{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Jeannette McKee Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":15.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2897060,"projectId":10148618,"letterContent":"These new books have given my third graders engaging opportunities to strengthen important reading skills. We are using the texts to practice identifying the main idea and supporting details, sequencing events, making inferences, building vocabulary, identifying character traits, and using evidence from the text to support our thinking. The variety of books has also helped students make meaningful connections between what they read and their own experiences.\r\n\r\nReading in our classroom is active and interactive. Students read independently, with partners, in small groups, and together as a class. We stop to discuss our thinking, make predictions, ask questions, and share evidence from the text. The new books have been especially exciting for students who sometimes need extra encouragement to read. Having fresh and interesting choices has helped them become more willing to pick up a book.\r\n\r\nYour generosity is helping my students build confidence and discover that reading can be both fun and meaningful.","fullyFundedDate":1773859830569,"projectUrl":"project/literacy-leaders/10148618/","projectTitle":"Literacy Leaders","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Gajski","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2897060_orig.jpg?crop=1898,1898,x660,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1745954513840","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2897060"},{"teacherId":2897060,"projectId":10000017,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our Sparkling Supplies project! Your generosity has bought so much excitement and creativity into our reading classroom. My third graders were thrilled when they first saw all of the colorful markers, scented markers, pens, pencils, and other writing/reading supplies. Having these materials available has made writing about our stories and skills feel more exciting and has encouraged students to take pride in their work to become a Super Reader!\r\n\r\nWe have been using the supplies to combine reading, writing, and art. After reading a story together, students respond through writing and create illustrations that represent important events, characters, or their favorite parts. The new supplies have helped students become more motivated to add details to their writing, express creatively, and produce work they are excited to share.\r\n\r\nOur next step is to continue using these materials throughout the year for story responses, creative writing, and to be the Super Reader of the week! Students will work on expanding their ideas into stronger paragraphs, adding descriptive details, and using illustrations to enhance their writing.\r\n\r\nYour kindness is making a difference in our classroom every day!","fullyFundedDate":1778104828997,"projectUrl":"project/sparkling-supplies/10000017/","projectTitle":"Sparkling Supplies","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Gajski","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2897060_orig.jpg?crop=1898,1898,x660,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1745954513840","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2897060"},{"teacherId":8493276,"projectId":10280210,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our Popping into Kindergarten project! Your generosity is making such a meaningful difference as my students begin their kindergarten journey. The resources you provided are helping them learn how to be organized and independent while building essential early literacy skills in fun, hands-on ways. From learning their letters and sounds to building words, reading decodable stories, and eventually sharing books with their families, these materials will be part of so many important learning moments throughout the school year. As a kindergarten teacher, there is nothing more rewarding than watching a child gain confidence and discover that they can read, learn, and succeed. Thank you for helping make those moments possible for my students!\r\n\r\nSince my students are new to kindergarten, the new resources have been helping them learn important classroom routines and become more independent learners. We are using the art trays to help students keep all of their materials organized and together while they work at centers. This has been especially helpful as they learn how to manage their supplies and transition from one activity to another.\r\n\r\nWe are also using the pocket chart during our center rotations. Students can look at the chart to see which group they are in, where they need to go, and the ELA skill they will be practicing at their center. This has helped make our center routines more visual and easier for our young learners to understand.\r\n\r\nOne resource the students especially enjoy is Unicorns vs. Dragons. They are using the game to become more familiar with the alphabet and practice identifying their letters. It has been wonderful to see students excited to practice their letters while playing and learning with their classmates. These resources are helping my students build confidence, independence, and foundational kindergarten skills in a fun and engaging way.\r\n\r\nTheir reactions were full of excitement and curiosity! My kindergarten students were eager to explore the new materials and immediately wanted to know how they could use them. They were especially excited to see the Unicorns vs. Dragons game and were ready to start playing and identifying letters. The art trays and pocket chart also quickly became part of our classroom routines. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and how naturally they began learning to use the materials independently.\r\n\r\nAfter our Alphabet Bootcamp, we will begin using the Science of Reading Essentials Toolkit during small-group instruction to help students build letter and sound fluency. As we progress through the school year, students will begin putting those skills into practice by building words using the Snap and Build Phonics materials and magnetic tiles. These hands-on activities will help students connect letters with their sounds and begin blending those sounds together to read and build words.\r\n\r\nThe decodable stories will also become an important part of our take-home library, giving students opportunities to practice reading at home and share their learning with their families. As we move toward the middle of the year, students will participate in book challenges. They will choose a book from our classroom library, take it home, and read it to their families. Parents will then mark off when their child has read the book to them.