{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Westgate Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":25.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":366284,"projectId":9617167,"letterContent":"Our students were very excited to see the many new options for Library Stations from the Donor's Chose projects. Hands on activities provide opportunities for students to chat and work together in a collaborative atmosphere.\r\n\r\nFunding this project has enabled our library to rotate the variety of library stations more frequently and provide a broader age range of developmental appropriate challenges. Students love to problem-solve and work together. Thank you for all the new resources that have created this new learning opportunity.","fullyFundedDate":1760629705282,"projectUrl":"project/library-sharing-stations/9617167/","projectTitle":"Library Sharing Stations","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kappeler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp366284_orig.png?crop=272,272,x80,y51&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1614515439662","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/366284"},{"teacherId":10099813,"projectId":9714551,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation and for helping bring a rich collection of new books into our classroom. Your support has opened the door to meaningful learning experiences for our young readers, and I'm excited to share the impact these texts are already making.\r\n\r\nSeveral students have shown a special connection to the new books. One student who usually hesitates during independent reading now eagerly chooses one of our new books. Another student who is fascinated by animals has been captivated by the nonfiction titles and has begun sharing new facts. These sparks of engagement are exactly what we hope for, and it's your contribution that helped make these moments possible.","fullyFundedDate":1758830665189,"projectUrl":"project/kindergarten-research-project/9714551/","projectTitle":"Kindergarten Research Project","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wanek","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10099813"},{"teacherId":10099813,"projectId":9514681,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution to my Small Group Instruction Project. Your support has made a meaningful and immediate impact on my classroom and, most importantly, on my students.Because of your donation, I now have the tools and resources needed to create more intentional, engaging, and differentiated small-group learning experiences. These materials have already helped me better meet students exactly where they are—whether they need extra support with foundational skills or are ready for deeper challenges \r\nPlease know that your contribution is making a daily difference. It has allowed me to provide more targeted, hands-on instruction that truly moves learning forward. I am deeply grateful for your belief in my students and in the power of quality classroom instruction.\r\n\r\nThank you again for investing in our classroom community. Your kindness is helping our young learners grow in ways that will follow them well beyond this school year!!!","fullyFundedDate":1757683050372,"projectUrl":"project/small-group-engagement/9514681/","projectTitle":"Small Group Engagement","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wanek","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10099813"},{"teacherId":366284,"projectId":9284717,"letterContent":"Thank you for helping bring this project to our library. Funding for this Donor's Choose project enabled me to purchase specific titles requested by students to provide supplemental reading lessons and connect standards.\r\n\r\nBringing in new books that are relatable and current allow students to make a better connection to the text. This encourages to students to read more independently, improving their literacy and fluency skills. \r\n\r\nThe funding support provided by Ripple was essential for helping match donations. It really has a direct impact in our classroom when we are able to order the books with the funding and have them arrive and immediately implement the project with students. This direct to classroom funding from Ripple keeps my programming innovative. Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1746785994031,"projectUrl":"project/books-buddies/9284717/","projectTitle":"Books & Buddies","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kappeler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp366284_orig.png?crop=272,272,x80,y51&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1614515439662","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/366284"},{"teacherId":5591289,"projectId":8815200,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our classroom. Now that we have these new books our students have been able to master their understaninding of emergent storybooks. They have been able to identify character, setting, and major events. Our students also learned to take turns and turn and talk about the books. These books are welcome addition to our classroom and we are so happy to have them for years to come.\r\nOur population at our title 1 school often don't have opportunites with new books and curriculum so by providing this funding we have been able to purchase new books for these students to use.","fullyFundedDate":1734913621686,"projectUrl":"project/emergent-readers-for-our-amazing-kinders/8815200/","projectTitle":"Emergent Readers for our amazing Kinders!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Gray","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5591289"},{"teacherId":366284,"projectId":8754830,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping bring my Donors Choose Ravenous Readers Project to life. With the hurricanes in the Tampa Bay area, this project became even more important as our library lost books that were damaged in the storms in flooded homes and apartments. \r\n\r\nThe Project has allowed our library to purchase updated nonfiction titles that are current and relevant. These include student high interest series such as natural disasters, animal habitats, and sports biographies. Having these new books drive student motivation to read and helps build fluency and stamina. The kids are just diving in to all the new choices! Thank you.","fullyFundedDate":1735209026865,"projectUrl":"project/ravenous-readers/8754830/","projectTitle":"Ravenous Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kappeler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp366284_orig.png?crop=272,272,x80,y51&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1614515439662","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/366284"},{"teacherId":9738923,"projectId":8753287,"letterContent":"I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for your generous contribution to our classroom's flexible seating project. Thanks to your kindness and support, my 4th-grade students now have an engaging, student-centered learning environment that meets their diverse needs. Your donation has truly transformed our classroom in ways that will impact my students for years to come.