{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Bettie F Williams Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":36.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6001500,"projectId":9676675,"letterContent":"We are absolutely thrilled to share the incredible impact your generous contributions have made in our classroom. Thanks to you, our project to acquire frames and lights for displaying student work is a resounding success, fundamentally changing how we celebrate and value the creativity and effort of our students.\r\n\r\nHow We're Using Our New Resources\r\nWe are using the new resources—the sleek frames and vibrant LED lights—to transform a once-bare wall into a rotating, professional-grade art gallery. This isn't just about decoration; it's about shifting the students' perspective on their own work.\r\n\r\nA specific moment that stands out was during our recent \"Historical Perspectives Portrait\" project. When the students finished their pieces, instead of tacking them up with tape, we held a small \"gallery opening.\" We carefully matted and placed their charcoal portraits into the new black frames, positioning the LED spot lights to highlight the texture and detail of their work. One student, Maria, had previously been hesitant to share her art. But when she saw her portrait professionally illuminated and framed on the wall, she stood back, beamed, and immediately started critiquing her piece as if she were a professional artist, pointing out where the lighting made her shadows look stronger.\r\n\r\nThe Student Reaction\r\nThe reaction when the students first saw the materials was pure awe and excitement. When the shipment of frames arrived, the initial buzz was palpable. It felt like Christmas! Their immediate reaction wasn't just, \"Oh, neat,\" but rather, \"Wow, this looks like real art!\" The quality of the presentation instantly elevated their perception of the work we do here. This simple change has fostered a deep sense of pride, respect, and ownership over the physical space and the projects we complete. They now handle their work with more care, knowing it might be selected for the \"spotlight.\"\r\n\r\nWhat's Next for Our Students\r\nYour contribution has set a new standard for excellence in our classroom. Our next step is to integrate these display methods directly into our upcoming \"Geometric Cityscape Design\" unit. Students will not only be judged on the technical accuracy and creativity of their 3D designs but also on how they would professionally curate and display their work in a gallery setting. They will learn about the principles of visual merchandising—using the lights and frames strategically to guide the viewer's eye. The ultimate goal is for them to hold a community viewing where they act as the docents, explaining their choices and designs, all framed and lit beautifully thanks to your generosity.\r\n\r\nThank you once again for giving our students a brilliant, tangible way to see the value in their hard work.","fullyFundedDate":1761250354403,"projectUrl":"project/showcasing-creativity-materials-to-disp/9676675/","projectTitle":"Showcasing Creativity: Materials to Display Student Work With Pride","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Heard","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp6001500_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1540245604430","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6001500"},{"teacherId":6001500,"projectId":9036904,"letterContent":"We are absolutely thrilled to share the incredible impact your donation has had on our 4th and 5th-grade classrooms. Thanks to your support, our students are now actively using the new board games and hands-on activities you helped purchase, transforming our learning environment into a place of active collaboration and joyful discovery. We've integrated these resources into our weekly \"Skill-Building Centers,\" which has completely changed the energy in the room. For example, we're currently using games like Ticket to Ride to help students practice map reading, strategic planning, and proportional reasoning (thinking about the length of a route versus the points earned). What used to be a quiet review session is now filled with lively, on-topic discussion and problem-solving—they often don't even realize how much math and critical thinking they are doing!\r\n\r\nThe students' reaction when we first unveiled the games was truly priceless. Their eyes lit up, and there was a palpable buzz of excitement—it felt like a holiday morning! One 4th grader, who often struggles to engage during traditional group work, immediately gravitated toward Sequence and became the impromptu teacher, explaining the rules to a small group of classmates. This immediate, positive response has proven that hands-on, playful learning is the key to unlocking engagement for many of our students. They now consistently ask, \"Can we do centers today?\" or \"Which game are we playing next week?\" The biggest success is seeing students who are usually hesitant to speak up taking on leadership roles as they coach their teammates through a difficult game strategy.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, the next step is to challenge our students to design their own board game. Using the experience they've gained from playing the various donated games, we are asking them to develop a game that teaches one of our upcoming social studies topics, such as the branches of government or the steps in the water cycle. This project will require them to combine creative design, persuasive writing for the rulebook, and a deep understanding of the academic content they are trying to teach. This would not have been possible without your generous investment in these foundational resources. Thank you once again for giving our students the powerful gift of learning through play.","fullyFundedDate":1745847064781,"projectUrl":"project/screen-free-indoor-recess/9036904/","projectTitle":"Screen Free Indoor Recess","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Heard","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp6001500_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1540245604430","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6001500"},{"teacherId":9975189,"projectId":9427774,"letterContent":"Thank you for donating to my project to create more gross motor choices in my school's preschool side yard. Giving students a way to get big body movements out in a safe way is so important. Students are able to use the climber 4 at a time and are also learning social skills such as turn taking and sharing. The students have loved the climber and the teachers are already thinking about ordering more! Be on the lookout for another project soon with even more gross motor opportunities for the preschool side yard!","fullyFundedDate":1751760766795,"projectUrl":"project/climb-to-new-heights/9427774/","projectTitle":"Climb to New Heights!