{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Pittsburgh Phillips Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":37.2,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":1471810,"projectId":10232639,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project, \"Building on Success: Expanding Our Math Task System\"! Your generosity has allowed me to expand our classroom's hands-on math system with a complete set of Grade 3 task cards. After carefully cutting and laminating the cards, I was excited to see just how many meaningful math activities were included. The new materials are now becoming part of our classroom math shelf, where students can access them for independent practice and targeted skill work.\r\n\r\nMy students are especially excited to have new challenges available as they build on the foundational skills they have been practicing with our Grade 1 and Grade 2 materials. The Grade 3 tasks will allow students who are ready to move forward to practice skills such as multiplication, division, and problem solving while still working within the structured routine they have become comfortable with. I love that I can give different students appropriately challenging work without everyone having to complete the same assignment.\r\n\r\nThis project has also shown me just how valuable this system can be for our classroom. Once all of the Grade 3 cards were laminated and organized, I realized that I need additional wooden task card boxes to give all of these wonderful materials a home! My next step is to continue organizing the collection so that every set is easy for students to find, use, and return independently. Thank you for helping me build a math resource that my students will be able to use again and again as they grow in confidence, independence, and mathematical understanding.","fullyFundedDate":1778524295719,"projectUrl":"project/building-on-success-expanding-our-math/10232639/","projectTitle":"Building on Success: Expanding Our Math Task System","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salzmann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-salzmann"},{"teacherId":1471810,"projectId":10231148,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project, \"Building Independent Mathematicians with Hands-On Task Cards\"! Your generosity has helped me create a new, organized system of independent math practice for my students. The task cards have been carefully cut and laminated and are now organized on our classroom shelf so students can easily access them during independent work time.\r\n\r\nMy students were excited to see the new materials and especially enjoyed having math tasks that felt manageable and hands-on rather than being presented with an entire worksheet at once. The task cards allow me to meet students where they are academically while giving them opportunities to practice important skills independently. Students can choose or be assigned tasks at their instructional level, solve the problems, and record their thinking in their math journals. This has helped make independent math practice feel more purposeful and achievable.\r\n\r\nThe next step is to continue building students' independence and confidence as mathematicians. As they become comfortable with the Grade 1 and Grade 2 materials, I will be able to introduce additional levels and skills so students can progress through the materials at their own pace. These resources will be used again and again with my students, creating a lasting part of our classroom math environment. Thank you for helping me give my students meaningful opportunities to practice, persevere, and experience success in mathematics!","fullyFundedDate":1778165692907,"projectUrl":"project/building-independent-mathematicians-with/10231148/","projectTitle":"Building Independent Mathematicians with Hands-On Task Cards","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salzmann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-salzmann"},{"teacherId":1471810,"projectId":10191962,"letterContent":"Our new sensory jellyfish lamp has brought an important part of our calming space back to life! Our previous lamp was accidentally broken during a moment when a student was struggling to regulate, so my students were especially excited when we were able to replace it. The gentle movement and changing colors of the new lamp create a peaceful atmosphere in our calming space and give students a familiar sensory tool they can use when they need a quiet moment to reset.\r\n\r\nIt has been wonderful to see how naturally our students have welcomed the new lamp. Our calming space is an important part of our classroom, and having the jellyfish lamp back makes the space feel complete and inviting again. We will continue helping students recognize when they need a break, use the calming space appropriately, and develop strategies that help them return to learning feeling ready and regulated. Thank you for helping us restore this special part of our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1777996308064,"projectUrl":"project/restoring-calm-a-sensory-jellyfish-lamp/10191962/","projectTitle":"Restoring Calm: A Sensory Jellyfish Lamp for Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salzmann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-salzmann"},{"teacherId":1471810,"projectId":9967223,"letterContent":"Thank you for helping make math practice more accessible, engaging, and rewarding for my students! The XtraMath license gives my students a consistent way to practice their math facts and build the fluency they need to be more confident and successful in their daily math work. The new chargers have also made a big difference because our students can keep their laptops powered and ready to learn instead of losing valuable practice time because of low batteries.\r\n\r\nThe most exciting part for my students has been seeing their hard work recognized. The trophies and brag tags have turned math fact practice into something they are proud of, and students are excited to \"level up\" and celebrate their progress. I already have students who are eager to show me when they reach a new level, and we are building a classroom culture around effort, growth, and perseverance—not just getting the highest score. Seeing students who may be hesitant about math become excited to practice and celebrate their own progress has been especially meaningful.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has given my students more than technology and incentives—it has given them opportunities to experience success, see their growth, and feel proud of themselves as mathematicians. Thank you for investing in their learning and helping us power up and level up in math!","fullyFundedDate":1776946511785,"projectUrl":"project/charging-up-our-math-skills/9967223/","projectTitle":"Charging Up Our Math Skills","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salzmann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-salzmann"},{"teacherId":6662367,"projectId":10161217,"letterContent":"The addition of these Let's Find Out Scholastic newspapers has put amazing and engaging non-fiction materials in my kindergarteners hands! During Science class, Social Studies class, and English Language Arts class, these magazines have enhanced our learning. The magazines also have a easily accessible online component that gives the class the opportunity to watch engaging videos, have fun, move and dance, and play interactive games. This resource is greatly appreciated and used many times per week! Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1774113798232,"projectUrl":"project/lets-find-out/10161217/","projectTitle":"Let's Find Out!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Castillo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6662367_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724344724972","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6662367"},{"teacherId":1471810,"projectId":10233220,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project, \"Stitching Together Skills: A STEAM Sewing Project.\" Your generosity has given my students the opportunity to engage in a hands-on learning experience that combines creativity, problem-solving, and practical life skills.\r\n\r\nWhen the sewing materials arrived, my students were immediately excited by the colorful felt, embroidery thread, stuffing, and sewing supplies. Many of them had never sewn before and were eager to learn. We began by discussing sewing safety, identifying the materials, and practicing basic sewing techniques. Students were especially motivated by the idea of creating their own plush Pop-Tarts, inspired by the emotional support plushies they had seen in our classroom. Even students who are often hesitant to participate in new activities were excited to choose colors and begin planning their designs.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward, students will continue developing their sewing skills while learning important lessons in perseverance, attention to detail, and following multi-step directions. They will design, assemble, and sew their own plush creations from start to finish, building confidence and independence along the way. This project has already generated so much enthusiasm, and I know the skills they are learning will extend far beyond this activity. Thank you for making these meaningful learning opportunities possible for my students.","fullyFundedDate":1778525264139,"projectUrl":"project/stitching-together-skills-a-steam-sewin/10233220/","projectTitle":"Stitching Together Skills: A STEAM Sewing Project","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salzmann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-salzmann"},{"teacherId":1471810,"projectId":10035085,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting our \"Building Thinkers: Math Discussion and Problem Solving in Our Classroom\" project. Because of your generosity, my students are experiencing math in a completely different way. Instead of quietly working through worksheets, they are collaborating with classmates, discussing strategies, and solving challenging problems together at our vertical whiteboards.\r\n\r\nThe professional resources from this project have helped me introduce rich thinking tasks and guide meaningful math conversations. Students are learning important skills such as explaining their reasoning, listening to the ideas of others, asking questions, and revising their thinking when they discover a new strategy. One of our favorite routines has become \"Thinking Thursday,\" when students work in groups on open-ended math tasks. The dry-erase markers and simple sock erasers allow students to quickly test ideas, make changes, and try again without worrying about making mistakes.\r\n\r\nMy students receive special education services and often enter the classroom feeling unsure of themselves as mathematicians. Through these collaborative problem-solving experiences, I have watched students become more confident and willing to share their ideas. Students who once waited for an adult to tell them what to do are now discussing strategies with classmates and proudly explaining their thinking. Your donation has helped create a classroom where perseverance, curiosity, and mathematical thinking are celebrated every day. Thank you for investing in my students and helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.","fullyFundedDate":1773838052506,"projectUrl":"project/building-thinkers-math-discussion-and-p/10035085/","projectTitle":"Building Thinkers: Math Discussion and Problem Solving in Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salzmann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-salzmann"},{"teacherId":1471810,"projectId":10009706,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom through this project. My students were incredibly excited when the sensory and calming tools arrived. As we unpacked each item, students eagerly explored the sensory bottles, fidget tubes, putty, maze boards, and motion bubbler. Several students immediately gravitated toward the calming tools and asked if they could use them in our calm-down corner. The emotional support plushies quickly became favorites, providing comfort and helping students talk about their feelings in a way that felt safe and engaging.\r\n\r\nSince receiving these materials, we have incorporated them into our daily routines. Students use the sensory tools during regulation breaks, check-ins, and whenever they need support managing big emotions. One particularly meaningful moment occurred when a student who often struggles with frustration independently chose a mindful maze board and sensory bottle instead of becoming upset and leaving the learning area. After spending a few minutes using the tools, the student was able to return to the group and complete the activity successfully. Moments like these show how important it is for students to have access to supports that help them regulate their emotions and build independence.\r\n\r\nThese resources will continue to play an important role in our classroom as students learn and practice emotional regulation skills throughout the year. Our next steps include helping students identify which tools work best for them and teaching them to independently select appropriate coping strategies when challenges arise. Your generosity has helped create a classroom environment where students feel supported, understood, and empowered to be successful learners. Thank you for making a meaningful difference in the lives of our students.","fullyFundedDate":1773614223902,"projectUrl":"project/calm-hands-focused-minds-sensory-tools/10009706/","projectTitle":"Calm Hands, Focused Minds: Sensory Tools for Emotional Regulation","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salzmann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-salzmann"},{"teacherId":1471810,"projectId":10075122,"letterContent":"Our students were incredibly excited to receive the materials for our sensory kit community service project. As we unpacked the items, students were eager to explore the sensory tools, stuffed animals, fidgets, and calming materials that would eventually help others during emergency situations. We used the materials to organize an assembly-line style work system where students sorted, counted, packed, and assembled the kits together. This provided meaningful opportunities to practice teamwork, following directions, communication, and responsibility while participating in a real-world service project.