{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Loretto Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":17.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9933767,"projectId":10092327,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our therapy classroom. Because of you, we now have a laminating machine, paper cutter, hole puncher, scissors, laminate, and Velcro—tools that have truly transformed the way I'm able to support my students.\r\n\r\nWith these materials, I have been able to create numerous interactive projects and hands-on manipulatives that make learning more engaging and meaningful. My students especially benefit from having something they can hold, move, and interact with while we work on building their academic communication skills. These tools have allowed me to design activities where students can physically sequence stories, match story elements, and actively participate in storytelling rather than just listening or responding.\r\n\r\nThe difference in their engagement has been incredible. My students now look forward to these activities and are more eager to participate, share their ideas, and stay involved throughout our sessions. This increased engagement has directly supported their progress, helping them build stronger narrative skills in a way that feels natural and enjoyable.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has made a lasting impact on our classroom, and I am so grateful for the opportunities these materials have created for my students to learn, grow, and succeed.\r\n\r\nThank you again for your support.","fullyFundedDate":1771699830530,"projectUrl":"project/built-to-last-adaptive-materials-for-ev/10092327/","projectTitle":"Built to Last: Adaptive Materials for Every Learner","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Paige","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9933767_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767888230923","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/farinella"},{"teacherId":9933767,"projectId":9834101,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity and support of our classroom. Because of you, my students now have access to engaging, hands-on resources that are already making a meaningful difference in their learning and daily experiences.\r\n\r\nWe have been using the new materials in a variety of ways, and they have quickly become a favorite part of our sessions. My students especially love exploring the different sorting toys, which we use to build categorization skills in a fun and interactive way. It's been exciting to watch them grow more confident as they sort, group, and describe items with increasing independence. One particularly joyful moment was when we used the kinetic sand to create a pretend ice cream party. The students were fully engaged, using their imaginations while also practicing communication and descriptive language in a natural, playful setting.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the new materials, their excitement was immediate and contagious. There were smiles, curiosity, and lots of eager hands ready to explore. Even now, they light up when I bring out something new they haven't seen before, which keeps motivation high and learning meaningful.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we are excited to continue incorporating these resources into new activities. Our next step is to use the texture squares for a sensory-based activity where students will be blindfolded and encouraged to rely on their other senses to explore and describe different textures. This will support their descriptive language, sensory awareness, and critical thinking skills in a fun and memorable way.\r\n\r\nYour support has truly enriched our classroom and created opportunities for growth, creativity, and connection. Thank you for being a part of our journey and for investing in my students.","fullyFundedDate":1770478745955,"projectUrl":"project/sort-it-out/9834101/","projectTitle":"Sort It Out!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Paige","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9933767_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767888230923","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/farinella"},{"teacherId":9121994,"projectId":9970018,"letterContent":"Your generosity has made a meaningful difference in our classroom, and I'm excited to share the impact of your support. Thanks to your donation, our students now have access to resources that bring learning to life in ways that simply weren't possible before. Students are more motivated, more curious, and more confident in their abilities. I've already seen quieter students open up, collaborate more with their peers, and take greater ownership of their learning.\r\n\r\nBeyond academics, your support has helped create an environment where students feel valued and inspired every day they walk into the classroom. They know that someone they may never meet believes in their potential, and that sense of encouragement is powerful. Your contribution is not just a gift of materials—it's a gift of opportunity, confidence, and possibility. Thank you for investing in our students and for being an essential part of their journey.","fullyFundedDate":1766626596420,"projectUrl":"project/helping-our-classroom-start-the-second-s/9970018/","projectTitle":"Helping Our Classroom Start the Second Semester Strong","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Brandenburg","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9121994_orig.png?crop=505,505,x84,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1690557432837","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9121994"},{"teacherId":5196512,"projectId":10096261,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of my DonorsChoose project, Spray It Forward. Because of your funding, I was able to purchase bug spray to include in blessing bags for individuals experiencing homelessness in our community.\r\nThis simple but essential item makes a meaningful difference. For those living outdoors or in unstable housing, protection from insects is not just a comfort; it's a matter of health, dignity, and safety. Your support helped provide relief, care, and a reminder that our community sees and values them. The smiles on their faces when they saw the bug spray amongst the other items was invaluable. \r\nThank you for making Spray It Forward possible and for the important work you do to support communities everywhere.","fullyFundedDate":1771944781879,"projectUrl":"project/spray-it-forward/10096261/","projectTitle":"Spray It Forward","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Niebauer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5196512_orig.jpg?crop=1920,1920,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1699452190547","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/niebauer"},{"teacherId":5196512,"projectId":9698562,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting Creepy Crawly Creators: Biomimicry in Action! My 1st–3rd grade gifted students are full of wonder, imagination, and a deep love of learning. Their curiosity is endless, especially when it comes to science, and what amazes me most is how naturally they see connections between nature, technology, and the world around them, even in the tiniest creatures.