{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"McDowell Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":13.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":3660721,"projectId":10212395,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our Kind Frog project and helping bring a humane, engaging, and inclusive science experience to our classroom. Your generosity has provided our students with an incredible opportunity to explore frog anatomy through hands-on learning without the use of real animals. The Kind Frog has truly been a game changer for our science lessons, allowing students to participate in meaningful scientific exploration while promoting compassion and respect for living creatures. Your support has helped create an environment where curiosity, innovation, and empathy can all thrive together.\r\n\r\nBecause of your donation, all students—including diverse learners who may have struggled with traditional dissections—now have the chance to fully participate in this exciting science experiment. The interactive and practical design of the Kind Frog keeps students engaged while making the lesson more accessible and comfortable for everyone. Students have been excited to investigate anatomy in a way that feels safe, inclusive, and memorable. We are incredibly grateful for your kindness and commitment to enriching science education for all learners. Thank you for helping make our classroom a place where every student can actively learn, discover, and succeed.","fullyFundedDate":1778179359121,"projectUrl":"project/kind-frogs-for-kind-students/10212395/","projectTitle":"Kind Frogs for Kind Students!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Costello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3660721_orig.jpg?crop=606,606,x34,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1674599645667","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3660721"},{"teacherId":3660721,"projectId":10212457,"letterContent":"Your support of our sports equipment project has made a tremendous impact on our students and school community. When the new equipment arrived, the students were filled with excitement and could hardly wait to begin using it during PE and recess. Seeing their smiles and enthusiasm reminded us just how important active play is for children. Thanks to your generosity, our students now have access to a variety of sports and activities that encourage teamwork, exercise, and positive social interactions. Your kindness has helped create a more engaging and enjoyable environment for over 400 students each day.\r\n\r\nThe students are already having so much fun playing basketball, soccer, jump rope, and many other games with the new equipment. Recess and PE have become even more active and exciting, giving students healthy ways to stay moving, build friendships, and develop confidence. Many students who previously struggled to find activities they enjoyed are now eagerly participating and trying new sports with their classmates. We are incredibly grateful for your support and belief in the importance of keeping children healthy, active, and happy. Thank you for helping provide experiences and opportunities our students will remember for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1778192585616,"projectUrl":"project/sports-supplies-for-pe-and-recess/10212457/","projectTitle":"Sports Supplies for PE and Recess!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Costello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3660721_orig.jpg?crop=606,606,x34,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1674599645667","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3660721"},{"teacherId":3660721,"projectId":10096400,"letterContent":"We are incredibly grateful for your generous support of our project. Thanks to your kindness and willingness to give, we were able to provide much-needed snacks to 10 classrooms, supporting students from 3rd through 8th grade during state testing. Your contribution helped ensure that students stayed nourished, focused, and ready to do their best during an important time in their academic year.\r\n\r\nYour generosity truly made a meaningful impact on our school community. It's inspiring to see how your support directly benefits our students, helping create a more comfortable and encouraging testing environment. On behalf of our students and staff, thank you for being such an important part of this effort—we couldn't have done it without you.","fullyFundedDate":1777013526931,"projectUrl":"project/snacks-for-250-students-during-state-tes/10096400/","projectTitle":"Snacks for 250 Students During State Testing!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Costello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3660721_orig.jpg?crop=606,606,x34,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1674599645667","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3660721"},{"teacherId":9867669,"projectId":9979447,"letterContent":"My students and I are loving our new laminator and laminating supplies that you so generously donated! \r\n\r\nWe were in desperate need of a laminator so we can create durable and reusable materials. Here are some of the ways we have used it so far:\r\n\r\n- Templates for drawing portraits\r\n- Storyboards for stop motion animation\r\n- Templates for drawing lines and shapes and for using manipulatives\r\n- Reusable worksheets\r\n- Color blindness testing sheets\r\n- Reusable examples that will last a long time\r\n- Practice sheets with dry erase markers\r\n- Saving paper (therefore, saving trees!)\r\n\r\nI have 1500 students a year and need to re-use many resources, worksheets, templates, examples, etc. all year long. Without a laminator I was having to keep a master and make new copies every 12 weeks (or more).