{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"George Washington Battles Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":26.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":7932270,"projectId":10270851,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for providing our TK classroom with new drawing boards! My students were so excited to see the new materials and could not wait to start drawing and creating. The drawing boards have quickly become a favorite during our learning and choice-time activities. Students are using them to practice making lines, shapes, letters, and pictures while expressing their creativity and sharing their ideas through art.\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite moments has been watching students proudly show their classmates what they have created and explain the stories behind their drawings. These drawing boards give my students a hands-on way to strengthen their fine-motor skills, pencil control, and early writing skills while having fun. As we continue learning, we will use the boards to practice writing our names, forming letters and numbers, drawing pictures to go along with stories, and creating our own ideas. Thank you for helping make learning more engaging and giving my young learners another exciting way to create, explore, and grow!","fullyFundedDate":1778120213013,"projectUrl":"project/little-artists-big-ideas-drawing-board/10270851/","projectTitle":"Little Artists, Big Ideas: Drawing Boards for TK","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bessermin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7932270_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750040159878","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7932270"},{"teacherId":7932270,"projectId":10287034,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping provide our classroom library with a new TK-sized couch! My students were so excited when they first saw it and could not wait to sit, read, and share books with their friends. Having a comfortable, child-sized place to enjoy books has made our library area even more inviting and has encouraged my students to spend more time exploring stories and developing a love for reading.\r\n\r\nWe are using our new couch during daily independent reading, partner reading, and whole-group story time. I especially love seeing students curl up together with a favorite book and take turns looking at the pictures and sharing what they think is happening in the story. The couch has created a cozy space where students can practice listening, communication, and early literacy skills while feeling comfortable and excited about books.\r\n\r\nOur next step is to continue building our classroom reading community as we explore new stories, learn new vocabulary, and practice retelling stories in our own words. Thank you for helping create a welcoming library space where my TK students can relax, connect with books, and grow as young readers. Your generosity is making a meaningful difference in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1778885058093,"projectUrl":"project/flexible-seating-for-tk-success/10287034/","projectTitle":"Flexible Seating for TK Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bessermin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7932270_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750040159878","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7932270"},{"teacherId":7932270,"projectId":10269990,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for providing our classroom with a new pretend kitchen! My students were so excited when they first saw it. They immediately wanted to explore, pretend to cook, and take turns being the chef, customer, and helper. Having this new resource has created a wonderful space for my students to use their imaginations while also practicing important social skills such as sharing, communicating, cooperating, and taking turns.\r\n\r\nWe are using the kitchen during our play-based learning activities, and it has quickly become a favorite part of our classroom. Students have been pretending to prepare meals, serve food to their friends, and talk about different foods and kitchen routines. These moments give them opportunities to build language, confidence, and independence in a fun and meaningful way. As we continue our classroom activities, I look forward to seeing my students expand their pretend-play ideas and create new stories and experiences together.\r\n\r\nThank you for giving my students a special place where they can learn, play, and grow. Your generosity has helped make our classroom a more engaging and welcoming place for every student!","fullyFundedDate":1778120539756,"projectUrl":"project/cooking-up-creativity-in-tk/10269990/","projectTitle":"Cooking Up Creativity in TK!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bessermin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7932270_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750040159878","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7932270"},{"teacherId":7932270,"projectId":10294061,"letterContent":"Thank you for bringing the joy of imaginative play into our Transitional Kindergarten classroom with our new play BBQ! Your generosity has given our students a wonderful new way to learn, connect, and explore through play.\r\n\r\nWhen our students first saw the play BBQ, their excitement was immediate. They were eager to touch, explore, and begin \"cooking\" for their friends. Before long, our classroom was filled with students taking turns being the chef, customer, and family member. One of our favorite moments was watching a group of students work together to prepare an imaginary BBQ meal and then invite their classmates to sit down and \"break bread\" together. What looked like simple pretend play was actually a powerful learning experience!