{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Somerset Academy - Oaks","outOfStateSupporters":23.1,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9284636,"projectId":9910160,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity! Because of your support, our classroom has been transformed into a world of ancient heroes and modern-day quests. We are currently halfway through The Lightning Thief, and the energy in the room is electric as we race toward our goal of earning 10 AR points per student.\r\n\r\nHere is a glimpse into how your gift is changing the way my students learn and grow:\r\n\r\nBridging Ancient Myths and Modern Skills\r\nWhile these books are a thrill to read, they are also sophisticated teaching tools. Through this text, I am able to teach literary analysis by having students map out the \"Hero's Journey.\" We are diving deep into character archetypes and learning how to identify allusions to Greek mythology in modern culture. Beyond the mechanics of reading, these books introduce a vital lesson in empathy and resilience; seeing Percy Jackson navigate his world with ADHD and dyslexia allows many of my students to see their own \"differences\" as potential superpowers.\r\n\r\nA Dynamic Reading Environment\r\nIn our classroom, reading is far from a silent, solitary activity. It is active and collaborative. On any given day, you might see:\r\n\r\nPredictive Debates: Students gathering in small groups to argue which Greek god is \"behind the scenes\" of the current plot twist.\r\n\r\nVocabulary Shouts: A student raising their hand excitedly because they found a \"SAT-level\" word we discussed earlier in the week.\r\n\r\nThe AR Progress Wall: A visual tracker where students move their markers closer to their 10-point goal, turning their reading progress into a celebrated milestone.\r\n\r\nThe Impact on Our Students\r\nThere are a few students who have been particularly moved by these new books. I have one student who previously struggled to stay engaged during independent reading time. Now, I often have to remind them to put the book away so we can start our science lab!\r\n\r\nFurthermore, for my students who receive reading accommodations, this series has been a game-changer. The fast-paced chapters and relatable dialogue keep them motivated, and the pride on their faces when they realize they've read half a novel is truly priceless. They aren't just reading for points; they are reading because they finally found a story that speaks to them.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and for providing the spark that has ignited a love of reading in our classroom. We can't wait to update you when we cross the finish line and hit our AR goals!\r\n\r\nWith deepest gratitude,","fullyFundedDate":1764728119620,"projectUrl":"project/a-book-for-every-demigod-student/9910160/","projectTitle":"A Book for Every Demigod Student","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Laws","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9284636"},{"teacherId":8614447,"projectId":9653738,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, my students now have access to Pro-Max slam balls that are making a powerful impact in our physical education classes and athletic development sessions. These tools allow us to focus on strength training, explosive power, and overall conditioning in a way that was not possible before. With this equipment, every student now has the opportunity to actively participate and develop foundational athletic skills.\r\n\r\nWhen the slam balls arrived, the excitement from my students was immediate. They were eager to engage in new workouts and challenges, and it has brought a new level of energy and focus to our classes. I have already seen growth in their confidence, effort, and willingness to push themselves physically.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, I am now able to incorporate more structured strength and performance training into my lessons, helping students build discipline, resilience, and healthy habits. Moving forward, we will continue using these slam balls to enhance workouts, improve performance, and support long-term athletic development.\r\n\r\nI would also like to sincerely thank The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation for their support in making this opportunity possible for my students. Your generosity is helping shape confident, disciplined, and motivated young individuals.\r\nThank you for investing in my students and helping them grow stronger, more confident, and motivated each day.","fullyFundedDate":1758636765460,"projectUrl":"project/fueling-young-athletes-one-rep-at-a-tim/9653738/","projectTitle":"Fueling Young Athletes, One Rep at a Time","teacherDisplayName":"Coach Lawson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8614447_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1660262927450","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8614447"},{"teacherId":8614447,"projectId":9757224,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, my students now have access to the equipment they need to fully participate and grow in our physical education program. The new mesh bags have completely changed how we organize and manage our basketballs, allowing for smoother transitions, more efficient use of time, and more structured, high-energy lessons. Instead of losing time gathering equipment, students are now able to get right into skill development, drills, and game play.