{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Franklin Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":23.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":208071,"projectId":9617381,"letterContent":"Research consistently shows that menstruating girls and young women tend to miss school more often than their non-menstruating peers. In low-income areas, this can partly be attributed to not having access to the right kinds of feminine hygiene supplies, and, as a result, feeling uncomfortable or embarrassed to be at school. In our community, we also have many students who are living with an adult male guardian, so sometimes, even if the monetary situation of their family doesn't limit their access to adequate supplies, the embarrassment of asking for them may. \r\nMoreover, in my 20 years of experience working with this community, it has become very clear that there are a lot of cultural and religious barriers that tend to prevent families from talking to their daughters about their own bodies, puberty, and menstrual cycles. They also often decline to allow their daughters to attend the health classes in 5th grade that educate students about menstruation. Although it's rare, we have literally had female students \"get\" their first \"period\" at school and have no idea what was happening. They often think they are sick or dying and they have no idea what to do. It's unfortunate and unnecessary. Then, even for the students who are educated about menstruation, many haven't really been told how to care for their bodies during their \"periods.\" I don't want any of our students to go through that! Every young woman should feel prepared and know what products are available to help them manage their health.\r\nBut I digress...\r\nSeveral years back, my generous mother and I began a project to provide these supplies to all the 6th grade students in our school (we typically have 3 classes). Over time, the cost of high-quality feminine hygiene supplies has increased, making it more difficult for us to sustain these efforts on our own. Your invaluable support this year meant that I could continue supporting our menstruating 6th graders and helping them attain more confidence around their bodies and their monthly cycles.\r\nThis year, we have a total of 41 female students in the 6th grade, each of whom we were able to provide with 5 hygienic wipes, and 2 each of 7 different kinds and sizes of menstrual pads, inside a zippered pouch they can keep in their backpacks. We also now have enough additional supplies of wipes and pads to allow the girls to refill their \"kits\" with the kinds of pads that work best for them, all throughout the year. We have absolutely no fear of \"running out.\"\r\nI host a short meeting with our female students to distribute the kits each year. I don't discuss reproduction or menstruation, which would require parent permission but I do show them all the different kinds of menstrual pads we have and talk about how they work. We talk about how sizes are different to match different bodies and when pads with \"wings\" can be helpful. This year, a couple students stayed for a few minutes after our little meeting. They told me that no one had ever talked to them about these different product options, and that they usually just take whatever free pads are given out in the school office. They also said that they are often scared of having leaks and that other students will notice that they are on their \"period.\" \r\nFor the first time this year, I also distributed a feedback form the end of the meeting so that I could get some information back from the girls to find out more about their individual situations and experiences. I want to use this information to better support our menstruating students in the future. Of the 41 female students, 24 returned their feedback form to me. I am happy to share their feedback with you, here.\r\nOf the 24 students who returned a feedback form, 9 reported that they have already started to get \"periods\" (38%). Of those 9, 1 student reported that their family often doesn't have enough money to purchase feminine hygiene supplies (11%). This specific student wrote, \"This is great. I feel happy that I don't have to ask my mom to spend money on me.\"\r\nMore, from all 24 respondents:\r\nWhen asked how they felt to receive a \"Feminine Hygiene Kit\" from us, 7 said they felt \"good\" (29%), 4 said \"grateful\" or \"thankful\" (17%), 3 said it was \"nice\" (13%), 2 said \"happy\" (8%), 1 said \"lucky\", 1 said \"protected and safe\", and 1 said \"relieved.\"\r\nHere are some more of their actual written comments from this section of the feedback form:\r\n\"I felt relieved because I forget my feminine hygiene stuff a lot.\"\r\n\"I feel happy because it's easy to carry.\"\r\n\"Good because they gave us wipes and explained a lot of things to us.\"\r\n\"It feels nice because I know it's coming in handy.\"\r\n\"Good because if I get it during school I'm ready.\"\r\n\"I feel grateful since it saves me an awkward convo.\"\r\n\"I didn't feel weird because Mrs. Witmeyer made me realize that it's something normal that all girls get. I also felt very grateful.\"\r\n\"I feel good so I don't have to worry about forgetting my own pads.\"\r\n\"I feel good because I don't have to purchase the supplies and the kit makes me prepared if I have it.\"\r\n\"I'm very happy and glad that you gave me this kit. I will help me during this school year.\"\r\nWhen asked how they felt knowing that their teachers all have lots of free supplies in our classrooms, in case they ever need more, 7 said they felt \"good\" about it (29%), 4 said \"grateful\" or \"thankful\" (17%), 3 said \"happy\" (13%), 1 said \"great,\" 1 said \"nice,\" 1 said \"relieved,\" 1 said \"prepared,\" and 1 said \"safe.\"\r\nHere are some more of their actual written comments from this section of the feedback form:\r\n\"I feel good because in any emergency, I know that my teacher can help me. I'm very grateful for everything.\"\r\n\"I feel great because if I ran out I can just go up to my teacher and ask for some.\"\r\n\"I feel prepared because I don't bring pads normally, and the kit has different kinds of pads. So I can use the ones for me. And my teacher has more pads, and I didn't know that, so I feel happy. I want to say thank you so much for donating to me and the other girls. I didn't expect this to happen in 6th grade.