{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Stephen Decatur Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":31.7,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8485974,"projectId":9426516,"letterContent":"My students are able to stay organized by knowing they have a mailbox for their graded papers. This also helps me because it is easier to put in the mailbox number and have them check. \r\nWe also received a rolling cart, which has been a huge help with transitions from special area to the classroom. We have recess right after our special area class, so there is no time to take them back to the classroom. This has provided us organization of easy pick up after recess to take back to our classroom! We are thankful to stay organized","fullyFundedDate":1753472673015,"projectUrl":"project/4th-grade-organization/9426516/","projectTitle":"4th Grade Organization","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lang","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8485974_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1677697379559","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8485974"},{"teacherId":8485974,"projectId":9346258,"letterContent":"My students are loving be able to get a snack when they are in need. Especially being able to take one home on the weekend has made the biggest impact. \r\nThey are also enjoying the new indoor recess toys that they were provided with! \r\nWhen I first told my students about these materials they were so excited. They told me that is the best thing that someone would be so kind to donate to US. \r\nI want to continue to support my students with provided them snacks. Especially because they are in a very low income area, they need those snacks.","fullyFundedDate":1753472673679,"projectUrl":"project/going-into-4th-grade/9346258/","projectTitle":"Going into 4th grade","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lang","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8485974_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1677697379559","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8485974"},{"teacherId":9454846,"projectId":9714193,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation of whiteboard supplies to my classroom. Your contribution has had a tremendous impact on my students' phonics instruction and overall reading development. Thanks to your support, our daily lessons have become more engaging, interactive, and effective than ever before.\r\nPhonics is one of the most essential parts of learning to read. It helps students understand how letters and sounds work together to form words—a foundation that supports every future academic skill. Before receiving your donation, our phonics lessons were often limited by a shortage of functional materials. We shared a few older boards and worn-out markers, which made it difficult for every child to fully participate. Now, with a complete set of new whiteboards and supplies, every student has the opportunity to practice phonics in a hands-on way, and the difference has been incredible.\r\nEach day, my students use their whiteboards to write and decode words, build phoneme-grapheme connections, and blend sounds together. They practice spelling patterns, vowel teams, and tricky sight words with enthusiasm. The whiteboards give them an immediate, personal space to apply what they are learning, erase mistakes, and try again—an essential part of growing confident as readers. Because the boards are reusable, we can move quickly from sound isolation to word building and sentence writing without wasting paper or losing momentum.\r\nI've noticed a remarkable change in student engagement since your donation arrived. My students are more eager to participate, raise their boards to show their answers, and celebrate their progress. Even my most hesitant learners are excited to \"show what they know\" during phonics games and word challenges. The whiteboards have made our phonics block a time of energy, confidence, and joy.\r\nBeyond the academic benefits, your donation has also helped strengthen the classroom community. The students take pride in using high-quality materials and understand that someone cared enough to invest in their learning. They have learned an important lesson about generosity—how one act of kindness can make a big difference in the lives of many.\r\nAs a teacher, I am deeply grateful. Having durable, reliable materials allows me to teach phonics more effectively and to focus on individual student needs. These boards help me quickly assess understanding and provide immediate feedback, which is vital for early literacy growth. Your support has not only enhanced instruction—it has helped build stronger readers who feel confident and capable.\r\nOn behalf of my entire class, thank you again for your thoughtful donation. The whiteboards you provided have become a key part of our phonics lessons and a daily reminder of how community partnerships can truly impact education. Because of your generosity, my students are becoming better readers, writers, and learners—one sound and one word at a time.","fullyFundedDate":1758248967880,"projectUrl":"project/sor-whiteboards-for-improved-phonics-ins/9714193/","projectTitle":"SOR Whiteboards for improved phonics instruction","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Owens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9454846_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1706837843755","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9454846"},{"teacherId":4276989,"projectId":9721180,"letterContent":"I am constantly in awe of the support that has been given to my room through Donors Choose. I can not thank you enough for all that you do! To say that my kids were excited for this project is an understatement. They are already digging into the snacks and have loved the reinforcements as well.\r\nThank you so much for making my room a safe and fun place for my kids to learn! Because of your donation, my students are celebrating their successes and I can give them basic food items that they need to be able to focus and learn at school. I truly appreciate your support of my classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1759163347674,"projectUrl":"project/snacks-and-surprises/9721180/","projectTitle":"Snacks and Surprises","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ferguson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4276989_orig.jpg?crop=2509,2509,x0,y342&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1679580565939","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4276989"},{"teacherId":9454846,"projectId":9646165,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping our classroom and supporting our school system. These headphones help my students stay engaged in lessons as well as provide sensory support to those of them that need it. Having more than one pair is very helpful and provides better support to them all. These help my students with sensory issues as well as students who are on the