{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Paden Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":15.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":1173435,"projectId":9793343,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, my kindergarteners are having so much fun learning! The games you helped provide have turned our literacy practice into joyful, hands-on experiences. Students are eager to play and are excited to show how many letters and sounds they know. Every single child has made progress—each one now recognizes and names more letters and sounds than when we began!\r\n\r\nBeyond the academic growth, these games have helped my students build important social skills. They are learning how to take turns, cheer each other on, and be good sports—skills that will serve them far beyond kindergarten. It's been wonderful to watch them encourage their classmates and celebrate each other's success.\r\n\r\nYour support has made a real difference in our classroom. You've helped create an environment where learning feels like play, and every child feels proud of what they can do. Thank you for believing in my students and giving them the tools to grow as readers, friends, and learners.","fullyFundedDate":1760384913091,"projectUrl":"project/learning-our-letters-through-play/9793343/","projectTitle":"Learning Our Letters Through Play!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Schnetz","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1173435"},{"teacherId":1169229,"projectId":8452152,"letterContent":"This project helped our students practice develop their abilities to write letters using a trusted and researched writing curriculum! Each student had their own materials to practice writing on their own, as well as allowed them to take their materials with them to work on it at home over the summer. Many of their teachers the following year noticed how confident and capable they were and this curriculum and the materials were key in helping them to get there! We could not have done it without all of you.","fullyFundedDate":1728312574680,"projectUrl":"project/we-are-on-our-way-to-being-writers/8452152/","projectTitle":"We Are on Our Way to Being Writers!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Rose","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1169229_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y201&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760063003943","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1169229"},{"teacherId":1173435,"projectId":9527129,"letterContent":"When these new books arrived, my students' faces lit up with excitement! Each story has opened the door to meaningful conversations about kindness, empathy, and celebrating what makes each of us unique. Through these books, my students are learning that our differences are something to be proud of—and that we can always look for the things that make us alike, too. These stories help them see that every person, no matter what they look like or where they come from, deserves to be valued and respected.\r\n\r\nIn our classroom, reading is interactive and joyful. I read these books aloud to my students, and we pause to talk about what's happening and how the characters might feel. Afterwards, students draw pictures, create art projects, or even role-play scenes from the stories. These activities help them connect deeply with the lessons in each book and express their understanding through creativity and play.\r\n\r\nEvery child has found something special in these books. Some have excitedly pointed out characters that look like them or share their family structure. Others have proudly noticed new ways they can be kind or inclusive. Seeing their confidence grow—and hearing them use the language of empathy in their daily interactions—has been the most rewarding part of all. Thanks to your generosity, our classroom library now reflects the beautiful diversity of my students and helps them see that every story matters—including their own.","fullyFundedDate":1755734104173,"projectUrl":"project/celebrating-our-differences/9527129/","projectTitle":"Celebrating Our Differences!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Schnetz","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1173435"},{"teacherId":1173435,"projectId":9224637,"letterContent":"Thank you again so much for donating so we could get decodable books for our classroom. As we wrap up this school year we are really focusing on putting together all the skills we have learned over the year. These books have already become classroom favorites. The pride they have being able to access the books is so amazing to watch.\r\n\r\nIn our classroom the students each have a bag of books to read and practice for a week. They read them independently and then they also read with partners--reading to each other or reading chorally together. They can pick books that look interesting to them. They reread the books and then I can see their fluency grow over the week. And then once the week is over they change out their books for new ones.\r\n\r\nIn the beginning of the year we began with storytelling--looking through picture books and \"reading\" the story by making up a story to go with the pictures. Or for books they had memorized they could \"read\" it aloud together. Then over the year they have learned all their letter sounds, they have learned to blend sounds together orally to figure out words, they have learned sight words, and they have learned to decode. And now they can use all they know to finally read these books just like grown-ups...word for word! These kids are so excited to be able to do that! They are proud of themselves, just as I am proud of them. Their persistence has paid off. They are on their way to become avid readers!\r\n\r\nThank you again for your support in making this happen for our kindergarteners this year (and for years to come).","fullyFundedDate":1745939255897,"projectUrl":"project/new-books-for-kindergarten-readers/9224637/","projectTitle":"New Books for Kindergarten Readers!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Schnetz","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1173435"},{"teacherId":657180,"projectId":9020491,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for these fabulous books. These are picture books that upper-grade students (2nd-5th graders) don't get to enjoy as often as they did in the earlier grades. The books are a much more engaging way to learn and remember the sometimes tricky English language rules as compared to more traditional worksheets.\r\n\r\nAfter we read each book, it is displayed in the classroom to help us remember the concepts and rules as we read and write each day. It is heartening to watch students look up at a book or quote a rule, such as the\"cat/kite\" rule in which we use the letter c in a word if it is followed by the vowel a, o, or u whereas we use the letter k if the vowel that follows this letter is an e or i. \r\n\r\nStudents not only enjoy these stories, but they also seem better able to remember the rules of the English Language. These books will be used and enjoyed for many years to come!","fullyFundedDate":1736179528142,"projectUrl":"project/read-alouds-that-teach-the-rules-of-the/9020491/","projectTitle":"Read Alouds That Teach the Rules of the English Language","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Weiss","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/657180"},{"teacherId":4155246,"projectId":8912510,"letterContent":"Time travel, is one of our greatest joys. Returning to the 12th century was in the very hands of Our Young Sailors, as we crossed the Internationsl Date Line and our Noble vessel turned into an Imperial Ship from Songdo, as we bear down on the ancient seaside potters' village of Ch'ul'po.