{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Washington Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":26.7,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10037733,"projectId":9362404,"letterContent":"When I opened the box of Number the Stars books, I immediately thought about what this would mean for my students. Having a full class set means every child can follow along in their own copy during our lessons — no more crowding around shared books or struggling to see a digital version. When I handed them out for the first time, the excitement was contagious. \"We each get one to use?\" Maya asked with wide eyes. Being able to hold their own copy during class discussions helps each student feel included and capable, and it makes our reading time so much more meaningful.\r\n\r\nAlready, the story has sparked deep, thoughtful conversations. Students like Liam and Harper have been asking powerful questions about courage, loyalty, and doing what's right even when it's difficult. Having a class set allows every student to engage fully — to read aloud, annotate, and follow along closely with every chapter. It's been incredible to see how much more invested they are in the story and how those discussions are shaping their understanding of history and humanity.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has provided my students with a true shared experience — one that brings our class together around the same story, page by page. Thank you for believing in the importance of reading and for helping make our classroom a place where great stories come alive for every student.","fullyFundedDate":1748221471438,"projectUrl":"project/lighting-the-past-understanding-the-hol/9362404/","projectTitle":"Lighting the Past: Understanding the Holocaust Through Story","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Holderfield","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10037733"},{"teacherId":1637836,"projectId":9181222,"letterContent":"Again, I cannot thank you enough for your donations to fund this project. These items are helping me to teach correct letter formations to my students. I currently teach Kindergarten through Second Grade and correct letter formation is crucial at younger ages. \r\n\r\nCorrect letter formation not only improves handwriting overall, research has shown that it helps students in other areas such as spelling and reading comprehension. It also is helping them in their letter recognition skills and I know this will in turn make them fluent in recognizing their letters (and letter sounds). \r\n\r\nI always tell others to \"look for the helpers.\" Thank you for being a helper in the public school system.","fullyFundedDate":1744722622649,"projectUrl":"project/improving-handwriting-with-correct-forma/9181222/","projectTitle":"Improving Handwriting With Correct Formation!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Megan Thompson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1637836_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1673304913967","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mlthompson"},{"teacherId":6381778,"projectId":9100211,"letterContent":"I thank you, once more, for your support to my classroom and my students. \r\nBesides the wonderful new educational games that make learning more interesting, and accessible to their individual learning styles and needs; you also helped us make and put together materials to encourage their work. \r\nSometimes the things that help the most are not the ones that we can see right away, but your donation helped us put together new interactive and reusable materials. My students use specialized, individualized and repetitive materials that help develop new knowledge and develop confidence in new skills.\r\nThank you again!","fullyFundedDate":1746503683880,"projectUrl":"project/home-made-is-better/9100211/","projectTitle":"Home made is better!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gerchkovich","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6381778_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1668533256675","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6381778"},{"teacherId":10037733,"projectId":9598479,"letterContent":"Students are learning responsibility, independence, and community skills as they help organize, distribute, and maintain the snack station.\r\n\r\nIt has also sparked conversations about healthy choices and sharing, making it a rich learning experience beyond academics.\r\nWhen the students first saw the materials, their eyes lit up with excitement and curiosity. \r\n\r\nThanks to your generous contribution, our classroom feels more supportive and inclusive. The next steps for our students include continuing to take ownership of the snack station while connecting it to lessons about nutrition, responsibility, and community. \r\n\r\nWe also plan to integrate reflection activities, where students can share how contributions from themselves and others can positively impact the classroom environment. This small project has opened up big opportunities for learning and growth!","fullyFundedDate":1755388856867,"projectUrl":"project/snack-station-no-kid-hungry/9598479/","projectTitle":"Snack Station: No Kid Hungry","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Holderfield","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10037733"},{"teacherId":1785184,"projectId":9270357,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, my students and many others have access to engaging and interesting chapter books. The boys and girls loved reading the back of the books before starting the series. By having an engaging chapter book series, their interest is sparked, and they are choosing to read more from the same author. \r\n\r\nHaving the containers helps me keep things organized and easily accessible for students. They pick their tub up and have everything they need when meeting at our small group table. With the new books, my students now have access to stories that they can relate to, sparking meaningful discussions and developing a love for reading.\r\n\r\nThese resources have already increased reading time in our classroom and encouraged even reluctant readers to dive into new titles. Thank you for helping create a space where every student can find a book that inspires them. I appreciate you and your generosity more than you know.","fullyFundedDate":1746502111923,"projectUrl":"project/weirdly-engaged-literacy-inspired-by-m/9270357/","projectTitle":"Weirdly Engaged: Literacy Inspired by \"My Weird School\"","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Stepter","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1785184_orig.png?crop=471,471,x102,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1721266932143","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1785184"},{"teacherId":1788507,"projectId":9295959,"letterContent":"Receiving this grant for classroom books and educational resources significantly enhances the learning environment of my students by providing them with access to high-quality, engaging materials that would not have been available otherwise. These high-interest books help foster a love of reading, support differentiated instruction, and meet the diverse needs of my students. My students were thrilled to see the new resources made possible through your support. They couldn't wait to 'dive' deeper into the Dan Gutman books and use these high-interest texts to strengthen their comprehension skills. Seeing their excitement and smiles truly made my day!