{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Oak Park Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":58.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9572687,"projectId":9603319,"letterContent":"Generosity has truly transformed our classroom reading environment. The new books have become the centerpiece of our literacy time—students use them during small-group lessons, independent reading, and partner discussions. One of my favorite moments came during a character-study activity, when students chose books from the new collection and created \"character trading cards\" to share with the class. Their excitement, focus, and pride were wonderful to see. When they first saw the new materials, the room filled with joy—students eagerly gathered around the book bins, pointing out titles they recognized, discovering new ones, and immediately asking when they could start reading.\r\nWe're now building on that enthusiasm with a project focused on strengthening reading stamina and making deeper text connections. Students are using the donated books to create personal reading lists, prepare short book talks, and collaborate on multimedia recommendations for our classroom library. These next steps will help them grow as thoughtful, confident readers—and your support has made these opportunities possible. Thank you for bringing so much energy and inspiration into our classroom","fullyFundedDate":1755905365560,"projectUrl":"project/wild-world-of-reading/9603319/","projectTitle":"Wild World of Reading","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Byars","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9572687_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1718832399250","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9572687"},{"teacherId":9572687,"projectId":9530585,"letterContent":"I hope you are doing well. Words cannot express our gratitude for your generous donation of new art materials to our classroom. Your commitment to fostering creativity and supporting arts education has brought immense joy and inspiration to my students.\r\n\r\nThe moment we unveiled the boxes of fresh supplies was magical! There were gasps of delight and immediate excitement. The sight of all the vibrant, brand-new paints, brushes, and paper made their eyes light up. Many students, who had previously felt limited by our old, worn-out supplies, were suddenly brimming with enthusiasm and ideas. The first question I heard was, \"Can we start right now?\"—the energy was truly infectious. They felt incredibly special knowing that people cared enough to provide them with such wonderful resources.","fullyFundedDate":1754494036670,"projectUrl":"project/colors-chords-and-creativity/9530585/","projectTitle":"Colors, Chords and Creativity","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Byars","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9572687_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1718832399250","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9572687"},{"teacherId":4033726,"projectId":9649828,"letterContent":"I'm writing to thank you for your generous donations to our classroom. Our students are so grateful and have had a great impact from this project.The addition of the new classroom rug has made an immediate and profound impact on our daily routines. It instantly established a cozy, dedicated \"community area\" where students now gather for read-alouds, group discussions, and morning meetings. This soft space encourages focus, engagement, and collaboration, allowing students to feel safe, comfortable, and ready to learn. It's no longer just a floor—it's the heart of our classroom where community bonds are built.\r\n​Equally important are the healthy snacks you provided. In a high-energy classroom, it's inevitable that students sometimes arrive hungry or hit an afternoon slump. Having a consistent supply of snacks ensures that no child has to worry about an empty stomach affecting their concentration. A quick, healthy fuel-up means less distraction, more focus on tasks, and greater participation from all students. This simple act of stocking our pantry has removed a barrier to learning, allowing my students to be their best, most attentive selves every single day.\r\n\r\n​","fullyFundedDate":1758553509035,"projectUrl":"project/a-new-rug-for-us/9649828/","projectTitle":"A New Rug for Us!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ericka Pearson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4033726_orig.jpg?crop=540,540,x0,y145&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1756146006908","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4033726"},{"teacherId":9572687,"projectId":9270881,"letterContent":"My kindergarten students were so excited when they saw the new sand table! Their faces lit up with joy, and many of them ran over to explore it right away. Some started digging, others used the tools to scoop and pour, and a few worked together to build shapes and letters in the sand. It was an instant hit and quickly became a favorite center in our classroom.\r\nWe've been using the sand table during both play-based learning and small group activities. One special project involved hiding letter tiles in the sand and having students dig them out to spell simple words. It's been a fun and hands-on way to build fine motor skills and early literacy.\r\nNext, we'll use the sand table for science exploration—learning about textures, materials, and even introducing measurement with cups and spoons. Thank you for helping us bring more hands-on learning and joy into our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1746785259098,"projectUrl":"project/small-changes-for-little-people-with-big/9270881/","projectTitle":"Small Changes for Little People With Big Hearts!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Byars","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9572687_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1718832399250","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9572687"},{"teacherId":9572687,"projectId":9228092,"letterContent":"The new reading materials have brought so much excitement to our classroom! We've created a cozy \"reading corner\" where students can explore books during independent reading time. One favorite moment was when a group of students sat together and took turns \"reading\" a story using the pictures and sight words they recognized—true teamwork and joy!\r\nNext, we're focusing on building sight word fluency and reading simple sentences. The new books are perfect for practicing these skills while building a love for reading. Thanks to your support, our classroom is full of eager little readers!","fullyFundedDate":1746578702436,"projectUrl":"project/reading-on-the-rise/9228092/","projectTitle":"Reading on the Rise!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Byars","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9572687_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1718832399250","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9572687"},{"teacherId":9572687,"projectId":9026894,"letterContent":"When my students first saw the journals, there was a mix of surprise and pure joy. Some started flipping through the pages right away, while others carefully wrote their names on the covers with big smiles. It instantly made writing time feel special—like they were real authors with their own books. \r\nMy kindergarten students were so excited to receive their very own writing journals! We've been using them daily during our \"Writer's Workshop\" time. One special project we just completed was called \"All About Me.\" Each child created pages that included drawings and simple sentences about their families, favorite things, and dreams for the future. It was amazing to see how proud they were to write and illustrate their own stories!\r\nNext, we'll create \"How-To\" books, helping students learn to organize their ideas in steps. The journals are helping them grow as confident young writers. Thank you so much!","fullyFundedDate":1742913124656,"projectUrl":"project/little-writers-workshop/9026894/","projectTitle":"Little Writers Workshop!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Byars","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9572687_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1718832399250","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9572687"},{"teacherId":9585182,"projectId":8966600,"letterContent":"I would like to take this time to thank you for your generosity. My students have enjoyed having decodable books readily available in our classroom. I have seen a big increase in my students reading fluency as well as their reading comprehension, along with their vocabulary. This has also helped to increase their confidence in reading, while fostering a love for books. \r\nStudents have also enjoyed the bonding time they have with their parents as they confidently, read stories to their parents and siblings. \r\nThank you for giving my students the opportunity to become, READERS.","fullyFundedDate":1734099447784,"projectUrl":"project/building-readers/8966600/","projectTitle":"Building Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lindsey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9585182"},{"teacherId":9572687,"projectId":8760529,"letterContent":"Kindergarten is a big job for a little person. Donors Choose has helped bring excitement into our classroom. As an educator I want to make learning as fun as possible. Learning beginning sounds is a big deal in kindergarten. My scholars were over joyed when I opened our new classroom games! The beginning sounds game is one of their favorite centers. I plan to continue incorporating this in center time. My scholars also enjoyed their squishes. The squishes are the most popular things in the entire treasure box! I am so blessed to come across Donors Choose.","fullyFundedDate":1734099420372,"projectUrl":"project/ms-byars-best-and-brightest/8760529/","projectTitle":"Ms. Byars Best and Brightest","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Byars","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9572687_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1718832399250","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9572687"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_18486","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":409,"numTeachers":29,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":81,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":11,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 1","studentTeacherRatio":"14.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"TOWN","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":41.4,"schoolId":18486,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Oak Park Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Oak Park Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/mississippi/laurel-school-district/oak-park-magnet-school/18486"}