{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Walter S Christopher Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":29.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8497547,"projectId":9404745,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donations. Our students lack access to green spaces, especially now when their safety has been threatened. You are helping us plant the seeds of hope with our students. They can use the garden space for meditation, yoga, and science classes. Students are insisting that I take them out to the garden to water plants. We are excited to see what comes of this garden space, and it will be a continuous group project for our school. My colleagues and I have connected more in the past couple of weeks since they have the enthusiasm to contribute to this project, thanks to your help!","fullyFundedDate":1750276941888,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-friendly-garden-project-for-chil/9404745/","projectTitle":"Sensory-Friendly Garden Project for Children with Disabilities","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Shukla","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8497547_orig.jpg?crop=2460,2460,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1695050146783","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8497547"},{"teacherId":5290287,"projectId":9138626,"letterContent":"We are incredibly grateful for your generous contributions, which have transformed our classroom into a truly supportive and enriching environment for our students. Thanks to you, our sensory-enriched room is now a reality, brimming with the very resources we envisioned to help our students thrive.\r\n\r\nThe impact has been immediate and profound. We're actively using the new resources every day. Just last week, I noticed a student becoming visibly overwhelmed. I reached for a fidget tool from our new sensory basket. Within minutes, their focus sharpened, and they were able to re-engage with the lesson. Another moment occurred when a student who was experiencing anxiety found calmness in one of our new sensory bottles. They quietly engaged with it, and I watched as their breathing slowed and their shoulders relaxed. \r\n\r\nYour contributions have given our students the power to self-regulate and manage their sensory needs independently, leading to increased focus and a calmer learning environment. Looking ahead, our next steps involve integrating these sensory tools even more deeply into our daily routines. We're currently working on a unit about emotional regulation, and the new resources are proving invaluable. Students are using the sensory items to identify and label their feelings, and then choose a tool that helps them return to a \"just right\" state for learning. This project has truly empowered our students to not only learn but to flourish, building the confidence and skills they need to navigate their world with greater ease. Thank you for making such a profound difference in their lives.","fullyFundedDate":1746786099751,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-success-a-calm-learning-space/9138626/","projectTitle":"Sensory Success: A Calm Learning Space","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kusturin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5290287_orig.jpg?crop=722,722,x0,y279&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1593877985530","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-kusturin"},{"teacherId":2395411,"projectId":6347300,"letterContent":"Thank you for supplying my 8th graders with the opportunity to read about strong civic actors. Our Civics study was enhanced through the use of the book, \"Environmental Heroes Come in All Colors.\" Students were able to make text to self connections to people who are similar to them. \r\n\r\nWhat reading looks like in my classroom involves students of all levels working in groups reading, outlining and finding what all the \"Heroes\" had in common: a desire to make their world better. \r\n\r\nThank you for giving them the opportunity to see themselves in others who are making a difference.","fullyFundedDate":1649342367576,"projectUrl":"project/environmental-heroes-come-in-all-colors/6347300/","projectTitle":"Environmental Heroes Come In All Colors!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Witte","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2395411_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1720633631380","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/teacherwitte"},{"teacherId":2395411,"projectId":8642578,"letterContent":"Thank you for the wonderful and informative \"Junior Scholastic\" and \"Scholastic News\" for my middle school students in grades 6th to 8th. Our objective was to learn about events happening in the world while supplementing our workbook. \r\n\r\nIn 8th grade, we studied The Holocaust and the \"World and United States Atlas and Almanac\" edition was priceless for locating the axis and allied countries and gave the students a sense of the geography involved in World War II. In addition, the April, 2025 edition, World History section story \"Surviving the Holocaust\" about a teen's perseverance helped students understand the context of the war and how families were affected. \r\n\r\nThe 7th graders worked on writing arguments, specifically about whether we should spend money to explore space. Numerous articles provided evidence for and against space exploration, providing the students with reliable sources. \r\n\r\nLastly, my curious 6th graders loved reading the \"Scholastic News\" and learning how to use text features to increase their knowledge when finding the main idea.","fullyFundedDate":1723684675065,"projectUrl":"project/wow-magazines-to-read-about-whats-happ/8642578/","projectTitle":"Wow! Magazines to Read About What’s Happening in the World!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Witte","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2395411_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1720633631380","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/teacherwitte"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5398","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":306,"numTeachers":31,"percentFrplEligible":94,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":14,"percentWhite":1,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":83,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Not specified","studentTeacherRatio":"9.9:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":70.6,"schoolId":5398,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Walter S Christopher Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Walter S Christopher Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/christopher-elementary-school/5398"}
Join the 272 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Walter S Christopher Elementary School is
an urban public school
in Chicago, Illinois that is part of Chicago Public School District 299.
It serves 306 students
in grades Not specified with a student/teacher ratio of 9.9:1.
Its teachers have had 47 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. Each classroom request for funding was created by a classroom teacher and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
Walter S Christopher Elementary School Demographics
94%
of students receive free or reduced price lunch
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Source: the National Center for Education Statistics
97%
of students are Black, Latino, Native
American, or Asian
Data about school demographics comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. The numbers in this chart may not add up to 100% because of limitations in the available data.
Walter S Christopher Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Dec 4, 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.
Walter S Christopher Elementary School
$29,334
raised using DonorsChoose
47
projects
funded
24
teachers
funded
272
donors
1
project
for
basic supplies
7
projects for
technology
5
projects for
books
2
projects
for
art supplies
Walter S Christopher Elementary School has received support from
192 individuals from Illinois and
80 individuals out-of-state.