{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Norma Coombs Alternative Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":31.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10305110,"projectId":9802203,"letterContent":"It's impact inside a school looks a little different and incredibly powerful. Our new color printer has transformed the way students experience their learning. Teachers can now create bright, visually engaging materials that help students better understand lessons, especially our visual learners. Projects, graphic organizers, reading supports, and class visuals are much easier for students to follow when printed in color, making lessons more accessible and exciting.\r\n\r\nWhat Students Find Most Exciting\r\n\r\nWhat has brought the biggest excitement is seeing their own work printed in full color. Student of the Month certificates, writing projects, artwork, and classroom assignments look professional and celebratory. Students light up when they see their achievements displayed in vibrant color it makes them feel proud, special, and motivated to keep working hard.\r\n\r\nStudents Who Have Especially Benefited\r\n\r\nOur Student of the Month recipients have been some of the students who've benefited the most from our new color printer. Seeing their certificates printed in bright, professional color has made the recognition feel even more special and meaningful. Many of these students proudly show their certificates to friends and staff, and they take them home to share with their families. The color printing adds a level of excitement and celebration that motivates students to continue demonstrating positive behavior, strong effort, and leadership. This small change has had a big impact students now look forward to the ceremony even more, knowing their achievements will be honored in a vibrant and memorable way.\r\n\r\nThe color printer has truly brought our classrooms to life, and our students feel the difference every day.","fullyFundedDate":1760062399955,"projectUrl":"project/lion-pride-in-every-print/9802203/","projectTitle":"Lion Pride in Every Print!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cassandra","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10305110_orig.jpg?crop=239,239,x0,y56&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760464171608","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10305110"},{"teacherId":10305110,"projectId":9866999,"letterContent":"Our students absolutely love our new Giant Jenga set!\r\nThe moment they saw it, their faces lit up with excitement and curiosity. They immediately gathered around, ready to play and learn together. We've been using Giant Jenga as part of our social-emotional learning activities, where students practice teamwork, communication, and patience while supporting each other through every wobbly move.\r\n\r\nOne special moment was when a group of students who don't usually interact started cheering for one another as the tower grew taller it was such a wonderful example of cooperation and encouragement. Because of this resource, we've created a fun and safe space for students to take turns, build confidence, and strengthen friendships.\r\n\r\nThanks to your generous support, we've been able to bring learning to life through play. Our next step is to incorporate reflection activities after each game, helping students connect their teamwork and problem-solving experiences in Jenga to real-life classroom challenges and goals.","fullyFundedDate":1762186607277,"projectUrl":"project/blocks-of-belonging-helping-nces-studen/9866999/","projectTitle":"Blocks of Belonging: Helping NCES Students Learn, Laugh, and Connect!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cassandra","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10305110_orig.jpg?crop=239,239,x0,y56&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760464171608","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10305110"},{"teacherId":10305110,"projectId":9867051,"letterContent":"Our Connect 4 game has been such a wonderful addition to Norma Coombs Elementary! Students are using it during recess and SEL time to make new friends, laugh together, and build teamwork skills. It's been amazing to see students who hadn't played together before now smiling, cheering, and connecting through the game.\r\n\r\nOne special moment was when our principal joined in for a few rounds of Connect 4! The students were so excited and had an absolute blast playing alongside her. The laughter and joy that filled the room perfectly captured our school spirit Together We Roar Strong!\r\n\r\nWhen the Connect 4 set arrived, the students' eyes lit up! They couldn't wait to open the box and start playing. Within minutes, they were teaming up, encouraging each other, and creating new friendships. The energy and excitement were contagious!\r\n\r\nNext, we plan to use Connect 4 as part of our social-emotional learning lessons, focusing on teamwork, patience, and communication. It's a great tool for helping students practice collaboration and problem-solving in a fun, hands-on way.\r\nThanks to your generous donations, our students are not only learning they're connecting, growing, and building lasting friendships that will stay with them for years to come.\r\nThank you for helping our Lions build friendships and ROAR strong together! 🦁💛💙","fullyFundedDate":1762186607129,"projectUrl":"project/connecting-hearts-and-minds-with-connect/9867051/","projectTitle":"Connecting Hearts and Minds with Connect 4!