{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Willow Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":57.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10411185,"projectId":10037602,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating the funds to purchase The Yak Pack Sight Words Comics and The Yak Pack Comics and Phonics books! My students are so incredibly excited to use these new materials. They make reading fun and are high-interest for those students who don't love reading because of their past struggles in reading. Because these books are available at different skill levels, they easily facilitate differentiation across my various reading groups. \r\n\r\nI currently have five differentiated reading groups across the school day. I use research-based differentiated materials for each reading group, and the groups range from letter/sound/sight word work to sight word work/decoding and comprehending continuous texts. These groups are either thirty-minute groups, or sixty-minute groups, depending on the needs of the students within the groups. These research-based materials alternate between leveled sight word work and leveled decoding skills in a pedagogically sound progression, so they are just what we needed!\r\n\r\nAll of my students are especially excited about getting to read comic books during their reading time, and their motivation is leading to improved reading data outcomes. I can see these materials as being an encouragement to the students to find a lifelong love of reading.","fullyFundedDate":1769177913429,"projectUrl":"project/motivating-readers-with-the-yak-pack/10037602/","projectTitle":"Motivating Readers with the Yak Pack!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ruth Ann Whaley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10411185"},{"teacherId":3623230,"projectId":10062874,"letterContent":"My students have fallen in love with clay art! They love being creative and sculpting both the shelter animals we are supporting with the art show and the staff portraits. I am asked each day if it's clay art day again yet! That's a good sign!\r\nBest of all, they are excited about doing things for others! Both projects, shelter support and staff appreciation, are about caring for others. I have been teaching for 30 years now and I can tell you firsthand, this is something that is much needed. 2026 could use a lot of this! If we all just look around, there is much to appreciate and there are ways we can extend ourselves. It might seem like there just isn't much an 8 year old can do when it comes to the idea of supporting another human or an animal they will never personally know, but that's not true. Because of the Allstate Foundation we have made a way. I have asked each of them to choose a staff member that they personally know and tell me about their best parts and super powers. I see the joy it is bringing them to write. In about a week we will do the big reveal of all the letters on the bright colorful papers and the kid created clay \"framed\" kid art will hang directly above each letter. I'll see their hearts grow a little more that day, too, all thanks to you!","fullyFundedDate":1770063723537,"projectUrl":"project/supporting-our-shelter-and-school-staff/10062874/","projectTitle":"Supporting Our Shelter and School Staff","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jacobs","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3623230_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464807444905","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3623230"},{"teacherId":5518389,"projectId":10063521,"letterContent":"What a surprise! My students were so excited to read these books. Once they were handed the books, they took off reading. They loved being able to solve tricky words on their own. These books gave them the confidence to try what they learned. When they saw they could do it, the smiles and excitement for reading was contagious. All the other students couldn't wait to read the books too! \r\n\r\nThe skills they learned in this book helped them become reading bosses. The readers began reading other books knowing they could solve tricky words on their own. \r\n\r\nThank you for being a part of our reading journey and donating money so my readers could go on this journey! We have created a reading bosses!","fullyFundedDate":1769707668300,"projectUrl":"project/help-us-be-reading-bosses/10063521/","projectTitle":"Help Us Be Reading Bosses!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Augspurger","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5518389_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1531707298243","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5518389"},{"teacherId":3623230,"projectId":10062530,"letterContent":"We have been putting our new materials to great use! In our state for third grade it is state testing season! That means that we give our all to testing in the morning and look forward to some down time afterwards. \r\nWe've been able to start preparing for our art show that's coming up! We are supporting our local animal shelter so all the projects connect to cats and dogs. We've glued our hearts out to make huge cat and dog collages with amazing oil pastel eyes. Look for those photos to come! We have drawn lots of cats and dogs in many different styles with all of our Sharpies!\r\nOf course the read alouds are used throughout our day. This class absolutely loves to be read to! It seems everyone has their own favorite! \r\nGetting these materials greatly motivates my students to have something to look forward to once the testing is over. Testing is long and it is hard. It is necessary so thanks to you it's not such a heavy task. Thank you for caring about kids, their needs and their wants. It makes such a difference.","fullyFundedDate":1769616875751,"projectUrl":"project/magnificent-materials-and-books/10062530/","projectTitle":"Magnificent Materials and Books","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jacobs","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3623230_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464807444905","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3623230"},{"teacherId":3623230,"projectId":10014614,"letterContent":"Just like you, we love to read! This particular class has some big love for nonfiction! We read together as our day begins. We have already read some of the books in the About Animals series and the kids are so excited to see monkeys, frogs, and cats added! We have to vote about the order to read them in! We will use them to continue working on main idea, details, and text structure, to name a few!