{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Josefa Ortiz De Dominguez Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":45.2,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8376518,"projectId":9938123,"letterContent":"Because of your incredible generosity, my Occupational Therapy sessions are a vibrant hub of development and discovery. The new arts and crafts supplies have become essential therapeutic tools that allow me to meet every student exactly where they are in their developmental journey.\r\n\r\nWith these materials, I am now able to effectively implement three key therapeutic strategies, grading activities, I can now \"upgrade\" or \"downgrade\" tasks instantly. Whether a student needs a simpler activity to build confidence or a more complex craft to challenge their dexterity, these versatile supplies allow for perfect customization. Messy play & sensory integration, having a variety of textures—from stickers to tactile paints— it helps students desensitize their tactile systems in a safe, fun environment. And lastly, fine Motor development, using small tools to increase strength and grasping patterns. \r\n\r\nYour support has done more than just provide \"stuff\"; it has provided opportunity. Thank you for investing in my students' fine motor success and their self-esteem. I honestly, could not do this without supporters and donors like you!","fullyFundedDate":1764681287471,"projectUrl":"project/arts-and-crafts/9938123/","projectTitle":"Arts and Crafts","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Evelyn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8376518_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1647435374770","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-evelyn-ot"},{"teacherId":8376518,"projectId":9675719,"letterContent":"My students are energetic, resilient, and eager learners who face unique developmental challenges. As an Occupational Therapist, I know that for a child, play is their primary occupation. This project is unique in the way that I can include play to maximize motor skills, bimanual coordination, and hand strengthening. In the school setting during therapy, play isn't just a break from work—it is the work. By supporting this project, you are providing the \"fuel\" for our therapeutic interventions. \r\n\r\nPlay is a powerful incentive. When students are engaged in an activity they love, they work harder, stay focused longer, and achieve their therapy goals faster. Your generosity has transform our therapy sessions. With these resources, my students won't just be playing—they will be building the strength and confidence they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. Thank you for helping my students!","fullyFundedDate":1763408381383,"projectUrl":"project/learning-through-play/9675719/","projectTitle":"Learning Through Play","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Evelyn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8376518_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1647435374770","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-evelyn-ot"},{"teacherId":8376518,"projectId":9897500,"letterContent":"On behalf of our students and our clinician team, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your incredible generosity! Because of your support, we were able to purchase a mobile Smart Board Stand, and it has truly transformed how we deliver services in our school.\r\n\r\nOur clinicians—including our Speech-Language Pathologists, social workers and Occupational Therapists—can now seamlessly transport this powerful tool directly into various classrooms for an interactive approach to therapy in a whole group setting.\r\n\r\nThis has created so much flexibility for our classrooms, ensuring that every child gets their turn with high-tech therapeutic tools. Seeing the \"big screen\" roll into the room created an immediate sense of excitement and focus for our students, making therapy sessions more productive and fun. They all shouted with enthusiasm and cheered during our first session! \r\n\r\nIt is supporters like you who bridge the gap between \"making do\" and truly thriving. Thank you for investing in our students' growth and for making our clinicians' work more effective and mobile.","fullyFundedDate":1763606413624,"projectUrl":"project/stand-smart/9897500/","projectTitle":"Stand Smart","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Evelyn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8376518_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1647435374770","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-evelyn-ot"},{"teacherId":9852069,"projectId":9487790,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting the diverse learners at Ortiz De Dominguez!! Through your donation, we are able to take pictures of our non-speaking/minimally verbal students so that they can share their school experiences with their family and community- through pictures! These children are not able to respond to the typical parent questions- \"What did you learn at school today?