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials arrived, my students were excited and immediately noticed the difference. They take pride in helping set up and break down equipment, and the organization has created a more focused and engaging environment. This has increased participation, improved behavior, and allowed more students to stay active and involved throughout each lesson.\r\n\r\nBecause of this project, I am now able to run more effective and organized sessions that emphasize skill development, teamwork, and accountability. Moving forward, we will continue building on these foundations through structured drills, small-sided games, and skill progression activities that help students grow both athletically and personally.\r\n\r\nI would also like to sincerely thank The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation for their support in making this opportunity possible for my students. Your generosity is creating a lasting impact not only in their physical development, but also in their confidence, responsibility, and overall growth.\r\nWith gratitude,\r\nCoach Lawson","fullyFundedDate":1764853141749,"projectUrl":"project/pack-play-repeat-organized-to-win/9757224/","projectTitle":"\"Pack, Play, Repeat, Organized to Win!\" Mesh Bags For Youth","teacherDisplayName":"Coach Lawson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8614447_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1660262927450","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8614447"},{"teacherId":8614447,"projectId":9252450,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, my students now have access to high-quality basketballs that are being used daily in our physical education classes and skill development sessions. Before this project, many of our activities had to be modified due to limited equipment, but now every student has the opportunity to fully engage, practice, and improve their skills with confidence.\r\n\r\nWhen the basketballs arrived, the excitement from my students was immediate. They were eager to get started, and I saw a noticeable increase in participation, effort, and enthusiasm. Students who were once hesitant are now more involved, building not only their athletic abilities but also their confidence, teamwork, and overall love for the game.\r\n\r\nThese basketballs have allowed me to run more structured, high-energy lessons where students can work simultaneously, maximizing both learning time and development. We are now able to focus on skill progression, game understanding, and character-building through sports in a way that was not possible before.\r\n\r\nA sincere thank you to Ripple for supporting this opportunity for my students. Your generosity is making a lasting impact on their development, confidence, and growth both on and off the court.","fullyFundedDate":1746699590291,"projectUrl":"project/where-every-bounce-builds-confidence-and/9252450/","projectTitle":"Where Every Bounce Builds Confidence and Character! PART 3","teacherDisplayName":"Coach Lawson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8614447_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1660262927450","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8614447"},{"teacherId":8614447,"projectId":9241591,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, my students now have access to high-quality basketballs that are being used daily in our physical education classes and skill development sessions. Before this project, many of our activities had to be modified due to limited equipment, but now every student has the opportunity to fully engage, practice, and improve their skills with confidence.\r\n\r\nWhen the basketballs arrived, the excitement from my students was immediate. They were eager to get started, and I saw a noticeable increase in participation, effort, and enthusiasm. Students who were once hesitant are now more involved, building not only their athletic abilities but also their confidence, teamwork, and overall love for the game.\r\n\r\nThese basketballs have allowed me to run more structured, high-energy lessons where students can work simultaneously, maximizing both learning time and development. We are now able to focus on skill progression, game understanding, and character-building through sports in a way that was not possible before.\r\n\r\nI would also like to sincerely thank City Education Partners + Other Generous Partners for their support in making this opportunity possible for my students. Your investment is making a lasting impact not just in their physical development, but in their confidence and growth as young individuals.","fullyFundedDate":1746783051895,"projectUrl":"project/where-every-bounce-builds-confidence-and/9241591/","projectTitle":"Where Every Bounce Builds Confidence and Character Part 2!","teacherDisplayName":"Coach Lawson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8614447_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1660262927450","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8614447"},{"teacherId":8614447,"projectId":9240186,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, my students now have access to high-quality basketballs that are being used daily in our physical education classes and skill development sessions. Before this project, many of our activities had to be modified due to limited equipment, but now every student has the opportunity to fully engage, practice, and improve their skills with confidence.\r\n\r\nWhen the basketballs arrived, the excitement from my students was immediate. They were eager to get started, and I saw a noticeable increase in participation, effort, and enthusiasm. Students who were once hesitant are now more involved, building not only their athletic abilities but also their confidence, teamwork, and overall love for the game.