{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Sherman Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":35.1,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10429300,"projectId":10084913,"letterContent":"How are you and your students using the new resources? Share a specific classroom project or moment.\r\n\r\nThe resources have become part of our daily classroom routines, especially during independent work and assessment preparation. Every student now has access to a privacy folder, allowing them to work with fewer distractions and greater focus. We also use the color anchor charts during lessons and review to reinforce strategies and key concepts, giving students a consistent visual reference throughout the year. Whiteboards and markers have become an essential part of math instruction, allowing students to practice problems, explain their thinking, and receive immediate feedback before completing independent work.\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite moments was watching students confidently use the whiteboards during review. Instead of being afraid to make mistakes, they were eager to solve problems, erase, revise their thinking, and try again. That simple shift created a classroom culture where students viewed mistakes as part of learning rather than something to avoid.\r\n\r\nHow did your students react when they first saw the materials?\r\n\r\nMy students were incredibly excited, especially when they realized each of them would have their own privacy folder and access to classroom tools that made learning easier. They immediately took ownership of the materials and understood that they were there to help them stay focused and successful. The colorful anchor charts quickly became a resource students referred to independently, and the whiteboards quickly became one of their favorite learning tools because they could practice without worrying about making mistakes.\r\n\r\nWhat are the next steps for your students on a current classroom lesson or project?\r\n\r\nAs we begin the new school year, these resources will continue to support daily instruction across all content areas. Students will use the privacy folders during independent work and assessments to minimize distractions, while the anchor charts will continue to reinforce academic vocabulary, strategies, and key concepts. The whiteboards will remain an important part of classroom instruction, allowing students to think through problems, collaborate with peers, and build confidence before sharing their final answers. These tools will continue to help create a structured, supportive learning environment where every student has the opportunity to be successful.","fullyFundedDate":1778012857169,"projectUrl":"project/creating-a-positive-and-distraction-free/10084913/","projectTitle":"Creating a Positive and Distraction-Free Testing Space for Students.","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Scaife","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10429300_orig.jpg?crop=538,538,x0,y91&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1770966432808","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10429300"},{"teacherId":10166787,"projectId":9570678,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of my students and our classroom through the \"Tech, Tools, and Calm Corner: Supporting Learning and Emotional Wellness\" project. Your generosity has helped us create a classroom environment where students feel supported, empowered, and prepared to learn.\r\n\r\nThe calm corner has made a meaningful impact on my students' emotional wellness and classroom success. It has become a safe and welcoming space where students can take a moment to reset, reflect, practice self-regulation, and manage big emotions in a positive way. Having access to this space has helped students improve focus, make better choices, and return to learning feeling calm, confident, and ready to participate.\r\n\r\nYour support has helped create a classroom where students' academic growth and emotional needs are both valued. Thank you for investing in my students and helping provide the tools and environment they need to learn, grow, and thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1757553899337,"projectUrl":"project/tech-tools-and-calm-corner-supporting/9570678/","projectTitle":"Tech, Tools, and Calm Corner: Supporting Learning and Emotional Wellness","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Adams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10166787_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755484440675","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10166787"},{"teacherId":6218560,"projectId":10043363,"letterContent":"I sincerely would like to thank you for your contribution to my classroom project \"Reading is Dreaming with Open Eyes\". Without your support, my students would not have brand new leveled readers to read independently and during guided reading time. \r\n\r\nThe students were all extremely excited, when I opened the package with them. It brings joy to my heart, to see young children excited to learn how to read and build their foundational skills. Our new classroom set of level readers has provided an opportunity for me to build students confidence, challenge students to different reading levels and overall promote reading!","fullyFundedDate":1770395075666,"projectUrl":"project/reading-is-dreaming-with-open-eyes/10043363/","projectTitle":"Reading is Dreaming with Open Eyes","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Joyner","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6218560_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1765406661654","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ljoyner"},{"teacherId":10079613,"projectId":10072643,"letterContent":"Our new text, \"Wonder\", is helping students build critical reading and social-emotional skills. Through these books, students are learning to identify characters' perspectives, make connections to their own experiences, and discuss themes like empathy, friendship, and kindness. They're also practicing key literacy skills such as summarizing, making predictions, and supporting their ideas with evidence from the text.