\r\nBecause of your generosity, my students had the opportunity to explore biomimicry in a meaningful, hands‑on way. They studied insects up close, observed their structures and behaviors, and used those observations as inspiration for designing their own bug‑inspired inventions. With simple craft materials like pipe cleaners, cardboard, felt, and recycled items, they participated in a full biomimicry design challenge that blends creativity, engineering, and scientific thinking.\r\nReal Bugs in Resin, Extra-Large 2.5x Bug Viewers, and Telescopic Butterfly Fishing Net for Kids opened their eyes to details they've never noticed before, sparking new ideas and deepening their appreciation for biological design.\r\nWe'll also explored how different cultures around the world incorporate insects into their diets, giving students a global perspective on sustainability, nutrition, and cultural traditions.\r\nYour support gave my students the chance to think like scientists, engineers, designers, and innovators. You made it possible for them to explore the wonders of nature, embrace creative problem‑solving, and imagine futures they may not have considered before. Thank you for investing in their curiosity and for helping bring such meaningful learning to life in our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1760384985041,"projectUrl":"project/creepy-crawly-creators-biomimicry-in-ac/9698562/","projectTitle":"Creepy Crawly Creators: Biomimicry in Action","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Niebauer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5196512_orig.jpg?crop=1920,1920,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1699452190547","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/niebauer"},{"teacherId":6481425,"projectId":9872317,"letterContent":"Bringing live chicks into our third-grade classroom transformed abstract lessons into unforgettable, hands-on learning. Over the 8 week hatching and care cycle, 22 curious students observed life science in real time—learning embryology, animal behavior, and the needs of living things while practicing rigorous observation and data collection. These supplies kept our chicks healthy and our classroom clean so students could safely take on meaningful scientist-caregiver roles: recording temperature and growth charts, noting behavior changes, and testing hypotheses about habitat and care.\r\n\r\nThe project bolstered core academic skills through cross-curricular work: students wrote daily scientific journals, created measurement graphs in math, researched chick development in reading groups, and presented findings to families and the school community. Caring for living animals also built empathy, responsibility, teamwork, and classroom leadership as students rotated through duties and reflected on ethical stewardship.\r\n\r\nWe measured impact with student-created data logs, before-and-after science content assessments, samples of journal entries, and students regularly shared learning and outcomes with their families. These tangible artifacts demonstrated growth in observational skills, scientific vocabulary, data interpretation, and social-emotional development.\r\n\r\nWith your support for consumable supplies, our classroom sustained a safe, educational hatching experience that ignited a lasting love of science, built real-world skills, and connected students to the cycle of life in a meaningful, measurable way.\r\n\r\nThank you again for supporting this amazing learning opportunity for our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1763598807343,"projectUrl":"project/hatching-science-returns-caring-for-our/9872317/","projectTitle":"Hatching Science Returns: Caring for Our Classroom Chicks","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Riley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6481425"},{"teacherId":5196512,"projectId":9789796,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my Feathered Friends & STEM project! Your contribution has made a meaningful impact on my gifted students by giving them the chance to explore science in a hands‑on, authentic way. They are naturally curious learners, and your generosity helps bring their questions to life as they observe, investigate, and engage with real-world STEM experiences.\r\nBecause of you, my students have been able to observe native bird species right here on our school grounds. Using the materials funded by this project, they've begun identifying local birds, noticing patterns in behavior, and discussing how environmental changes affect wildlife. These moments of discovery have sparked excitement, thoughtful questions, and a deeper appreciation for the natural world around them. Along with studying bird behavior, they are also exploring engineering and scientific concepts that encourage problem‑solving, collaboration, and creativity.\r\nThank you again for choosing to invest in our classroom. Your support sends a powerful message to my students that their curiosity matters, their ideas matter, and their learning is worth believing in. We are truly grateful for your generosity and excited to share the discoveries ahead!","fullyFundedDate":1763566272841,"projectUrl":"project/feathered-friends-stem/9789796/","projectTitle":"Feathered Friends & STEM","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Niebauer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5196512_orig.jpg?crop=1920,1920,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1699452190547","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/niebauer"},{"teacherId":5196512,"projectId":9792822,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our project, The Germ Detectives: A Hands-On Epidemiology Adventure! Because of you, my gifted students had the opportunity to explore how germs spread, conduct real experiments with Glo Germ powder and agar plates, and analyze data like true epidemiologists.\r\nYour contribution helped us turn curiosity into discovery and empowered my students to understand the science behind public health in a fun, interactive way. These experiences sparked critical thinking and inspired future scientists and problem-solvers.