\"\r\n\"I feel very happy that my teacher would have supplies available. I feel very grateful to have the stuff in my kit.\"\r\n\"I feel grateful that we get help on period supplies.\"\r\n\"I feel thankful and lucky because if I run out, I can always refill it (the kit)!\"\r\n\"I feel happy because I know that if my mom doesn't have money to buy more feminine products I can ask my teacher with confidence.\"\r\nLater on, many of the students wrote thank you letters, which will be sent to you separately, but I really wanted to share all these wonderful comments from our grateful girls! I hope it is clear to you all just how much of an impact you have made on them. They are more confident about handling their completely normal bodily functions without feeling embarrassed, and they know they can come to any of us 6th grade teachers for support with their needs without fear! I wish you could have seen their faces that day after the meeting. They were excited to choose kits in their favorite colors and it seemed like they all walked a little lighter and just felt happier in general about being women. I was so happy for them. YOU made that possible! YOU are helping them feel more in control and less helpless over their \"cycles.\" YOU are helping them become strong, confident people! YOU are important and we appreciate you all! Thank YOU!!!","fullyFundedDate":1756833031056,"projectUrl":"project/modern-menstrual-kits/9617381/","projectTitle":"Modern Menstrual Kits","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. W","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp208071_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1628631333891","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/208071"},{"teacherId":18226,"projectId":9717882,"letterContent":"Thank you very much for your donations. I am so grateful for your generosity. My students are so lucky to have donors like you in our lives. My students have enjoyed developing their hand-eye coordination skills using the bean bags and super bouncy balls. They are having fun while learning new skills. Thank you for helping to make learning fun for my Kindergarten students. \r\nWe have been using the bean bags and balls to help us with counting as well. First finding a partner and then seeing how many times they can catch the bean bag or balls with out missing. They are having fun trying to count to 20 without not catching the bean bag or ball. Thank you again! We are so thankful and feel super blessed by your kindness.","fullyFundedDate":1758501221059,"projectUrl":"project/help-wanted-hand-eye-coordination/9717882/","projectTitle":"Help Wanted: Hand-Eye Coordination","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. My Le","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp18226_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689025848756","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missmyle"},{"teacherId":18226,"projectId":9822457,"letterContent":"Thank you is not enough to express my gratitude for your generosity. Thank you for giving my students new activities to help them use their creativity and hands. These free play activities allow my students to build without rules and limitations. \r\nYou are providing my Kindergarten students with much needed opportunities to create and make things, instead of being glued to a device. These hands-on building activities are so important, now more than ever, as children are spending more and more time on devices.","fullyFundedDate":1761068579395,"projectUrl":"project/lets-build/9822457/","projectTitle":"Let’s Build!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. My Le","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp18226_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689025848756","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missmyle"},{"teacherId":18226,"projectId":9525001,"letterContent":"Words can not express how grateful I am that you donated to this project. The TK and Kindergarten were buzzing with excitement over the new tricycles. They love them so much and keep lining up to ride them again after they've had their turn. I love seeing them smile ear to ear as they glide past me on those new tricycles. Recess is even more popular than before. They simply can't get enough of those new tricycles. I will have to write another project so we can get more tricycles so that they won't have to spend their recess waiting in such a long line for a turn on the tricycles.","fullyFundedDate":1758229398694,"projectUrl":"project/fun-on-wheels/9525001/","projectTitle":"Fun On Wheels!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. My Le","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp18226_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689025848756","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missmyle"},{"teacherId":18226,"projectId":9785619,"letterContent":"This is our \"Tt\" week and T is for tie-dye so my Kindergarten students tie-dyed their shirts today! They had so much fun choosing their own colors and creating a unique shirt. I can not wait to wash them and do a reveal of each of their shirts. I know my students (and their families) will be just as excited to see how they each turn out. They will each be uniquely bright and colorful.\r\n\r\nThank you for giving my students this fun opportunity to create a special shirt. It was a very memorable experience for them and I am grateful you donated to this project. A million thanks!","fullyFundedDate":1760983067040,"projectUrl":"project/lets-tie-dye-t-shirts/9785619/","projectTitle":"Let’s Tie-Dye T-Shirts!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. My Le","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp18226_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689025848756","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missmyle"},{"teacherId":188420,"projectId":9443870,"letterContent":"To our amazing donors, thank you so much for the books! We are thrilled to receive a class set of 'Island of the Blue Dolphins'. This novel is so much more than a book; it's allows us to dive deep into Karana's fascinating journey. Having a full set means:\r\n\r\n* Shared Experience: Every student can be on the same page, literally and figuratively, allowing us to have rich, whole-class discussions about Karana's courage and resourcefulness.