\r\n\r\nThese basketballs have allowed me to run more structured, high-energy lessons where students can work simultaneously, maximizing both learning time and development. We are now able to focus on skill progression, game understanding, and character-building through sports in a way that was not possible before.\r\n\r\nI would also like to sincerely thank City Education Partners + Other Generous Partners for their support in making this opportunity possible for my students. Your investment is making a lasting impact not just in their physical development, but in their confidence and growth as young individuals.","fullyFundedDate":1746783050692,"projectUrl":"project/where-every-bounce-builds-confidence-and/9240186/","projectTitle":"Where Every Bounce Builds Confidence and Character!","teacherDisplayName":"Coach Lawson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8614447_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1660262927450","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8614447"},{"teacherId":8614447,"projectId":9119288,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project, \"Beauty and the Barbell – Off Season Fitness.\" Because of your generosity, my students now have access to equipment and resources that help them stay active, build strength, and focus on their physical and mental wellness during the off-season. These materials have allowed us to incorporate structured strength and conditioning activities into our daily routines, helping students understand the importance of discipline, healthy habits, and personal growth both inside and outside the classroom.\r\nWhen my students first saw the new equipment and resources, their excitement was immediate. Many of them were eager to try the workouts and ask questions about how strength training helps improve performance, prevent injuries, and build confidence. One of my favorite moments was seeing students encourage each other while learning new exercises and realizing they were capable of more than they thought. It created a positive environment where teamwork, motivation, and perseverance were on full display.\r\nThanks to your support, we will continue using these resources to build structured workouts, teach proper technique, and connect fitness with goal setting and overall wellness. Our next step is helping students track their progress, set personal fitness goals, and understand how consistency and hard work lead to improvement over time. Your generosity has made a meaningful impact, and my students truly appreciate the opportunities you've helped create.\r\nWith gratitude,","fullyFundedDate":1746783049802,"projectUrl":"project/beauty-and-the-barbell-off-season-fitn/9119288/","projectTitle":"Beauty and the Barbell - Off Season Fitness","teacherDisplayName":"Coach Lawson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8614447_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1660262927450","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8614447"},{"teacherId":9776711,"projectId":9528170,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to our classroom library. Because of you, my kindergarten students now have access to early reader books and timeless classics that truly meet them where they are as developing readers. Seeing their excitement when they recognize a book they can read on their own has been incredibly rewarding, and it has already made a noticeable difference in our daily routines.\r\n\r\nThese books have helped transform our classroom into a space where reading feels joyful, accessible, and meaningful. Students are choosing books more often, rereading favorites, and proudly sharing stories with their classmates. Your support has helped build confidence, independence, and—most importantly—a genuine love for books that will stay with them far beyond kindergarten.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and investing in their growth. Your kindness has left a lasting impact on our classroom, and we are so grateful for your support.","fullyFundedDate":1754756725378,"projectUrl":"project/pete-piggie-seuss-oh-my/9528170/","projectTitle":"Pete, Piggie, & Seuss, Oh My!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Chavez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9776711_orig.jpg?crop=615,615,x208,y7&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1754715868564","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/chavezclass"},{"teacherId":9284636,"projectId":9703675,"letterContent":"Since receiving the new resources, my students have been using them daily, especially during hands-on lab activities. The coloring supplies have made a noticeable difference in how students document and engage with their work. During labs, students use color to clearly label observations, highlight patterns, and add detail to diagrams and models in their science notebooks. For example, while completing a recent investigation, students color-coded parts of their diagrams to show different variables and outcomes, which helped them better explain their thinking during class discussions.\r\n\r\nWhen students first saw the new materials, their excitement was immediate and genuine. Many of them commented on how much easier it was to organize their work and how proud they felt of their notebooks. Color has helped turn their notes into meaningful learning tools rather than just written responses.