{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Ray Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":36.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2860712,"projectId":9580612,"letterContent":"I just wanted to say a big thank you for supporting our grant—it really means so much to us!\r\n\r\nOur dollhouse is such a favorite in the classroom, and last year the kids absolutely loved it. It was one of those spots that was always full, with children creating little families, acting out stories, and working through their ideas together. It got *a lot* of love... so much so that quite a few pieces ended up broken or missing over time. Being able to refresh it is going to make such a difference.\r\n\r\nDramatic play is such a special part of our day. It gives the kids a space to explore their world, try out different roles, and connect with each other in really meaningful ways. I love watching the stories they come up with and how they support each other in their play.\r\n\r\nWe're also really excited about the Folkmanis puppets. They're going to be such a great addition—not just for play, but also for helping kids talk through feelings, solve problems, and rebuild friendships when things get tricky.\r\n\r\nYour support truly makes a difference in our classroom every single day. Thank you for helping us create a space where kids can learn, grow, and just be kids.","fullyFundedDate":1755740535887,"projectUrl":"project/lets-get-dramatic/9580612/","projectTitle":"Let's Get Dramatic!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Heather","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2860712_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1600130562674","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-heatherhall"},{"teacherId":2860712,"projectId":9736062,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for fulfilling and supporting my request for sensory tools, crafting materials, and puzzles for my preschool classroom. Your generosity has made a meaningful difference in the daily experiences of my 20 students, each of whom brings unique strengths and needs to our learning environment.\r\n\r\nWith your support, I have been able to better tailor our classroom to meet those individual needs. The sensory tools, such as stretchy bands and liquid timers, have already proven valuable in helping students stay focused and engaged. The addition of books featuring familiar and beloved characters has sparked new interest in reading, especially for students who were previously hesitant to participate in group literacy activities.\r\n\r\nItems like the headphones and weighted vest have also been incredibly helpful in supporting students who experience overstimulation, allowing them to regulate and rejoin classroom activities more successfully. These resources have helped create a more inclusive, responsive, and nurturing learning space for every child.\r\n\r\nI am deeply grateful for your commitment to supporting early childhood education and for recognizing the importance of meeting students where they are. Thank you for helping my classroom become a place where all children can thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1767027819485,"projectUrl":"project/unique-learning-for-unique-kids/9736062/","projectTitle":"Unique Learning for Unique Kids","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Heather","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2860712_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1600130562674","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-heatherhall"},{"teacherId":1403106,"projectId":10141754,"letterContent":"The students in my room are obsessed with our new books. So much so, that all the other books in our library are now beginning to collect dust. \r\nWith these new texts, my students are learning foundational skills such as identifying letters and sounds, building vocabulary, understanding story structure (beginning, middle, and end), and making predictions and connections. We also focus on comprehension strategies like asking and answering questions, retelling stories, and recognizing characters' feelings. In my classroom, reading is interactive and engaging, students gather for read-alouds where they turn and talk, act out parts of the story, and share their ideas, and they also explore books independently or in small groups. Several students who were previously hesitant are now especially excited about reading; they eagerly choose books, point out familiar words, and even retell stories to their classmates. It has been incredibly rewarding to see their confidence and enthusiasm for reading grow each day.","fullyFundedDate":1773841678617,"projectUrl":"project/reading-adventures/10141754/","projectTitle":"Reading Adventures","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Horgan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1403106_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1569255744695","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1403106"},{"teacherId":2860712,"projectId":9551953,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity. iPads in our classroom helped us better document and support student learning. Teachers were able to quickly take photos of student work and record anecdotal notes during activities, capturing authentic learning moments as they happened. These images and notes provided meaningful evidence to support student assessments in Teaching Strategies GOLD, helping us accurately identify the skill bands children were performing in and plan instruction to meet their needs.\r\n\r\nThe photos also helped us communicate learning with families through our classroom blog. Parents were able to see real examples of their children exploring, creating, and problem-solving in the classroom. iPads allowed us to showcase genuine learning experiences while strengthening our connection with families and supporting each child's growth.","fullyFundedDate":1758420641054,"projectUrl":"project/powerful-pictures/9551953/","projectTitle":"Powerful Pictures","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Heather","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2860712_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1600130562674","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-heatherhall"},{"teacherId":2860712,"projectId":9202226,"letterContent":"Thank you for donating to our classroom. It is a great joy to be able to offer my students the materials they need to make learning exciting and doable.