\r\n\r\nI am so excited to watch my students grow from learning their letters and sounds to becoming confident beginning readers. The resources provided through this project will give them meaningful opportunities to practice these skills both in our classroom and at home. Thank you for helping make this journey possible for my kindergarten students!","fullyFundedDate":1778689385444,"projectUrl":"project/popping-into-kindergarten/10280210/","projectTitle":"Popping Into Kindergarten","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Scelsi","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8493276_orig.jpg?crop=1500,1500,x0,y145&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1682288631800","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8493276"},{"teacherId":8853040,"projectId":10248886,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our art room! These light boxes will open up so many creative possibilities for my students, from helping our youngest artists trace and explore their ideas to allowing older students to create layered, detailed designs. I'm especially excited to introduce sand art and other light based activities that make art accessible and engaging for all learners. Your generosity is giving my students new tools to explore while building confidence. You are truly helping our classroom shine, and we are so grateful for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1778689384826,"projectUrl":"project/glow-and-grow-illuminating-creativity-w/10248886/","projectTitle":"Glow and Grow: Illuminating Creativity with Art Light Boxes","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mattes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8853040_orig.jpg?crop=3000,3000,x506,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1739280302641","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8853040"},{"teacherId":9736911,"projectId":10643945,"letterContent":"Having our snack project fully funded has made a meaningful difference for my students in the Jeannette City School District. As an Emotional Support (ES) teacher working primarily with elementary-aged students in a low-income community, I see firsthand how important it is to meet students' basic needs before expecting them to focus on academics, regulate their emotions, and successfully participate in the school day.\r\n\r\nThe snacks provided through this project give my students access to food when they are hungry without placing an additional burden on their families. For some students, having a snack may seem like a small thing, but it can make a significant difference in their ability to concentrate, manage frustration, and remain engaged in learning.\r\n\r\nIn our Emotional Support classroom, we work every day on coping skills, emotional regulation, positive behavior, independence, and academic success. When students are hungry, these already challenging skills can become even more difficult. Having snacks readily available allows us to address that immediate need and help students return their attention to learning and regulating their emotions.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, this project helps create a classroom where students know they are cared for and their needs matter. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, my students can spend less time worrying about being hungry and more time learning, growing, building relationships, and developing the social-emotional skills they will carry with them beyond our classroom.\r\n\r\nWe are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped fully fund this project and invest in the success and well-being of our students!","fullyFundedDate":1789406749776,"projectUrl":"project/fuel-to-focus-snacks-for-success/10643945/","projectTitle":"Fuel to Focus: Snacks for Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Doshen","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9736911_orig.jpg?crop=1179,1179,x0,y220&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1762350462451","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mdoshen"},{"teacherId":8068048,"projectId":10157635,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity. My students really enjoyed this set of books and learning about different people. These books were especially helpful for my struggling learners because they were easy to follow along with and to comprehend.\r\n\r\nThese stories were used with our Women's History Month projects. After reading about the famous woman, students researched more about their life and accomplishments. They then created \"bottle buddies\" by designing and dressing a soda bottle to look like that woman. It was so fun to see both the excitement and their creativity.\r\n\r\nI am so grateful for your support and appreciate you supporting literacy in the classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1773844369758,"projectUrl":"project/little-people-big-dreams/10157635/","projectTitle":"Little People Big Dreams","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mumford","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8068048_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1657577380837","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8068048"},{"teacherId":10468398,"projectId":10165274,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation that allowed me to get dry-erase boards on wheels for my 6th grade Math students. So far this school year my students are using the boards for small group collaborations that easily allow students to share their thinking with their fellow classmates. \r\n Through your donation, Math concepts are coming to life and students are becoming more confident in explaining their reasoning when they have the visual beside them that supports their thinking. When the students enter the classroom and see the boards spread out around the room, they get excited knowing they will be up out of their seats working with their peers to answer math questions. Your support for the students is much appreciated!","fullyFundedDate":1778689385309,"projectUrl":"project/essential-tools-for-a-building-thinking/10165274/","projectTitle":"Essential Tools for a Building Thinking Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Polechko","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10468398"},{"teacherId":10511952,"projectId":10294305,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in funding our project, \"Gather, Read, Learn, Grow!\" When the students first walked into the classroom and saw the brand-new carpet and cozy bench seat, their faces completely lit up with excitement. Your generosity has completely transformed a once-empty corner of our classroom into a warm, inviting, and dedicated literacy space where my students feel comfortable, valued, and eager to learn.\r\n\r\n We are already putting these wonderful resources to daily use during our independent reading and group discussion blocks. The new carpet serves as our central gathering hub where we come together to share stories, while the bench seat provides a special, focused spot for students to dive deep into their favorite books. The book holder has become a focal point in this area, keeping our reading materials organized and accessible. Just this week, a group of students sat together on the rug, pulling resources from the holder to collaborate! Your support has given my students more than just physical items; you have provided them with a structured environment that encourages a true love for reading and exploration. \r\n\r\nMoving forward, our next steps involve launching a peer-led reading mentorship program where older students will use this bench and carpet space to read aloud to younger classmates.","fullyFundedDate":1779828072857,"projectUrl":"project/gather-read-learn-grow/10294305/","projectTitle":"Gather, Read, Learn, Grow!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Beckwith","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10511952_orig.png?crop=147,147,x0,y71&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1778973415163","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10511952"},{"teacherId":8853040,"projectId":10097053,"letterContent":"This project was a wonderful success! Our third graders loved using the acrylic paint pens to transform simple river rocks into colorful, handmade garden markers. Seeing their finished creations become part of our downtown community garden gave their artwork a real purpose and helped them understand how art can make a difference beyond the classroom.