Garton Elementary School in Des Moines, Iowa on DonorsChoose

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I can't wait to see the projects they will create this school year and to see the growth and skills they acquire through this type of play!","fullyFundedDate":1746785536139,"projectUrl":"project/constructing-life-skills-one-piece-of-pa/9264192/","projectTitle":"Constructing Life Skills One Piece of Paper at a Time!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Spink","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9731670_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1763512755355","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-spink"},{"teacherId":208876,"projectId":9033288,"letterContent":"Thank you soooo very much for contributing to our listening center. The kids love having it as an option during our reading group rotation or just as something to listen to when they have some free choice time. \r\n\r\nWe have a high English Language Learner population so this addition is an excellent option for them and native English speakers as well to hear what good readers sound like. \r\n\r\nThe station also helps foster a love of reading since so many of my students are in the transition period of learning to read themselves. Thank you again for your kindness! We are all so grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1736960562762,"projectUrl":"project/our-listening-center-broke-we-are-so-b/9033288/","projectTitle":"Our Listening Center Broke … We Are So Bummed!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cochran","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp208876_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1486217280170","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/missemily"},{"teacherId":9731670,"projectId":9217515,"letterContent":"When your package first arrived, my students were thrilled to see what was inside. We opened it together and they immediately got to play! Having new things to play with excited us all! \r\nSince then, the alphabet and number puzzles have become a great addition to our practice centers. It has been fun to see my students' gears turning when they are working on matching both the numbers and the letters. As their teacher, I love hearing them say their letters as they're playing. Thank you for this donation that has added another fun, purposeful activity for them to engage in! \r\n\r\nThe alphabet mystery box was also very exciting for my students to do! We have since started using this as a small group activity that our associate does with her group. It was a great hit! Students have asked everyday to play with the mystery box! Thank you for providing us with a fun way to practice our letters and letter sounds! \r\n\r\nThe squiggles have been such a fun activity too! When I put them in a practice center, immediately everyone wanted to explore them! While students were playing, I saw them organizing the squiggles by shape and by color. They love sticking them to the table, tile floor, and especially the whiteboard. It has been a very engaging addition to our classroom. Thank you so much for this fun engaging toy!","fullyFundedDate":1744033087989,"projectUrl":"project/letters-and-numbers-and-learning-oh-my/9217515/","projectTitle":"Letters and Numbers and Learning, Oh My!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Spink","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9731670_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1763512755355","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-spink"},{"teacherId":208876,"projectId":8651691,"letterContent":"Thank you soooo very much for donating towards our double sided book display. We LOVE it! It is so nice to have a place where students can see all the book covers. It has been a great spot to put seasonal thematic books, favorite books we have read as a class and the stories that go along with our comprehension and writing lessons. \r\n\r\nThe book display has been a great room divider, when areas need to be separated. It is also so convenient that it is on wheels, so that we are able to easily move it where ever it is needed.\r\n\r\nWe are forever grateful for your help and contribution. 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About this school

Garton Elementary School is an urban public school in Des Moines, Iowa that is part of Des Moines Public Schools. It serves 535 students in grades Pre-K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 10.5:1. Its teachers have had 51 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

535 Students

51 Teachers

2820 E 24th St

Des Moines, IA 50317 View local requests

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

Garton Elementary School Teachers 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.

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Garton Elementary School Demographics

95%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

68%

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.

Garton 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.