{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Desert Meadows Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":26.2,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9198251,"projectId":10462206,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for funding \"Bright Tools, Brighter Learning\"! These might look like simple supplies on paper, but in our classroom they've made every single day run more smoothly. The magnetic light covers were the first thing we put up — the harsh fluorescent glare is gone, replaced by a soft sky-and-tree glow that instantly made the room feel calmer. My students noticed right away; one of them said it felt like learning outside under the trees. The sticky notes have become a staple in our lessons — students jot down questions during read-alouds, flag important ideas in their work, and leave each other kind notes. And those little adhesive pencil holders on every desk? No more pencils rolling onto the floor every five minutes. It's the small things that add up.\r\n\r\nWhen the boxes arrived, the kids were most excited about the computer mice — you'd have thought I'd brought in brand-new laptops! They love having their own mouse during our online lessons and testing, and it gives them a real sense of independence. The mesh zipper pouches are now home to their math manipulatives and game pieces, and the storage bins finally gave every supply a proper place. Even the call bell has become a beloved classroom ritual for getting everyone's attention with a cheerful ding instead of me raising my voice.\r\n\r\nNext up, we're putting the popsicle sticks to work for a STEM building challenge, and the sticky notes are going to be the star of our upcoming \"thinking tracks\" reading project where students map their ideas as they read. Every one of these tools is helping my students stay organized, focused, and excited to learn. Thank you for making our classroom a brighter place — literally and figuratively!","fullyFundedDate":1787185876488,"projectUrl":"project/bright-tools-brighter-learning/10462206/","projectTitle":"Bright Tools, Brighter Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lewis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9198251_orig.jpg?crop=2415,2415,x0,y8&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1704833190852","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9198251"},{"teacherId":9198251,"projectId":10058007,"letterContent":"From the bottom of my heart, thank you. When I see my students walk into our classroom each morning, I see the difference your generosity made — and I want you to see it too.\r\n\r\nHow we're using everything-\r\n\r\nOur classroom feels like a completely different place now. The alphabet rug has become the heart of our room. Every morning, my students gather on it for our morning meeting, and there's something about sitting together on that soft, colorful rug that just settles everyone in. It's where we share our weekend stories, where we work through tricky math problems side by side, and where we read aloud together. It turned a plain floor into our spot.\r\n\r\nThe flexible seating has been a game-changer. The stacking stools are the most popular seats in the room — I have students who ask every single day if it's their turn for the stools during independent reading. Giving them a choice in where they sit has given them a sense of ownership over their learning, and I've noticed even my wiggliest learners settling in faster when they get to pick a spot that feels right for them.\r\n\r\nThe two sage-green bookshelves, filled with our new book bins, finally gave us a real classroom library. Before, our chapter books were stacked wherever they fit. Now students browse the shelves like it's a little bookstore, and I've watched reluctant readers pull out Third Grade Angels and How Not to Start Third Grade just because the books are displayed so invitingly. The book bins keep everything organized, and the kids take pride in putting books back in the right spot.\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite additions has been the emotion plush toys and feelings book set in our calming corner. When a student is having a big-feelings moment, they can grab a plush, flip through the book, and take the space they need. It's given them real tools for naming what they're feeling, and I've seen students start using the feeling words from the books in their everyday conversations with each other. That alone has been worth everything.\r\n\r\nAnd I have to mention the little touches that make the room feel like home — the \"I'm So Happy You're Here\" neon sign glowing by the door, the dried-flower lamp casting warm light during quiet reading time, the jellyfish lamp that mesmerizes the kids during afternoon wind-down. My students walk in and say it doesn't feel like a regular classroom. It feels like ours.\r\n\r\nTheir reaction said it all-\r\n\r\nThe day the boxes arrived, you'd have thought it was a holiday. The kids crowded around as I opened each one, gasping at the bean bags, fighting over who got to test the stools first, and running their hands across the rug. One student looked up at the neon sign and said, \"Wait — this is really for us?\" That moment stuck with me. They understood that someone out there cared enough to make their classroom beautiful, and it made them stand a little taller.\r\n\r\nWhat's next-\r\n\r\nRight now, we're building on all of it. Our classroom library is the centerpiece of our new reading project — students are setting personal reading goals, tracking their progress, and sharing book recommendations with each other during our rug-time discussions. We're also using the flexible seating during our small-group rotations, and I'm planning a classroom \"book tasting\" event where students will sample new books from the shelves café-style. The calming corner continues to be part of our daily social-emotional learning, and we're working on a feelings vocabulary wall using the emotion plushies as our guides.