{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Gulf Avenue Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":26.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9968077,"projectId":9709209,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project! Because of your generosity, my students are using these new materials every day during reading and writing time.\r\n\r\nWhen the resources arrived, my students were so excited! ˇhey couldn't wait to start using them! I've already seen a difference in their engagement and confidence as they share their ideas, use evidence from texts, and take pride in their work.\r\n\r\nWe are currently using these materials to strengthen our reading responses and opinion writing, and next, we will continue building toward multi-paragraph writing and deeper discussions. Students enjoy using their book lights to read! They can't wait to read!\r\n\r\nThank you for making our classroom a more joyful and inspiring place to learn. We are so grateful for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1765995927725,"projectUrl":"project/lighting-the-way-to-reading-and-writing/9709209/","projectTitle":"Lighting the Way to Reading and Writing Fun!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Briseño","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9968077_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1741837470712","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9968077"},{"teacherId":9172178,"projectId":9842423,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and helping make our chair pocket project a reality! Since receiving these materials, my students have been using them every day to keep their books, folders, and learning supplies organized and easily accessible. What may seem like a simple organizational tool has made a big difference in our classroom routines. Students now know exactly where their materials are, which helps them transition more quickly between activities and stay focused on learning instead of searching for supplies.\r\n\r\nWhen the chair pockets first arrived, my students were incredibly excited. They immediately began organizing their folders, notebooks, and reading books into their new pockets. Several students proudly showed how they arranged their materials so everything had its own place. Since then, I've noticed that our classroom feels calmer and more organized. Students are taking greater ownership of their materials and showing more independence during lessons because they can easily access what they need.\r\n\r\nThese chair pockets continue to support our classroom every day by creating an organized learning environment where students can focus on thinking, collaborating, and growing as learners. My students feel proud of their space and responsible for keeping their materials organized. Your generosity has helped create a classroom where students can spend more time learning and less time searching for supplies. Thank you for investing in my students and helping create a space where they can succeed.","fullyFundedDate":1762358085733,"projectUrl":"project/pockets-of-possibility-organizing-our-l/9842423/","projectTitle":"Pockets of Possibility: Organizing Our Learning Space!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Santoyo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9172178_orig.png?crop=273,273,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1743636575089","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9172178"},{"teacherId":1318679,"projectId":9859013,"letterContent":"I am incredibly grateful for your generous donations. My students are benefiting so much from all of the books we received. They enjoy the books in many different ways. They read them independently, listen to them during read-alouds, and read them together in groups during what we call our \"Book Clubs\" audio-assisted reading time. During audio-assisted reading, students follow along in their own books while listening to an audio recording. This helps build fluency, stamina, pronunciation, sight word recognition, comprehension, critical thinking, enjoyment from reading, motivate students to enjoy reading for pleasure. I use this time to encourage students to transition into chapter books. \r\n\r\nWe are truly so happy to have these beautiful, high-quality books by such wonderful authors. The books have sparked a great deal of excitement in my classroom. My students love reading books by the same author and then discovering new series that connect to their own interests. It is such a gift to have books they genuinely want to read right there in our classroom library, where they can easily find them and enjoy them every day.\r\n\r\nThank you so much for your generosity and support. Your donation is making a real difference in my students' lives.","fullyFundedDate":1765995927323,"projectUrl":"project/building-a-bold-modern-library-for-brig/9859013/","projectTitle":"Building a Bold, Modern Library for Bright Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Zentil","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1318679_orig.jpg?crop=2449,2449,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1761505057223","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1318679"},{"teacherId":9172178,"projectId":9791719,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and making these STEAM materials possible! Since receiving the donated materials, my 4th grade students have been using the STEAM bins during our weekly exploration time. Students work together to design structures, solve puzzles, and test their ideas using the magnetic tiles, brick plates, and other building tools. During one recent activity, groups of students worked together to design stable structures and quickly discovered that they needed to communicate, test their designs, and revise their plans when something didn't work. These moments have sparked meaningful conversations and teamwork among my students.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, the excitement in the classroom was incredible. Students were eager to explore the new tools and immediately began brainstorming ideas for what they could create. What has been most exciting to see, however, is how the materials continue to support deeper learning each week. I've noticed a positive change in my students' collaborative skills, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking as they work together to tackle challenges and improve their designs.\r\n\r\nThese resources will continue to play an important role in our classroom as students take on more complex design challenges and engineering tasks. My goal is to keep building opportunities for students to think creatively, work as a team, and learn through hands-on exploration. Your generosity has made it possible for my students to experience learning in a way that encourages curiosity, perseverance, and innovation. Thank you for investing in my students and helping bring these meaningful learning opportunities into our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1762349901906,"projectUrl":"project/building-bright-minds-through-steam-expl/9791719/","projectTitle":"Building Bright Minds through STEAM Exploration","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Santoyo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9172178_orig.png?crop=273,273,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1743636575089","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9172178"},{"teacherId":1318679,"projectId":9849805,"letterContent":"There's a tremendous \"teaching power\" that comes with a strong collection of high-quality, high-interest texts. One of the biggest skills these new books are supporting is building a community of readers in our classroom. Having an abundance of high-quality, diverse books, has helped turn reading into a social experience, where students discover their interests and even pieces of their identity through reading—and then talking about what they're reading with others. Students are learning to recommend books, describe what they like about a story, listen to one another's ideas, and feel proud to be part of a classroom where reading is something we share.