\r\nWe are so grateful for your kindness and belief in our mission to make learning engaging and meaningful. I can't wait to share updates and photos of our Germ Detectives in action!","fullyFundedDate":1760013648825,"projectUrl":"project/the-germ-detectives-a-hands-on-epidemio/9792822/","projectTitle":"The Germ Detectives: A Hands-On Epidemiology Adventure","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Niebauer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5196512_orig.jpg?crop=1920,1920,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1699452190547","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/niebauer"},{"teacherId":9933767,"projectId":9803156,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, my students now have engaging, high-quality games they can actually use and enjoy. We are using these materials during therapy sessions to practice language, social communication, and problem-solving skills through interactive play. One of the most meaningful changes I've seen is increased motivation! My students are more willing to participate and work toward their goals because the activities feel fun and engaging, not repetitive or frustrating like the broken games we previously had.\r\n\r\nWhen the boxes arrived, my students were genuinely shocked and excited. Several of them said it felt like \"Christmas came early,\" and their excitement carried right into our sessions. Seeing their joy and curiosity reminded me how powerful the right tools can be in creating a positive learning environment.\r\n\r\nBecause of how successful this project has been, my students and I worked together to design our next classroom project. Our next step is creating a system to categorize and organize materials, which will directly support executive functioning skills such as sorting, planning, and independence. If you're interested, we would love for you to check out this new project or share it with a friend. Your support continues to make a powerful difference in our learning space, and we are so grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1760385870609,"projectUrl":"project/new-board-games-no-more-im-bored/9803156/","projectTitle":"New Board Games, No More “I’m Bored!”","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Paige","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9933767_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767888230923","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/farinella"},{"teacherId":8787101,"projectId":9647978,"letterContent":"After taking notes on Canva from Gale in Context and Online World Book Encyclopedia from the Jacksonville Public Library, students create an example of each of the 6 simple machines with basic school materials. So, being able to see how each one works in real life helps students understand the properties of each one.\r\n\r\nThese large, interactive, machines are easy to build and manipulate for a much clearer explanation of what they are and how they make our lives easier.\r\n\r\nYour generous contribution to this project made reading and understanding come to life. Every time the students see a new one built, they are ready to learn about the next simple machine.","fullyFundedDate":1758940547936,"projectUrl":"project/6-simple-machines/9647978/","projectTitle":"6 Simple Machines","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Anderson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8787101_orig.jpg?crop=4284,4284,x0,y899&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757288837071","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8787101"},{"teacherId":8787101,"projectId":9647907,"letterContent":"When I showed the students the books they would each get after creating their own story, they got so excited! Some students explained they have already been writing a story, currently writing a story, and a few had questions asking if they could write about anything and include pictures by drawing on the white pages.\r\n\r\nAs I watched their curiosity develop, I explained how we would start this project by going through some steps just like author's of books we've read have done. I read a short story that grabbed their attention. I asked them about the setting of the story and how they knew without the author stating it. We also discussed the characters and plot.\r\n\r\nNext, I passed out graphic organizers for students to start getting their thoughts on paper. Some students have already started writing out their story on paper and will be ready for the book very soon.\r\n\r\nI can't wait to read all of the stories they will write and see all of their finished products! It is because of your generous donation we are able to complete a project as this, which may just be the step some students need to become a published author one day.","fullyFundedDate":1758847731111,"projectUrl":"project/author-and-illustrator/9647907/","projectTitle":"Author and Illustrator","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Anderson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8787101_orig.jpg?crop=4284,4284,x0,y899&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757288837071","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8787101"},{"teacherId":5196512,"projectId":9794092,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support through The Allstate Foundation, my students were able to experience the true meaning of compassion in action. This project went far beyond assembling blessing bags. It gave them the opportunity to see firsthand how kindness can make a difference. As they sorted donated items and packed blankets, hats, gloves, and socks, they reflected on the importance of helping others, especially those facing hardship. The excitement and care they put into every bag showed how deeply they understood the impact of their efforts.\r\nThe most powerful moment came when we delivered the bags downtown on the coldest day of the year. We met members of the homeless community, shared smiles, and witnessed gratitude in its purest form. We were humbled and appreciated being part of something that truly mattered. This experience taught my students empathy, teamwork, and the value of giving without expecting anything in return. Your support didn't just provide warmth and comfort; rather, it inspired a lifelong lesson in compassion that my students will carry forward.","fullyFundedDate":1761754141871,"projectUrl":"project/compassion-in-action-winter-care-kits-f/9794092/","projectTitle":"Compassion in Action: Winter Care Kits for Our Neighbors","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Niebauer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5196512_orig.jpg?crop=1920,1920,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1699452190547","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/niebauer"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_46132","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1039,"numTeachers":68,"percentFrplEligible":85,"percentAsian":11,"percentBlack":7,"percentWhite":59,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":14,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"15.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":82.6,"schoolId":46132,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Loretto Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Loretto Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/florida/duval-county-public-schools/loretto-elementary-school/46132"}