\r\n\r\nThe materials that you purchased for our classroom helped us to have what we needed for the remainder of the year and gave us a great many materials to start the new year with.\r\n\r\nThis year the children are fascinated with making new creations with old stuff. We read a book called \"Magic Trash\" and the children have been busing making in the \"Creation Station.\" As you can imagine glue sticks and markers need a constant refresh with all the use and lost caps... thanks for making this all possible.","fullyFundedDate":1742925260120,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-refresh/9202226/","projectTitle":"Classroom Refresh","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Heather","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2860712_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1600130562674","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-heatherhall"},{"teacherId":4459654,"projectId":9903894,"letterContent":"Thank you again from the third graders at Ray Elementary. We spent two weeks studying owls (Did you know they can rotate their heads 270 degrees?) to prepare for our owl pellet dissection. Each student spent two science class periods dissecting their pellets, finding feathers, fur, skulls, jaws, pelvic bones, and vertebrae. We even sent them home with the bones to no doubt gross out their families. They learned a ton and had a blast doing it. So thank you for contributing to an experience that they'll always remember.","fullyFundedDate":1763501833181,"projectUrl":"project/hoot-hoot/9903894/","projectTitle":"Hoot! Hoot!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Honson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4459654_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1533877599530","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/honson"},{"teacherId":4735865,"projectId":9591583,"letterContent":"We really appreciate the outdoor storage unit. Having a dedicated unit to store the various toys and equipment has allowed us spend more time exploring outdoors. We store balls, hula hoops, jump ropes, as well as magnifying glasses, bug observation kits, and large parachutes in the spacious storage unit. \r\n\r\nWe also enjoy using our new circle time carpet. We spend a good chunk of time on the carpet. It is clean and has lots of room for us to dance, sing, play musical instruments, read books, and complete large floor puzzles. We also love our new glider, which allows both adults and children to use it while exploring books, leading music, and sharing during our weekly show-and-tell. \r\n\r\nWe also love using poster board for large easel paintings and small-group literacy projects. Children use the boards to work together, displaying drawings and descriptions of the books we explore and want to share with others.","fullyFundedDate":1755734211157,"projectUrl":"project/gathering-exploring-and-building-class/9591583/","projectTitle":"Gathering, Exploring, and Building Classroom Community!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Smith","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4735865_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1504052684551","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-bethanie"},{"teacherId":4459654,"projectId":9465288,"letterContent":"Thanks again for your generous contribution, which allowed us to purchase a photo and document scanner for my third grade classroom. The third graders in my classroom have been hard at work writing and drawing, creating a digital time capsule that they'll be able to look back on for years to come. We are also planning on collaborating with a local library to discover other ways to enhance our time capsules! We wouldn't have been able to secure the scanner without your incredible generosity, so thanks again!","fullyFundedDate":1752859226829,"projectUrl":"project/creating-a-digital-time-capsule/9465288/","projectTitle":"Creating a Digital Time Capsule","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Honson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4459654_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1533877599530","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/honson"},{"teacherId":4735865,"projectId":6247353,"letterContent":"My students thoroughly enjoyed using the various outdoor equipment. The kids enjoyed using the tricycles and the ramps both indoors and outdoors. They used the signs to \"direct traffic\" and stay safe while using the tricycles. Children explored various surfaces and heights when using the ramps. They learned about motion, force, push, and pull, and persevered to get objects to move on the ramps. \r\n\r\nBoth the tricycles and ramps provide hours of exploration and healthy body movements. Children were able to use their bodies to propel objects using large muscles as well as precise fine motor movements on the ramps.","fullyFundedDate":1649356136693,"projectUrl":"project/exploring-the-great-outdoors/6247353/","projectTitle":"Exploring the Great Outdoors!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Smith","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4735865_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1504052684551","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-bethanie"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5278","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":593,"numTeachers":40,"percentFrplEligible":59,"percentAsian":5,"percentBlack":60,"percentWhite":12,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":17,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"14.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":63.6,"schoolId":5278,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Ray Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Ray Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/ray-elementary-school/5278"}