Stone Lakes Elementary is a public school that serves students from kindergarten through 5th grade and is an OCPS cluster site for students with Autism.   In our school, 24% of the population receive Exceptional Education (ESE) Services, with many of these students receiving services directly related to Autism Spectrum Disorder.  We provide both an inclusive setting, as well as separate small-group classrooms to support students who require a higher level of academic and behavioral support. 

The Soaring Eagles Fund is to benefit the students at Stone Lakes Elementary in 2023.  Our goal for this project is to gain enough funds and community engagement to create a long-lasting sensory-based activity room for all students on campus, including those with disabilities. 

This room would consist of intervention materials to allow students to learn how to self-regulate in a safe place, as well as have a calming environment to take a break, access reinforcement, and receive services and interventions from our trained staff.  Our school-based support team consists of Qualified Teachers, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Physical Therapists, Behavior Specialists, Psychologists, Counselors, and support staff; we all work together to provide an environment that promotes inclusion and success for all students.

The goal of $20,000 will provide a solid foundation for giving students access to fine-motor, gross-motor, calming, and proprioceptive tools to promote body awareness and regulation.  Some of the materials we will be purchasing include fine motor manipulatives and sensory bins; calming tools such as tents, pea-pods, weighted blankets, body socks, deep-pressure squeeze machine, swing, and floor pillows; and finally, sensory exploration tools such as a trampoline, climbing blocks, mirrors, lights, and fidgets. 

Our goal will be to sustain the activity room for a period of at least 10 years, providing availability for approximately 1,800 elementary school students over that time period; we are looking to purchase high-quality and durable materials from reputable companies so that we can look forward to benefiting from this project for years to come. 

Contributions to the Fund can be made at any time to Stone Lakes Soaring Eagle Fund.  The Fund can receive gifts via cash, check payable to Foundation for Orange County Public Schools (FOCPS) or credit card, in one payment or multiple installments throughout the school year.  To give online, please complete the form below.

Checks should be mailed to the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools, 445 West Amelia Street, Orlando, FL 32801.  In the memo section, place Stones Lake ES.

The Fund will maintain a separate account at the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools available only to hte Soaring Eagle Fund; it will be tax deductible as a charitble contribution to a 501(c)(3) organization with transparency and full disclosure.