\r\n\r\nIn STEM, students planted seeds and used the grow lights to help their plants thrive. They were excited to watch their seedlings grow, observe the roots and shoots, and learn firsthand what plants need to survive. When the plants were ready, they were either taken home by students or donated to our community garden, where families could enjoy them.\r\n\r\nThe students were incredibly proud to see their artwork and plants become part of something that truly benefits our community. We are so grateful for the support that made these hands-on experiences possible. We hope to continue this project again during the upcoming school year and give another group of students the opportunity to create, grow, and contribute to their community.","fullyFundedDate":1773859830268,"projectUrl":"project/growing-for-good/10097053/","projectTitle":"Growing for Good","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mattes","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8853040_orig.jpg?crop=3000,3000,x506,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1739280302641","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8853040"},{"teacherId":8068048,"projectId":10010575,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity. Through your donation, my classroom was able to purchase the supplies necessary to complete our Bottle Buddies that were a part of our Women's History Month unit. The goal is to turn a 20 ounce plastic bottle into a representation of a woman who has made a difference in the world.\r\n\r\nThis project is a popular one every school year. The students pour their whole heart and soul into creating the perfect Bottle Buddy. I love watching them carefully cut the felt to create an outfit and to glue stands of yarn to the head to give their person the perfect hairstyle. They are each so proud of their final product. We display them in the hall outside of the library for the whole school to enjoy! Their faces light up when someone compliments their hard work and efforts.\r\n\r\nYour support is greatly appreciated. You helped students think outside of the box and to have fun while learning!","fullyFundedDate":1772463608221,"projectUrl":"project/restocking-project-pieces/10010575/","projectTitle":"Restocking Project Pieces","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mumford","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8068048_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1657577380837","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8068048"},{"teacherId":9736911,"projectId":10234073,"letterContent":"The classroom supplies I received will have a meaningful and lasting impact on my students' learning environment and overall success this next school year. The new books, including It's Okay Not to Be Okay, Ohana Means Family, and Hair Love, will help foster important conversations about emotions, family, identity, self-love, and acceptance. These stories provide students with opportunities to see themselves represented in literature while also building empathy and understanding for others. These books will support both social-emotional learning and literacy growth within my classroom community.\r\n\r\nThe 500 pre-sharpened pencils will help ensure that every student begins the school year prepared and ready to learn each day. Having an ample supply of pencils eliminates unnecessary interruptions, reduces stress for students who may not have supplies at home, and allows instructional time to be maximized from the very first day of school.\r\n\r\nThe crayons and customized crayon boxes labeled with each student's name will help create a sense of ownership, organization, and excitement. Students take pride in having materials that are specifically theirs, which encourages responsibility and helps classroom routines run smoothly. These supplies will also support creativity, fine motor development, and hands-on learning activities throughout the year.\r\n\r\nThe magnetic blocks have quickly become a favorite classroom resource. My students absolutely adore them, and they encourage creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills through play-based learning. These blocks provide opportunities for students to work together, communicate ideas, and explore STEM concepts in an engaging and meaningful way.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, the 300 laminating sheets will allow me to preserve and protect important classroom materials so they can be reused throughout the school year and beyond. Laminating visual aids, learning centers, schedules, games, and instructional resources will help create durable materials that support student learning daily while also saving time and resources in the future.\r\n\r\nOverall, these supplies are helping create a welcoming, organized, engaging, and inclusive learning environment where students feel supported, prepared, and excited to learn each day.","fullyFundedDate":1778533375864,"projectUrl":"project/essential-emotional-support-supplies/10234073/","projectTitle":"Essential Emotional Support Supplies","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Doshen","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9736911_orig.jpg?crop=1179,1179,x0,y220&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1762350462451","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mdoshen"},{"teacherId":8068048,"projectId":9972451,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your very generous donation to purchase these supplies for my classroom. All of the supplies have been put to good use.\r\n\r\nThe students were especially excited for the new pencil sharpeners. They loved that they no longer had to use the handheld sharpeners in class and could use an electric sharpener. They said it was the perfect Christmas gift for our classroom.\r\n\r\nMy students are always in awe when I tell them that our supplies are purchased through Donors Choose by people like you who want to support our classroom. It makes them feel special that you chose us to donate your generosity to! They are so grateful for everything you do.\r\n\r\nThank you for your support and for helping my students feel special and important.","fullyFundedDate":1767213886676,"projectUrl":"project/last-minute-wishlist/9972451/","projectTitle":"Last Minute Wishlist","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mumford","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8068048_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1657577380837","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8068048"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_63008","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":504,"numTeachers":47,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":16,"percentWhite":53,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":6,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":23,"gradesServed":"K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"10.7:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":84.1,"schoolId":63008,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Jeannette McKee Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Jeannette McKee Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/pennsylvania/jeannette-city-school-district/jeannette-mckee-elementary-school/63008"}