\r\n\r\nIn our classroom, reading looks flexible, comfortable, and joyful. Students have different choices and opportunities for reading—alone, with a partner, on the rug, on a bean bag, or at their seats. They can also join reading groups to connect with classmates who enjoy similar books. This variety helps more students find a reading routine that works for them, and it keeps reading from feeling like \"one-size-fits-all.\"\r\n\r\nStudents are especially enjoying the option of audio-assisted reading. They follow along in the book while listening to an audio recording, sometimes with a couple of friends and sometimes independently. This has been a wonderful way for students to enjoy more books in a shorter amount of time, but it also supports important reading growth: fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and stamina. Audio-assisted reading also gives students the confidence to successfully enjoy slightly more challenging books—because they can access the story, the language, and the meaning more easily while still actively reading along. It has been truly exciting to watch students light up as reading becomes something they want to do—and want to do together.","fullyFundedDate":1761228220217,"projectUrl":"project/this-book-is-just-right-for-me/9849805/","projectTitle":"This Book is Just Right for ME","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Zentil","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1318679_orig.jpg?crop=2449,2449,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1761505057223","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1318679"},{"teacherId":7452180,"projectId":9763837,"letterContent":"My students and I would like to thank you for your generosity. I have been able to make the phonics games that focus on each student's needs. \r\n I have been using the games when I work with my small English Language Art groups. My students have enjoyed playing the games while learning the skills that they need more support on.\r\n I also was able to purchase worksheets that focus on nouns and verbs. I have been able to teach nouns and verbs using these worksheets in the classroom, and I have included them in my weekly homework packets.","fullyFundedDate":1760393180526,"projectUrl":"project/grade-level-change/9763837/","projectTitle":"Grade Level Change","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cornejo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7452180"},{"teacherId":9968077,"projectId":9655515,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, our classroom has been transformed into a space where students feel comfortable, focused, and excited to learn every day.! The new flexible seating option of the floor cushions have given my students the freedom to choose a quiet space around the room that what works best for their learning needs. One of our favorite moments was during a collaborative writing activity where students chose different seating spots around the room. Even my most hesitant writers were deeply engaged and sharing ideas with confidence. The environment now supports their creativity instead of limiting it.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the new seating, the room lit up with smiles and cheers. Many rushed to try out each option, testing which felt \"just right\" for reading, writing, or working with their partners. One student told me, \"It feels like we're in a real learning lounge!\" I've noticed students who normally fidget or lose concentration working for much longer stretches because they're in a comfortable place that supports their bodies and their brains.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward with our current lessons, especially our CKLA writing unit and daily math problem-solving, this flexible seating continues to play a huge role. Students are using the cushions during partner reading, spreading out for group projects, and finding quiet corners for independent tasks. These materials have allowed me to implement more choice routines and more effective small-group instruction because the class works so smoothly. Thanks to you, my students are thriving in a space designed for movement, focus, and joy. We are incredibly grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1758166316126,"projectUrl":"project/flexible-seating-to-spark-learning/9655515/","projectTitle":"Flexible Seating to Spark Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Briseño","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9968077_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1741837470712","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9968077"},{"teacherId":9968077,"projectId":9642503,"letterContent":"Thanks to your incredible generosity, my students are now fully \"plugged into success\" with their brand new headphones and the impact has been immediate! In our classroom, technology isn't just an add-on; it's woven into how students learn, practice skills, and build confidence every day. These headphones allow each child to work at their own pace during adaptive programs like i-Ready, Amplify, and district writing tools. With the ability to focus without outside noise, students are showing major gains in reading fluency, math problem-solving, and their ability to revise writing using digital feedback. For many of my students, this is the first time they've experienced truly distraction free learning.\r\n\r\nThe excitement has been through the roof! Students were amazed when they opened the box. Many said, \"These look like real gaming headphones!\" They have also told me that they are so comfy. Students have been using the headphones to listen to phonics lessons, reading lessons, and math lessons.. Even my most hesitant learners now stay engaged longer, because they're not distracted by classroom noise. \r\n\r\nOne student in particular, who often struggles to focus, now puts on his headphones, logs in, and gets right to work. Another student who receives reading support has started choosing online audiobook extensions during independent time because she says the stories \"sound like the characters are right here.\" These small moments are creating big growth. Your donation did more than supply headphones, you created opportunities for students to feel capable, independent, and excited about learning.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in our classroom and investing in their success. Your support continues to make a real difference every single day.