\r\n\r\nUpon arrival we quickly met the protagonist, developed the setting and characters through the exposition...until the inviting action that draws us up the trail on the riding action, barreling ever closer to the impactful series of climaxes!\r\n\r\nAlong the way, we grew. A menu of 17 project ideas were offered to help develop research, writing, art, video production, acting, presentation, and creative skills. The intensity snd excitement built as we read, the projects came in supporting ever-deeper levels of understanding of the culture of Korea in that time. \r\n\r\nWe delighted in the connections between the story and our classmates. The story has Songdo. We have a Song. The tale had a Kang. We have a Kang. The Imperial Palace had an Emissary...Kim. We have a Kim. In fact, we have several sailors who are Korean, some of whom have traveled to \"present day\" Korea. Timelines faded, as we immersed ourselves in the story, Tears were shed, journals were kept, and we lived in the midst of the \"Honorable Master Potter\" and his wife, Ajima.\r\n\r\nThe talent, joy, and appreciation I saw unfold in front of me as we read the tale, unpacked the nuances of phrasing and word choices that grow the unshakable darling buds of a story, helped root us in the majesty and sublime delicacy that well-crafted words and verb choices can create, vividly, in the minds' of the readers are lessons I hope Our Young Sailors never forget. I know that I won't forget them as they sail on in the richness of their future journeys.\r\n\r\nYet, none of this would have been possible without donors like you!! You — are the One — who lifted your pen to support our cause. You — are the One who opened your wallet...allowing our hearts to open. You — are the One who inspired the projects allowing Our Young Sailors opportunities to not only time travel, but also to deepen their emotional cornucopia, as this story takes us on a kaleidoscope of emotions, filtering in light, fractal glimpses of a much bigger, broader world, where both opportunities and dangers lurk. Ultimately, we walked down the gang plank, stronger, wiser, more confident, skillful, and prepared for new adventures! All of this — due to you, your big heart, and the gift you gave as a Donors Choose sponsor.\r\n\r\nThank you all.","fullyFundedDate":1733285985413,"projectUrl":"project/help-us-walk-two-moons-to-find-solace-wi/8912510/","projectTitle":"Help Us Walk Two Moons to Find Solace With Salamanca","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Green","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4155246"},{"teacherId":657180,"projectId":8740954,"letterContent":"My students LOVE seeing, reading, listening to, and looking at books about the countries that they are from. Most of my students are more proficient readers in their native language than they are in English. We know from research (and common sense), that students who reach proficiency in their first language, will have an easier time gaining proficiency in their second language. Furthermore, being bilingual (rather than not using and losing their first language) will be a big asset to them for the rest of their lives. So, it seems like a no-brainer to provide these students with books about their home country and/or books written in their first language.\r\n\r\nWe spend a lot of time reading beginner books and poems to learn English. These books build students' English vocabulary, decoding skills, and fluency, but they are often below students' cognitive abilities. The books I purchased for this project are generally more challenging to read, but students, especially newcomers to this country, are very motivated to do so.","fullyFundedDate":1727328450470,"projectUrl":"project/discovering-places-discovering-ourselve/8740954/","projectTitle":"Discovering Places, Discovering Ourselves","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Weiss","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/657180"},{"teacherId":4155246,"projectId":6079509,"letterContent":"A Single Shard, transformed the class. We journeyed back in time to the 12th century in Korea. We walked with the homeless, the feeble, the talented, and the emperor! \r\n\r\nWe created projects from the pages of the book, a springboard to creativity in the vast scope of this story.\r\n\r\nWe grew. We developed skills and added to our growing understanding of emotions, what really matters in this world, and felt the sweet tang of loss of, then finding family. This journey could not have taken place without your grace.","fullyFundedDate":1641002333789,"projectUrl":"project/two-journeys-lit-by-the-moon/6079509/","projectTitle":"Two Journeys: Lit by the Moon","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Green","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4155246"},{"teacherId":657180,"projectId":8886993,"letterContent":"Learning a new language is hard. English has taken words from different places and there are many rules to remember. Introducing rules by reading a funny and engaging book about the rule, can help students understand and remember the rule. Today I read a book about the partnering of the letters q and u to some first graders that speak different languages at home. After I read the book, we brainstormed words that have the partners qu and they added words and pictures to the alphabet book that each student is making. \r\n\r\nThanks to your donations, I now have a library of books about different rules in the English language. For example, I have a book about bossy R to help students read and write words that have vowels next to the letter r (e.g. car, bird, fur, etc.), I have a book about when c and g make their soft sounds and, I have many other books that I hope help students develop a strong ability to understand, remember and apply the rules of the English language.","fullyFundedDate":1730178519879,"projectUrl":"project/learning-to-read-and-write-in-english-ca/8886993/","projectTitle":"Learning to Read and Write in English Can Be Fun!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Weiss","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/657180"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_3741","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":377,"numTeachers":15,"percentFrplEligible":47,"percentAsian":25,"percentBlack":8,"percentWhite":29,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":19,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"25.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":false,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":85.0,"schoolId":3741,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Paden Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Paden Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/alameda-unified-school-district/paden-elementary-school/3741"}