\r\n\r\nBefore receiving this funding, my students were confined to traditional desks and chairs, which limited their ability to move, collaborate, and learn in ways that best suit their individual learning styles. Many of my students learn best when they have the freedom to make choices about their environment, and flexible seating provides exactly that. With the new seating options—such as wobble stools, floor cushions, standing desks, and bean bag chairs—students are now empowered to take charge of their learning space.\r\n\r\nSince introducing flexible seating, I have seen an incredible difference in my students. They are more engaged, focused, and eager to participate in class. Some students who previously struggled with staying on task have found that movement-based seating helps them concentrate better. Others who prefer a quiet and cozy space can now find a comfortable spot to read, write, or work on assignments. It has been inspiring to watch my students take responsibility for their own learning and discover the environment that helps them succeed.\r\n\r\nBeyond academic benefits, flexible seating has also improved classroom collaboration and social interactions. Students now work together more naturally, choosing seating arrangements that foster teamwork and communication. The sense of community in our classroom has grown stronger because students feel comfortable and respected in their learning choices.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has made all of this possible. You have given my students more than just new chairs and seating options—you have given them the ability to take ownership of their education, feel more comfortable in their learning space, and develop important life skills such as decision-making and self-regulation. Your support has created an environment where every student can thrive.\r\n\r\nOn behalf of my students and myself, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for believing in the importance of innovative learning spaces. Your kindness and generosity have made a lasting impact, and we are so grateful. Whenever I see my students smiling as they choose their favorite spot to work or enthusiastically engaging in a lesson, I am reminded of your generosity and the difference it has made.\r\n\r\nThank you once again for supporting our classroom and making flexible seating a reality. Your generosity has made our learning space better, and I know my students will carry the benefits of this experience with them for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1734623620986,"projectUrl":"project/seats-for-success-creating-a-dynamic-4t/8753287/","projectTitle":"Seats for Success: Creating a Dynamic 4th Grade Learning Environment","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kwapien","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9738923"},{"teacherId":9745382,"projectId":8771267,"letterContent":"Thank you very much for your contributions to my classroom. The students were excited to see the terrarium being put together piece by piece and wondering what exactly is going into the terrarium. When I announced that we were getting hermit crabs, the students were excited and happy. When I announced that hermit crabs are nocturnal, they had some mixed reactions and were questioning why we have classroom pets that sleep during the day and are active at night. I told them that just because they aren't active during the day, that doesn't mean we can't still care for them and take care of them (and learn about them too). The students started understanding that concept and got right to work. \r\n\r\nI told the students that hermit crabs like to sleep during the day, when we are in school and like to come out at night. However, we can't forget that the animals still need care and support because nobody is going to clean up after them, feed them, or make sure they have water for the mister. We have since created mini-jobs to check the dishes daily to make sure they have water and food. Students also let me know when they need to have their food put back into the dish (they are messy eaters). All students understood that since they sleep during the day, we have to be mindful to keep our classroom volume down because we do not want to stress them out either. Students have done research outside of school on what types of food they enjoy and even different kinds of hermit crabs. We also learned that some hermit crabs live in saltwater their entire lives without coming out of the water. \r\n\r\nAll in all, this has been a great learning experience for my students and they have really shown tremendous leadership!","fullyFundedDate":1734623446732,"projectUrl":"project/claws-in-the-classroom/8771267/","projectTitle":"Claws in the Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Dinaro","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9745382"},{"teacherId":6954072,"projectId":8512041,"letterContent":"Wow! The sensory items have had a huge positive impact on my students. At the beginning of the year many of my students were having a difficult time regulating their emotions and working through big 3rd grade work. Implementing the sensory into a break area has taught my students how to regulate and initiate calming their bodies and minds down before meltdowns. With students being more in control of regulating their minds, they have been able to focus more on academics and learning! I now have students that would elope, transition to 6-7 in class breaks, to now not needing a break at all! We've had wonderful success with these items!","fullyFundedDate":1729710302430,"projectUrl":"project/enhancing-our-learning-by-centering-our/8512041/","projectTitle":"Enhancing Our Learning by Centering Our Emotions!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Todd","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6954072_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1573605312145","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6954072"},{"teacherId":366284,"projectId":8674471,"letterContent":"Our students are able to use the laptop for dedicated programming, which isn't sensitive to updates or software issues. The MAC device has the added benefit of allowing students to access high quality video production with iMovie for technology projects.\r\n\r\nThe students are enjoying being able to collaborate and learn new things. Learning editing and sound mixing is a unique skill that is highly desired. Each girl is bringing new ideas and is engaging in more opportunities as a result of the Donor's Choose project that was fulfilled. We are extremely grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1727364441583,"projectUrl":"project/enhancing-our-first-class-pack-program/8674471/","projectTitle":"Enhancing Our FIRST Class-Pack Program","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kappeler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp366284_orig.png?crop=272,272,x80,y51&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1614515439662","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/366284"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_46952","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":498,"numTeachers":40,"percentFrplEligible":92,"percentAsian":5,"percentBlack":13,"percentWhite":48,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":26,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"12.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":74.6,"schoolId":46952,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Westgate Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Westgate Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/florida/pinellas-county-schools/westgate-elementary-school/46952"}