{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Mentone Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":29.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8932811,"projectId":9520059,"letterContent":"As a first-year 4th grade teacher, this project has made such a meaningful impact on both my students and me. These new books have opened the door to deeper reading skills—everything from identifying theme, analyzing character growth, and making inferences, to learning how to support their ideas with text evidence. Many of my students had never worked with books that challenged them and excited them at the same time, and it's been incredible watching them grow into more confident, thoughtful readers.\r\n\r\nReading has become one of the most joyful parts of our day. Students spread out around the room—some on the carpet, at their desk, and a few at our small-group table eagerly discussing plot twists or laughing at funny moments. We start our reading block with a mini lesson, and then students dive into these new texts during independent or partner reading. The room gets quiet, but it's that beautiful, engaged kind of quiet where you can almost feel the thinking happening.\r\n\r\nCertain students have especially blossomed because of these books. One of my reluctant readers now races to grab the same series each morning and proudly shares summaries with me. A few of my English learners have connected deeply with stories featuring characters who look like them or face similar challenges, and it's been empowering to see their confidence grow. These books didn't just fill our shelves—they filled our classroom with excitement, curiosity, and a love for reading I know will stay with my students far beyond this year. Thank you for making that possible.","fullyFundedDate":1755714009998,"projectUrl":"project/creative-learning-haven/9520059/","projectTitle":"Creative Learning Haven","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Workman (Reyes)","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8932811"},{"teacherId":10083828,"projectId":9492640,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, our classroom has been filled with so much new excitement around reading and learning. The books you helped provide have made a huge difference. With more variety on our shelves, students are practicing important skills like making inferences, identifying themes, and discussing characters in deeper ways. We recently finished Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a class read-aloud, and it quickly became one of the most talked about parts of our day.\r\n\r\nThe new books have also opened the door to genres many students hadn't explored before. Now I see kids lined up at the library corner asking for Goosebumps, Percy Jackson, and other series that have grabbed their attention. Even my struggling readers are choosing books more confidently. Our read aloud of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory inspired us to take things a step further. Before the winter break, students will work together on a STEM project where they build their own mini Willy Wonka factories using graham crackers and sweets. They are already buzzing with ideas.\r\n\r\nYour support has helped in more ways than just books. The classroom wheel, markers, and cleaning supplies have improved our learning environment. The wheel brings fun and motivation to activities, the markers get used daily for student work, and the cleaning supplies help keep our room comfortable and welcoming. Your generosity has had a real impact on our classroom, and we appreciate it every single day.","fullyFundedDate":1755714275041,"projectUrl":"project/books-markers-and-magic-fueling-our-c/9492640/","projectTitle":"Books, Markers, and Magic: Fueling Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Garcia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10083828"},{"teacherId":9816696,"projectId":9519740,"letterContent":"We were overwhelmed with joy and gratitude when we found out you had donated to our classroom. Words cannot express how thankful we are for your generosity.\r\n\r\nI opened the packages and held each book under the document camera so the kids could see them clearly. The students were so excited to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Cat Kid! These are popular graphic novels, and now our class finally has them for our readers. I could hear my students calling out which one they wanted to read first.\r\n\r\nA Series of Unfortunate Events collection was a replacement for an out-of-stock series I had originally chosen, but the reaction to this new set was even better than I expected. My readers were immediately drawn to the mysterious covers and wanted to know more about the Baudelaire orphans. They were full of questions and excitement, eager to start reading and uncover what happens next. Seeing their genuine interest reminded me how powerful the right books can be—how a good story can spark curiosity and a love of reading. My fourth graders who started this series can't put it down; the cliffhangers and the need to know keep them reading.\r\n\r\nSince receiving your generous donation, more students are reading and growing as readers. Their recent quarterly assessments showed real progress. This is proof that your support is making a difference.","fullyFundedDate":1755714072126,"projectUrl":"project/more-than-pictures-graphic-novels-that/9519740/","projectTitle":"More Than Pictures: Graphic Novels That Build Lifelong Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ramos","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9816696_orig.jpg?crop=306,306,x280,y234&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1762883212620","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9816696"},{"teacherId":9816696,"projectId":8978983,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for making our project Crafting Joy: A Bracelet-Making Journey of Giving possible for my fabulous fourth-graders. I couldn't believe it when DonorsChoose.org emailed to say they had funded my project! I have been imagining how these materials could motivate my students, especially those who see math as only numbers on paper. What an honor that you chose our project!\r\n\r\nDuring our morning class meeting, I announced that incredibly generous people donated money for our class project. Honestly, I had not disclosed the project's specifics beforehand to prevent students from being disappointed. They stared at me, puzzled. I explained the role of DonorsChoose.org, the supporters, and how I asked for bracelet-making supplies for hands-on math learning. The kids were excited that someone cared enough to buy fun learning supplies for them.