\r\n* Deep Analysis: We can now practice critical reading skills like tracking character development, analyzing the themes of isolation and survival, and marking new vocabulary directly in their own books.\r\n* Building Stamina: We will be using these books for our sustained silent reading time, building the stamina and confidence necessary to become lifelong readers.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in our classroom and the power of great literature. These books will inspire countless lessons and discussions for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1752355074487,"projectUrl":"project/adventures-in-reading-4th-grade-novel-e/9443870/","projectTitle":"Adventures in Reading: 4th Grade Novel Explorations","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Talarico","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp188420_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1512408585995","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-talarico"},{"teacherId":18226,"projectId":9746069,"letterContent":"I am so grateful for your donations. My students used the rainbow tail balls to practice throwing and catching today. They had a blast picking a partner, then throwing and catching with each other. As you can see in the photos, they were very focused and engaged. \r\n\r\nThank you so much for providing these special balls for my students to practice throwing and catching. I know that as they practice more, it will help their hand-eye coordination improve. I look forward to having them practice kicking next, using the soccer balls.","fullyFundedDate":1759265947547,"projectUrl":"project/catch-and-kick/9746069/","projectTitle":"Catch And Kick!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. My Le","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp18226_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689025848756","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missmyle"},{"teacherId":215061,"projectId":9440772,"letterContent":"I'm writing to share a huge, heartfelt thank you for fully funding our classroom project. Because of your generosity, my 4th graders now have copies of Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins and the fantastic teaching guide that goes with it. We were so excited when the books arrived, and your support has made it possible for us to dive into this incredible, historically grounded adventure as a whole class.\r\n\r\nWe know many of you are big readers yourselves, but you might wonder how we turn a great story into a great lesson. The teacher's guide for Island of the Blue Dolphins is a goldmine for introducing complex reading skills. We're focusing on core academic areas like inferencing—reading between the lines to figure out Karana's motivations—and analyzing the big theme of resilience and self-reliance.\r\n\r\nThe excitement around this new book is palpable, and I wanted to share a specific highlight. One of my students, Julian, who sometimes struggles to find books that hook him, told me he feels like he's \"right there with Karana\" every time she confronts danger. It's wonderful seeing a historical fiction story connect so deeply with a modern 4th grader, helping him build empathy and a love for reading. Thank you again for investing in our students' ability to learn, connect, and imagine.","fullyFundedDate":1755780428037,"projectUrl":"project/turning-pages-meaningful-4th-grade-nove/9440772/","projectTitle":"Turning Pages! Meaningful 4th Grade Novel Studies","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bachman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp215061_orig.png?crop=529,529,x157,y272&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1751315960994","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/215061"},{"teacherId":215061,"projectId":9627447,"letterContent":"I want to extend my deepest gratitude for fully funding our classroom project. Because of your incredible generosity, our fourth graders now have access to Premium Classroom Headset and Mic Sets and durable Mesh Zipper Pouch Bags for organization. The moment the boxes arrived, the energy in the room shifted. These resources immediately transformed our ability to run simultaneous small-group activities, ensuring every student has a focused, personalized learning experience free from the distractions of a busy classroom. Thank you for investing in our students' success and for believing in our classroom vision.\r\n\r\nThe students' reaction to the headsets was pure joy—it was like watching them open a special gift! Their favorite part is the soft, swivel ear pads, making them feel like true professionals. We put them to use right away with our independent reading practice. I was able to walk around and observe students recording themselves reading aloud for our digital literacy journals. One student, who used to struggle with focusing when others were speaking, now sits completely engrossed, listening back to his own reading of Island of the Blue Dolphins to practice fluency. This kind of focused, self-correction would have been nearly impossible before your donation.\r\n\r\nThe impact of these tools is most apparent during our math centers. We are currently deep into our unit on fractions, and the Mesh Zipper Pouch Bags have been an organizational miracle. Each student now has a personal, transparent bag for their set of fraction tiles and circles, which has minimized clutter and maximized our time spent learning complex concepts like comparing and adding fractions. Furthermore, the headsets allow half the class to work on focused, individualized online math drills or watch instructional videos without disrupting the other half working hands-on with the manipulatives. The ability to manage these simultaneous, quiet learning activities means we cover more ground and students get exactly the instruction they need, right when they need it.\r\n\r\nYour contribution didn't just buy materials; it unlocked a new level of communication, collaboration, and focused learning that will help these students become successful, creative thinkers. We are profoundly thankful for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1755780428012,"projectUrl":"project/listening-to-learn/9627447/","projectTitle":"Listening to Learn!