\r\n\r\nBy supporting my laminating project, you have given young artists the freedom to explore, make mistakes, and discover their creative sides, reduced workload in my prep time, and reduced waste. Thank you for helping our students learn through art!","fullyFundedDate":1772047958811,"projectUrl":"project/laminate-to-create-reusable-art-tools-f/9979447/","projectTitle":"Laminate to Create: Reusable Art Tools for Creative Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kris","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9867669_orig.png?crop=264,264,x0,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755891080281","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9867669"},{"teacherId":1241200,"projectId":9891286,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support! Because of you, our students experienced an incredible bilingual Family STEAM Night inspired by Disney and Pixar.\r\n\r\nUsing the materials you provided, students and families explored hands-on learning stations including static electricity, leaf print art, LEGO engineering, oscilloscope investigations, ping pong blasters, and balloon-powered rockets to study force and motion. Students were immediately excited—there were smiles, curiosity, and nonstop engagement from TK–6 learners!\r\n\r\nSome of their favorite moments included:\r\n\r\n\"My favorite station was making an arrow to shoot at Merida's targets and write my name on the wall of fame.\"\r\n\r\n\"I liked screaming into the Monsters Inc. box to see how my scream made waves on the oscilloscope.\"\r\n\r\n\"My favorite was making a neighborhood for Rodents of Rodentia at the Lego table.\"\r\n\r\nNext, we are continuing our learning in force and motion with student-designed experiments and STEAM challenges in the classroom.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping us create joyful, hands-on, and inclusive learning experiences for our students and families!","fullyFundedDate":1763585675598,"projectUrl":"project/stem-to-infinity-and-beyond-a-bilingua/9891286/","projectTitle":"Stem to Infinity and Beyond!: a Bilingual Family Fun Event","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Nealon","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1241200_272x272.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1507676922576","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-nealon"},{"teacherId":9867669,"projectId":9769027,"letterContent":"While I wasn't able to get some of the items on my original list (items were no longer available), I was able to order some weaving supplies as well as a few other things that will enhance my visual arts curriculum in the upcoming school year!\r\n\r\nWe are working on our weaving right now and the students just love this project! We learn about the Native American Navajo tribe and the rugs they are famous for weaving. We also spotlight woven Indian dhurrie rugs and Mexican serapes. Students get inspired from these cultures and their passion for the fiber arts. Students weave on wooden looms and finish by hanging them on a redwood stick. Thanks to you generous donors, students develop the knowledge, skill, and experience of weaving.\r\n\r\nI was also able to purchase a 3d printer with the money that was leftover because the other items were unavailable. The 3d printer will be used to print out 3d designs that the students create using TinkerCad. I am currently working on a lesson plan that teaches them how to use this app and create a 3d object. I am so excited about this lesson for my upper grade students. They love to create but they also love to create digital art so this is going to be a hit! \r\n\r\nThank you so very much for your generous donations to teach my students a well-rounded, engaging, and interesting art lesson.","fullyFundedDate":1765927111797,"projectUrl":"project/quality-weaving-looms-for-students-keep/9769027/","projectTitle":"Quality Weaving Looms for Students: Keep Calm, and Weave on!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kris","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9867669_orig.png?crop=264,264,x0,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755891080281","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9867669"},{"teacherId":9867669,"projectId":9769072,"letterContent":"We are so grateful for your generosity in purchasing games and activities for our art classroom! My students work very hard on projects all year long and when they deserve a break, now I have some wonderful art-themed games for us to play. The games that you gave us are encouraging teamwork, collaboration, and creativity.\r\n\r\nLast week we played Tellestrations as a class and the kids had a blast seeing the evolution of their drawings as they passed through the imagination of their teammates. I also love playing art element bingo because it reviews the elements of art while kids are having fun with chances to win prizes.\r\n\r\nPlaying board games benefits children in so many ways, especially in the their social and emotional development. It promotes essential life skills like communication, patience, and problem-solving. Thank you from all of us here in Petaluma for your generous contribution to our classrooms. These games and activities will be used for years to come!","fullyFundedDate":1765133588914,"projectUrl":"project/educational-games-in-the-visual-arts-cla/9769072/","projectTitle":"Educational Games in the Visual Arts Classroom!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kris","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9867669_orig.png?crop=264,264,x0,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755891080281","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9867669"},{"teacherId":9867669,"projectId":9735249,"letterContent":"These books help complete our visual arts lessons in grades TK through 6th. I start almost every lesson with a story to engage students, help them relate art to the story, and inspire their creative sides. Students love to hear the stories and see the visuals to prepare them for the art project. \r\n\r\nAny early finishers also get to nose through the books and read them at their own pace. I constantly have students in my classroom library looking at books that relate to the project they finished. \r\n\r\nThe books you donated inspire lessons in the elements of art: line, shape, color, value, form, texture, and space. They also tell stories of other artists who have their own stories - stories of struggle, courage, and perseverance.\r\n\r\nThank you from myself and my students for your generous donation of books for our art classroom. They will be used for years and years to come!","fullyFundedDate":1765132377593,"projectUrl":"project/art-books-to-inspire-our-young-artists/9735249/","projectTitle":"Art Books to Inspire our Young Artists!