{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Mechanics Grove Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":18.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":5479288,"projectId":6681544,"letterContent":"Whenever students are new to my classroom, their eyes light up when they see our couch. \r\n\r\nThe couch provides a comfortable place for students to read and concentrate. Countless books have been finished on the couch. Students also love to sit there as an alternative to their desk chairs. The couch provides a wonderful flexible seating option for many students daily. It helps make our classroom a comfortable and relaxing place to learn. \r\n\r\nThank you so much. The couch continues to serve students each year, so this donation is the gift that truly keeps on giving.","fullyFundedDate":1660108521742,"projectUrl":"project/lounge-for-littles/6681544/","projectTitle":"Lounge for Littles!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Szyska","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5479288"},{"teacherId":5235051,"projectId":9318685,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the amazing donations you gave to our classroom. The small fidgets and sensory items have been an absolute hit with my new students and they can't wait to play with them each day. The kinetic sand and other games have become an integral part each morning of our \"soft start\" process, which students engage in every morning when they arrive to school. \r\n\r\nThe new chairs for our flex seating table have been awesome and are perfect for the white table that I have. The students were thrilled to try out the new chairs. Thanks again for your help in making our classroom a great place to be!","fullyFundedDate":1746804619046,"projectUrl":"project/fabulous-fifth-grade-items/9318685/","projectTitle":"Fabulous Fifth Grade Items","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ewing","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5235051_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1522253704235","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/jackie-ewing"},{"teacherId":9818278,"projectId":8907226,"letterContent":"Thank you for donating the funds necessary to purchase these art supplies. The students were able to create the most colorful and creative projects with them! \r\n\r\n Allowing students to work with the Play Doh helped them practice their clay hand-building techniques before they worked with their final clay project. The chalk pastels were used to mix and blend the colors of the large ceiling tiles. The thread and felt were used to sew the original felt plushies. The sharpies were used to create interesting abstract zentangle design patterns and to add the finishing touches on the watercolor paintings. The mounting putty allowed us to hang the artwork on the windows throughout the school. \r\n\r\n Without these supplies, none of these projects would've been possible. The students and staff at our school thank you for your generous donation which provided the tools necessary to make amazing art and create a beautiful learning enviornment throughout our school!","fullyFundedDate":1730934794753,"projectUrl":"project/assortment-of-art-materials-for-amazing/8907226/","projectTitle":"Assortment Of Art Materials For Amazing Art Projects","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Eifert","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9818278"},{"teacherId":7783320,"projectId":8905400,"letterContent":"On behalf of my students and myself, I want to express our sincere gratitude for your generous donation of books to our classroom. Your support is making a real difference in the lives of these young learners.\r\n\r\nThe new books are a wonderful addition to our classroom library. They've sparked so much excitement and enthusiasm for reading. My students are already diving into the stories, exploring new worlds, and developing a love for reading that will stay with them for years to come. \r\n\r\nYour kindness and commitment to education are truly appreciated. Thank you for investing in our students' future and helping to create a richer learning environment.","fullyFundedDate":1730208758419,"projectUrl":"project/4th-graders-love-book-series/8905400/","projectTitle":"4th Graders Love Book Series","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Buttita","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7783320_orig.jpg?crop=1368,1367,x0,y223&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1673302110994","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7783320"},{"teacherId":5235051,"projectId":8901485,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations for our project. We got so many amazing new books for our classroom and they are perfect for the 5th graders to read during our independent reading practice that we do every day. \r\n\r\nThe printer cart is also perfect to go near our libary to hold both our color and black and white printer. It is not way more organized than it used to be. There is a spot to put extra copies and to put extra white paper that needs to go in the printer. \r\n\r\nThanks for always thinking of public school teachers. Its the little things that make a big difference!","fullyFundedDate":1730208758466,"projectUrl":"project/amazing-new-books-and-much-needed-printe/8901485/","projectTitle":"Amazing New books and Much Needed Printer Storage!