\r\n\r\nReading in our classroom is interactive and collaborative. Students participate in guided discussions, small-group book talks, and reflective journaling. They're not just reading; they're thinking critically, sharing opinions, and learning to listen and respond to their peers. Several students who usually struggle with engagement are especially enjoying these new books. They've become excited to share their thoughts, ask questions, and explore the stories in depth, showing real growth in both comprehension and confidence.","fullyFundedDate":1773843257438,"projectUrl":"project/building-kindness-empathy-and-strong-r/10072643/","projectTitle":"Building Kindness, Empathy, and Strong Readers—One Story at a Time","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Johnson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10079613_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757640934285","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10079613"},{"teacherId":10079613,"projectId":10071071,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous donation, our classroom now has fun, engaging board games like Sorry, Uno, Chutes and Ladders, and Trouble; and the students couldn't be more excited! The moment they first saw the games, their eyes lit up, and they immediately began imagining all the ways they could play together. There was laughter, excitement, and even a bit of healthy competition as they explored the new materials.\r\n\r\nWe've already started using the games during small-group activities to build community and strengthen social-emotional skills (SEL) like taking turns, following rules, and practicing patience and teamwork. Next, students will incorporate these games into our collaborative learning centers, where they'll reflect on how cooperation, empathy, and communication help everyone have fun and succeed. These resources are creating joyful, meaningful learning moments every day, and we can't wait to see how much more our students grow together!","fullyFundedDate":1770307859930,"projectUrl":"project/building-skills-creating-smiles-throug/10071071/","projectTitle":"Building Skills & Creating Smiles Through Competition","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Johnson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10079613_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757640934285","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10079613"},{"teacherId":10079613,"projectId":9690592,"letterContent":"We've been using the new anchor chart materials daily during reading and writing lessons. Students have helped co-create charts for things like theme, character traits, text evidence, and strong paragraph structure, and they constantly reference them during independent work and discussions. One standout moment was watching students point to the charts during partner talk to justify their answers; without any prompting.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, students were genuinely excited to help set them up and decide where they should go in the room. They loved seeing their thinking turned into something \"official\" that stays up and supports them all year, especially our visual learners and emerging writers.\r\n\r\nNext, we'll keep building onto these anchor charts as we move into deeper novel studies and opinion writing. Students will add examples, sentence starters, and reminders as their skills grow, turning the charts into living tools they own and use, thanks to your support.","fullyFundedDate":1764733448346,"projectUrl":"project/help-us-make-learning-stick/9690592/","projectTitle":"Help Us Make Learning Stick!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Johnson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10079613_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757640934285","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10079613"},{"teacherId":6218560,"projectId":9680520,"letterContent":"I sincerely would like to thank Mr. Javid Jenkins –National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company (NTA), and Horace Mann company for completely funding my project \"Believe in the Magic\". As a teacher, every year I make it my priority to show up for my students and provide them with holiday gifts, experiences and memories that they can hold on to forever. \r\n\r\nI know that for many people, this time of the year can be difficult. Despite any challenges families are facing, this is the time of the year no child should have to go without. Thanks to your generous donation, twenty-three students received holiday stockings stuffed with treats, books, coloring books, crayons, Play-doh and small fun holiday themed items for Christmas! \r\n\r\nI wish you all could have seen their faces as they received their gifts. Please continue to support teachers, and the difference we are trying to make in student lives. We cannot do it without wonderful organizations like yours. \r\n\r\nWishing you all, a Happy New Year!","fullyFundedDate":1757338586822,"projectUrl":"project/believe-in-the-magic/9680520/","projectTitle":"Believe in the Magic","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Joyner","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6218560_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1765406661654","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ljoyner"},{"teacherId":10241978,"projectId":9808034,"letterContent":"Thank you for giving my students at Sherman Elementary in Chicago the gift of reading.\r\nI used Donors Choose for two items – No Fear Hamlet and the graphic novel version of the same play. Through your donation, my students are able to better access maybe the most important writer of all time. So, thank you. The two reading materials break down Hamlet in such a way that students like mine, who are not necessarily familiar with his work, can still gain a strong understanding of the story.