spectrum. \r\nAs far as the gift card. That helped me find more negating materials for the classroom.This helps engage my students in the reading and provides a better way to assess my students. \r\nThanks for all the help and providing me the resources and support I need to teach my students.","fullyFundedDate":1757381971191,"projectUrl":"project/resources-for-all/9646165/","projectTitle":"Resources For All","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Owens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9454846_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1706837843755","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9454846"},{"teacherId":4276989,"projectId":9482270,"letterContent":"I can't thank you enough for supporting my classroom with this project. My students and I were so excited to receive our dry erase materials. We've jumped right into using them for our small groups and they are making our learning so much fun. We especially love the marker boards with the elkonin boxes and magnets. We love writing our heart words and using our heart magnets to show the heart part. I love it because my students are engaged and I can see exactly what they know and what they need help with. It's a major win-win!!!\r\n\r\nI wish you could glance into my groups when we are using these materials You would see all the smiles and the growth that they are already starting to show. They are engaged and having fun with their learning and it's largely due to your contribution. Thank you again for your generous support of my classroom. I can't wait to watch my kids soar this year!","fullyFundedDate":1755291405737,"projectUrl":"project/dry-erase-essentials/9482270/","projectTitle":"Dry Erase Essentials!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ferguson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4276989_orig.jpg?crop=2509,2509,x0,y342&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1679580565939","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4276989"},{"teacherId":8485974,"projectId":9259925,"letterContent":"The gift card to teachers pay teachers has really helped in my classroom! As we are learning a new curriculum together, it is helping to have supplemental activities for them. They are excited to continue to receive extra activities for them to work on with our curriculum. When getting a new curriculum, often times it's hard because they do not give enough resources within. I am excited to share that this gift card has purchased many things for my students, especially supplements for my English Language Learners.","fullyFundedDate":1746785475986,"projectUrl":"project/curriculum-based/9259925/","projectTitle":"Curriculum Based","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lang","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8485974_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1677697379559","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8485974"},{"teacherId":10038548,"projectId":9364571,"letterContent":"I pull 4 reading groups and 2 math groups during the day, primarily focusing on 3rd grade preparation for IREAD. The resources purchased go towards enriching small group learning activities by providing necessary materials and resources for students to use for hands on learning opportunities.\r\nThese materials have greatly impacted my students' ability to have hands on learning and interaction with their remediation lessons and classroom materials. They are able to be hands on, creating projects, and using manipulatives to reinforce their learning. The supplies donated and funded have gotten students writing and reading to prepare for IREAD, as well as using hands on activities and resources to garner and build comprehension for their math remediation lessons. Not only that, but I feel more confident and impactful when working with students thanks to these supplies and resources provided. Thank you so much!","fullyFundedDate":1748396089714,"projectUrl":"project/enriching-and-sensory-inclusive-3rd-grad/9364571/","projectTitle":"Enriching and Sensory Inclusive 3rd Grade Experience to Pass IREAD!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Stephanie","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10038548_orig.jpg?crop=2400,2400,x0,y304&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760629954909","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10038548"},{"teacherId":9454846,"projectId":8496880,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping me provide excellent reading instruction to my students. This gift card helped me to purchase the perfect slides that compliment or lessons and make it easier to follow for students. With us using less time to make slides we are able to provide better instruction. The supplemental materials help our students broaden their thinking. These items have already made a huge impact and will help the third graders and their teachers at our school for years. The best part is our kids love it! Thanks again","fullyFundedDate":1731524979804,"projectUrl":"project/creative-learning-for-all/8496880/","projectTitle":"Creative Learning For All","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Owens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9454846_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1706837843755","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9454846"},{"teacherId":1483819,"projectId":8742900,"letterContent":"I paid for the whole package myself. Thank you for the support to myself. I had to make this because I had a credit that was running out. \r\n\r\nI have been making centers with my lamination packets and card stock. I will make another project and hopefully I can help myself again. For supplies that I cannot afford on my own and that our school gives us no supplies at all for our kindergarten babies. \r\n\r\nI believe that hands on centers make for the best practice for the kiddos and I will continue to make them for my classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1732241263228,"projectUrl":"project/center-materials/8742900/","projectTitle":"Center Materials","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. DeBona","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1483819_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1651715682268","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1483819"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_19544","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":496,"numTeachers":27,"percentFrplEligible":86,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":9,"percentWhite":60,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":21,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"18.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":68.3,"schoolId":19544,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Stephen Decatur Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Stephen Decatur Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/indiana/msd-of-decatur-twp/stephen-decatur-elementary-school/19544"}