{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Lavern Gaynor Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":36.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9639528,"projectId":9585558,"letterContent":"Dear Amazing Donors,\r\nThank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible generosity and support of my classroom. Because of you, my students now have essential supplies that not only help them learn but also make learning more engaging, organized, and joyful every day. Your donations of Expo markers, whiteboards, whiteboard posters, rainbow sleeves, and pencils have made a meaningful and visible difference in our classroom, and I want you to know just how impactful your kindness has been.\r\nSince receiving your donations, our classroom has become a more interactive and collaborative learning space. The whiteboards and Expo markers have transformed the way my students practice new skills. Instead of simply sitting and listening, they are now able to write, solve problems, and share their thinking in real time. During math lessons, students use their whiteboards to show their problem-solving steps, explain their reasoning, and practice new concepts without the fear of making permanent mistakes. They've become more confident because they can try, erase, and try again. This has been especially helpful for students who sometimes feel hesitant to participate—it's given them a safe and fun way to join in.\r\nThe whiteboard posters have been a wonderful addition as well. They allow me to create interactive anchor charts and reusable learning stations around the room. Students can write directly on them during small group activities, review sessions, and center time. This hands-on approach has helped bring lessons to life and keeps students actively involved rather than passively observing.\r\nYour donation of rainbow sleeves has also made a difference in our classroom organization. They help keep student work protected and organized while adding a fun pop of color that brightens up the room. The colors help my students stay organized and excited about their work, and the visual appeal makes our classroom a more welcoming and positive environment.\r\nThe pencils you provided might seem like a small thing, but they are incredibly important. Every day, students need reliable tools to write, think, and express themselves. Not every child is able to come to school with supplies, and because of you, I never have to worry about a student going without. This means every child can participate fully in lessons, complete their assignments, and feel prepared to learn.\r\nBeyond the supplies themselves, your support sends a powerful message to my students—that there are people in the community who believe in them and care about their education. It shows them that their learning matters, and that encouragement means more than words. Your kindness has boosted their confidence, their motivation, and their excitement for coming to school each day.\r\nThank you again for your generosity and for investing in my students' success. Your impact will be felt all year long in every lesson, every activity, and every smile when a student realizes they have the tools they need to succeed.","fullyFundedDate":1756396324393,"projectUrl":"project/interactive-math-is-more-fun/9585558/","projectTitle":"Interactive Math is more FUN!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wood","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9639528_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1723165511650","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9639528"},{"teacherId":10013920,"projectId":9560433,"letterContent":"Thanks to your incredible generosity, our kindergarten classroom is thriving with energy, focus, and smiles! Your support in providing healthy snacks has made such a meaningful difference in our daily routine and in my students' ability to learn.\r\n\r\nWe've been using the snacks each day during our morning and afternoon breaks. It's amazing how a small snack can make such a big impact—helping my students stay alert, focused, and ready to learn. One memorable moment was when a student said, \"Now I can listen better because my tummy isn't growling!\" It was such a sweet reminder of how essential your kindness is to their success.\r\n\r\nWhen the snacks first arrived, my students were so excited! Their eyes lit up as we unpacked the boxes, and they couldn't wait to see what we had. For many of them, having a consistent, healthy snack at school is a comfort that helps them feel cared for and supported throughout the day.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward, we'll continue using snack time as a moment to build community—sharing conversations, practicing manners, and preparing our bodies and minds for learning. These snacks are more than just food; they're helping create a positive, nurturing environment where every child feels ready to grow and learn.\r\n\r\nThank you again for your generosity and for helping meet such an important need in our classroom. Your support truly nourishes both hearts and minds!","fullyFundedDate":1754862244734,"projectUrl":"project/fuel-minds/9560433/","projectTitle":"Fuel Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Keegan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10013920"},{"teacherId":10013920,"projectId":9391360,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our kindergarten classroom has been buzzing with excitement and learning! The new phonics resources you helped provide have truly transformed the way my students engage with reading.