{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Geraldine W Johnson School","outOfStateSupporters":49.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6949669,"projectId":10365439,"letterContent":"The supplies that you helped get into the hands of my students, while may seem common place, allow them to 'figure things out' for themselves. One of the goals for 7th graders is to learn the process of problem solving: question, access prior knowledge, research (where applicable), propose possible solutions, carry out experiments, record observations and data (develop own data tables), analyze, re-evaluate and start the process again.\r\n\r\nThe pictures show this. The students were asked if 3 pieces of paper and 30cm of tape could hold up a stack of books. Minimal supplies of simple materials are now transformed into a hands-on, brain storming, problem solving activity. The students moved from confusion, to light-bulb moments, to structure building and final exclamations of success and pride.","fullyFundedDate":1785096078518,"projectUrl":"project/future-detectives-need-real-science-tool/10365439/","projectTitle":"Future Detectives Need Real Science Tools!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Welch","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6949669"},{"teacherId":9572089,"projectId":10374171,"letterContent":"Thank you for helping provide my students with new calculators. While there are times to work on computation fluency, there are also times where calculators help students focus on the concepts being taught, rather than focusing on calculations that may trip them up. These calculators allow my students to move forward in class with confidence. \r\n\r\nThese calculators will be especially impactful in my financial literacy class, where we will be doing a lot of work with percents. Having calculators to help students work through real life situations will help prepare them for the real world where they may need to make decisions on their own. They are able to focus on the main financial literacy concepts being taught, while utilizing the calculators to see the impact of decisions.","fullyFundedDate":1786366980052,"projectUrl":"project/calculators-for-middle-schoolers/10374171/","projectTitle":"Calculators for Middle Schoolers","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Librandi","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9572089"},{"teacherId":9572089,"projectId":10374183,"letterContent":"Thank you for helping me stock my classroom with supplies to make sure students are in a healthy environment conducive to learning. I was able to set up a couple stations in the room where students are able to get the things they need. Students are able to get tissues, paper towels, and wipes as they need to make sure that they are comfortable where they are learning. \r\n\r\nTo start the school year, my homeroom has consistently had over 95% attendance, and we hope to keep this going with the help of these supplies.","fullyFundedDate":1784330235371,"projectUrl":"project/keeping-germs-out-of-the-classroom/10374183/","projectTitle":"Keeping Germs Out of the Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Librandi","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9572089"},{"teacherId":6949669,"projectId":10365677,"letterContent":"Thank you again for your generous donation. My students will make great use of all the materials. Most people do not understand the impact of increasing maintenance costs, more federal and state mandates without funding, and other factors have - especially in inner city schools. \r\n\r\nForensics is a new course in our school. My students are so excited that they will be the first to be able to enroll. Without your donation, I would not be able offer the opportunities that will now have. They can't wait to start learning about the tools of crime solving!","fullyFundedDate":1785095981222,"projectUrl":"project/the-building-blocks-for-a-new-forensics/10365677/","projectTitle":"The Building Blocks for a New Forensics Course","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Welch","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6949669"},{"teacherId":1944654,"projectId":10335623,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your kind and generous donation to my classroom and supporting my students with special needs. The project that was funded is going into wonderful use right now and printing off pictures and work for the students to use for the first day of school. Thank you so very much for your generosity and supporting students. A special needs in a self-contained classroom. My students like to have pictures and visuals to use for their learning and sensory needs. They are wonderful individuals and I'm so glad this project was funded and thank you again for your generous donation.","fullyFundedDate":1786023262199,"projectUrl":"project/printing-pictures-for-autism/10335623/","projectTitle":"Printing pictures for autism","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Joseph M. Valentino","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1944654_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1781926843322","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/joey-valentino"},{"teacherId":117537,"projectId":10157008,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating to my class. They loves the books that they received and couldn't stop reading them. At times, they would ask to read more and more during silent reading. We even had to create a more tech savvy check in and check out strategy because many wanted to read at home.\r\nYour donations help my students so much over the years and I want to thank you for always donating to \"Donors Choose.\" This allows us teachers to give our students everything that we know they need to do great and want to love learning!","fullyFundedDate":1774989609303,"projectUrl":"project/all-students-deserve-an-awesome-class-li/10157008/","projectTitle":"All Students Deserve an Awesome Class Library","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McCann","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp117537_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1522340633148","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/117537"},{"teacherId":9457654,"projectId":9403948,"letterContent":"These new books have made reading feel more exciting, purposeful, and accessible in our classroom. Beyond helping students become stronger readers, the texts introduce important skills such as making inferences, identifying themes and key details, building vocabulary through context, comparing characters and perspectives, and supporting ideas with evidence from the text. Students are learning that reading is not just about finishing a book—it is about thinking deeply, asking questions, making connections, and sharing ideas.