\" However, they will now be able to SHOW their parents and loved ones what they have been working so hard on in school. Despite their non-speaking/minimally verbal communication status, these students still want to communicate and share their thoughts/feelings/ideas with their family. Because we are able to save these photos in photo albums, the students will be able to remember the 2025-2026 school year forever.","fullyFundedDate":1758855880779,"projectUrl":"project/a-picture-is-worth-1000-words/9487790/","projectTitle":"A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Butler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9852069_orig.png?crop=145,145,x0,y25&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1734549896072","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9852069"},{"teacherId":10237908,"projectId":9675082,"letterContent":"The donated food resources have had a positive and meaningful impact on students at our school. These resources are being used in the health office to support students who are not feeling well, or may benefit from a quick source of nutrition. Students are aware that the health office is a safe and supportive space where they can receive a small snack, such as a juice box or Teddy Grahams, when appropriate.\r\n\r\nWhen students were first introduced to the donated items, they were excited and reassured to know that they had a place to go if they were not feeling well and needed extra support. This has helped foster trust and comfort. The impact has been especially significant for two students prescribed ADHD medications, which are known to suppress appetite. Both students are picky eaters and frequently refuse school lunch. Access to healthy snacks has been a game changer, helping maintain their energy levels, focus, and overall well-being throughout the school day.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, the continued use of these food resources will remain an important part of student support. In addition, students are being taught how to read nutrition facts labels and identify healthier food choices in a simplified, age-appropriate manner. This nutrition education promotes long-term healthy habits and empowers students to make informed decisions. Again, thank you for your support and I hope you know the positive impact these resources have made on Ortiz's school community.","fullyFundedDate":1758828742457,"projectUrl":"project/the-panda-pantry/9675082/","projectTitle":"The Panda Pantry","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Dudley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10237908_orig.png?crop=174,174,x0,y24&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757945187071","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10237908"},{"teacherId":10237875,"projectId":9675052,"letterContent":"My students have absolutely LOVED our new classroom materials! They have welcomed our Old Lady with open arms and smiles. Every time they see her, they are excited to engage in an Old Lady story and begin to predict what it is she will be swallowing next! Our favorite way to utilize our new materials is by playing the \"guess what?\" game. When reading our Old Lady books, we show all of the items that she will be swallowing. As we read the story, I provide a description of the next item she will be having using the Expanding Expression Tool. Students are tasked with identifying the item and feeding it to her! They really love this hands on activity and it motivates them to use critical thinking skills.\r\n\r\nWhen they saw the new materials, they were fascinated! They loved being able to play with the manipulatives and it really enhanced their overall focus with our activities. Having something tangible has really made a difference in their participation and interest with what we do. Thank you again for the support and contribution to my students' learning!","fullyFundedDate":1757883954488,"projectUrl":"project/there-was-an-old-lady-who-loved-speech-t/9675052/","projectTitle":"There Was an Old Lady Who Loved Speech Therapy!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Jackie","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10237875_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757696310185","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10237875"},{"teacherId":8376518,"projectId":9618921,"letterContent":"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generous support of our SMART Board project. Your contribution has made an immediate and meaningful impact on our students' learning experiences.\r\n\r\nWith this new SMART Board, our sessions can be more engaging using this interactive tool that supports the diverse needs of our learners—especially our students with autism, Down syndrome, physical disabilities, and cognitive delays. The SMART Board has quickly become an essential part of our co-treat sessions, helping students stay engaged through visual modeling, hands-on interaction, and multisensory activities that meet them where they are.\r\n\r\nFor occupational therapy, speech, and social-emotional lessons, the SMART Board has opened the door to more accessible learning. Students are actively participating in tracing, matching, sequencing, and other interactive tasks that strengthen their fine motor skills, visual-motor coordination, communication, and social engagement. Even students who typically struggle to attend are showing increased focus and excitement when using the board.\r\n\r\nThe first day we used the smart board in our cluster classroom, everyone cheered in excitement. It was so heartwarming to see those reactions.","fullyFundedDate":1760714411442,"projectUrl":"project/smart-board/9618921/","projectTitle":"SMART Board","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Evelyn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8376518_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1647435374770","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-evelyn-ot"},{"teacherId":8376518,"projectId":9683437,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution to our STEM materials project. Your support has already begun making a meaningful difference in our classroom and in the lives of my students.