Stephen F Austin Elementary School in Gregory, Texas on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Stephen F Austin Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":46.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9700697,"projectId":9491126,"letterContent":"My students and I have been having such a wonderful time using the new resources you provided. We use the snacks as incentives during our lessons, and the prizes in the treasure box have become a huge motivation for them. The kids love earning balls, small trinkets, and other fun items for showing effort, kindness, and participation. One of my favorite classroom moments was watching them proudly choose a prize after working so hard on their assignments. It has created such a positive atmosphere in our room.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw all the materials, their faces lit up. They were excited, surprised, and immediately started talking about which prizes they hoped to earn. The snacks have also been a big hit—they feel special knowing they get to choose a treat as a reward for their hard work.","fullyFundedDate":1756227598720,"projectUrl":"project/fuel-for-greatness/9491126/","projectTitle":"Fuel for Greatness","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hernandez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9700697_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724624165635","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9700697"},{"teacherId":7931362,"projectId":9306967,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation of books and science lab supplies to our classroom. Your support brings our lessons to life—giving students exciting hands-on opportunities in science and access to engaging books that spark curiosity and a love of reading. Because of you, my students have more tools to explore, learn, and grow every day. We are truly grateful for your kindness and belief in the work we do. Thank you again for your unwavering support! It means more than you will ever know!","fullyFundedDate":1747394750341,"projectUrl":"project/mentoring-young-minds-rooted-in-reading/9306967/","projectTitle":"Mentoring Young Minds: Rooted in Reading, Blossoming in Science","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Price","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7931362_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1628003036759","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsprice513"},{"teacherId":7863308,"projectId":9320566,"letterContent":"Thank you for always coming through for my kids. This project contained materials that will benefit my students for the entire year. As they arrived on the first day of school they each received a binder and we have used it to create our reading portfolios. We have also used our highlighters several times this school year already. It has been very handy having a class set for everyone to use the same color to notate information. We have also used the colored paper several times to make copies for our readers notebooks. \r\n\r\nYour generosity has helped our class get the ball rolling, keep ourselves organized, and have a little fun highlighting notes.","fullyFundedDate":1753990584548,"projectUrl":"project/the-early-bird-gets-the-worm/9320566/","projectTitle":"The Early Bird Gets the Worm","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Christine Villarreal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7863308_orig.png?crop=400,400,x0,y233&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1629940183535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7863308"},{"teacherId":7863308,"projectId":9235719,"letterContent":"Keeping students engaged at the end of a school year can be a tough job, that is why I like to have reading groups. The books I ordered last year to help with reading groups are The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, Baseball in April by Gary Soto, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. All three of the books were ordered because of student requests. If I can get students drawn in to education by reading interesting books, then that is what I will do. \r\n\r\nThe books came in right before our school year ended and we were all so grateful to have them.","fullyFundedDate":1747063739802,"projectUrl":"project/books-to-finish-off-the-year/9235719/","projectTitle":"Books to Finish Off the Year","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Christine Villarreal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7863308_orig.png?crop=400,400,x0,y233&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1629940183535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7863308"},{"teacherId":7863308,"projectId":9092303,"letterContent":"You have no idea what a blessing it has been to have a good set of headphones on hand for my students to use. They often carry ear buds in their backpack and they end up broken or left at home. When it is time to learn with headphones (daily for 20 minutes) the kids know where to open the pantry doors and locate their headphones. \r\n\r\nThis has been one of the best Donors Choose projects I have had funded. I wish I had done it years ago. Thank you so much for your generous donation it truly affects at least 40 students every single school day.","fullyFundedDate":1742934259656,"projectUrl":"project/headphones-for-the-class/9092303/","projectTitle":"Headphones for the Class","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Christine Villarreal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7863308_orig.png?crop=400,400,x0,y233&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1629940183535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7863308"},{"teacherId":7863308,"projectId":9080034,"letterContent":"This project helped me finish out the school year with enough art supplies for each student to make something for Mother's Day (as seen in photos), as well as art boards for free painting, and materials to make band bracelets. Every other Friday we have \"Club Friday\" at our school. My club is \"Arts and Crafts\" club. The art supplies from this project came in handy and saved me from spending hundreds of dollars on art supplies, there is even enough to get started this new year. \r\n\r\nYour generosity is so greatly appreciated.","fullyFundedDate":1742150281518,"projectUrl":"project/basic-art-supplies-and-replacement-books/9080034/","projectTitle":"Basic Art Supplies and Replacement Books","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Christine Villarreal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7863308_orig.png?crop=400,400,x0,y233&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1629940183535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7863308"},{"teacherId":7931362,"projectId":9226306,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your contribution to my classroom! I set them up in our Class Dojo store as soon as I received them in the mail. My students loved having new rewards in our store at the end of the year. It motivated them to finish the year strong and work hard to earn Dojo points. In addition, it helped to curtail the end of year behaviors that sometimes get a little challenging. I have enough materials to use for next year as well! Your support for my students and our classroom means more than I can tell you!","fullyFundedDate":1744813073018,"projectUrl":"project/motivating-my-students/9226306/","projectTitle":"Motivating My Students","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Price","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7931362_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1628003036759","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsprice513"},{"teacherId":9700697,"projectId":9148937,"letterContent":"The new chair covers and flexible seating bands have been a game-changer in our classroom! The chair covers help students stay organized by keeping their supplies right at their seats, which has made transitions during lessons much smoother. One specific moment that stands out was during our writing workshop is when students were able to quickly grab their notebooks, folders, and pencil pouches without disrupting others, and they stayed focused for much longer. The blue flexible seating bands have also helped students who need to fidget or move a bit while learning. I've noticed improved focus and fewer distractions during independent reading time. \r\nThe students were so excited because they don't have to get up as much anymore when they need to grab their things.","fullyFundedDate":1742528544326,"projectUrl":"project/helping-hands-organized-minds-tools-fo/9148937/","projectTitle":"Helping Hands, Organized Minds: Tools for a Tidy Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hernandez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9700697_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724624165635","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9700697"},{"teacherId":7876587,"projectId":8973770,"letterContent":"You Made the Holidays Unforgettable for Our Students!