{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Mentone Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":30.7,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10083828,"projectId":10117579,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom by providing snacks for our students during state testing. Your generosity truly made a difference in helping my students stay focused and ready to do their best. During testing days, we used the snacks as \"brain food,\" giving students a quick boost when they needed it most.\r\n\r\nWhen the snacks first arrived, my students were excited and grateful. For some of them, having access to a snack during the school day is not always guaranteed, so this meant more than just food. It helped them feel supported and cared for. It created a sense of comfort and allowed them to focus on their work instead of feeling distracted by hunger.\r\n\r\nThank you again for making such a meaningful impact during an important time for my students.","fullyFundedDate":1777999125692,"projectUrl":"project/brain-food-for-busy-minds/10117579/","projectTitle":"Brain Food for Busy Minds","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":10165607,"letterContent":"One of the most engaging activities in our California history unit was a research project comparing the three major routes that brought people to California during the Gold Rush. After reading By the Great Horn Spoon!, my students became interested in the different journeys that thousands of fortune seekers undertook in search of opportunity and a better life.\r\n\r\nWorking collaboratively, students researched the Overland Trail, the Panama route, and the Cape Horn route. They examined the unique challenges, risks, travel times, and experiences associated with each path. Students then synthesized their learning by creating detailed one-pagers that combined historical facts, illustrations, maps, and written explanations. This project encouraged them to think critically, analyze information from multiple sources, and communicate their understanding in a creative and meaningful way.\r\n\r\nTo extend their learning, we also held a Pioneer Day Living History experience. Students participated in hands-on activities such as rope making, doll making, and butter churning to gain a deeper appreciation for the daily lives of early pioneers and settlers. These activities helped students better understand the hard work, resourcefulness, and perseverance required to live during the Gold Rush era. By combining literature, research, and hands-on experiences, students developed a richer understanding of California history and made lasting connections to the people and events they studied.\r\n\r\nI am truly grateful for your partnership and belief in my students. Together, we created lasting learning experiences and memories that my students will cherish for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1774755597456,"projectUrl":"project/prospecting-for-adventure-with-by-the-gr/10165607/","projectTitle":"Prospecting for Adventure with By the Great Hornspoon! Part 1","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":9918021,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous support of my students and our California history literature circles. Your gift has helped transform our study of California history from something students simply read about into something they could truly understand and experience.\r\n\r\nOne of the most powerful learning experiences came from reading *By the Great Horn Spoon!*. As students followed Jack and Praiseworthy's journey around Cape Horn to California during the Gold Rush, they became fascinated by the different routes people traveled in search of gold. Their curiosity led them to investigate all three major routes to California: the Overland Trail, the Panama route, and the Cape Horn route featured in the novel. Working collaboratively, students researched each route and created detailed one-pagers highlighting the challenges, dangers, and opportunities travelers encountered along the way. The book provided a meaningful context that helped students connect historical facts to the experiences of real people.\r\n\r\nOur learning extended beyond reading. During our Living History Pioneer Day, students participated in hands-on activities such as doll making, rope making, and butter churning. These experiences helped them better understand the daily lives of pioneers and settlers. Even our parent volunteers dressed up to help students fully immerse themselves in the experience. As they discussed the books in their literature circles, students made connections between the historical fiction they were reading, the nonfiction texts they explored, and the activities they experienced firsthand.\r\n\r\nBecause of your generosity, my students are developing a deeper understanding of California history while strengthening their reading, research, discussion, and critical-thinking skills. Most importantly, they are discovering that history is more than dates and events. It is the story of real people whose choices, challenges, and dreams helped shape the California we know today. \r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and helping make learning come alive.","fullyFundedDate":1764639510371,"projectUrl":"project/striking-gold-with-reading-california/9918021/","projectTitle":"Striking Gold With Reading & California History","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":8932811,"projectId":9945024,"letterContent":"These new books have helped create a classroom library with more variety and choice for my students. One of the biggest ways we encourage reading growth in our classroom is by allowing students to choose books that truly interest them, and these donations gave many students more opportunities to find stories they were excited about reading while working toward their AR goals.\r\n\r\nThrough these texts, students continue practicing important literacy skills such as comprehension, vocabulary development, summarizing, identifying themes, and making connections to characters and events. Having a wider range of books also helps students build reading stamina and confidence because they are able to find books at levels and topics that feel engaging and accessible to them.\r\n\r\nReading in our classroom looks active and student-driven. Students spend time independently reading, discussing books with classmates, and taking AR quizzes to track their understanding and progress. It has been wonderful to see students become more motivated to read because they now have more choices that match their interests.