\r\n\r\nWe've been using our new letter tiles, magnetic boards, and phonics games during small-group literacy centers. One of our favorite activities has been our \"Build a Word Challenge,\" where students use the tiles to sound out and create new words. You should see their faces light up when they realize they've just read or built a word all on their own! During our first lesson with the materials, several students cheered and clapped when they found their names or sight words they recognized—it was such a joyful moment.\r\nThese resources have made learning phonics much more hands-on and interactive, allowing my students to practice blending sounds and recognizing patterns in a way that feels like play. I've already noticed a boost in their confidence and enthusiasm during reading time.\r\n\r\nNext, we'll be using these materials to explore word families and rhyming patterns. The students are eager to see how many words they can create using the same ending sounds. Their excitement for learning is contagious, and it's all thanks to you.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has made a lasting impact in our classroom—helping little learners take their first big steps toward becoming confident readers. We are so grateful for your kindness and support!","fullyFundedDate":1752283191662,"projectUrl":"project/phonics-fun-for-little-learners-equippi/9391360/","projectTitle":"Phonics Fun for Little Learners: Equipping Our Kindergarten Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Keegan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10013920"},{"teacherId":9696769,"projectId":9523431,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution to our classroom. Your support has truly helped create a calmer, more comfortable learning environment for my students. The small rug in our reading area makes the space so much more inviting. The tennis balls on our chair legs have also made an immediate difference. Our classroom is noticeably quieter and more peaceful, allowing students to stay focused and feel more at ease throughout the day.\r\n\r\nThe social-emotional learning books you provided have already sparked meaningful conversations. My students are eagerly engaging with stories that help them explore their feelings, build empathy, and strengthen their confidence. These books give us daily opportunities to connect, reflect, and learn in ways that truly matter.\r\n\r\nThank you again for investing in our classroom and supporting the well-being of my students. Your kindness has made a lasting impact on our learning community, and we are deeply grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1754275137980,"projectUrl":"project/calm-and-comfortable-classroom-community/9523431/","projectTitle":"Calm and Comfortable Classroom Community","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Soronow","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9696769"},{"teacherId":10051787,"projectId":9520671,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation! Our class has been able to expand our knowledge on how to manage and control our emotions by using supplies added to our calm corner. We have been able to use the tools donated to us to calm our nerves and emotions. Our class has also been able to hold each other and ourselves accountable on following directions and creating a welcoming and safe space to earn incentives and free time where we are able to enjoy playing with the board games that were donated. \r\n\r\nAllowing students to earn rewards and free time to play with the board games pushes them to be the best they can be in the classroom while the tools for the calm corner allows them to learn to regulate their emotions independently. The students were super excited to start using the board games and start earning incentive prices. This has shown growth in accountability and teamwork. \r\n\r\nThe next steps for our classroom and a current classroom lesson is continuing strengthening our ability to control our emotions and nerves while also helping and encouraging our classmates.","fullyFundedDate":1754532038404,"projectUrl":"project/rewards-calm-assistance/9520671/","projectTitle":"Rewards & Calm Assistance","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Melendez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10051787_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1754351106453","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10051787"},{"teacherId":10160689,"projectId":9550686,"letterContent":"Thank you on behalf of the students at Lavern Gaynor Elementary School for your generous donation of gardening resources. We have been able to use the gloves every day to work on our garden. We filled the raised beds with the soil and received a donation of tomato plants which we carefully planted. We also planted corn and sunflower seeds. We have some avocado seeds starting to show roots and we are excited about seeing our garden grow. \r\nOur Gardening Club officially meets on a monthly basis, however the garden can't wait that long to be tended. Therefore, the students give up their recess time to water the plants, take out the weeds, and nurture the plants. They spend time in the garden admiring nature and sharing the love of plants. The students have been given a purpose and they take their job of caring for the garden very seriously. The tomatoes