\r\n\r\nThanks to our donors, the next steps for students include using these materials in upcoming labs and interactive lessons, where they will continue building models, revising diagrams, and deepening their understanding through visual learning.","fullyFundedDate":1762267718735,"projectUrl":"project/science-in-color-creating-writing-and/9703675/","projectTitle":"Science in Color: Creating, Writing, and Discovering","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Laws","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9284636"},{"teacherId":9284636,"projectId":9325156,"letterContent":"My students and I are getting so much use out of the new classroom resources! As a science teacher working in a small room, the plastic storage drawers and magnetic organizers have been a huge help in keeping our materials accessible and organized. The 42-compartment organizer now holds lab labels, micro-tools, task cards, vocabulary slips, and small equipment for investigations. The magnetic file holder and magnetic bookshelves have turned our whiteboard into a clean, organized space where students can quickly grab lab sheets, warm-ups, and safety reminders.\r\n\r\nThe students were especially excited about the large sets of dry erase markers, highlighters, and magnetic erasers. They immediately asked if we could play trashketball to review physical properties and mixtures & solutions—so of course we did! We've also been using the targets during review stations as \"hit-the-answer\" challenges, which keeps our lessons active and helps students stay engaged.\r\n\r\nWhen they first saw all the materials, my students were thrilled. Several jumped right in to help sort the paper, load the drawers, and label the compartments so that everything had a home. It was a wonderful moment of teamwork and ownership.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to continue integrating these supplies into our upcoming science units. Having organized materials, fresh markers, and easy-to-reach resources means students can move quickly through labs, station rotations, and whiteboard modeling without losing valuable learning time. These donations are already making our science classroom more efficient, more hands-on, and much more fun.","fullyFundedDate":1746783010756,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-supplies/9325156/","projectTitle":"Classroom Supplies","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Laws","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9284636"},{"teacherId":9284636,"projectId":9222537,"letterContent":"My students and I are absolutely loving the new recess equipment! Because our classroom space is small, these materials have made such a difference in keeping things organized and giving students purposeful ways to move, play, and reset throughout the day. One of my favorite moments was watching them invent new variations of our class game trashketball, turning the equipment into team challenges that had everyone cheering each other on.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the materials, they cheered. They immediately started imagining how we could use everything, and several students even began sorting and labeling the bins on their own to help keep our tiny room tidy.\r\n\r\nRight now, our next steps are to build these movement breaks into our academic routines. We're starting a \"Brain Boost Station\" rotation where students use the equipment for quick, structured movement before transitioning into reading or science work. It's already helping with focus, collaboration, and energy—and we're excited to keep exploring new ways to use these resources.","fullyFundedDate":1744910177236,"projectUrl":"project/organizing-recess-equipment/9222537/","projectTitle":"Organizing Recess Equipment","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Laws","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9284636"},{"teacherId":6606540,"projectId":9518654,"letterContent":"We are excited to be rehearsing for our Willy Wonka Kids show to perform in December! Our students are busy learning lines, songs, choreography, and soon to start the artwork for our set design with our school art teacher! We have had auditions, passed out scripts, and are starting to figure out costumes. Our students and families love these performances and we are excited to work hard and make it a great show for all!\r\n\r\nThank you so much for partnering with us to make Willy Wonka Kids happen! We couldn't have done it without you and we are very grateful! You are making a difference in the lives and educational opportunities of our young students. We appreciate YOU!","fullyFundedDate":1755740356095,"projectUrl":"project/golden-ticket-to-the-stage-willy-wonka/9518654/","projectTitle":"Golden Ticket to the Stage: Willy Wonka Kids Musical","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Feazel","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6606540_orig.jpg?crop=200,200,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752079732556","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6606540"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_109601","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":188,"numTeachers":15,"percentFrplEligible":59,"percentAsian":12,"percentBlack":13,"percentWhite":19,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":50,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"12.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":76.9,"schoolId":109601,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Somerset Academy - Oaks on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Somerset Academy - Oaks","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/texas/texas-department-of-education/brooks-academy-oaks/109601"}