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ewing","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5235051_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1522253704235","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/jackie-ewing"},{"teacherId":9784321,"projectId":8909609,"letterContent":"The cooking club is forever grateful for your generous donation! Since your donation of some much-needed appliances, the students have had the chance to practice new skills. Your generosity has helped foster a joy for cooking and sharing meals with friends. \r\n\r\nWe have used the convection ovens to bake cookies and pizzas! Students learned during our cookie-making session that not all recipes are created equal Our first attempt required some adjustments. This experience allowed students to see how chefs adjust recipes to their specific needs and the available tools. When we made pizzas, students learned that pizza crust isn't the only base on which a pizza can be made! \r\n\r\nIt's thrilling to envision the future of the cooking club and the new opportunities available thanks to you!","fullyFundedDate":1730934794740,"projectUrl":"project/things-are-heating-up-in-cooking-club/8909609/","projectTitle":"Things Are Heating Up in Cooking Club","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vandrevala","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9784321_orig.jpg?crop=2168,2168,x0,y260&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1730044392824","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9784321"},{"teacherId":9784321,"projectId":8840956,"letterContent":"Your donation brought new life into our reading library. Introducing new books into our classroom library presented amazing learning opportunities for all our students. Students were first allowed to open and explore our special deliveries! The room was filled with so much excitement at the possibilities of what each box could hold. Once all the books were out students spent some time getting familiar with the books. They categorized them by topics, book series, and graphic novels. At the beginning of the year, the students had sorted and labeled our classroom library. They determined where each new book would go and even decided we now had enough Spanish graphic novels to start a whole new bin! \r\n\r\nTwo very interesting things have happened since the books were introduced to our classroom library. The first is the amount of care students show these books. They show such a great level of appreciation and respect. Second, now that we have more Spanish books, students have found the English version either in our classroom library or at our school library. They like to read both and compare word selections. This has helped them build vocabulary as they work to bridge both languages. \r\n\r\nI'd also like to share the huge success some of our more reluctant readers have had finding books that interest them. Our copy of El Libro de Marvel and the Goosebumps series has forced us to create a waiting list! It's been such a great problem to have!","fullyFundedDate":1730208758169,"projectUrl":"project/hook-into-reading-through-high-interest/8840956/","projectTitle":"Hook into Reading through High-Interest Books!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vandrevala","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9784321_orig.jpg?crop=2168,2168,x0,y260&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1730044392824","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9784321"},{"teacherId":9819562,"projectId":8909429,"letterContent":"We are loving our new flexible seating table and pull-out drawers from your donation! The kids are so excited to have another accessible area in our classroom. Their initial reactions were a combination of surprised and excited. The flexible seating allows more overall space in the room because we are able to remove for student desks and chairs. The table being in the front provides the ability for students to be front and center in relation to where learning takes place.\r\n\r\nAt first, many students were hesitant to give up their desk for a table/drawer space, but now most everyone wants to give it a try! The pull out drawers being within reach helps with transitions and they also give a nice spot for our partner wheels.\r\n\r\nThe table space is assigned to four students, but when they are not using it, partners can have that location as an option to work. Groups have even gathered there during indoor recess time. It has been a wonderful addition to our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1730934794847,"projectUrl":"project/mr-doss-flexible-seating-project/8909429/","projectTitle":"Mr. Doss Flexible Seating Project","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Doss","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9819562"},{"teacherId":8016999,"projectId":8867646,"letterContent":"Our class is so grateful for your generous donation. I wish I could capture and share the faces of my students when I told them that our project had been funded. To say they were so incredibly overjoyed is an understatement! Once the swivel chairs were delivered and assembled, students immediately began using them as flexible seating for our high table. Along with the swivel chairs, we were finally able to shelve the books that didn´t have a home using the new bookshelf you funded for us! It was amazing to see our classroom filled with more book space. It created a more inviting learning space where students could easily find our classroom collection of books. After seeing the joy the swivel chairs brought to my students, I plan to create another project in order to provide more flexible seating! Thank you again for taking time to read all about our project, classroom, and for funding it. We are eternally grateful!","fullyFundedDate":1728521748731,"projectUrl":"project/bilingual-students-in-need-of-flexible-s/8867646/","projectTitle":"Bilingual Students in Need of Flexible Seating & Bookshelves!