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Brittany","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9975189_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1742855931183","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9975189"},{"teacherId":9975189,"projectId":9418946,"letterContent":"Thank you for donating to my project to add more garden beds to my school's preschool side yard area. The students are going to be able to learn about a plant's life cycle in a very up close and hands-on way. The students will lead the weeding, digging, planting, watering, and choosing the seeds. We will monitor the growth all year long and use journals to document our observations. Science is so important in early childhood education and growing a garden is the perfect way to incorporate all those learning goals.","fullyFundedDate":1750632028296,"projectUrl":"project/side-yard-exploration/9418946/","projectTitle":"Side Yard Exploration","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Brittany","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9975189_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1742855931183","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9975189"},{"teacherId":9975189,"projectId":9356466,"letterContent":"Thank you for donating towards my goal of adding additional library books to my classroom library all about kindergarten! When students transition from preschool to kindergarten there are a lot of unknowns. Reading books give the students a chance to get prepared for any new changes before they arrive. Fortunately, our school is also able to tour a nearby school and walk the halls of their future school but having books to read allows us to have more conversations during story time and throughout our school day if the students have any questions or need comfort in their new transition.","fullyFundedDate":1747443127441,"projectUrl":"project/next-stop-kindergarten/9356466/","projectTitle":"Next Stop: Kindergarten!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Brittany","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9975189_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1742855931183","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9975189"},{"teacherId":9973565,"projectId":9200127,"letterContent":"We've been using the new resources to support our differentiated instruction, especially during small group stations. We used the pencil holder right away when we received it, and my student was so thrilled—he's always excited now to grab a pencil and get started! The sports set has also made a big impact by helping my students stay active and more well-rounded during recess time. The other resources, like the paper shredder and markers, help me as a teacher—allowing me to protect student confidentiality and teach with greater confidence. I now have the tools I need to lead whole-group instruction more effectively, especially when using the dry-erase markers for modeling and visual support.\r\n\r\nTheir faces lit \r\nup with excitement! Some of them immediately asked, \"Is this for us?\" Others were eager to start exploring and using the materials right away. It was such a joyful moment seeing their curiosity and enthusiasm, especially from students who are often hesitant to participate.\r\n\r\nThe next step is to use these materials to create beautiful art projects that allow students to express themselves creatively and proudly display their work. We're also planning to preserve and carefully store some of the materials so that future self-contained students can benefit from them in the coming school years. Your generosity is creating a lasting impact, not just for this class, but for many more to come.","fullyFundedDate":1746476564765,"projectUrl":"project/heart-to-heart-supporting-special-learn/9200127/","projectTitle":"Heart to Heart: Supporting Special Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Delos Santos","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9973565_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1742523387326","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9973565"},{"teacherId":985347,"projectId":8788143,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for contributing to our school library project called Maker Space Magic- Mental Challenges. Today, libraries are more than just books, they are a place of creativity and fun. Our maker spaces are a huge hit with our students after they check out books or if they are sent for Maker Space time from their teachers. The Maker Spaces are places where students can take a break if needed, use their creativity, and challenge themselves while learning problem-solving in the library. We have several choices for students, and our library's latest additions are very popular with our students, thanks to your donations. \r\nWhen the students see the new maker space items added about every two weeks, it sounds like Christmas morning with all the \"ooohhs\" and \"awes\". They are excited to get the library lesson completed, get books checked out, and get to the maker space activities. We always have a puzzle table with a puzzle to complete, a Lego wall with a task like build something related to the solar system, a coloring table with bookmarks and word searches, a games table with Jenga, checkers, Connect Four, or Uno cards, and some creation stations for the latest building supplies like what we received. \r\nAgain, thank you so much for helping our students' minds grow and donating to our library.","fullyFundedDate":1733242079575,"projectUrl":"project/makerspace-magic-mental-challenges/8788143/","projectTitle":"MakerSpace Magic - Mental Challenges","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. George","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp985347_orig.jpg?crop=797,797,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1679506662430","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/985347"},{"teacherId":9715382,"projectId":9012797,"letterContent":"Wrapping up our day has always been a struggle. I have some students who don't want to leave, some that don't want to stop what they are doing to pack up and get ready to go home and some that are simply do not transition well. One thing ALL my students LOVE is gathering around the table, holding the same book and listening to an interesting way it is told while following along. Being able to provide each student with their own book and finding fun read a-longs and raps to go with the books has made for much smoother transitions while providing opportunities for them to learn how to turn pages, follow along and enjoy what they are reading (hearing). It also makes our transition to the end of the day that much easier.\r\n\r\nYour donations have grown my library of multiple books exponentially. With each new theme I am able to switch out the book and provide a new experience for my students. Transitions are a lot less difficult and I love watching their little faces as they navigate the new books. Each and every one of my students looks forward to closing story time! \r\n\r\nAll of the donations I have received are very appreciated! I have had several repeat donors and that has not gone unnoticed!! I would also like to thank the The Mo & Cher Willems Foundation for matching all of the donations I received. You all have saved me money and time with my own family from thrifting on the weekends.","fullyFundedDate":1740005817303,"projectUrl":"project/read-explore-learn-together/9012797/","projectTitle":"Read, Explore, Learn Together","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Heath","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9715382_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1725312408332","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9715382"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_35071","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":430,"numTeachers":26,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":2,"percentBlack":64,"percentWhite":8,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":15,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"4 - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"16.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":63.5,"schoolId":35071,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Bettie F Williams Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Bettie F Williams Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/virginia/virginia-beach-city-public-schools/bettie-f-williams-elementary-school/35071"}