{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Golden Rule Charter School - DeSoto","outOfStateSupporters":36.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9540601,"projectId":10181063,"letterContent":"The Power of Weighted Support: Transforming My Classroom Environment\r\nAs a specialist teacher, my classroom is a crossroads for an entire school community. Throughout a single week, I have the privilege of working with every student from pre-K through eighth grade. This unique role allows me to see the full spectrum of child development, but it also presents a significant challenge: I must meet the diverse emotional and sensory needs of hundreds of children, each walking through my door with a different internal weather pattern.\r\nMany of our students today are navigating an era of heightened anxiety. For some, the traditional classroom isn't just a place of learning; it is an environment they feel \"forced\" to inhabit—a space of bright lights, social pressures, and rigid expectations that can trigger a \"fight or flight\" response. This is where the introduction of weighted animals becomes a game-changer.\r\nDeep Pressure Stimulation and Regulation\r\nThe science behind these tools is rooted in Deep Pressure Stimulation (DPS). When a student holds a weighted animal or rests one on their lap, the gentle, distributed pressure encourages the release of serotonin and dopamine while decreasing cortisol levels. This physiological shift is crucial for:\r\n• Grounding: Helping students stay present when they feel overwhelmed.\r\n• Focus: Silencing the \"sensory noise\" so they can attend to the lesson.\r\n• Safety: Providing a tactile \"hug\" that signals to the nervous system that they are secure.\r\nMeeting a Spectrum of Needs\r\nBecause I service such a wide age range, the \"variety of needs\" in my room is vast.\r\n• The Early Learners (Pre-K to 2nd): For these little ones, a weighted plush acts as a transitional object, easing the separation anxiety that often bubbles up during specialist rotations.\r\n• The Middle Years (3rd to 5th): At this stage, students are becoming aware of their own stress. Choosing a weighted animal empowers them to self-regulate before a meltdown occurs.\r\n• The Middle Schoolers (6th to 8th): For older students, anxiety often manifests as restlessness or withdrawal. A weighted animal provides a discreet, socially acceptable way to manage sensory seeking without drawing unwanted attention.\r\nA Shared Sense of Peace\r\nYour support in providing these resources does more than just give a child a toy; it provides them with a coping mechanism. When a student can self-soothe with a weighted animal, the collective \"temperature\" of the classroom drops. The environment shifts from one of forced compliance to one of mutual comfort.\r\nThis peace extends to me as the educator. Knowing I have the right tools to support a child in distress allows me to focus on teaching rather than just crisis management. It brings a profound sense of calm to my mind to see a once-anxious student finally take a deep breath, settle into their seat, and engage with the world around them.","fullyFundedDate":1775523047899,"projectUrl":"project/bring-the-peace-to-my-special-students/10181063/","projectTitle":"Bring the Peace to My Special Students","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Maldonado","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9540601_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1745463969671","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9540601"},{"teacherId":9540601,"projectId":9709392,"letterContent":"I appreciate what you did to support students you have never met. It is hard being a teacher and seeing needs that are not met due to financial constraints. You helping support our treasure box with be given out to grades prek-3rd grade. honestly there are some 7th graders that I still give treasure box to due to behaviors that are tamed when honored in class. I am grateful for the fact you will never meet me yet you still gave to support me. I pray God blesses you and those who contributed to make this happen.","fullyFundedDate":1758636762933,"projectUrl":"project/fill-up-our-treasure-box/9709392/","projectTitle":"Fill Up Our Treasure Box","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Maldonado","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9540601_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1745463969671","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9540601"},{"teacherId":9540601,"projectId":9709412,"letterContent":"Thank you for the maracas that helped bring life to our Hispanic heritage program this year. Your contribution. The beautiful Jalisco dresses brought color to the dances that the students performed. Hispanic heritage is huge in our school where most of our students come from nationalities that fall under that category. The maracas were used and not only pre-K but also in fourth grade and in second grade. It will be something that we can use time and time again especially for our upcoming Cinco de Mayo performances.","fullyFundedDate":1760693597486,"projectUrl":"project/unique-hispanic-history-performance/9709412/","projectTitle":"Unique, Hispanic History Performance","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Maldonado","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9540601_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1745463969671","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9540601"},{"teacherId":9540601,"projectId":9694097,"letterContent":"Our students are so excited to be able to have a classroom full of beanbags instead of regular seating. I strive to make my classroom different than all the others because it should be its theater. Thank you for your donation and helping our classroom. Something to thrive in.\r\nEach one of them are different animals and students love them from pre-K all the way up to eighth grade. watching their faces light up when they walk in the classroom is the most enjoyable part. Making the classroom like a family is the best part of having a class of all ages from pre-K to eighth grade.","fullyFundedDate":1760693776538,"projectUrl":"project/spotlight-on-seating/9694097/","projectTitle":"Spotlight on Seating","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Maldonado","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9540601_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1745463969671","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9540601"},{"teacherId":7263971,"projectId":9049713,"letterContent":"Thank you for donating to your library and classroom. The students are using the organization tool for the library and it's going better than the stands. Most books are staying upright and organized with the help of your librarian(s). The shelf is a big plus, it makes sure the books don't fall through the back. Lastly, the file folders will be used for data, resources, and student work. I just haven't organized that yet. New year means new habits, so I'm trying to get situated with what I am using where.","fullyFundedDate":1742957546876,"projectUrl":"project/organization-is-key/9049713/","projectTitle":"Organization is Key","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Castro","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7263971_orig.jpg?crop=997,997,x82,y237&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1591591333787","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7263971"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_101708","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":473,"numTeachers":5,"percentFrplEligible":92,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":11,"percentWhite":2,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":85,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"94.6:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":63.6,"schoolId":101708,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Golden Rule Charter School - DeSoto on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Golden Rule Charter School - DeSoto","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/texas/texas-department-of-education/golden-rule-charter-school-desoto/101708"}
Join the 55 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Golden Rule Charter School - DeSoto is
a suburban public school
in Desoto, Texas that is part of Texas Department of Education.
It serves 473 students
in grades Pre-K - 12 with a student/teacher ratio of 94.6:1.
Its teachers have had 36 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
Share and help support Golden Rule Charter School - DeSoto
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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
96%
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.
Golden Rule Charter School - DeSoto Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Apr 25, 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.
Golden Rule Charter School - DeSoto
$13,914
raised using DonorsChoose
36
projects
funded
13
teachers
funded
55
donors
2
projects
for
basic supplies
2
projects for
technology
8
projects for
books
2
projects
for
art supplies
Golden Rule Charter School - DeSoto has received support from
35 individuals from Texas and
20 individuals out-of-state.
