Past projects 3
Weighted Items for Worried or Wiggly Learners
Funded Apr 8, 2025Thank you SO much for your support for our project! These weighted lap pads will go to kindergarten through 5th graders who are worried or wiggly - the weight helps provide gentle pressure to keep kids feeling grounded and relaxed. Specifically, I have one student in mind who has been waiting for a weighted lap pad since the beginning of the school year, and I think will benefit from this greatly! I can't wait to introduce it to him and see him flourish.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cassie
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 4 other donors.Building Forts, Building Teams!
Funded Feb 24, 2024Thank you SO much for our fort-building materials! Using the fort materials is a popular activity during choice time - the students have enjoyed creating a variety of kinds of forts together, from safe places they can cozy up to safe ways they can get sensory input by jumping on the soft items.
Our students spend most of their day in our Federal Setting III Emotional and Behavioral Disability classroom that we affectionately call "the Den." The fort-building materials have been helpful in creating a safe space for students to calm down when dysregulated or exhibiting a big behavior.
From all the students and our special education staff, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cassie
Sensory Breaks for Overstimulated Students
Funded Dec 19, 2022Thank you SO much for your donation to the students at Whittier. The resources you purchased (noise-canceling headphones, weighted blankets, weighted neck pillows - a huge hit!!, Orbeez, squishy fidgets, muted lighting tools, etc.) helped create a safe space for students to regulate and reset, so they can focus on their learning.
A few stories stick out to me: A third grader who went from starting the year reacting with big behaviors when he was overstimulated to toward the end of they year being able to choose for himself the weighted blanket and noise canceling headphones available in his classroom when he was overstimulated. A fifth grader whose trauma reaction was to cry uncontrollably, who knew that when I found him he would walk with me to my office, put my weighted lamb neck pillow in the microwave, and then sit for a little while with it on his neck before he was ready to talk about what had happened. My "Support Squad" afterschool grief group who absolutely LOVED the Orbeez and fidgets and knew they could come to my space for a quick break to talk about what they were feeling and use sensory touch to reset.
Truly, thank you so much for making my space calmer and more welcoming for students with different sensory needs!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cassie