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kris","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9867669_orig.png?crop=264,264,x0,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755891080281","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9867669"},{"teacherId":1241200,"projectId":9915749,"letterContent":"It's been a month since our new earphones arrived, and they have been a total game-changer! My students use them every day for i-Ready and Lexia English, which are vital for building their literacy skills. Because the earphones are so durable, the kids are thrilled that they finally have their own reliable pair that actually works. No more worrying about broken gear. It's just pure focus on the stories and lessons that help them master the English language.\r\n\r\nThe most exciting part is seeing my multilingual learners truly \"blossom\" with this new tech. The privacy of the earphones gives them a cozy, safe space to listen to pronunciations and practice their new language without feeling self-conscious. It's been amazing to watch their confidence grow as they follow along with the digital stories at their own pace.\r\n\r\nThank you so much for giving my students the tools they need to succeed. Your gift has replaced \"tech frustration\" with \"tech excitement,\" and our classroom is a much happier place because of it!","fullyFundedDate":1766171927566,"projectUrl":"project/turning-up-learning-headphones-for-stud/9915749/","projectTitle":"Turning Up Learning: Headphones for Students in the Multilingual Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Nealon","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1241200_272x272.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1507676922576","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-nealon"},{"teacherId":3660721,"projectId":9725878,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting this project. Having a well-stocked classroom has been amazing. My students desperately needed supplies to complete work and access curriculum. Unfortunately, schools no longer supply classrooms with everything they need. It is so incredibly helpful having supplies when students need them. Many of the supplies will last all year! We are so thankful for DonorsChoose and donors like you that support schools and students so generously. Thank you again for supporting this project and for being such a caring person.","fullyFundedDate":1762574982192,"projectUrl":"project/a-well-stocked-classroom-with-everything/9725878/","projectTitle":"A Well-stocked Classroom With Everything You Need for Success!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Costello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3660721_orig.jpg?crop=606,606,x34,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1674599645667","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3660721"},{"teacherId":3660721,"projectId":9908057,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting this project. Having a full set of working high quality headphones has been amazing. My students desperately needed them to access curriculum. The headphones are also going to be incredibly helpful when we do state testing. We are offered low quality ear buds that break super easy. These new headphones will last all year! We are so thankful for DonorsChoose and donors like you that support schools and students so generously. Thank you again for supporting this project and for being such a caring person.","fullyFundedDate":1764725558085,"projectUrl":"project/quality-headphones-for-quality-learners/9908057/","projectTitle":"Quality Headphones for Quality Learners!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Costello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3660721_orig.jpg?crop=606,606,x34,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1674599645667","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3660721"},{"teacherId":9511949,"projectId":9286458,"letterContent":"Thanks to your support, I was able to attend a top-tier professional development course focused on English Language Development and effective language instruction. This experience gave me research-backed strategies to better meet the needs of my students, many of whom are navigating the challenges of learning English while managing the realities of low-income households.\r\nA highlight of the course was learning how to integrate students' home languages into lessons—making learning more meaningful, engaging, and empowering. I immediately applied these strategies in the classroom, and students are showing increased confidence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.\r\nYour support didn't just fund a course—it transformed my teaching. Students now experience instruction that celebrates their language and culture, giving them the skills and self-assurance to thrive academically and beyond.","fullyFundedDate":1747848692240,"projectUrl":"project/help-empower-young-language-learners-thr/9286458/","projectTitle":"Help Empower Young Language Learners Through Powerful Teaching! 💬📚","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tejada","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9511949_orig.jpg?crop=730,730,x184,y88&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1713237120429","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/iratitejada"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5148","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":305,"numTeachers":12,"percentFrplEligible":85,"percentAsian":2,"percentBlack":1,"percentWhite":6,"percentIndigenous":1,"percentLatinx":84,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":2,"percentMultiracialImputed":2,"gradesServed":"K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"25.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_SMALL"},"inStateSupporters":86.5,"schoolId":5148,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about McDowell Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"McDowell Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/petaluma-city-schools/mcdowell-elementary-school/5148"}