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bachman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp215061_orig.png?crop=529,529,x157,y272&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1751315960994","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/215061"},{"teacherId":215061,"projectId":9440764,"letterContent":"I want to extend my deepest gratitude for fully funding our classroom project. Because of your incredible generosity, our fourth graders now have access to their own headsets and zippered bags for organization. The moment the boxes arrived, the energy in the room shifted. These resources immediately transformed our ability to run simultaneous small-group activities, ensuring every student has a focused, personalized learning experience free from the distractions of a busy classroom. Thank you for investing in our students' success and for believing in our classroom vision.\r\n\r\nThe students' reaction to the headsets was pure joy—it was like watching them open a special gift! Their favorite part is the soft, swivel ear pads, making them feel like true professionals. We put them to use right away with our independent reading practice. I was able to walk around and observe students recording themselves reading aloud for our digital literacy journals. One student, who used to struggle with focusing when others were speaking, now sits completely engrossed, listening back to his own reading of Island of the Blue Dolphins to practice fluency. This kind of focused, self-correction would have been nearly impossible before your donation.\r\n\r\nThe impact of these tools is most apparent during our math centers. We are currently deep into our unit on fractions, and the Mesh Zipper Pouch Bags have been an organizational miracle. Each student now has a personal, transparent bag for their set of fraction tiles and circles, which has minimized clutter and maximized our time spent learning complex concepts like comparing and adding fractions. Furthermore, the headsets allow half the class to work on focused, individualized online math drills or watch instructional videos without disrupting the other half working hands-on with the manipulatives. The ability to manage these simultaneous, quiet learning activities means we cover more ground and students get exactly the instruction they need, right when they need it.\r\n\r\nYour contribution didn't just buy materials; it unlocked a new level of communication, collaboration, and focused learning that will help these students become successful, creative thinkers. We are profoundly thankful for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1755808368687,"projectUrl":"project/engaging-fourth-grade-resources/9440764/","projectTitle":"Engaging Fourth Grade Resources","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bachman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp215061_orig.png?crop=529,529,x157,y272&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1751315960994","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/215061"},{"teacherId":215061,"projectId":9627519,"letterContent":"On behalf of myself and my 4th-grade students, thank you so very much for your generous contribution to our classroom supply project! Your support immediately provided us with the essentials—plastic folders, tissues, pencils, dry erase erasers, and poster markers—that have made a huge difference in our daily routines. It's truly humbling to know that people like you care so deeply about ensuring our students have everything they need to succeed.\r\n\r\nThe impact of your donation was immediate and allowed us to focus entirely on learning. We rely heavily on quick, interactive work, especially during our math block for practicing multi-step word problems and multiplication facts. Before your help, a broken pencil or a missing dry erase eraser caused delays. Now, thanks to the new, reliable supply of pencils and erasers, every student is immediately equipped to participate. When the boxes arrived, the students were visibly relieved and proud—the simple uniformity of the supplies made them feel respected and ready for serious learning. This stability has been the greatest gift, eliminating interruptions and maximizing our instruction time.\r\n\r\nThank you again for investing in the health, organization, and learning confidence of my 4th graders. Your generosity directly translates into a more focused, engaged, and equitable learning experience for every student in our classroom. We promise to put every single item to excellent use!","fullyFundedDate":1755695890322,"projectUrl":"project/successful-start-to-the-school-year/9627519/","projectTitle":"Successful Start to the School Year!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bachman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp215061_orig.png?crop=529,529,x157,y272&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1751315960994","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/215061"},{"teacherId":18226,"projectId":9524163,"letterContent":"It's official - the popcorn, bubbles, and smelly stickers were all a hit! My Kindergarten students loved celebrating the first week of school with the popcorn. They squealed with delight while playing with the bubbles. They loved being rewarded with the yummy smelling cotton candy stickers. We have yet to use the molding clay but I know they will love using the colorful clay to create something cool. \r\nThank for donating to this project and making our first week of school so fun! My students and I appreciate it greatly.","fullyFundedDate":1754536851510,"projectUrl":"project/fun-fun-fun/9524163/","projectTitle":"Fun! Fun! Fun!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. My Le","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp18226_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689025848756","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missmyle"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_4779","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":528,"numTeachers":26,"percentFrplEligible":73,"percentAsian":47,"percentBlack":2,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":45,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"20.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":76.1,"schoolId":4779,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Franklin Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Franklin Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/franklin-mckinley-school-district/franklin-elementary-school/4779"}