\r\nCurrently we are in the midst of a character studies fiction unit. I am thrilled to introduce this Orris and Timble series to my students and so are they! Engaging books make all the difference! We are working on character traits, how characters change, point of view, and the lesson the author wants to teach us about life and these books will be perfect to practice with. \r\nI have readers of all levels and this wide range of books will provide something for everyone, all thanks to you! May many blessings come your way!","fullyFundedDate":1768586520389,"projectUrl":"project/irresistibly-engaging-books/10014614/","projectTitle":"Irresistibly Engaging Books","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jacobs","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3623230_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464807444905","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3623230"},{"teacherId":3623230,"projectId":9420265,"letterContent":"These books could barely be removed from the box before the kids were asking, can I read that one first? I'm guessing that shows they are pretty interested in them! That's perfect because in our reading workshop, kids are able to choose their own books! When you begin putting kids in charge of their own learning, you see a whole new kind of motivation. I've been in education long enough to have seen what it was like before kids were the captain of their own ship. Having premium books, books in a series, in particular, makes all the difference! \r\n\r\nWe will use these books to dig deeper into character change, story plot, lessons learned in books and character motivation, to name a few. Looking ever so forward to it and so are my third graders!","fullyFundedDate":1758850070281,"projectUrl":"project/seriously-the-best-series-books/9420265/","projectTitle":"Seriously the Best Series Books","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jacobs","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3623230_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464807444905","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3623230"},{"teacherId":3623230,"projectId":9404113,"letterContent":"Every single Friday at around 10:00am it's ART time! My students can't wait to see what they \"get\" to make next! In an effort to try and make the most of our time together, I like to teach them about an artist through a book or by looking at the artist's creations. This inspires us! Not only does the learning do that, but having awesome materials does, too! Thanks to your donations, they are having brand new art experiences!\r\n\r\nMost of my students hadn't work with clay in the past so the modeling clay day was one for the books! When we got the giant box of bagged foam clay, the kids wanted me to open the packages right then! That's pure excitement! This time (and there will be many to follow due to the amount of clay) we created a likeness of ourselves and connected it to what we've been learning about in reading which is character traits. We wrote about what word we thought best describes us and then gave evidence of that trait just like we do in writing about characters in books. They were hung in the hall for everyone to see! Another time we painted our own version of Picassos with the new paint in varying shades. \"Do you know how much I love painting, Mrs. Jacobs?\" was a question I heard one child ask. Yes, I actually do. Your donation has given our kids one more reason to love coming to school! Please know that! You are appreciated!","fullyFundedDate":1756136644705,"projectUrl":"project/all-about-art/9404113/","projectTitle":"All About Art","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jacobs","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3623230_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464807444905","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3623230"},{"teacherId":3623230,"projectId":9109925,"letterContent":"Wow! These resources have been so helpful ALREADY! We have doubled the number of floor desks the kids can use. I've created a schedule so kids can all have an opportunity to write somewhere new in the classroom. They absolutely love it! It is, indeed, motivating! Everything from poetry to true stories is flowing on these little tables! \r\n\r\nAnother thing I've noticed is that when one of my kids is having a particularly hard day, I've witnessed kids giving up their special seat to a friend that might need to be closer to me. How kind is that? \r\n\r\nThese students couldn't be more grateful for the chance to learn and write with a new perspective! Thank you so much for helping them see that the world has all kinds of helpers out there. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!","fullyFundedDate":1742922548337,"projectUrl":"project/motivation-stations-for-willow-wildcat-w/9109925/","projectTitle":"Motivation Stations for Willow Wildcat Writers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jacobs","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3623230_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1464807444905","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3623230"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_30606","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":208,"numTeachers":14,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":1,"percentWhite":87,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":6,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 3","studentTeacherRatio":"14.9:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":42.7,"schoolId":30606,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Willow Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Willow Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/pekin-public-school-district-108/willow-elementary-school/30606"}