\r\n\r\nThese hands-on STEM tools are providing my students with exciting new opportunities to explore, create, and problem-solve while simultaneously working on essential developmental skills. During our occupational therapy lessons, students are now able to engage in activities that strengthen hand muscles, encourage bilateral hand coordination, and promote fine-motor control—skills that are foundational for everyday tasks both in and out of the classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1760705829055,"projectUrl":"project/hands-on-learning/9683437/","projectTitle":"Hands-on Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Evelyn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8376518_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1647435374770","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-evelyn-ot"},{"teacherId":7233198,"projectId":9297935,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support! We are happy to share that our Mother's Day decoration materials have arrived, and our students are already excited to begin creating beautiful projects to celebrate the amazing mothers and caregivers in our school community. Because of your kindness, our classrooms will be filled with meaningful, hands-on activities that help children express love, gratitude, and creativity. Your donation truly makes a difference in helping our students feel connected, valued, and proud of their work. We are grateful for your support and for helping make this special celebration possible. Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1746483292784,"projectUrl":"project/we-love-mothers-day/9297935/","projectTitle":"We Love Mother's Day!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7233198_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1681955237832","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7233198"},{"teacherId":7233198,"projectId":9321231,"letterContent":"We are deeply grateful for your generous donation of snacks to our school community. Your kindness and support mean so much to us and help create a positive and welcoming environment. Your generosity reflects a true spirit of community and care, and we are sincerely thankful for your partnership. Knowing that we have supporters like you encourages and uplifts our entire school community. Thank you for making a meaningful difference and for contributing to our shared success. We appreciate your support very much!","fullyFundedDate":1746523152226,"projectUrl":"project/bring-our-school-community-together/9321231/","projectTitle":"Bring our School Community Together","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lopez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7233198_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1681955237832","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7233198"},{"teacherId":1046310,"projectId":9367766,"letterContent":"My students were so happy to have extra crayons. I was able to make each student a homework supply pack with the crayons, since most kids don't have any at home. Using an organized box with the crayons already sorted by color has provided my students with the chance to independently find what they need without asking me multiple times. \r\nWe have also used extra crayons and turned the box into a math sorting activity.\r\n\r\nI use the magnets for everything! Making letter cards for students to build words with has benefitted many kids for intervention and motivated them to volunteer in class. I also used them to put on the back of some Halloween decorations a student brought.\r\nI hope you'll continue to follow my classroom and any future projects.","fullyFundedDate":1747704222023,"projectUrl":"project/colorful-classroom-creations/9367766/","projectTitle":"Colorful Classroom Creations","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Dorman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1046310_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1489527678720","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mdorman"},{"teacherId":4614481,"projectId":9123934,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donations. My students were so excited to see the huge box of pencils as we unpacked our materials! I don't think they'd even see so many in one place! They have been busy writing, drawing, and creating awesome work! \r\n\r\nWe use the dry-erase markers almost every day whether for our morning word work or during our math exercises on our dry-erase boards. We use our pencils everyday for every subject so those have definitely been a huge help. The glue and scissors have also been such a helpful addition for our word sorts, math matching games, and even for our art work. \r\n\r\nThank you again so much for helping our classroom run smoothly and encourage our students to write!!","fullyFundedDate":1746493621302,"projectUrl":"project/fun-tools-for-young-writers/9123934/","projectTitle":"Fun Tools for Young Writers","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. S.","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4614481_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1502656562600","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/luz-sanchez"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5788","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":398,"numTeachers":27,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":99,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 2","studentTeacherRatio":"14.7:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":54.8,"schoolId":5788,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Josefa Ortiz De Dominguez Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Josefa Ortiz De Dominguez Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/josefa-ortiz-de-dominiguez-elementary-school/5788"}