\r\n\r\nSeveral students who previously struggled to find books they enjoyed are now reading more consistently and meeting their AR goals with greater confidence. Some students gravitated toward adventure stories, while others were excited to find graphic novels, realistic fiction, or culturally relevant books that reflected their experiences. Giving students meaningful choices has made reading feel more enjoyable and rewarding for them.","fullyFundedDate":1771875591878,"projectUrl":"project/stories-that-celebrate-every-student/9945024/","projectTitle":"Stories That Celebrate Every Student","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Workman (Reyes)","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8932811"},{"teacherId":8932811,"projectId":9945021,"letterContent":"These new books have made a huge impact in our classroom! My students were able to read Island of the Blue Dolphins in their reading groups, and they became completely engaged in the story and its adventurous themes. Through these texts, students practiced important reading skills such as comprehension, identifying character traits, making predictions, summarizing, and analyzing how characters respond to challenges. They are currently working on their book reports, and it has been exciting to see them thoughtfully discuss the story and share their opinions with one another.\r\n\r\nReading in our classroom looks collaborative and student-centered. Students meet in small reading groups, discuss chapters together, ask questions, and make connections between the text and their own experiences. We also spend time independently reading and taking AR quizzes to build both confidence and accountability as readers. It has been wonderful watching students become more excited about reading and eager to talk about books with their classmates.\r\n\r\nOne especially meaningful impact came from the Spanish books that were donated. One of my Spanish-speaking students became much more confident because she was able to read books in her native language and better understand the stories independently. These books encouraged her to take more AR quizzes and participate more during reading time. Seeing students feel successful and excited about reading has been the best part of this experience.","fullyFundedDate":1771875591655,"projectUrl":"project/set-sail-with-us-into-a-new-novel-study/9945021/","projectTitle":"Set Sail With Us Into a New Novel Study","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Workman (Reyes)","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8932811"},{"teacherId":10156020,"projectId":10054208,"letterContent":"This project has already made a meaningful impact on my students by creating a more engaging, collaborative, and supportive learning environment. The board games and STEM activities have encouraged students to work together, problem-solve, and think critically while building important social and academic skills. Many students who are typically hesitant to participate have become more confident and excited about learning through these hands-on opportunities. The materials have also helped foster creativity, teamwork, and perseverance in a fun and meaningful way.\r\n\r\nThe new classroom books and ELA and math anchor charts have strengthened daily instruction by giving students accessible resources they can use independently throughout the school day. Students are more motivated to read, participate in discussions, and apply strategies during lessons because they now have visual supports and engaging texts that meet their learning needs. These resources have helped create a classroom environment where students feel supported, capable, and eager to learn. Thanks to the generosity of donors, my students now have tools that will continue to positively impact their academic growth and confidence for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1771875591933,"projectUrl":"project/building-thinkers-readers-and-problem/10054208/","projectTitle":"Building Thinkers, Readers, and Problem Solvers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fisher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10156020"},{"teacherId":8932811,"projectId":9945013,"letterContent":"The new books have made a huge impact in our classroom! Many of my students were especially excited to read series like Dork Diaries and Captain Underpants. Having high-interest books available has helped students become much more motivated and enthusiastic about reading every day.\r\n\r\nThese books have also supported important reading skills in our classroom. Students are practicing identifying themes, summarizing chapters and stories, and completing book reports using details from the texts. Because we now have more than one copy of popular books, students often create friendly reading challenges with one another to see who can finish first or earn the most AR points. This has created a positive and exciting reading environment.\r\n\r\nThe books have also been especially helpful for my lower readers. Some students who were hesitant to read chapter books before are now feeling more confident and willing to challenge themselves with longer texts. Many students have been able to successfully meet their AR goals, and I've seen growth in both their reading stamina and comprehension skills. Reading in our classroom has become something students genuinely look forward to each day, and that excitement has made a meaningful difference in their learning.","fullyFundedDate":1771875591976,"projectUrl":"project/books-to-grow-our-minds/9945013/","projectTitle":"Books to Grow Our Minds","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":9935733,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and providing books like The Wild Robot, additional titles to grow our classroom library, and reward items like stickers, mosaic sticker art, and Rubik's cubes. Because of you, my students have had more opportunities to engage with reading in meaningful and motivating ways. We used The Wild Robot as part of a class reading experience, where students completed a project after finishing the book, allowing them to show their understanding and creativity.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, my students were excited, especially about the new books and rewards. They were eager to start reading and immediately asked about the prizes and how they could earn them. The added book choices helped students find texts they were actually interested in, while the stickers and prizes created an extra layer of motivation. I've seen students more focused during reading time and more driven to meet their AR goals.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward, we will continue expanding our reading habits and using these materials to keep students motivated and engaged. Students are setting goals, tracking their progress, and working toward rewards while building stronger reading skills. Thank you again for supporting both the academic and motivational needs of my students, it has made a difference in our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1771875592010,"projectUrl":"project/leveling-up-learning-with-books-and-rewa/9935733/","projectTitle":"Leveling Up Learning With Books and Rewards","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Garcia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10083828"},{"teacherId":10083828,"projectId":9944969,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and helping us expand our library with books like I Survived, Goosebumps, Magic Tree House, and Percy Jackson. Because of you, my students now have access to a wider variety of books that truly match their interests. We've been using these books during independent reading time, and it's made a big difference in keeping students engaged and excited to read.