\r\n\r\nBecause of you, my students started this year feeling welcomed, comfortable, and excited to learn. That head start matters more than I can say. Thank you for believing in them.","fullyFundedDate":1778040295487,"projectUrl":"project/a-head-start-for-next-years-learners/10058007/","projectTitle":"A Head Start for Next Year’s Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lewis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9198251_orig.jpg?crop=2415,2415,x0,y8&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1704833190852","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9198251"},{"teacherId":4963795,"projectId":10222155,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for our amazing new items! My students are enjoying our new reading rug space with the sit spots and new chapter books. They are so excited for free read time!! \r\nWhen I showed my students our new book collections, they were thrilled!! They were fighting over who would read which book first! \r\nThey love the sit spots so much that they were taking more than one! We've now created a new rule- one sit spot per person and now everyone is happy. \r\nEvery day my students enjoy our special reading space and it's all thanks to you! I truly appreciate your generosity in making this project come to life!","fullyFundedDate":1778094732238,"projectUrl":"project/new-class-new-kids-new-carpet/10222155/","projectTitle":"New Class, New Kids, New Carpet!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Russell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4963795_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1510168302836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/russellkinder"},{"teacherId":9198251,"projectId":9919210,"letterContent":"Your generosity has brought STEM to life in our kindergarten classroom in ways that are both exciting and meaningful. Every day, students are using these new resources to explore, build, question, and discover.\r\n\r\nOne of our favorite moments so far has been during a recent engineering activity where students used the materials to design and build simple structures. Working in small groups, they experimented with balance, stability, and creativity—some even redesigned their structures after they collapsed, showing early problem-solving and resilience. Watching five- and six-year-olds talk through ideas like \"What can we change to make it stronger?\" has been incredible.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, the students' reactions were pure joy and curiosity. There were wide eyes, big smiles, and so many questions. They immediately wanted to touch everything, explore how things worked, and start creating. It truly felt like opening the door to a new world of learning for them.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we are building on this excitement by diving deeper into hands-on STEM challenges. Our next steps include introducing simple coding concepts, exploring patterns and sequencing, and continuing engineering design challenges that encourage teamwork and critical thinking. These experiences are helping students develop confidence, curiosity, and a love for learning that will carry forward into future grades.\r\n\r\nYour support has not only provided materials—it has created opportunities for discovery, collaboration, and growth. Thank you for being an essential part of our classroom journey.","fullyFundedDate":1767240203206,"projectUrl":"project/stem-explorers-in-kindergarten/9919210/","projectTitle":"STEM Explorers in Kindergarten","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lewis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9198251_orig.jpg?crop=2415,2415,x0,y8&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1704833190852","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9198251"},{"teacherId":5103889,"projectId":9980735,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my heartfelt thanks for your generous donation of a printer to my classroom. Your support has made an immediate and meaningful impact on both my teaching and my students' learning experience.\r\n\r\nWith this new printer, I am now able to provide high-quality materials, create engaging resources, and ensure that every student has access to the tools they need to succeed. It has already made our classroom more efficient, organized, and responsive to student needs.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, your kindness shows my students that there are people in the community who believe in their potential and care about their education. That encouragement is truly invaluable.\r\n\r\nThank you again for your generosity and for investing in our classroom. Your support is deeply appreciated and will continue to benefit my students every day.","fullyFundedDate":1769384217200,"projectUrl":"project/printer-for-projects/9980735/","projectTitle":"Printer for Projects!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Abedrabbo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5103889_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755580531631","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/abedrabbo"},{"teacherId":7149400,"projectId":9832235,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting our classroom project and helping me support my students develop their reading skills. It has been about two months since I started using Heggerty and I am noticing the improvement with my students ability to hear and manipulate sounds. This is an essential skill in helping them build their confidence and learn to read. \r\n\r\nEvery day we begin our reading block with Heggerty and I find it easy to use and engaging for the students. They are repeating and using physical responses to manipulate syllables, word counting, rhyming words and more. I am really excited to see their growth and improvement thus far. My ELL students have really benefited from being able to hear sounds in different ways. In addition, these skills are also helping my students in their writing as they are transferring their sound knowledge and understanding onto print. I find the progression of skills to be well organized and builds upon the skills students have previously learned. I am looking forward to seeing the impact Heggerty will have on their mClass reading assessment at the end of April .","fullyFundedDate":1767149958066,"projectUrl":"project/first-steps-to-reading-success/9832235/","projectTitle":"First Steps to Reading Success!