\r\n\r\nReading in our classroom is an active experience. Students read independently, with partners, and together as a class. We pause to talk about what we notice, predict what might happen next, clarify unfamiliar words, and discuss how characters' choices and experiences shape a story. Students are encouraged to explain their thinking and listen to different interpretations from their classmates. Having engaging, high-quality texts has given them more opportunities to practice these skills in meaningful ways.\r\n\r\nOne of the most rewarding parts of this project has been seeing students who did not always consider themselves \"readers\" become genuinely interested in books. Some students are especially drawn to stories with relatable characters and real-world connections, while others have discovered that they love humor, adventure, or mystery. Students are recommending books to one another, talking about what they are reading, and looking forward to independent reading time. For some of our most reluctant readers, simply finding a book that captures their interest has helped build confidence and a willingness to take on more challenging texts.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has helped us put books into students' hands that they are excited to read—and, just as importantly, books that help them grow as thoughtful, confident readers. Thank you for giving our students the opportunity to discover themselves and the world through reading.","fullyFundedDate":1758389080487,"projectUrl":"project/bringing-books-to-life-diverse-class-s/9403948/","projectTitle":"\"Bringing Books to Life: Diverse Class Sets for Engaged Readers\"","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Jones","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9457654"},{"teacherId":1881984,"projectId":10086134,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting our project, \"Sprouting Knowledge Through Classroom Gardening.\" Your generosity provided composting materials and seeds that helped bring meaningful, hands-on learning experiences to my second-grade classroom. \r\n\r\nThe students were excited when the materials arrived and immediately began asking questions about composting, gardening, and how plants grow. Their enthusiasm made it clear that this project would be a memorable learning opportunity.\r\n\r\nUsing the composting resources, students learned how food scraps and other organic materials can be recycled into nutrient-rich compost instead of being thrown away as waste. Through classroom discussions, observations, and hands-on activities, they explored the role composting plays in helping the environment. Students were fascinated to learn that everyday items such as fruit peels and vegetable scraps can be transformed into something useful that helps plants thrive. \r\n\r\nThese lessons encouraged them to think more carefully about reducing waste and caring for the world around them.\r\n\r\nThe seeds you provided allowed students to see the connection between healthy soil and healthy plants. They enjoyed planting, making predictions about growth, and observing changes over time. One of the most exciting moments was seeing the first signs of growth and realizing that their care and attention were making a difference. Students eagerly shared their observations with classmates and looked forward to checking on their plants each day.\r\n\r\nThis project has supported learning across multiple subject areas. Students practiced science skills by observing, questioning, and recording changes. They strengthened math skills by measuring and comparing growth, and they developed writing skills by documenting their observations and reflections. Most importantly, they learned lessons about responsibility, patience, and environmental stewardship that extend beyond the classroom.\r\n\r\nAs we continue our learning, students will build on their understanding of composting, plant life cycles, and sustainability. They will continue making observations, asking questions, and exploring how their actions can positively impact the environment.\r\n\r\nThank you for providing resources that have inspired curiosity, encouraged hands-on exploration, and helped my students develop a deeper appreciation for nature and conservation.\r\n\r\nYour support has made a lasting difference in our classroom, and we are truly grateful for the opportunity to learn through these engaging experiences. Thank you for investing in our students and helping them grow as learners and caretakers of the environment.","fullyFundedDate":1780499995760,"projectUrl":"project/sprouting-knowledge-through-classroom-ga/10086134/","projectTitle":"Sprouting Knowledge Through Classroom Gardening","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lanier","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1881984_orig.jpg?crop=404,404,x78,y210&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1707600822836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1881984"},{"teacherId":1944654,"projectId":10335576,"letterContent":"Thank you for your kind donation to our classroom. I am very greatly appreciative of your generosity and kindness to my students.\r\n\r\nI am very appreciative for all the donors that donated to my classroom and to my students. It is a wonderful feeling that cannot be explained in words. I am very happy for all the wonderful activity my project was given.\r\n\r\nMy students will benefit from the carpet in many ways to use daily in the classroom to use for daily use and instruction. It will brighten my classroom and help make it look more tidy, clean and welcoming to all my students.","fullyFundedDate":1781716212379,"projectUrl":"project/organize-our-special-ed-classroom-keep/10335576/","projectTitle":"Organize our Special Ed Classroom- Keep it Tidy","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Joseph M. Valentino","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1944654_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1781926843322","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/joey-valentino"},{"teacherId":4611676,"projectId":10364175,"letterContent":"Thanks to your incredible generosity, our classroom is buzzing with excitement, confidence, and meaningful conversations! The moment these social-emotional learning games arrived, my second graders couldn't wait to explore them. Their eyes lit up as they discovered fun new ways to talk about feelings, solve problems, and learn important coping skills through play. It was heartwarming to see students eagerly gathering around the games, asking questions, and cheering each other on as they participated.