\r\n\r\nThanks to your generosity, our students experienced a celebration filled with laughter, joy, and surprise right before the winter break—and it was all because of you!\r\n\r\nThe highlight of our party was the Saran Wrap Ball Game, which quickly turned into a room full of cheering, giggling, and shared excitement. Each layer revealed fun prizes that kept our students on the edge of their seats. It was heartwarming to watch even the quietest students light up as they played alongside their classmates.\r\n\r\nThe cozy, holiday-themed socks were another huge hit—many students immediately put them on and proudly showed them off. It was a small gesture that meant so much, especially for students who may not always have access to new or festive items during the holiday season.\r\n\r\nThis event reminded us of the power of community and kindness. Your support didn't just provide materials—you helped us create a memory that these students will carry with them for a long time.\r\n\r\nAs we return to the classroom after break, our students are more connected, energized, and ready to tackle new challenges together. Thank you for believing in them—and in us.","fullyFundedDate":1733498575837,"projectUrl":"project/winter-party-extravaganza/8973770/","projectTitle":"Winter Party Extravaganza!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Gonzales","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7876587_orig.jpg?crop=678,677,x0,y97&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1622752633586","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7876587"},{"teacherId":7863308,"projectId":9045203,"letterContent":"Berkeley, you should know that my students are VERY excited to read the Harry Potter books that you purchased. My homeroom wrote your thank you letters yesterday and they were pumped to get to use the \"antique\" paper. I was very impressed with their artwork and I hope you will be too. \r\nI had planned on using the books for my GT students during our small group time, but all of the kids saw the books all stacked up on my shelf and started telling me how excited they were to get to actually read the story. With that being said, I decided to share them with all three of my classes. Harry Potter is the theme of our science teacher's classroom and she has our students divided into the four houses for behavioral strategies and for projects. They have a lot of background knowledge about Harry Potter, but very few have actually tackled reading the books. \r\nThis is the second donation you have made to my projects this year and I truly cannot thank you enough.","fullyFundedDate":1736894785711,"projectUrl":"project/platform-9-34-and-more/9045203/","projectTitle":"Platform 9 3/4 and More","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Christine Villarreal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7863308_orig.png?crop=400,400,x0,y233&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1629940183535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7863308"},{"teacherId":7863308,"projectId":9045439,"letterContent":"Thank you for your contribution to our project. I asked for paper and prizes.\r\n\r\nAs the year progresses I like to have a little fun with the kids by creating escape rooms for them to practice the elements we have learned in class. In the pictures that I included with this letter, you can see the folders with the colored paper. Keeping each task color coded helps students understand how to keep things organized. \r\n\r\nThe kids were so very excited to see that our prize box had been filled. Each week the kids receive tickets for completed work and I give away at least nine prizes per week. The kids and I are very grateful for the items we have received.","fullyFundedDate":1736961734376,"projectUrl":"project/basic-supplies-and-prizes/9045439/","projectTitle":"Basic Supplies and Prizes","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Christine Villarreal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7863308_orig.png?crop=400,400,x0,y233&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1629940183535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7863308"},{"teacherId":7863308,"projectId":8849145,"letterContent":"Thank you immensely for your donation. We meet at least four days a week with small groups of students, in these groups they read a minimum of two days a week. It is my goal as a teacher to convince students that it is okay to read a chapter book, in addition, I want them to fall in love with reading. One technique I use to reach my goal is to introduce students to several different authors. I want them to find an author that writes in a genre they can connect to and pick up a chapter book on their own. Again, I thank you sincerely for your contribution.","fullyFundedDate":1731621675498,"projectUrl":"project/chapter-books-to-enjoy-with-friends/8849145/","projectTitle":"Chapter Books to Enjoy With Friends","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Christine Villarreal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7863308_orig.png?crop=400,400,x0,y233&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1629940183535","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7863308"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_15270","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":516,"numTeachers":36,"percentFrplEligible":73,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":26,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":69,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"14.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":53.4,"schoolId":15270,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Stephen F Austin Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Stephen F Austin Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/texas/gregory-portland-independent-school-district/austin-elementary-school/15270"}

About this school

Stephen F Austin Elementary School is a rural public school in Gregory, Texas that is part of Gregory - Portland Independent School District. It serves 516 students in grades Pre-K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 14.3:1. Its teachers have had 118 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades Pre-K - 5

516 Students

36 Teachers

308 N Gregory Ave

Gregory, TX 78359 View local requests

http://www.g-pisd.org

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

Stephen F Austin Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

Ms. Baker

Mrs. Charlton

Mrs. Chester

Mrs. Christine Villarreal

See more teachers from Stephen F Austin Elementary School

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Stephen F Austin Elementary School Demographics

73%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

70%

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.

Stephen F Austin Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 5, 2025

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.