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mathe","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8016999"},{"teacherId":8425088,"projectId":8867915,"letterContent":"The students are loving our new classroom resources! They were so excited when the boxes for our new materials arrived. The kids immediately wanted to try out the new library furniture and loved the bright color of the couch in our classroom! It is located in our class library area, which has helped turn that area into the library lounge! Students have fun hanging out there and browsing the books. \r\n\r\nThe addition of new titles to our library has sparked interest in fantasy! This is an excellent genre for pushing 5th grade readers. It requires students to not only build an understanding of new characters, but to build the world of the story as they read! What an excellent challenge for developing readers! The Wings of Fire series and Harry Potter series are high interest books, and are written at different reading levels so they provide fantasy opportunities for a variety of readers! Thank you so much for making our library a more inviting and engaging space! This will benefit readers for years to come!","fullyFundedDate":1729308533321,"projectUrl":"project/library-lounge-for-fifth-grade-readers/8867915/","projectTitle":"Library Lounge for Fifth Grade Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Nagys","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8425088_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y386&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1659452583428","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8425088"},{"teacherId":8425088,"projectId":8867996,"letterContent":"The students are loving our new classroom resources! They were so excited when the boxes for our new materials arrived. In particular, the new set of whiteboards was a huge hit! Our old whiteboards were losing their functionality, and were chipped and worn out! These new clipboards have been amazing! The students have been using them in a variety of subjects, and they erase beautifully. The clip function also has replaced the need for a whole class set of clipboards as well and we were able to give our class set of clipboards to another class that needed them! Win-win!\r\n\r\nThe organizer units have been extremely useful for helping the flow of getting materials sorted and more easily accessible to the students. They are keeping transitions and class time running more smoothly. We really appreciate your generous donation! Thank you so much!","fullyFundedDate":1728521750998,"projectUrl":"project/student-supply-centers/8867996/","projectTitle":"Student Supply Centers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Nagys","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8425088_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y386&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1659452583428","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8425088"},{"teacherId":6744432,"projectId":8905454,"letterContent":"I can't thank you enough for your support in funding my classroom project, \"Soft Starts for Students.\" My students had a challenging start to the school year, with many changes, expectations, and emotions. Having the soft starts available for them to use as they walk in the door has been a game changer. They have a purpose when they walk in, a routine set, and opportunity to converse with fellow classmates during an appropriate time during the day. The favorite soft start, by far, are the puzzle cubes. Since I have a wide range of abilities in class, the 2x2 puzzle cube is a favorite, along with the hexagon puzzle cube. I love how the students help each other, giving hints/suggestions, and just encouraging each other. \r\n When the soft starts arrived, I laid them on the table for them to look at. They were so excited for the next morning when I had them ready to go. As stated earlier, the puzzle cubes were a favorite, but many also enjoyed the magnetic building sticks and Legos. There were (and still are) some very creative structures built out of these building materials. Some of my students do not get a chance to work with these puzzles/building materials at all. Giving them a chance to show creativity, converse with classmates, and settle in for a day of learning is most beneficial for everyone.\r\n Once again, my heartfelt thanks for your generosity. It is truly appreciated.","fullyFundedDate":1730934794801,"projectUrl":"project/soft-starts-for-students/8905454/","projectTitle":"Soft Starts for Students","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sheedy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6744432"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_28316","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":487,"numTeachers":33,"percentFrplEligible":45,"percentAsian":2,"percentBlack":2,"percentWhite":36,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":53,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"3 - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"14.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":81.2,"schoolId":28316,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Mechanics Grove Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Mechanics Grove Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/mundelein-elementary-school-district-75/mechanics-grove-elementary-school/28316"}