\r\n\r\nOne of the most memorable moments was delivering the completed kits to our local fire station. Students were proud to explain the purpose of the kits and learn how firefighters may use them to support individuals with sensory needs during stressful situations. The firefighters also gave students an opportunity to explore the fire trucks and even use the fire hose, which made the experience even more meaningful and exciting.\r\n\r\nThis project has inspired our students to think more deeply about ways they can positively impact their community. Moving forward, we hope to continue incorporating hands-on service learning opportunities that help students build life skills, confidence, and community connections while applying teamwork and problem-solving skills in meaningful ways.","fullyFundedDate":1770323665029,"projectUrl":"project/calm-in-the-chaos-student-made-sensory/10075122/","projectTitle":"Calm in the Chaos: Student-Made Sensory Kits for First Responders","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salzmann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-salzmann"},{"teacherId":3117214,"projectId":7606047,"letterContent":"Since receiving our new magnetic whiteboard and materials, they have quickly become a central part of our daily learning. One of our favorite classroom moments so far has been during math workshop, where students used magnetic manipulatives to solve multi-step problems right on the board. Instead of working only on paper, they were able to physically move pieces, test different strategies, and explain their thinking to the class. It turned problem-solving into a collaborative and highly engaging experience.\r\nWhen the students first saw the new materials, their excitement was immediate and contagious. There were gasps, big smiles, and so many questions about when they could start using everything. The marble run, in particular, sparked a lot of curiosity. During our first center time, students eagerly began designing their own runs, working together to figure out how to make the marbles travel farther and faster. It was amazing to watch them naturally step into roles as engineers, testing ideas and learning from trial and error.\r\nLooking ahead, we are continuing to build on this excitement. In math, students will begin creating and solving their own problems using the magnetic tools, then presenting their strategies to the class. With the marble run, we are starting a small engineering challenge where students will design a run with specific goals, such as including a certain number of turns or reaching a target distance. These next steps will help deepen their critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity while making learning even more meaningful.\r\nThank you for giving our classroom these opportunities, your support is truly making a difference.","fullyFundedDate":1691585102438,"projectUrl":"project/magnetic-first-graders-need-magnetic-man/7606047/","projectTitle":"Magnetic First Graders Need Magnetic Manipulatives!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ott","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3117214_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1465941396172","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/melissa-ott"},{"teacherId":3117214,"projectId":9474234,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our new rainbow-shaped table has truly transformed our small group time in first grade. The curved design naturally brings students closer together, making it easier for everyone to see, hear, and participate. Instead of feeling spread out, students are now more connected, both to each other and to their learning.\r\n\r\nWe've noticed a big increase in engagement and collaboration. The inviting shape and bright colors make the space feel special, and students are excited to gather there for reading, math, and guided activities. It has also allowed me to better support each child, as I can easily interact with everyone at once and provide more individualized attention.\r\n\r\nThis table has become more than just a piece of furniture. It is a place where confidence grows, conversations flourish, and learning feels joyful. We are so grateful for your contribution in creating such a positive and impactful learning environment for our students.","fullyFundedDate":1753212959940,"projectUrl":"project/targeted-teaching-at-the-rainbow-table/9474234/","projectTitle":"Targeted Teaching at the Rainbow Table!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ott","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3117214_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1465941396172","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/melissa-ott"},{"teacherId":3273051,"projectId":9943549,"letterContent":"Our new class set of The Wild Robot has opened the door to so many meaningful learning opportunities for our students. Through this text, students are building essential reading skills such as character development, theme analysis, vocabulary in context, and making inferences about how characters change over time. The story also naturally supports lessons in empathy, problem-solving, and understanding different perspectives, which are critical both academically and socially.\r\n\r\nReading in our classroom is an active and engaging experience. Students participate in read-alouds, partner discussions, and small group conversations where they ask questions, share ideas, and make connections to their own lives. You'll see students annotating key moments, tracking character growth, and having thoughtful conversations about big ideas like belonging, survival, and kindness.\r\n\r\nSeveral students have especially connected with this book. Some of my more reluctant readers are fully engaged, eager to find out what happens next and proudly participating in discussions. Others who love animals and adventure are deeply invested in Roz's journey, often making personal connections and predictions. It's been incredibly rewarding to watch students who typically struggle with reading become excited, confident, and curious learners because of this story.\r\n\r\nYour support is helping turn reading into a meaningful, shared experience for every student in our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1767803003642,"projectUrl":"project/exploring-nature-with-the-wild-robot/9943549/","projectTitle":"Exploring Nature With the Wild Robot","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fisher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3273051_orig.png?crop=367,367,x10,y30&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1677522120711","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3273051"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_88705","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":233,"numTeachers":19,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":44,"percentWhite":32,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":7,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":14,"gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"12.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":62.8,"schoolId":88705,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Pittsburgh Phillips Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Pittsburgh Phillips Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/pennsylvania/pittsburgh-public-schools/pittsburgh-phillips-elementary-school/88705"}