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cassandra","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10305110_orig.jpg?crop=239,239,x0,y56&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760464171608","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10305110"},{"teacherId":10170922,"projectId":9688106,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation. This Donors Choose project has improved my classroom by providing engaging materials that support both learning and social-emotional growth. The National Geographic Readers, Lakeshore readers, and Eric Carle books have helped my students develop a love for reading, while the social-emotional books have encouraged meaningful discussions about feelings and friendships. The STEM toys, math card games, and alphabet dough mats have made hands-on learning fun and interactive, strengthening problem-solving and early literacy skills. These resources have truly made our classroom a more joyful and exciting place to learn.","fullyFundedDate":1757691000500,"projectUrl":"project/books-games-and-growth-for-young-learn/9688106/","projectTitle":"Books, Games, and Growth for Young Learners!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Villagrana","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10170922"},{"teacherId":10170922,"projectId":9583915,"letterContent":"Thanks to your donations, our classroom has become a brighter and more engaging learning space. The new whiteboard easel has been a game changer during small-group instruction. My students love using it to share their ideas and solve math problems. It has made lessons more interactive and allowed me to model skills. The happy face carpet has created a welcoming area where students can gather for quite reading time. Your donations have made our classroom a space that promotes community, comfort, and collaboration.\r\nThe fidgets and individual whiteboards have also had a great impact on student focus and participation.The fidgets help students self-regulate during lessons, allowing them to stay calm and attentive. The personal whiteboards give every student a fun way to practice skills and share their thinking. I really enjoy seeing how proud students are to use their whiteboards during our math sessions. Your support has truly helped create a classroom where students feel happy and are excited to learn.","fullyFundedDate":1755789184548,"projectUrl":"project/supplies-for-success/9583915/","projectTitle":"Supplies for Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Villagrana","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10170922"},{"teacherId":10170922,"projectId":9578977,"letterContent":"Our classroom has been transformed thanks to your generous donations! The sensory gel floor tiles have become an favorite among my students. They use them during sensory breaks to help regulate their energy and refocus before returning to academic tasks. It's amazing to see how something so simple can make such a big difference in helping students stay calm and ready to learn. The gel floor tiles have even sparked creative play and teamwork as students design their own movement paths across the classroom.\r\nThe double-sided magnetic letter tiles, phonics games, and journal paper have brought a new level of excitement to our literacy lessons. During small-group reading time, students build words and practice phonics patterns using the magnetic tiles. One of my favorite moments was watching a student who had struggled with decoding finally sound out a full sentence independently using the new materials. Writing has also become more engaging. My students now look forward to journaling and sharing their stories on paper.\r\nIn math, the dry erase number lines and math toys have helped students grasp concepts like addition, subtraction, and place value. We recently used the toys to build hands-on math stations where students worked together to solve problems and explain their thinking. Our next step is to continue integrating these tools into daily lessons, giving students more opportunities to learn through play. Thanks to your support, my students are now more motivated and excited about learning than ever before!","fullyFundedDate":1755737055667,"projectUrl":"project/learning-tools-to-unlock-potential-in-ev/9578977/","projectTitle":"Learning Tools to Unlock Potential in Every Child","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Villagrana","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10170922"},{"teacherId":8731184,"projectId":9333462,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping bring a new collection of books into our TK classroom! When the books arrived, my students were so excited, they immediately started exploring, flipping through the pages, and sharing what they noticed with each other. Their curiosity and enthusiasm were contagious, and it was such a joy to see.\r\nThese books are already making a big difference in our daily learning. Titles like The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too!, The Wild Robot, and Charlie Makes a Splash! are helping students understand feelings, friendship, inclusion, and problem-solving. \r\n The A Little SPOT series and Fill a Bucket are giving kids ways to recognize and manage their emotions in positive ways. They're not just reading stories—they're having important conversations, practicing empathy, and learning how to support one another.\r\n Next, we'll continue using these books in read-alouds and in class discussions. The students keep coming back to them again and again, and each time, there's a new discovery or a new conversation sparked. Thanks to your support, our classroom is a place where every child can see themselves in the stories we read, build confidence, and grow as compassionate, thoughtful learners. We are so grateful for your generosity!","fullyFundedDate":1747142246138,"projectUrl":"project/books-that-build-empathy-inclusion-and/9333462/","projectTitle":"Books That Build Empathy, Inclusion, and Imagination","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Parker","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8731184_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1664864614741","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8731184"},{"teacherId":8731184,"projectId":8984027,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our TK classroom now has a high-quality teaching easel, and it has quickly become the heart of our learning time on the rug! The children were immediately drawn to it, excited to explore all the ways they could use it.