\r\n\r\nThe first math challenge was calculating the number of beads each student could use for the bracelet. Jonathan is a math genius, so he determined he had to add up all the beads and divide by 32 (students). But then he quickly figured out that starting with one kit and dividing by 32 would provide the correct number (quotient). Other students quickly joined in and tried solving the problem with a partner. Even students who disliked math were curious and found a learning partner to work with. They were excited to see that math problems have real-world applications. I was excited to see they were taking charge of their learning. Students continued working and would periodically check in to see if they had completed the calculations correctly. My class collaborated, problem-solved, and used critical thinking to justify their answers.\r\n\r\nWe worked in groups of eight on our projects, so it took several days to complete. Next, students measured their wrists with a soft measuring tape and drew the measurement on paper. They meticulously drew the patterns for their bracelets, ensuring they had the correct number of beads. The kids also used the letter beads to include a positive word(s) -love, kind, joy, happy, peace, and the best. Matthew mentioned his mom was the best and wanted the reminder on her bracelet. Students kept asking me, \"Do we get to keep these?\" and \"Can we take these home?\" Their little eyes looked so hopeful and excited. My voice was soft as I reassured them they could take the project home. \r\n\r\nFinally, they assembled their masterpieces. Many students worked with intense focus, stringing each bead carefully and double-checking their patterns. A few even restarted their bracelets because they wanted them to be perfect for the person they were gifting. You could see their faces light up after they put the last beads in place and secured the clasps. Some students held their bracelets up high for their classmates to admire, while others quietly tucked them away, already imagining the smile on the face of the person receiving it. Kids commented, \"My grandma will love that I made this for her,\" and \"She'll love this!\"\r\n\r\nThese hands-on activities inspired their creativity and gave them a sense of ownership and pride. They discussed patterns, practiced fine motor skills, and even helped each other troubleshoot when beads did not fit quite right. The room was buzzing with laughter and joy. Your generosity did not just provide supplies—it sparked confidence, teamwork, and a love for learning. Thank you for making our classroom a place where students feel seen and valued.","fullyFundedDate":1736443336781,"projectUrl":"project/crafting-joy-a-bracelet-making-journey/8978983/","projectTitle":"Crafting Joy: A Bracelet-Making Journey of Giving","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ramos","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9816696_orig.jpg?crop=306,306,x280,y234&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1762883212620","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9816696"},{"teacherId":3110517,"projectId":8981834,"letterContent":"Thanks again for your kind donation to our school and students. Our students were so excited when they saw that we had new rocks and paint pens to use for our projects. Our Kindness Club students have already put the materials to good use creating our holiday gifts for our staff. First, each student designed on paper a holiday design that they wanted to put onto a rock. Then, once their design was complete, they put their masterpiece onto a rock. The next step will be delivering the rocks to our staff members to brighten their days for the upcoming holidays.\r\n\r\nWhen we return from Winter Break, the Kindness Club and Student Leadership will be back at work designing and creating rocks with kind messages and pictures to hide around our school as part of our Great Kindness Challenge week activities. This week long celebration will be held the last week of January. I cannot wait to see the designs they come up with and the smiles on the faces of all the students as they find the rocks. Thanks again for your donation!","fullyFundedDate":1733339983194,"projectUrl":"project/spreading-kindness-with-painted-rocks/8981834/","projectTitle":"Spreading Kindness With Painted Rocks","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Crandall","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3110517_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1470977530386","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3110517"},{"teacherId":3110517,"projectId":8596504,"letterContent":"I'm so grateful for your donations. My students have been so excited to see the new variety of snacks that we have available to them. We tried to select snacks that the kids would enjoy, but were still somewhat healthy. There are many times when the students do not like the school lunch, so they are pretty hungry, which makes it hard for them to focus. These snacks help take the edge off of their hunger so they can concentrate and work on their academics. \r\n\r\nIt was so much fun to see their faces when they saw the variety of snacks that we have now. There is something that most kids like. It's just not possible to keep snacks available if I'm funding them all by myself, so I greatly appreciate the help making this happen for my students.","fullyFundedDate":1732045911537,"projectUrl":"project/yummy-snacks-to-help-kids-learn/8596504/","projectTitle":"Yummy Snacks to Help Kids Learn","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Crandall","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3110517_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1470977530386","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3110517"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_39642","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":429,"numTeachers":21,"percentFrplEligible":89,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":2,"percentWhite":21,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":69,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"20.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":70.6,"schoolId":39642,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Mentone Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Mentone Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/redlands-unified-school-district/mentone-elementary-school/39642"}