\r\n Because of your generous donation, my kids are being introduced to literary devices like iambic pentameter. They can have an intelligent discussion with anyone as it regards to what a soliloquy is. They can have an even more in-depth conversation with people about Hamlet's dilemma.","fullyFundedDate":1762137550068,"projectUrl":"project/making-shakespeare-accessible-to-all/9808034/","projectTitle":"Making Shakespeare Accessible to All","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Lance","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10241978"},{"teacherId":3334925,"projectId":9659975,"letterContent":"We are writing to express our profound gratitude for your generous donation, which made the funding of our counseling space decoration program possible. Your support has allowed us to acquire the necessary supplies to transform the counseling room into a welcoming, calming, and supportive environment. We believe these aesthetic improvements will significantly enhance the therapeutic experience for our clients, helping them feel more at ease and open during their sessions.\r\n\r\nYour commitment to our mission goes beyond a simple monetary contribution; it is an investment in the well-being and mental health of the individuals we serve. Because of donors like you, we can provide a comfortable and dignified setting where healing and growth can truly begin. Thank you once again for your incredible kindness and belief in the power of a thoughtful space.","fullyFundedDate":1757266868950,"projectUrl":"project/counseling-supplies/9659975/","projectTitle":"Counseling Supplies","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. LaMantia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3334925"},{"teacherId":10241978,"projectId":9683070,"letterContent":"Thank you for giving my students at Sherman Elementary in Chicago the gift of reading.\r\nI used Donors Choose for two items – No Fear Hamlet and the graphic novel version of the same play. Through your donation, my students are able to better access maybe the most important writer of all time. So, thank you. The two reading materials break down Hamlet in such a way that students like mine, who are not necessarily familiar with his work, can still gain a strong understanding of the story.\r\n Because of your generous donation, my kids are being introduced to literary devices like iambic pentameter. They can have an intelligent discussion with anyone as it regards to what a soliloquy is. They can have an even more in-depth conversation with people about Hamlet's dilemma.","fullyFundedDate":1759597183765,"projectUrl":"project/shakespeare-unlocked/9683070/","projectTitle":"Shakespeare Unlocked","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Lance","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10241978"},{"teacherId":6218560,"projectId":9536171,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your contribution to my classroom project \"Learning is an Adventure\". Because of your kindness, my kindergarten students now have access to engaging and hands-on reading materials that make learning to read both exciting and meaningful. \r\n\r\nMy students have had the opportunity to work independently on identifying letters, letter sounds and beginning and ending sounds. Your donation has made a real difference in our classroom. You didn't just give us materials—you gave my students the opportunity to develop essential literacy skills that will support them for years to come. I am truly grateful for your generosity and for believing in the power of education.","fullyFundedDate":1756420968833,"projectUrl":"project/learning-is-an-adventure/9536171/","projectTitle":"Learning is an Adventure","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Joyner","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6218560_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1765406661654","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ljoyner"},{"teacherId":8044343,"projectId":9574521,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for your incredible support of our Donors Choose campaign, \"Nourish to Flourish.\" Because of your generosity, our project was fully funded, and we've been able to bring a significant positive change to our classroom.\r\nThe Impact of Your Gift\r\nThe funds you contributed allowed us to purchase a variety of healthy, accessible snacks/breakfast items. This might sound like a small change, but its impact on our students has been profound.\r\nBefore, many students were arriving at school with empty stomachs, or experiencing an energy slump mid-morning. It was difficult for them to focus, and it directly affected their ability to learn and engage.\r\nNow, with the \"Nourish to Flourish\" supplies in place, our students have access to the fuel they need to succeed. We've seen a noticeable difference:\r\n * Improved Focus and Engagement: Students are more alert, focused, and ready to tackle challenging lessons.\r\n * A Calmer Classroom Environment: Fewer disruptions due to hunger mean more quality learning time for everyone.\r\n * Increased Sense of Belonging: Having this resource available removes a barrier to learning and helps all students feel supported and cared for.\r\nYour donation has done more than just purchase supplies—it has provided our students with comfort, security, and the physical and mental nourishment required to truly flourish in the classroom. You've helped ensure that basic needs are met so that our students can concentrate on what matters most: learning.","fullyFundedDate":1756921337854,"projectUrl":"project/nourish-to-flourish/9574521/","projectTitle":"Nourish to Flourish!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Jenny Turner","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8044343_orig.jpg?crop=1080,1080,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1669080733824","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsjennyturner-nta"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5561","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":223,"numTeachers":11,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":70,"percentWhite":2,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":26,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"20.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":64.9,"schoolId":5561,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Sherman Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Sherman Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/sherman-school-of-excellence/5561"}