Birch Creek Elementary School in Smithfield, Utah on DonorsChoose

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The technology allows me to assign content that is perfectly matched to each student's reading level, ensuring that whether a child needs enrichment or support, they can successfully access core Utah history content—from the early pioneers to the five Native American tribes. This personalized approach eliminates frustration and improves comprehension across the board.\r\n\r\nThe most exciting aspect of this new product for the students is the highly interactive engagement. They are thrilled to move beyond static maps and texts to actively create and explore. They particularly enjoy the virtual field trips embedded in the curriculum, allowing them to instantly \"visit\" key Utah landmarks like the state capitol or national parks. Furthermore, the platform encourages project-based learning; students are no longer just memorizing facts, but are using the digital tools to design presentations, create infographics, and produce videos about local figures and events. This shift from passively consuming information to actively creating and sharing knowledge has turbocharged their motivation.","fullyFundedDate":1757065218250,"projectUrl":"project/usbe-ai-for-k12-education-social-studie/9604004/","projectTitle":"USBE AI for K–12 Education Social Studies Curriculum","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Rigby","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1068361_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1450200027052","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1068361"},{"teacherId":1068361,"projectId":9242983,"letterContent":"Thank you for donating to my book project. Students in my 4th grade class are able to read books together and discuss their reading together. This project helps my students with small group reading, communication, writing, fluency, and critical thinking.\r\nYour extraordinary generosity has led to a major and observable positive shift in our fourth-grade classroom this year. Your donation has not only equipped our shelves with fresh, relevant titles but has fundamentally transformed the way our students engage with literature, fostering skills that extend far beyond reading comprehension. We are excited to share the specific ways this project is impacting our learners.\r\nWe understand that the methods we use to teach books in a fourth-grade setting might be unfamiliar to dedicated adult readers. Our goal is to use the text as a vehicle for building advanced academic and social-emotional capacities. The new, diverse titles you provided are far more effective at achieving this than our older curriculum.\r\n\r\nHere are the key skills we are now able to emphasize:\r\n\r\nDeepening Empathy and Global Perspective-Taking: In fourth grade, students are starting to move beyond their immediate world. Many of the new books feature characters navigating challenges related to immigration, different family structures, or unique cultural traditions. By stepping into these characters' lives, students are getting daily, practical lessons in empathy. They are learning to recognize the difference between judging a character and seeking to understand their motivations, a critical step toward becoming compassionate, active citizens.\r\n\r\nDeveloping Vocabulary and Inferential Reasoning: The language in the contemporary texts is rich, authentic, and immediately engaging. We are using these books to teach students to become detectives of language. They are learning to look beyond simple definitions to understand context-specific vocabulary, figurative language (like \"the sky wept\" instead of \"it rained\"), and, most importantly, make strong inferences. We constantly ask, \"The author didn't say the character was scared, but what details make you infer they were?\" This focus directly supports their critical thinking skills.\r\n\r\nHoning Collaborative Communication: The new titles are specifically chosen because they spark debate and curiosity. This allows us to teach students how to engage in productive academic conversations. They learn how to actively listen, how to disagree respectfully, and how to use specific passages (textual evidence) to support their claims—all vital skills for small group reading and future academic success.\r\n\r\nWhat Does Reading Look Like in Our Classroom Now?\r\n\r\nThe biggest change in our reading block is the atmosphere: it's shifted from quiet, solitary work to a vibrant, conversational community of readers.\r\n\r\nBecause we have multiple copies of these exciting new books, we have fully embraced reading together and as friends. 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About this school

Birch Creek Elementary School is a suburban public school in Smithfield, Utah that is part of Cache County School District. It serves 734 students in grades K - 6. Its teachers have had 37 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Public School

Title 1

Grades K - 6

734 Students

# of teachers unavailable

675 W 220 N

Smithfield, UT 84335 View local requests

http://www.ccsdut.org/birchcreek.cfm

Evidence-based impact

Inspire teachers to stay in the classroom and boost student achievement.¹

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

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

Birch Creek Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

Mrs. Fontecchio

Mr. Rigby

Ms. Webb

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Birch Creek Elementary School Demographics

34%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

10%

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.

Birch Creek Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 5, 2025

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