\r\nOne of our favorite activities has been using the Mad Dragon Anger Control Card Game and the Who What Why Conversation Cards during our SEL lessons and morning meetings. These resources have created wonderful opportunities for students to practice expressing their emotions, listening to others, and working through real-life social situations. As bilingual learners, many of my students benefit from visual, interactive experiences, and these games have helped them build emotional vocabulary and communication skills in a way that feels fun, safe, and engaging. I've already seen students using calming strategies they learned from the games when they feel frustrated and using more thoughtful language when resolving conflicts with classmates.\r\nThe impact of your support reaches far beyond game time. These resources are helping us create a classroom community where students feel brave enough to share their feelings, confident enough to solve problems, and kind enough to support one another. As we continue our social-emotional learning journey, students will use these tools during small-group discussions, partner activities, and classroom community-building lessons. Thank you for helping our young learners develop the coping skills, resilience, and self-confidence they need to thrive both in school and beyond. Your generosity has truly made a lasting difference in the lives of our students!","fullyFundedDate":1784086228502,"projectUrl":"project/big-brains-big-feelings-building-brave/10364175/","projectTitle":"Big Brains, Big Feelings: Building Brave Coping Skills!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Angel Rodriguez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4611676_orig.png?crop=423,423,x7,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1667404637737","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/rodrigueza"},{"teacherId":6949669,"projectId":9669639,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your support. The poster paper allowed me to post notes and different experimental results around the room. This was especially appreciated since my projecting device stopped working!\r\n\r\nThe students were able to keep referring to what we were studying and use these posted papers to discuss in groups and to write explanations with evidential support - a skill that this was the first time many of them were learning. I cannot express how excited and proud of themselves they were.","fullyFundedDate":1758043471742,"projectUrl":"project/brainstorm-together-to-solve-problems/9669639/","projectTitle":"Brainstorm Together to Solve Problems","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Welch","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6949669"},{"teacherId":4611676,"projectId":10322992,"letterContent":"Thank you for making our project a reality! Because of your generosity, my second-grade bilingual readers now have engaging, hands-on phonics materials that are transforming our small-group literacy instruction. When I introduced the new phonics word work sets, my students were immediately excited to explore the colorful letter tiles and word-building mats. They couldn't wait to build words, test different spelling patterns, and challenge themselves to read new words. What once felt like a difficult reading lesson quickly became an exciting learning game.\r\n\r\nThese materials have become an essential part of our daily literacy block. During small-group instruction, students manipulate letters to build words with blends, digraphs, vowel teams, and other advanced phonics patterns. Instead of simply memorizing words, they are discovering how words work by moving, changing, and rebuilding them. One of my favorite moments was watching a student who had struggled with decoding suddenly realize that changing just one sound could create an entirely new word. The smile on their face when they confidently read several new words independently was priceless. Students are becoming more willing to take risks, help one another, and celebrate each other's successes as they grow into stronger readers.\r\n\r\nThese resources will continue supporting our literacy instruction every day. As students strengthen their decoding skills, they are becoming more fluent readers and more confident writers. The phonics kits also allow me to differentiate instruction so every student receives the support they need while classmates continue meaningful independent practice. Thanks to your generosity, my students are building the strong reading foundation they need for future success. Thank you for believing in my students and investing in their futures. Your kindness is helping create lifelong readers, one word at a time!","fullyFundedDate":1781533251618,"projectUrl":"project/words-work-and-wonder-winning-at-word/10322992/","projectTitle":"Words, Work, and Wonder: Winning at Word Work!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Angel Rodriguez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4611676_orig.png?crop=423,423,x7,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1667404637737","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/rodrigueza"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_96256","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":811,"numTeachers":51,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":21,"percentWhite":4,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":68,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":2,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"15.9:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":50.1,"schoolId":96256,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Geraldine W Johnson School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Geraldine W Johnson School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/connecticut/bridgeport-public-schools/geraldine-w-johnson-school/96256"}