are starting to flower and bud out. The excitement is palpable when they share what they see in the plants and they can't believe that they have been able to grow plants (tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, basil, corn, avocado tree, mango tree, and flowers) in this urban setting. \r\nI am hopeful that the skills they are learning, not only gardening, but caring for life and sharing these experiences with classmates, is something they will appreciate all of their lives.","fullyFundedDate":1754770635337,"projectUrl":"project/gardening-connecting-with-nature/9550686/","projectTitle":"Gardening & Connecting With Nature","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Gomez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10160689"},{"teacherId":8479725,"projectId":9582812,"letterContent":"This donation has significantly improved my classroom!\r\nWe work on Accelerated Reader quizzes every day and now my students are able to access these books from my classroom and not have to wait for a book to be returned to our school library. \r\nI have the SSYRA and SSYRA JR books and they love to read them all. I have even read the majority of books myself. My favorite is The Lost Library. \r\nWe love having these resources and I am so grateful to my donors for helping us out. We use them everyday!","fullyFundedDate":1755282762153,"projectUrl":"project/ssyra-titles-to-motivate-4th-grade-reade/9582812/","projectTitle":"SSYRA Titles to Motivate 4th grade Readers!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Williams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8479725_orig.jpg?crop=480,480,x0,y80&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750976824607","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8479725"},{"teacherId":9520907,"projectId":9551608,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping us launch our students into a year full of growth, achievement, and leadership! Your support of our Launching Leaders initiative at LGE has truly made a stellar impact.\r\n\r\nWith the fun prizes you helped provide, our students are more motivated than ever. They've been asking, \"Can I earn one of those cool rewards if I participate more?\"—and that excitement is exactly what we hoped for! These small tokens have become powerful boosters for confidence and engagement, especially in our small group settings.\r\n\r\nFrom space-themed pencils to out-of-this-world stickers, each prize has helped our students feel seen, celebrated, and inspired to reach for the stars. Thanks to you, we've created a classroom atmosphere where students know that their efforts matter—and that their leadership journey is ready for liftoff.\r\n\r\nYou've helped us take their learning and self-esteem to the moon and back, and we're over the moon with gratitude!","fullyFundedDate":1758807793367,"projectUrl":"project/out-of-this-world-prizes/9551608/","projectTitle":"Out Of This World Prizes!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lorenz","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9520907_orig.jpg?crop=518,518,x62,y234&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1714136359334","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9520907"},{"teacherId":9520907,"projectId":9551029,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our leadership club, All Hands on Deck. Your contribution is helping us create a truly inclusive and empowering experience for our students.\r\n\r\nOur school is proud to be a cluster site for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, and this club bridges communities by teaching American Sign Language (ASL) to all students. Through this initiative, our Deaf and Hard of Hearing students become leaders—teaching their peers the basics of ASL—while others gain the opportunity to learn a new language and build meaningful connections.\r\n\r\nThanks to you, each student received their very own ASL activity book, and they couldn't be more excited! The books are already sparking curiosity and engagement, and the students love working through the activities together. The stickers and pencils you helped provide have been a huge hit—they bring so much joy and motivation to our club meetings. These small touches make a big difference in helping our students feel proud of their learning and leadership.\r\n\r\nWith your help, this year's All Hands on Deck club is set to be our most impactful yet. You've helped us foster a culture of inclusion, leadership, and lifelong learning—and we are deeply grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1754776462320,"projectUrl":"project/all-hands-on-deck/9551029/","projectTitle":"All Hands on Deck!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lorenz","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9520907_orig.jpg?crop=518,518,x62,y234&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1714136359334","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9520907"},{"teacherId":8990766,"projectId":9524217,"letterContent":"On behalf of our fifth-grade ELA classroom, I want to extend a heartfelt thank-you for your generous donation of this year's Sunshine State Young Readers Award novels. Your support has brought a wave of excitement and motivation to our students, who are now eagerly participating in a schoolwide challenge to see how many students—and even teachers—can read these incredible books throughout the year.