\r\n\r\nThe play BBQ has become a meaningful part of our dramatic play center. As students cook and serve one another, they are practicing important social-emotional skills such as sharing, taking turns, communicating, cooperating, and solving problems. They are also developing language and vocabulary as they describe what they are making, create menus, take orders, and engage in conversations with their classmates. Most importantly, they are learning how to build friendships and work together as a classroom community.\r\n\r\nThe BBQ also has a special connection to our Santa Maria community. BBQ is such an important part of our local culture and a wonderful way that families and friends gather together. In Santa Maria, food is often about more than a meal—it is about community, family, tradition, and spending time together. Our classroom play BBQ gives our young students an opportunity to recreate those familiar experiences through imaginative play. They can pretend to prepare food, invite others to join them, and experience the joy of gathering around a meal together. It gives us a beautiful way to celebrate the culture and traditions that are meaningful to our community while helping children understand the importance of sharing and belonging.\r\n\r\nAs we continue our current learning, our students will build on this play experience by exploring where food comes from, learning about different foods and family traditions, and creating their own pretend restaurant and BBQ experiences. We will continue encouraging students to use their imaginations while practicing counting, sorting, writing, speaking, and collaborating with one another.\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in our youngest learners. Your support has given our students much more than a play BBQ—you have given them a space to imagine, communicate, cooperate, celebrate our community, and learn the beautiful tradition of coming together around food. Every pretend meal is another opportunity for our students to learn that our classroom is a place where everyone has a seat at the table.","fullyFundedDate":1787282654686,"projectUrl":"project/grillin-chillin-in-tk/10294061/","projectTitle":"Grillin’ & Chillin’ in TK","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bessermin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7932270_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750040159878","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7932270"},{"teacherId":8336261,"projectId":10214679,"letterContent":"Thanks to your incredible generosity, my fifth graders were able to celebrate the end of their elementary school journey in a meaningful and memorable way. Your support helped provide special end-of-year activities and keepsakes that recognized their hard work, growth, and perseverance throughout the school year.\r\n\r\n As students reflected on everything they had accomplished, they were able to celebrate alongside their classmates and create lasting memories before taking the exciting step into middle school. For many of my students in our Title I school, these moments are opportunities they may not otherwise experience, making your kindness even more impactful. Your thoughtful donation helped ensure that every child felt included, celebrated, and proud of all they had achieved.","fullyFundedDate":1778032170389,"projectUrl":"project/a-well-earned-sendoff/10214679/","projectTitle":"A Well-Earned Sendoff","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Van Sant (Butler)","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8336261_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1650219303942","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/miss-butlers-learners"},{"teacherId":8336261,"projectId":10194007,"letterContent":"Your generosity has given my students so much more than colorful beads and jewelry-making supplies. Because of your support, my fifth graders were able to create meaningful bracelets that were shared with members of our community as acts of kindness and encouragement. \r\n\r\nThis project gave students the opportunity to experience the joy of giving, while learning that even a small gesture can brighten someone's day. Watching their excitement as they carefully designed each bracelet and talked about the people who would receive them was truly inspiring.","fullyFundedDate":1776882736535,"projectUrl":"project/serving-the-community-one-bead-at-a-tim/10194007/","projectTitle":"Serving the Community: One Bead at a Time!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Van Sant (Butler)","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8336261_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1650219303942","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/miss-butlers-learners"},{"teacherId":7932270,"projectId":10062187,"letterContent":"Your generous donation has brought so much excitement and meaningful learning into our TK classroom! Our students were absolutely thrilled when they first opened the animal magnetic tile play sets. They immediately began sorting the animals by habitat, building homes for them, and creating imaginative stories about where the animals live and how they survive. One especially memorable moment was watching a group of students work together to build an arctic habitat for penguins and polar bears while discussing snow, ice, and cold weather. The hands-on materials encouraged collaboration, language development, creativity, and early science exploration all at once.