\r\n\r\nWhen the books first arrived, my students were immediately excited. Many of them recognized the titles and couldn't wait to start reading. It was great to see students eager to pick up a book and stay focused during reading time. Since adding these to our classroom library, I've noticed a strong increase in reading interest, with more students staying on task and working toward meeting their AR goals.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward, we will continue using these books to build reading stamina and confidence. Students are setting personal reading goals and taking more ownership of their progress. Thank you again for helping grow our classroom library and for supporting my students in becoming stronger, more motivated readers.","fullyFundedDate":1771875591606,"projectUrl":"project/more-books-more-choice-more-readers/9944969/","projectTitle":"More Books, More Choice, More Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Garcia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10083828"},{"teacherId":10083828,"projectId":10099852,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and helping us add the I Survived book series to our library. Your generosity has made a real difference in building a stronger reading environment for my students.\r\n\r\nWe've been using these books during independent reading time, and they've quickly become some of the most popular choices in our classroom. Having these new books has helped expand our classroom library and given students more options that truly interest them. One moment that stood out was seeing students who usually struggle to stay focused during reading time completely engaged with their books.\r\n\r\nWhen the books first arrived, my students were excited right away. Many of them recognized the series and were eager to start reading immediately. It created a lot of positive energy around reading, and students were proud to have new books available to them. Because of your support, I've seen an increase in students' interest in reading. More students are staying engaged during reading time, and many have been working hard to meet their AR goals. Having access to books they actually want to read has made a big difference.","fullyFundedDate":1771875591180,"projectUrl":"project/cant-stop-reading-i-survived/10099852/","projectTitle":"Can't Stop Reading \"I Survived\"","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Garcia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10083828"},{"teacherId":10083828,"projectId":10099874,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom. Because of you, my students now have essential materials like pencils, whiteboards, and testing desk dividers that we truly needed, especially during this testing season.\r\n\r\nWe've already been using everything in our daily review. The whiteboards have been a huge help because every student gets involved instead of just a few raising their hands. One moment that stood out was during a math review where all students were showing their answers at the same time (it made it easy to check for understanding and help them right away). The desk dividers have also helped create a more focused space, giving students the environment they need to do their best during testing.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, my students were excited right away. Even the pencils got a reaction, they were ready to use everything immediately. As we move forward, we're continuing to use these materials to prepare for our state tests and build confidence. We'll be working in small groups, reviewing key skills, and making sure every student feels ready to finish the year strong.","fullyFundedDate":1771875591538,"projectUrl":"project/supplies-for-success/10099874/","projectTitle":"Supplies for Success","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":10114684,"letterContent":"Your generous funding has had a meaningful and lasting impact on my students through our school garden club, transforming what began as a small, self-funded effort into a thriving, hands-on learning experience. This support has allowed us to show students that gardening is not only accessible but something they can connect to their everyday lives. One of the most powerful examples has been demonstrating that you can grow potatoes from the same ones you buy at the grocery store. This simple yet eye-opening experience helps students understand that food doesn't just come from a store; it can be grown, nurtured, and sustained through their own efforts.\r\n\r\nBefore receiving this funding, our club relied on limited, self-funded resources. While student interest was strong, we did not have the materials needed to fully engage them in consistent, meaningful gardening experiences. With the addition of essential gardening tools, a variety of seeds, and durable planter bags, students are now able to actively participate in every stage of the growing process.\r\n\r\nThe gardening tools have allowed students to safely and effectively take part in planting, digging, and maintaining the garden. Having access to proper equipment has created a sense of responsibility and ownership, encouraging students to take pride in their work and care for their shared space. The seeds provided have sparked curiosity and excitement, as students explore different plant types and learn about seasonal growing cycles. Watching their plants grow from seed to harvest has deepened their understanding of science concepts such as life cycles, ecosystems, and sustainability.\r\n\r\nThe planter bags have been especially impactful in expanding what our club can accomplish. They help show students that it is possible to grow a variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers even in small spaces, making gardening feel accessible and achievable in their own homes. The portability of the planter bags also allows us to adjust our layout as needed, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to actively participate and engage in the gardening process.\r\n\r\nBeyond academic learning, the garden club has also supported students' social-emotional growth. Working together in the garden encourages teamwork, patience, and perseverance. Students collaborate, problem-solve, and celebrate successes together, from the first signs of sprouting to harvesting what they have grown. The garden has become a calm, positive space where students feel connected, capable, and proud of their accomplishments.\r\n\r\nOverall, your partnership has strengthened and expanded a small, self-funded club into a meaningful program that enriches our school community. The tools, seeds, and planter bags have supported not only academic growth but also a deeper connection to nature, responsibility, and collaboration. This experience has made a lasting impression on my students, and we are incredibly grateful for the support that made it possible.","fullyFundedDate":1774211722295,"projectUrl":"project/where-learning-grows-outdoors/10114684/","projectTitle":"Where Learning Grows Outdoors","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"}],"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","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":4,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"20.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":69.3,"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"}