{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Great Expectations School","outOfStateSupporters":24.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9147850,"projectId":9705203,"letterContent":"Although we are still in the middle of winter and have not yet begun planting, this project will come to life in the spring. When the weather warms, students will use these materials to design, build, plant, and care for our school garden. Upon finding out about the funded project, our students and teachers were excited for the possiblities!\r\n\r\nThe garden will give students hands-on experience with responsibility, patience, and teamwork as they observe growth over time and see the direct results of their effort. It will also provide meaningful connections to science, math, and writing in a real-world setting. Most importantly, students will experience pride and ownership in something they created together.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, our students will begin the spring ready to learn, grow, and thrive outdoors. Thank you for making this opportunity possible.","fullyFundedDate":1761758343828,"projectUrl":"project/growing-hands-growing-minds/9705203/","projectTitle":"Growing Hands, Growing Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Erin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9147850_orig.jpg?crop=1866,1866,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757530028698","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9147850"},{"teacherId":1825991,"projectId":9647345,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our Donors Choose project and helping bring Scholastic News into our classroom. Because of your generosity, my students now have access to engaging, kid-friendly texts that connect reading to the real world. These magazines have introduced important skills like identifying main ideas, comparing multiple perspectives, building background knowledge, and discussing current events in a thoughtful and respectful way. Students are learning that reading isn't just something we do for school, it's how we understand what's happening around us.\r\n\r\nReading in our classroom is active and social. We read articles together, pause to ask questions, highlight key details, and turn and talk with classmates. Students eagerly share their thinking, make text-to-self connections, and practice supporting their ideas with evidence from the text. The accessible format and high-interest topics make reading feel doable and exciting for a wide range of learners, which has boosted both confidence and participation.\r\n\r\nSeveral students who are hesitant readers are especially excited about Scholastic News. Many proudly volunteer to read aloud now, while others ask each week, \"Did the new magazine come yet?\" The photographs, short articles, and clear explanations help students feel successful and curious. The online version of Scholastic News Magazine enables students to do a deep dive into different topics as well as read more difficult texts that are adapted to their reading ability. Your donation has made a real difference. Thank you for helping my students grow as readers, thinkers, and informed citizens.","fullyFundedDate":1756329381031,"projectUrl":"project/curious-kids-crave-current-events/9647345/","projectTitle":"Curious Kids Crave Current Events","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Suzy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1825991_orig.jpg?crop=1025,1025,x0,y129&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1597417934252","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1825991"},{"teacherId":7157011,"projectId":9456666,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting our garden project. Growing and expanding our garden has been several years in the making. It has required lots of patience to get where we are today. Now we have a garden on a south-facing side of the building right outside my classroom door! After a hearty stone soup meal with families, we put the garden to bed this fall by planting garlic and mixed flower bulbs.\r\n\r\nBecause the fall harvest took priority at the start of the school year, I decided to wait until spring to implement the mosaic stepping stone project. By waiting until spring, we can time the project to fit while learning about insects with the environmental education teacher. Learning about insects, habitats, and weather will help create a more grounded theme for our stepping stone designs. I am excited to see how the path through our garden creates a more whimsical and student-created space.","fullyFundedDate":1754621138832,"projectUrl":"project/stepping-through-the-garden/9456666/","projectTitle":"Stepping Through the Garden","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Anne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7157011_orig.jpg?crop=1860,1860,x293,y497&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746415016773","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/bearcubs"},{"teacherId":7157011,"projectId":9449051,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting young artists. This year we have already made great use of our new materials! The Bear Cubs class used new paint brushes in an observational drawing and relief painting using sunflowers from our garden as inspiration. They also used new brushes and tempera paint to create Eric Carle style painted papers that we later used as colorful borders for our annual self-portrait project. This was a great way to explore color mixing and textures as everyone got to make several pieces of painted paper.\r\n\r\nGood quality art materials are incredibly important in kindergarten and first grade. With paint that mixes well, brushes of different sizes, and paper that can withstand all types of medium, students gain confidence in creating art. They also learn the importance of taking care of their supplies. They know how frustrating it can be to use a crusted brush or one whose bristles are bent. Thank you for helping me grow creative and responsible students.","fullyFundedDate":1754940039139,"projectUrl":"project/a-real-work-of-art/9449051/","projectTitle":"A Real Work of Art","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Anne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7157011_orig.jpg?crop=1860,1860,x293,y497&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746415016773","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/bearcubs"},{"teacherId":7157011,"projectId":9448990,"letterContent":"Teaching a multiage classroom has brought new joys and challenges this year. In math in particular, kindergarteners and first graders are in very different places in their understanding of numbers and quantities. They need time to practice math both in a with manipulatives and on paper.\r\n\r\nHaving math workbooks that help meet students where they are at has been a pivotal part of our math block. Some students meet with me while other students work on math in their workbooks. Students love using privacy shields to create their own little office.","fullyFundedDate":1752236566053,"projectUrl":"project/multi-age-math/9448990/","projectTitle":"Multi-age Math","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Anne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7157011_orig.jpg?crop=1860,1860,x293,y497&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746415016773","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/bearcubs"},{"teacherId":7157011,"projectId":9270100,"letterContent":"The transformation of our garden space has been amazing over the past year! When new construction created a nook with south facing light, I knew we needed to created large garden beds. \r\n\r\nThe addition of rain barrels has made watering SO much easier. My students enjoy filling up watering cans to water the two large raised beds we built last the spring. The proximity to the rain gutters means the barrels are always full.\r\n\r\nThe harvest this fall has been bountiful! We were able to harvest seven buckets of potatoes along with cabbage, squash, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and herbs. The kindergarten and first graders cut veggies and prepared soup for the whole school based off of the folktale \"Stone Soup\". Families also joined us for the harvest soup. It has fueled so much excitement for growing vegetables in the future. Thank you for inspiring future gardeners!","fullyFundedDate":1746449546128,"projectUrl":"project/rain-a-barrel-of-fun/9270100/","projectTitle":"Rain = A Barrel of Fun!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Anne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7157011_orig.jpg?crop=1860,1860,x293,y497&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746415016773","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/bearcubs"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_100343","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":113,"numTeachers":8,"percentFrplEligible":37,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":87,"percentIndigenous":4,"percentLatinx":2,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"14.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_REMOTE"},"inStateSupporters":75.2,"schoolId":100343,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Great Expectations School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Great Expectations School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/minnesota/minnesota-department-of-education/great-expectations-school/100343"}
Join the 145 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Great Expectations School is
a rural public school
in Grand Marais, Minnesota that is part of Minnesota Department of Education.
It serves 113 students
in grades K - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 14.1:1.
Its teachers have had 64 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
Boost support for this school! Share this page with friends, family, alumni, and fellow supporters. Every connection helps teachers get the supplies they need and shows how much your community cares about its students.
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Every donation funds real needs — pencils, books, lab equipment, art supplies, and more — helping students learn and thrive. We ship supplies directly to the school, and you'll see exactly where each dollar goes.
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
6%
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.
Great Expectations School Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Feb 20, 2026
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.
Great Expectations School
$26,512
raised using DonorsChoose
64
projects
funded
9
teachers
funded
145
donors
3
projects
for
basic supplies
6
projects for
technology
8
projects for
books
11
projects
for
art supplies
Great Expectations School has received support from
109 individuals from Minnesota and
36 individuals out-of-state.
