{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Florida Mesa Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":33.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2422287,"projectId":9818106,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity and support of our adaptive art project. I am so grateful for your belief in my students and in the power of art to connect, inspire, and build confidence.\r\n\r\nI love my students' curiosity, creativity, and resilience. As I build a new adaptive art class for students in our Special Program for Autism (SPA), each child brings a unique perspective and energy into our classroom. Your support helps ensure that art is welcoming, joyful, and accessible for every learner.\r\n\r\nThanks to you, my students now have hands-on, sensory-friendly materials that truly meet their needs. Noise-cancelling headphones help students feel calm and focused. Sensory bins and sand kits encourage tactile exploration and strengthen fine motor skills. Washable finger paints, watercolor paper, Do-a-Dot markers, tempera sticks, and stamps allow students to express themselves freely and confidently. Wikki Stix, masking tape, laminating sheets, and sponges open the door to experimentation, creativity, and problem-solving.\r\n\r\nBecause of your kindness, my students in the SPA program can explore, create, and grow through inclusive art experiences designed just for them. These tools help them build skills, discover their strengths, and experience the joy of self-expression in a safe and supportive environment.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping make our classroom a place where every student feels capable, creative, and celebrated. Your generosity truly makes a difference every single day.\r\n\r\nWith heartfelt thanks,","fullyFundedDate":1762057572152,"projectUrl":"project/inclusive-art-adventures-sensory-suppli/9818106/","projectTitle":"Inclusive Art Adventures: Sensory Supplies for Students with Disabilities","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Maria","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2422287_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1693186847480","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2422287"},{"teacherId":9225623,"projectId":9743655,"letterContent":"I wanted to take another moment to offer my sincere gratitude. My students and I really appreciate you donating to our project at the beginning of the school year. Your donation helped make our space a more organized and predictable learning space. Students not only thrive on routine but also structures that set them up for success. This is exactly what your donation helped us do!\r\n\r\nStudents love the new rolling organizer and even took it upon themselves to create multi-lingual and visual labels for each of the drawers. The accordion style file organizers have helped me in prepping and staying organized. I can have all the supplies I need for the day in one place and believe me this is way more efficient than my old system. Finally, the tall rolling cart that I wanted to use for prepping also became the students. They have made it into more of a \"creative cart\" where they keep things organized for mindful time.\r\n\r\nWe all thank you for supporting education and local classrooms.","fullyFundedDate":1759236166602,"projectUrl":"project/the-right-supplies-productivity/9743655/","projectTitle":"The right supplies = productivity","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Salkeld","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9225623_orig.jpg?crop=300,300,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1693063211341","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9225623"},{"teacherId":4640800,"projectId":9428033,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project, Creating a Playful and Supportive Space. These materials have already made a noticeable difference for our students. The flexible seating options allow our learners to participate in whole-group lessons in ways that truly meet their sensory and regulation needs. Instead of constantly shifting or needing breaks, several students are now able to stay engaged for longer periods while seated in positions that feel comfortable and grounding for them.\r\n\r\nThe play kitchen has become an important tool during structured play sessions. Our students use it to practice emerging play routines such as \"put in/take out,\" matching items, and simple turn-taking with an adult. For many of our students, functional play skills must be taught directly, and this kitchen set provides a motivating, concrete way to work on those goals.\r\n\r\nWe have also incorporated the Tonies and Yoto players into daily independent-play opportunities. These devices are helping students expand listening skills, tolerate longer periods of independent engagement, and access music and stories without the use of screens. Several students who previously relied heavily on iPads for leisure now choose a Tonie or Yoto character during quiet play. This is a meaningful shift toward more balanced and developmentally appropriate options.\r\n\r\nThank you again for creating a space where our students can learn, regulate, and grow in ways that match their unique strengths and needs. Your generosity is helping us build skills that will support them far beyond this school year.","fullyFundedDate":1754546661997,"projectUrl":"project/creating-a-playful-and-supportive-space/9428033/","projectTitle":"Creating a Playful and Supportive Space for Our Autism Program","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clark","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4640800_272x272.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1503163843392","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/elyssaclark"},{"teacherId":2422287,"projectId":8021783,"letterContent":"Since receiving these wonderful learning toys and books, my students have been fully engaged in interactive learning and storytelling activities. When we first introduced the Magnatiles, felt-board sets, and train set, their eyes lit up with excitement, and many immediately began collaborating, building, and creating stories together. These hands-on tools have become a central part of our small-group interventions, helping students practice taking turns, planning, organizing, expressing themselves, and developing self-control in meaningful, playful ways.\r\n\r\nThe books, such as Mo Willems' Waiting Is Not Easy, have sparked lively discussions about emotions, relationships, and flexible thinking. Students are beginning to apply these lessons in real time—taking a deep breath when frustrated, using words to express feelings, and supporting peers in collaborative tasks.\r\n\r\nNext, we plan to integrate these materials into more structured social-emotional lessons, such as group storytelling projects and problem-solving challenges with the Magnatiles. Thanks to your generosity, my students are not only having fun—they are building essential language, emotional, and social skills that will support them for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1699831063203,"projectUrl":"project/social-emotional-learning-and-language-d/8021783/","projectTitle":"Social Emotional Learning and Language Development","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Maria","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2422287_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1693186847480","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2422287"},{"teacherId":2804165,"projectId":8623832,"letterContent":"When these books arrived to our classroom, the whole class watched closely as I unpacked them. My Spanish speaking student was astounded at the Spanish version, and the rest of the students immediately asked when we'd get to read them. You see, the movie was soon to come out in theater and all of the kids were excited. \r\n\r\nThis book set has made it's way into two small groups, including that Spanish speaking student into deeper thoughts about reading than he could do in English, and the homes of several children as they take turns passing around the second book in the series. \r\n\r\nSo, thank you once again for bringing this spark of reading fun to my classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1725234029559,"projectUrl":"project/a-wild-robot-for-a-calm-classroom/8623832/","projectTitle":"A Wild Robot for a Calm Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Turner","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2804165_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1501544203057","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2804165"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_42321","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":293,"numTeachers":26,"percentFrplEligible":69,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":59,"percentIndigenous":6,"percentLatinx":29,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"11.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_DISTANT"},"inStateSupporters":66.7,"schoolId":42321,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Florida Mesa Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Florida Mesa Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/colorado/durango-school-district-9-r/florida-mesa-elementary-school/42321"}
Join the 33 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Florida Mesa Elementary School is
a rural public school
in Durango, Colorado that is part of Durango School District 9-r.
It serves 293 students
in grades K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 11.3:1.
Its teachers have had 39 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
Share and help support Florida Mesa Elementary School
Boost support for this school! Share this page with friends, family, alumni, and fellow supporters. Every connection helps teachers get the supplies they need and shows how much your community cares about its students.
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Every donation funds real needs — pencils, books, lab equipment, art supplies, and more — helping students learn and thrive. We ship supplies directly to the school, and you'll see exactly where each dollar goes.
of students receive free or reduced price lunch
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Source: the National Center for Education Statistics
35%
of students are Black, Latino, Native
American, or Asian
Data about school demographics comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. The numbers in this chart may not add up to 100% because of limitations in the available data.
Florida Mesa Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Jan 15, 2026
DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students
in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.
Florida Mesa Elementary School
$30,818
raised using DonorsChoose
39
projects
funded
24
teachers
funded
33
donors
1
project
for
basic supplies
7
projects for
books
2
projects
for
art supplies
Florida Mesa Elementary School has received support from
22 individuals from Colorado and
11 individuals out-of-state.