\r\n\r\nWe are using these magnetic play sets during our science and center rotations to help students learn about different habitats such as the ocean, jungle, desert, farm, and arctic environments. The students are strengthening important TK skills like problem-solving, communication, fine motor development, and cooperative play while engaging in meaningful conversations about animals and their environments. Many students who are typically shy during whole group lessons became confident storytellers and builders when using these materials.\r\n\r\nBecause of your kindness, our students are continuing to expand their learning through habitat investigations, animal classification activities, and imaginative storytelling projects. These resources have transformed our classroom into an engaging, interactive learning space where curiosity and creativity thrive every day. Thank you for making these joyful learning experiences possible for our young learners!","fullyFundedDate":1769571416196,"projectUrl":"project/exploring-animals-through-play/10062187/","projectTitle":"Exploring Animals Through Play","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bessermin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7932270_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750040159878","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7932270"},{"teacherId":7932270,"projectId":10178067,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our TK classroom. Because of your donation, our dramatic play area has been transformed into a vibrant flower shop and farmers market, and it has quickly become one of the most meaningful parts of our learning environment. The children use this space daily to role-play buying and selling flowers, fruits, and vegetables, practicing early math, literacy, and social skills in a hands-on and joyful way. One especially memorable moment was watching two students negotiate a \"bouquet order,\" carefully counting flowers, exchanging pretend money, and using full sentences to describe what they wanted and needed.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the flower shop and farmers market set up, their excitement was immediate. They rushed over with wide eyes, exploring the baskets, arranging flowers, and taking turns being the \"shopkeeper\" and \"customer.\" Even students who are typically more reserved quickly became engaged, stepping into roles with confidence and creativity. The space has encouraged rich language development, cooperation, and problem-solving as they work together to run the shop and serve their classmates.\r\n\r\nThis project has also created a meaningful connection to the world our students know outside of school. We live in a strong agricultural community, and many of our students have family members who work in farming and related industries. The flower shop and farmers market allow them to see their everyday experiences reflected in the classroom, giving them pride and familiarity as they role-play familiar jobs and community roles. It has sparked wonderful conversations about planting, harvesting, and the journey food and flowers take from field to market.\r\n\r\nAs we continue our learning, we will expand this play into more structured academic connections. Students will begin writing simple \"shopping lists,\" labeling flowers and produce, and practicing addition and subtraction as they make purchases. We will also incorporate writing by having them create signs for the shop and menus for seasonal items. Your support has helped bring our curriculum to life in a way that is meaningful, memorable, and deeply engaging for our young learners. We are so grateful for your partnership in their early education.","fullyFundedDate":1775153251532,"projectUrl":"project/harvesting-learning-through-farm-flowe/10178067/","projectTitle":"Harvesting Learning Through Farm & Flower Stand Dramatic Play","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bessermin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7932270_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750040159878","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7932270"},{"teacherId":7932270,"projectId":10118815,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our TK classroom through your generous donation. The write-and-wipe whiteboard paddles have quickly become one of our most-loved learning tools. We use them throughout the day for assessments, guided practice, and especially during small group instruction. One of my favorite moments was during a recent letter-sound activity—each student eagerly held up their board to show their answer, and I could instantly see who understood and who needed extra support. It has made participation more engaging and given every child a voice, even those who are still building confidence.\r\n\r\nWhen the paddles first arrived, the students were beyond excited. Their faces lit up as they realized they each had their own special board to write on. There was an immediate sense of ownership and pride, and even our most hesitant learners couldn't wait to try them out. The ability to quickly erase and try again has helped create a safe space where mistakes are part of learning, and that has made a huge difference in their willingness to participate.