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Valencia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7149400_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1690052029703","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-valencia-az"},{"teacherId":6340840,"projectId":9907286,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donation to my video production classroom. We have utilized the new camera, iPads, and the iMac to create our Christmas video. We did a recreation of A Charlie Brown Christmas for the school to enjoy. We are not working on our monthly video announcements. \r\nHaving the new products has helped us create exciting videos with transitions, music, and higher quality. The students have been loving having multiple iPads that they can use to take pictures of what is happening around campus, and being able to film at the same time. I have loved being able to edit videos on the iMac much more quickly, in hopes of teaching a student how to do it. \r\nI am beyond grateful for your donation, and I look forward to using these items for many years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1763872099005,"projectUrl":"project/video-production-system/9907286/","projectTitle":"Video Production System","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Brown","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6340840_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y216&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1605807751645","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/vicki-brown"},{"teacherId":4963795,"projectId":9837156,"letterContent":"My students were so excited when I opened our Amazon delivery boxes!! They were cheering each time I pulled out a new item. \r\n\r\nI use these prizes as a \"paycheck\" for turning in their weekly homework. My students know if they work hard and practice their skills, then they will be rewarded. On Friday everyone received a galaxy slime and they couldn't wait to play with it! With these new prizes available you have helped to renew my students' desire to complete their work to receive a special prize. \r\n\r\nThank you for contributing to our class! We're so excited for treasure box on Fridays!!","fullyFundedDate":1766598089578,"projectUrl":"project/rockin-rewards/9837156/","projectTitle":"Rockin' Rewards","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Russell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4963795_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1510168302836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/russellkinder"},{"teacherId":8371372,"projectId":9368515,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution to my DonorsChoose project. Because of your support, our classroom now has a color printer that is already making a tremendous difference in my students' learning.\r\n\r\nWith this new printer, I've been able to create vibrant, engaging materials that help students better understand concepts and stay excited about learning. I also printed colorful labels that help keep our classroom—and the students—organized. In addition, I can now print certificates immediately to celebrate students' progress in their math facts or when they reach a new reading level.\r\n\r\nMy students and I are truly grateful for your kindness and your willingness to invest in their education. Your generosity has brought new opportunities and brighter learning experiences into our classroom.\r\n\r\nThank you again again for your generous donation!","fullyFundedDate":1755495486419,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-color-printer/9368515/","projectTitle":"Classroom Color Printer","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ferguson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8371372"},{"teacherId":10355250,"projectId":9907160,"letterContent":"Thanks to this project, my students are using the new resources daily through our classroom store, where they earn points for staying on TRACK throughout the day. The items purchased with this grant have become powerful motivators—students are more engaged, behavior issues have decreased, and they are excited to work hard and make positive choices. The store has helped reinforce expectations in a fun and meaningful way, encouraging responsibility, collaboration, and perseverance in our classroom.\r\n\r\nWhen the boxes first arrived, students were curious and confused about the large delivery. I took that moment to explain what a grant is, how I applied for it, and why I wanted these resources for them. Once they saw everything inside, their excitement was overwhelming—smiles, cheers, and lots of gratitude filled the room. They truly felt proud and valued knowing someone believed in their success enough to support our classroom.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, these resources will continue to support engaging lessons and collaborative activities while motivating students to stay focused and on TRACK. The positive impact has been immediate and lasting, creating a more joyful, supportive learning environment. Thank you so much for making this possible—this project has truly made a difference for my students and our classroom community.","fullyFundedDate":1763828229025,"projectUrl":"project/mrs-luthers/9907160/","projectTitle":"Mrs Luther’s","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Luther","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10355250"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_94079","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1021,"numTeachers":40,"percentFrplEligible":85,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":23,"percentWhite":6,"percentIndigenous":3,"percentLatinx":59,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":4,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"25.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":73.8,"schoolId":94079,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Desert Meadows Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Desert Meadows Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/arizona/laveen-elementary-school-district-59/desert-meadows-elementary-school/94079"}