\r\n\r\nWarmly,","fullyFundedDate":1757562475782,"projectUrl":"project/plugged-into-success-headphones-for-our/9642503/","projectTitle":"Plugged Into Success: Headphones for Our Class","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Briseño","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9968077_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1741837470712","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9968077"},{"teacherId":8517946,"projectId":9751058,"letterContent":"I want to share my heartfelt thanks for supporting my recent project. Your generosity brought STEM materials and essential classroom supplies into my fifth-grade room, and the impact was immediate.\r\n\r\nWe've already put the materials to work during our current engineering design unit. The additional basic supplies have also helped us work more smoothly day-to-day, making sure everyone has what they need without barriers.\r\n\r\nBecause of you, we're able to keep moving forward with bigger and braver ideas. Our next steps include extending this project into a real-world challenge where students will redesign and improve their prototypes based on peer feedback, then present their findings in a mini \"STEM Expo.\" These materials will support us every step of the way.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and helping build a classroom where creativity, problem-solving, and confidence can grow. Your support truly makes a difference.","fullyFundedDate":1760627659858,"projectUrl":"project/stem-sel-basic-materials-for-my-5th-g/9751058/","projectTitle":"STEM, SEL & Basic Materials for My 5th Grade Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Plaisted","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8517946_orig.jpg?crop=1686,1686,x0,y207&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1657120927786","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8517946"},{"teacherId":9080175,"projectId":9255707,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our class with these magazines and resources. The articles have opened up so many opportunities for my students to practice real reading skills—like comparing and contrasting, taking notes, and answering close reading questions—but in a way that feels fun and meaningful to them. The teaching tools that come with the magazines, like word webs and KWL charts, make it easy for us to dig deeper. For my multilingual learners, alternate versions, read-aloud supports, and Spanish editions have made the material accessible, so every child can join the conversation.\r\n\r\nReading in our classroom now looks lively and purposeful. At the end of the day, students eagerly choose an article to read and complete a digital follow-up. This gives me time to pull small groups and support my struggling readers with the very same texts their peers are reading. Students also take home printed copies to share with their families, often reading aloud and discussing the stories at home. Having both print and digital access means they can engage with the texts wherever they are.\r\n\r\nWhat's been most exciting is how much they enjoy all three magazines—Time for Kids, Science Spin, and Scholastic News. My students get so excited about these because they feel connected to the world around them. I've seen some of my quieter kids light up while sharing facts from a science article, and others debate the issues presented in the Scholastic News articles. It's been wonderful to see them engaged, motivated, and proud of their reading.","fullyFundedDate":1747190007732,"projectUrl":"project/nonfiction-that-travels-magazines-and-r/9255707/","projectTitle":"Nonfiction That Travels: Magazines and Reading Tools To-Go","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Reiland, NBCT","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9080175_orig.jpg?crop=6000,6000,x0,y180&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1721275420561","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9080175"},{"teacherId":8517946,"projectId":9237247,"letterContent":"I want to thank you so much for your generosity in helping stock my library with great literary classics. I've already started the new school year by using one of the novels as a novel study book to discuss themes, figurative language and character development. My students love having their own copy of the book, which wouldn't have been possible without your generosity!\r\n\r\nAdditionally, we've been loving the scholastic news magazines that come in the mail! We use them to talk about current events and STEM careers. This ties in so nicely, as I teach the STEM magnet class at my school.","fullyFundedDate":1744210634556,"projectUrl":"project/make-the-pages-come-to-life/9237247/","projectTitle":"Make the Pages Come to Life!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Plaisted","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8517946_orig.jpg?crop=1686,1686,x0,y207&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1657120927786","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8517946"},{"teacherId":9968077,"projectId":9167812,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our fourth graders now have access to brand new PE equipment that has already made a huge difference in our daily activities. From the moment the gear arrived, the excitement was undeniable! The new resources have transformed our physical education lessons into more engaging, active, and inclusive experiences where every student can participate with confidence.\r\n\r\nOne of the most memorable moments was during our first relay challenge with the new gear. Students who usually hang back during activities were suddenly leading their teams, encouraging each other, and showing so much joy in being active. The equipment has not only built stronger physical skills but has also encouraged teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship in ways that were harder to achieve before.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, we are incorporating the new materials into skill-building stations, fitness challenges, and cooperative games. The students are excited to set personal goals and track their progress, and I can already see how this equipment is motivating them to stay active and healthy beyond the classroom. Your generosity has helped lay the foundation for lifelong healthy habits, and we are so grateful for your belief in our students.","fullyFundedDate":1742934546537,"projectUrl":"project/building-active-futures-support-pe-gear/9167812/","projectTitle":"Building Active Futures: Support PE Gear!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Briseño","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9968077_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1741837470712","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9968077"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_7655","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":665,"numTeachers":35,"percentFrplEligible":92,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":96,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"19.0:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":74.0,"schoolId":7655,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Gulf Avenue Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Gulf Avenue Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/los-angeles-unified-school-district/gulf-avenue-elementary-school/7655"}