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we will continue using these boards as we build foundational skills in early literacy and math. As we move into more complex activities like simple word building and number sentences, the paddles will allow for even more interactive and responsive teaching. Your support has truly transformed how we engage with our lessons and has made learning more dynamic and fun for my students. Thank you for making this possible!","fullyFundedDate":1775153490378,"projectUrl":"project/write-wipe-learn-tk-needs-whiteboard/10118815/","projectTitle":"Write, Wipe, Learn: TK Needs Whiteboard Paddles","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bessermin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7932270_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750040159878","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7932270"},{"teacherId":7932270,"projectId":10093449,"letterContent":"Thank you for bringing this interactive, talking globe into our TK classroom. Your generosity is turning our students' natural curiosity into rich, meaningful learning experiences. With this hands-on tool, children can explore continents, oceans, animals, and cultures while building language, listening, and comprehension skills in an engaging and developmentally appropriate way.\r\n\r\nBecause of you, our dual-language learners will have access to a powerful resource that supports vocabulary development, confidence, and communication. This globe helps connect our learning to the world beyond our classroom, fostering empathy, cultural appreciation, and a sense of belonging. We are truly grateful for your support in helping our students feel seen, valued, and inspired to explore.\r\n\r\nWith heartfelt thanks,\r\n[Your Name]","fullyFundedDate":1770934230663,"projectUrl":"project/bringing-the-world-to-our-transitional-k/10093449/","projectTitle":"Bringing the World to Our Transitional Kindergarten Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bessermin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7932270_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750040159878","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7932270"},{"teacherId":7932270,"projectId":10069713,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom project! Because of your generosity, our classroom now has a beautiful new rug for our jungle-themed library area along with wet wipes to help us keep our classroom clean and healthy. When the rug arrived, my students were beyond excited. They immediately gathered around it, admiring the bright colors and cozy space it created in our reading corner. Several students asked if it was \"really ours,\" and they could not wait to sit down with a book in our transformed library area.\r\n\r\nThe new rug has quickly become one of the favorite places in our classroom. Students are using the space every day during independent reading, partner reading, and small group activities. The jungle-themed library now feels warm, inviting, and comfortable, helping students develop a stronger love for reading and learning. The wet wipes have also made a huge difference in our classroom routine. Students take pride in helping keep our classroom clean, and the wipes allow us to quickly sanitize tables and shared materials throughout the day.\r\n\r\nAs we continue through the school year, these resources will help us create an engaging and welcoming classroom environment where students feel comfortable learning, reading, and working together. Your generosity has given my students more than just supplies—it has created excitement, pride, and a sense of community in our classroom. Thank you for believing in my students and for helping make our classroom a special place to learn and grow.","fullyFundedDate":1770829530867,"projectUrl":"project/clean-cozy-and-ready-to-learn-in-tk/10069713/","projectTitle":"Clean, Cozy, and Ready to Learn in TK","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bessermin","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7932270_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750040159878","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7932270"},{"teacherId":8336261,"projectId":10144465,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for fully funding our *Fill Every Shelf Novel Studies* project. Your generosity means that my students—who are truly ferocious readers—now have access to fresh, high‑quality novel sets that match their enthusiasm and growing skills. This year alone, they've already completed eight novel studies, each one strengthening their fluency, deepening comprehension, and helping them explore characters and themes in meaningful ways. \r\n\r\nWith your support, they'll continue diving into stories that challenge them, inspire them, and nurture their love of reading. You've helped ensure that every shelf in our classroom reflects the curiosity and passion of the students who read from it.","fullyFundedDate":1773848133512,"projectUrl":"project/fill-every-shelf-novel-studies/10144465/","projectTitle":"Fill Every Shelf Novel Studies","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Van Sant (Butler)","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8336261_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1650219303942","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/miss-butlers-learners"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_53871","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":724,"numTeachers":37,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":97,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":1,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"19.6:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":74.0,"schoolId":53871,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about George Washington Battles Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"George Washington Battles Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/santa-maria-bonita-school-dist/george-washington-battles-elementary-school/53871"}