\r\n\r\nThe storage bins and drawers help make materials and resources more accessible to my students. Reducing the amount of clutter helps maximize instructional time, ultimately benefiting them. The impact of these resources will not only benefit my students this year but also for many upcoming years. It truly makes a difference. Thank you for being a vital part of their educational journey!","fullyFundedDate":1746502111817,"projectUrl":"project/turning-pages-changing-lives/9295959/","projectTitle":"Turning Pages, Changing Lives","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Neal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1788507_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689038351495","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1788507"},{"teacherId":7491768,"projectId":9178333,"letterContent":"The new speech and language materials made a big difference for the kids in speech therapy by helping them grow their expressive and receptive language skills. With fun books, storytelling activities, and vocabulary games, the kids had lots of chances to hear and use new words in ways that made sense to them. The books especially helped build their understanding, while also giving them the chance to practice speaking in full sentences. These materials made learning feel fun and natural, which really helped the kids stay engaged and make progress.\r\n\r\nThe new board games were a huge hit too! They gave the kids a fun way to practice taking turns, following directions, and using their speech in real conversations. Playing together helped them build social skills and feel more confident talking with others. It's amazing how much progress can happen when learning feels like play. We are so thankful to the generous donors who made this possible. Your support brought smiles, laughter, and real growth to our speech sessions. You truly helped make a difference in the lives of these children. Thank you for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1746704069456,"projectUrl":"project/building-communication-skills-with-new-c/9178333/","projectTitle":"Building Communication Skills with New Classroom Tools","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7491768_orig.jpg?crop=827,827,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683601840944","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7491768"},{"teacherId":7491768,"projectId":8671635,"letterContent":"New speech and language materials provided vital support for children undergoing speech therapy by enhancing both their expressive and receptive language skills. These materials offered structured, engaging ways to practice language through storytelling, role-playing, and vocabulary-building exercises. For example, updated books introduced age-appropriate vocabulary and themes, allowing children to hear and understand new words in context, which supported receptive language development. At the same time, opportunities to retell stories or answer questions helped children form clearer, more complete sentences, boosting their expressive language. The interactive nature of these tools fostered consistent practice, reinforcing skills in meaningful and memorable ways.\r\n\r\nIn addition to language development, the new board games included in therapy sessions played an important role in improving children's social communication and ability to follow directions. These games required turn-taking, cooperation, and rule-following, which encouraged children to engage in conversational speech and use their language skills in a functional, social setting. As they described actions, asked questions, and responded to peers, children strengthened both speech sound production and pragmatic language use. The playful environment made practice enjoyable, which supported greater participation and progress. Thank you to the donors for making these valuable resources possible—your generosity helped create a fun and supportive space for children to grow as confident and effective communicators.","fullyFundedDate":1724074806439,"projectUrl":"project/increasing-language-skills-through-play/8671635/","projectTitle":"Increasing Language Skills Through Play","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7491768_orig.jpg?crop=827,827,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683601840944","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7491768"},{"teacherId":1788507,"projectId":9193525,"letterContent":"I wanted to say thank you so much for your support of my classroom. With your generosity I received materials to print and maintain high quality resources for my students. It is so nice to have the capability to print in color and be able to preserve the resources for use again and again. \r\n\r\nWe are also always in need of basic supplies too. Many of my students don't have clean clothes or the opportunity to clean themselves at home. Having the baby wipes allows them to clean themselves up when they get to school each morning. In addition, we are always in need of Kleenex! \r\n\r\nReceiving this grant helped me provide opportunities for the students in my classroom. I also, was able to include some incentives. Thank you so much for your support! I am truly grateful for you allowing me to create a positive and effective learning environment for my students.","fullyFundedDate":1744711158054,"projectUrl":"project/tools-for-success/9193525/","projectTitle":"Tools for Success","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Neal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1788507_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689038351495","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1788507"},{"teacherId":8136987,"projectId":8838568,"letterContent":"When I first saw that people had given to my project I was overjoyed and filled with such excitement!\r\n Thank you so much for making this project possible for the students at Washington School. They are thrilled to know that so many people helped to fund our project. Many shouted, \"WOW!\" when we opened all the boxes that the books came in. They loved having the chance to get to look through them, trying to decide which one they should get.\r\n Thanks for helping be real life superheroes by helping to instill the love of reading!","fullyFundedDate":1729703501236,"projectUrl":"project/reading-is-our-superpower/8838568/","projectTitle":"Reading Is Our Superpower!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mausey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8136987"},{"teacherId":1788507,"projectId":8930860,"letterContent":"I cannot say thank you enough for your donations to fully fund my project! My students absolutely LOVE the sensory boards where we can practice our letters each day! The quality and usability of these items are a huge game changer when working with my groups of students who struggle learning their letters and sounds. They were so excited when they saw these sensory boards and they ask every day if we are going to use them. I also love that they are easy to change the letters quickly and efficiently. \r\n \r\nAlso, thank you for the lowercase magnetic letters. We use these to work on their names as well as letter identification. As we progress, we will also use these letters to build our popcorn words and make word ladders. The individual colored bags are so nice so the students know which set of letters is theirs.\r\n \r\nThank you for making my project come to life. I am so blessed to have these resources for my students! We love them and are shouting thank you from the bottom of our hearts!","fullyFundedDate":1731608698419,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-stem/8930860/","projectTitle":"Sensory & STEM","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Neal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1788507_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689038351495","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1788507"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_30350","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":485,"numTeachers":35,"percentFrplEligible":59,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":12,"percentWhite":74,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":2,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"13.9:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"TOWN","ncesMetroType":"TOWN_REMOTE"},"inStateSupporters":73.3,"schoolId":30350,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Washington Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Washington Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/marion-community-school-district-2/washington-elementary-school/30350"}