We are so excited to have these new hands-on learning materials for our students.\r\n\r\nThe magnetic tiles will give our students opportunities to build, create, problem-solve, and explore STEM concepts. The life cycle figures will make learning about frogs, butterflies, ladybugs, and plants more interactive and meaningful. The bee-to-hive matching game, lacing activities, and shape and color manipulatives will help our students practice important fine motor, matching, sorting, and early math skills while having fun.\r\n\r\nThese materials will bring so much excitement to our classroom and give our students new ways to learn through exploration and play. Your kindness and generosity are helping us create a classroom where our students can grow, discover, and build confidence every day.\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in our students and making a difference in their learning!","fullyFundedDate":1788992455683,"projectUrl":"project/life-skills-in-action/10286143/","projectTitle":"Life Skills in Action","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2463451_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789594081540","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mirandawilliams"},{"teacherId":2463451,"projectId":10528741,"letterContent":"From counting songs to beloved characters like Gabby's Dollhouse, PAW Patrol's Marshall, Disney's Tiana and Baloo, and My Little Pony's Sunny Starscout, these Tonies will give our students opportunities to enjoy stories, music, and educational content in an exciting and accessible way. They will be especially wonderful during independent listening, quiet time, centers, and imaginative play.\r\n\r\nYour support means so much to our classroom. You are helping us provide meaningful experiences that encourage our students to explore, learn, and simply enjoy the magic of listening to a good story or song.\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in our students and helping make our classroom a more joyful place to learn!","fullyFundedDate":1787937749126,"projectUrl":"project/characters-songs-learning-adventures/10528741/","projectTitle":"Characters, Songs & Learning Adventures!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2463451_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789594081540","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mirandawilliams"},{"teacherId":2463451,"projectId":10515245,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our classroom! We are incredibly excited to receive these Tonies audio characters, including favorites like Pete the Cat, Peppa Pig, Chase from Paw Patrol, Buzz Lightyear, and a variety of children's songs and stories.\r\n\r\nThese engaging audio resources will give my students opportunities to listen to stories, songs, and educational content in a fun and interactive way. The counting songs will help reinforce early math skills, while the stories and familiar characters will encourage listening comprehension, imagination, language development, and a love of literacy. The Creative Tonies will also give us the opportunity to record our own stories, songs, and classroom creations!\r\n\r\nYour generosity is helping create meaningful and engaging learning experiences for my students. Thank you for investing in their growth, creativity, and joy of learning. Your support truly makes a difference in our classroom, and we are so grateful!\r\n\r\nWith sincere appreciation,\r\n\r\nThank you for making our classroom a more exciting place to learn!","fullyFundedDate":1787257672945,"projectUrl":"project/listen-learn-shine/10515245/","projectTitle":"Listen, Learn & Shine!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2463451_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789594081540","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mirandawilliams"},{"teacherId":2463451,"projectId":10515187,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our classroom! We are incredibly grateful for the Toniebox starter set, along with the Stitch, Grinch, Spookley the Square Pumpkin, and Creative Tonies characters.\r\n\r\nThese engaging audio resources will give our students opportunities to listen, learn, imagine, and enjoy stories and songs in a fun, hands-on way. The Toniebox will be especially valuable for creating a cozy and interactive listening experience, while the Creative Tonie will allow us to personalize content with our own stories, songs, and messages.\r\n\r\nYour generosity is helping us bring more joy, creativity, and meaningful learning experiences into our classroom. Thank you for believing in our students and for making a direct impact on their learning and growth!\r\n\r\nWith sincere appreciation,\r\n\r\nThank you for making a difference in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1787148599020,"projectUrl":"project/tunes-tales-life-skills/10515187/","projectTitle":"Tunes, Tales & Life Skills!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2463451_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789594081540","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mirandawilliams"},{"teacherId":10194342,"projectId":10003224,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for making this project possible and for investing in the learning and independence of our students! The HP ink, Velcro dots, and laminating sheets have become valuable tools in our self-contained special education classroom. With these supplies, I can create clear, color-coded visuals, schedules, task cards, communication supports, and learning activities that help our students better understand expectations and access instruction. For students who depend on visual and hands-on supports, having these materials readily available makes a meaningful difference in their ability to participate and succeed.\r\n\r\nYour generosity also allows us to turn these materials into durable, interactive resources that students can use again and again. Laminated schedules, choice boards, matching activities, and life-skills tasks give students opportunities to practice fine motor skills, make choices, follow routines, and work more independently. Most importantly, your support helps us create a predictable and engaging classroom environment where students can feel confident, experience success, and build skills that will serve them both in school and in everyday life. Thank you for helping make learning more accessible and empowering for every student in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1778676967028,"projectUrl":"project/making-learning-stick-peel-and-last/10003224/","projectTitle":"Making Learning Stick, Peel, and Last","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Harris","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10194342_orig.jpg?crop=1242,1242,x0,y136&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767984781229","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10194342"},{"teacherId":10194342,"projectId":10003051,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our self-contained special education classroom and helping us bring new sensory tools into our motor lab. Your generosity has already made a meaningful difference by giving our students opportunities to explore, move, and regulate in ways that feel safe, engaging, and fun. The reversible sequin wall, felt shape board, and liquid sensory floor tiles provide hands-on experiences that help our students build body awareness, strengthen motor skills, practice coordination, and develop strategies for managing sensory input and emotions.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, our students now have more opportunities to make choices, solve problems, and participate independently in activities that meet their individual needs. We are especially excited to see how these materials help students transition from sensory and movement activities into learning with greater focus and confidence. Thank you for investing in our students and helping us create an inclusive, joyful space where every learner can feel successful. Your generosity is helping our students build confidence, independence, and readiness to learn—one movement at a time!","fullyFundedDate":1778676967193,"projectUrl":"project/touch-move-thrive-sensory-tools-for-o/10003051/","projectTitle":"Touch, Move, Thrive: Sensory Tools for Our Motor Lab","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Harris","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10194342_orig.jpg?crop=1242,1242,x0,y136&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767984781229","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10194342"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_7989","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":387,"numTeachers":33,"percentFrplEligible":62,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":30,"percentWhite":31,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":26,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":9,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 4","studentTeacherRatio":"11.7:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":68.1,"schoolId":7989,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Mary Jo Sheppard Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Mary Jo Sheppard Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/texas/mansfield-independent-school-district/mary-jo-sheppard-elementary-school/7989"}