\r\nWe use it every morning to learn each other's names, work on speaking in front of each other, and it hold our songs, charts, and big books. It also serves as a door for our shared classroom. \r\n It really has become the heart of our classroom. I am working on creating visuals to use on pocket charts for songs, poems, and other things are we are learning. The shelf below is used to store our extra clothes and a sensory bin for kids who need a break. I have a soft rug near the easel and bin. \r\n Thank you for supporting me and the students I teach. You have impacted our daily life with the gift of this easel. Thank you for supporting my classroom and education. You are a good person.","fullyFundedDate":1742565030431,"projectUrl":"project/oh-what-an-easel-would-do/8984027/","projectTitle":"Oh, What an Easel Would Do!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Parker","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8731184_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1664864614741","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8731184"},{"teacherId":7712132,"projectId":9314934,"letterContent":"Craft time is always such a special time in my classroom. It's not only a time when students can stretch their creative muscles, but it's a time when I am able to sit in small groups and have casual conversations with them. Sometimes I give them a craft prompt, but normally I just put out the various materials and let them create their own art. The fun part is listening to them brainstorm and create from that single idea. They are more proud of their work when it is something they have created on their own versus a teacher led craft project. Thank you again.","fullyFundedDate":1747336274669,"projectUrl":"project/craft-time/9314934/","projectTitle":"Craft Time","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Flores","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7712132_orig.png?crop=661,661,x261,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1700844854590","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7712132"},{"teacherId":7712132,"projectId":9260625,"letterContent":"Being in the recent fire zone, I wanted to make sure that parents did not need to donate anything to the classroom this year. One of the things I was able to purchase was blankets for the students for our afternoon rest time. I was able to provide each student with a different color blanket for easy identification for them to use at rest time. They love the blankets as they are big and soft. Once the year is over, they will be able to keep them blankets. I also bought dry erase markers as the ones from last year were drying out. The students love to use the dry erase boards with their new markers","fullyFundedDate":1744917489359,"projectUrl":"project/lots-of-necessities/9260625/","projectTitle":"Lots of Necessities","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Flores","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7712132_orig.png?crop=661,661,x261,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1700844854590","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7712132"},{"teacherId":7712132,"projectId":9261067,"letterContent":"With this new storage cabinet, I am able to\r\nKeep art supplies handy but safe. My classroom has four walls and no cabinets, so we have to leave the room to get to an outside storage cabinet. Now I have craft and art supplies handy that I use often. It allows me to provide impromptu supplies for the children when they have a desire to create art. I also like that the cabinet has door with latches that makes it easy for me to access, but stops the students from entering the cabinet. I can safely keep scissors, paint and glue without them having unsupervised access.","fullyFundedDate":1744928981764,"projectUrl":"project/art-storage/9261067/","projectTitle":"Art Storage","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Flores","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7712132_orig.png?crop=661,661,x261,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1700844854590","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7712132"},{"teacherId":7522799,"projectId":9093519,"letterContent":"Thank you for helping me stay organized with my students' artwork. Most importantly, thank you for providing my students and aides with a space to store their personal belongings during class. I like to have students' IEP documents, such as their goals and progress reports, printed to keep handwritten data. Having this safe space gives me peace of mind that their information remains confidential. \r\n\r\nI am also thankful to have a space to store students' emergency snacks without having to worry about critters coming into the class. I look forward to many more years with this cabinet in my classroom to keep my desk free of clutter and more space to store important documents.","fullyFundedDate":1742565030835,"projectUrl":"project/safe-and-sound/9093519/","projectTitle":"Safe and Sound","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Giang","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7522799_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1628817402825","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7522799"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_28654","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":293,"numTeachers":19,"percentFrplEligible":70,"percentAsian":2,"percentBlack":15,"percentWhite":11,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":62,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"15.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":69.0,"schoolId":28654,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Norma Coombs Alternative Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Norma Coombs Alternative Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/pasadena-unified-school-district/norma-coombs-alternative-elementary-school/28654"}