\r\nHaving access to these engaging and high-quality novels has added a powerful incentive for all types of readers in our classroom. For my advanced readers, the challenge of reading and passing AR tests on these titles has pushed them to explore deeper themes and more complex texts. For my reluctant readers, these books have provided a spark—showing them that reading doesn't have to be daunting, but can be a gateway to adventure, imagination, and joy. The ability to choose from a variety of stories that reflect different interests has helped many students fall in love with the magic of reading and the thrill of getting lost in a good book.\r\nThank you again for investing in our students' literacy journey. Your generosity is making a lasting impact, and we are truly grateful for the opportunity to grow as readers and learners together.","fullyFundedDate":1758117725272,"projectUrl":"project/sunny-for-ssyra-books/9524217/","projectTitle":"Sunny for SSYRA Books!!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ramsey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8990766_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1739814918288","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8990766"},{"teacherId":8990766,"projectId":9596750,"letterContent":"I want to extend my deepest thanks for the generous support through the Organizing Student Led Learning grant. The classroom supplies we received—such as 3-hole punches, cardstock, electric pencil sharpeners, laminator sheets, supply caddies, staplers, tape dispensers, and power strips—have truly elevated the way our fifth-grade students engage with their learning and leadership responsibilities.\r\nThese tools have made a noticeable difference in how efficiently students complete their daily organizational tasks. With multiple supplies available, students no longer have to wait their turn or lose valuable learning time. Instead, they're able to quickly prepare materials, maintain tidy workspaces, and transition smoothly between classrooms throughout the day. This has helped them stay focused, prepared, and confident in their ability to manage their responsibilities.\r\nOne of the most exciting outcomes has been the creation of student leadership notebooks and portfolios. With access to the right tools, students are proudly compiling evidence of their growth, achievements, and leadership moments. These portfolios are becoming a powerful reflection of their hard work and a celebration of their unique strengths.\r\nThank you to the Schoen Foundation, your support has helped build a classroom culture where organization, independence, and leadership are not just encouraged—they're thriving.","fullyFundedDate":1755389978597,"projectUrl":"project/organizing-student-led-learning/9596750/","projectTitle":"Organizing Student Led Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ramsey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8990766_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1739814918288","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8990766"},{"teacherId":8990766,"projectId":9115168,"letterContent":"I am beyond grateful for the Cricut for Creative and Crafty Kids! grant, which has brought an incredible resource to our school—a Cricut machine that is now accessible to both teachers and students (with close supervision). This tool has opened the door to creativity and innovation in ways we never imagined. Teachers who had great ideas but weren't sure how to bring them to life now have a reliable way to create beautiful, professional-quality materials for their classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, and even meeting spaces.\r\nOne of the most impactful uses so far has been creating durable decals for our parent pickup line. What was once a chaotic and confusing process is now smooth and efficient—thanks to clearly labeled poles that help parents, students, and staff quickly and safely connect at the end of the day. We've also begun a stairway beautification project, using the Cricut to design and cut inspirational quotes, science facts, and the Leader in Me seven habits to display on stair edges—giving students daily reminders of positivity and learning as they move through the building. The machine is also being used to create heat transfer vinyl decals for t-shirts for our schoolwide Spirit Squad, helping students feel proud and connected to their school community. These are just a few of the many ideas already in motion—the possibilities are truly endless.","fullyFundedDate":1748893365324,"projectUrl":"project/cricut-for-creative-crafty-kids/9115168/","projectTitle":"Cricut for Creative & Crafty Kids!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ramsey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8990766_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1739814918288","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8990766"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_126358","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":374,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":94,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":14,"percentWhite":7,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":75,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":63.6,"schoolId":126358,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Lavern Gaynor Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Lavern Gaynor Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/florida/collier-county-public-schools/lavern-gaynor-elementary-school/126358"}