{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Lewis Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":28.2,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":7759090,"projectId":9649160,"letterContent":"I want to take this time to thank you for your generous contributions to our classroom and for investing in my students. When you decided to help fund this project, you helped my students organize and showcase their work, and they took ownership of their learning. They are beginning to see themselves as active participants rather than passive recipients. This ownership transforms motivation from external rewards into internal drive. Instead of asking \"What grade will I get?\" students start asking \"What can I learn from this?\" and \"How can I improve?\"\r\n\r\nTaking ownership means students feel responsible for their learning journey. When a student creates a portfolio of their best work, organizes their work by topic, and/or presents their work as a project they designed themselves, they invest emotionally in that work. This investment creates a sense of pride and accomplishment that goes far beyond receiving a good grade. Students begin to understand that their choices, effort, and decisions directly affect their success.\r\n\r\nThank you for your contribution.","fullyFundedDate":1758827286207,"projectUrl":"project/learning-to-organize/9649160/","projectTitle":"Learning to Organize","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Korb","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7759090_orig.jpg?crop=2208,2208,x0,y736&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1723572847695","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrskorb"},{"teacherId":9341751,"projectId":7965276,"letterContent":"These additions to my classroom created an environment where students could take more ownership of their learning. By offering flexible seating options, students were able to make choices about where and how they learn best. This freedom helped them feel more comfortable and focused during lessons and independent work.\r\n\r\nFlexible seating also allowed students to move when they needed to, which is especially important at the fifth-grade level. Many students learn better when they can change positions or sit in a spot that helps them concentrate. Whether it was sitting on a stool, using a cushion, or working at a standing desk, these options gave students the ability to regulate their own needs and stay engaged.\r\n\r\nIn addition, having a variety of seating choices encouraged responsibility. Students learned to select spots that supported their learning and respected the needs of others. This sense of responsibility and independence helped build a positive classroom community where everyone could do their best work.","fullyFundedDate":1702349803768,"projectUrl":"project/fifth-grade-flexible-seating/7965276/","projectTitle":"Fifth Grade Flexible Seating","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ragsdale","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9341751_orig.jpg?crop=272,272,x480,y28&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1698244894406","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9341751"},{"teacherId":2237432,"projectId":9579506,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the support you have given to the students I am able to serve. I work with students who require differentiated learning and this project has delivered. One way I am able to achieve that is through the color printer provided. I have been able to print colorful books at different reading levels as well as math materials that really help them see and engage with the concepts we are discussing. For example, when working on decimals, it was much easier for students to see how fractions and decimals are related when looking at colored base ten diagrams I was able to print with the color printer. During reading, students have been more interested and engaged in the story because it's colorful and full of life. The descriptions of the author come to life. They are also able to bring home engaging games and passages I'm able to print for them to practice at home. Engaging is such a big part and color helps. \r\n\r\nThe games have been so exciting. My students are absolutely loving them. Decimal wars and Scrabble have been favorites for the games and are helping students build skills we have discussed and worked on in class. These are great ways to keep learning at the front of their minds. It was awesome when a student spelled caution in Scrabble after we had talked about what it meant a week before. Kanoodle is the favorite puzzle, although all have been enjoyed. So many students have called me over to show me they were able to solve a puzzle that had challenged them. It is building problem solving and spatial manipulation skills and patience. The socio-emotional gains from turn taking, accepting a loss, and honestly grit when it's hard but a student remains determined have been just as big of wins as the academic wins. \r\n\r\nA few other notable successes with materials from this project are using playdough to make arrays in math, headphones to listen to audio text and respond. Charts to show how decimals, fractions, and percentages are related, flashcards for sight words and math facts, and expo markers that we use for just about everything. My students are so excited when they pass off a set of sight words and get a new color of words. That just doesn't happen when everything is plain. Students work on phonics, writing, spelling, and math using the expo markers. It's fun to write on the white boards. All these items have made a huge difference in our learning this year.","fullyFundedDate":1755718285020,"projectUrl":"project/igniting-minds-with-games-creativity/9579506/","projectTitle":"Igniting Minds With Games & Creativity","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Scott","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2237432"},{"teacherId":9463442,"projectId":9189430,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous gift of Expo markers and erasers for our math class! These supplies may seem small, but they make a huge difference every single day. My students use the markers and erasers during small-group lessons, math games, and problem-solving practice. Having fresh markers that actually work and erasers that clean our boards completely keeps students focused and engaged instead of distracted.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, my students can practice their math facts, show their work, and share their thinking with confidence. These tools help them participate actively in lessons and feel proud of their progress. Your kindness has given them the resources they need to grow in both skills and confidence.\r\n\r\nWe are truly grateful for your generosity and for believing in the power of learning!","fullyFundedDate":1744032925406,"projectUrl":"project/exponential-need-for-expo-markers/9189430/","projectTitle":"Exponential Need for Expo Markers!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Vaughn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9463442_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y100&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1714054676162","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9463442"},{"teacherId":7260078,"projectId":8771497,"letterContent":"We're thrilled to introduce the Inchy Bookworm Vending Machine to our school community—just in time for students to experience its magic before summer break!\r\n\r\nThis innovative vending machine brings a fun, engaging twist to reading by allowing students to \"purchase\" books using special tokens earned through academic achievements, positive behavior, or meeting reading goals. With a wide variety of titles—from popular favorites to hidden literary gems—there's something inside for every reader.\r\n\r\nMore than just a reward system, the Inchy Bookworm Vending Machine is a powerful tool to help students set academic goals and foster a lifelong love of reading. It celebrates their efforts while promoting a reading culture that's inclusive, diverse, and equitable.\r\n\r\nBy offering stories that reflect a wide range of voices and experiences, we're helping to bridge the literacy gap and ensure every student has access to a reading journey that's both meaningful and inspiring.\r\n\r\nWe are excited to begin 2025/2026 school year with the vending machine so we can turn every book choice into a new adventure—and make reading the highlight of the school day!","fullyFundedDate":1736874306446,"projectUrl":"project/inching-our-way-to-a-custom-inchy-bookwo/8771497/","projectTitle":"Inching Our Way to a Custom Inchy Bookworm Vending Machine","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Norman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7260078"},{"teacherId":7759090,"projectId":9096278,"letterContent":"Your donations have allowed our students to demonstrate their understanding through creative works. The students were so excited to have these materials to use for their projects. I heard the students make comments such as, \"Awesome, we have markers that are not drying\" and \"Making dioramas are fun\". The students created dioramas, presentation boards for science and social studies events, and art through poetry. It was really neat to see some students who struggle demonstrating their knowledge through traditional methods, really stand out through demonstrating their understanding through visual depictions.\r\n\r\nI cannot thank you enough for bringing these opportunities to our students.","fullyFundedDate":1739369095052,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-materials-makers-in-the-makin/9096278/","projectTitle":"Classroom Materials: Makers in the Making","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Korb","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7759090_orig.jpg?crop=2208,2208,x0,y736&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1723572847695","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrskorb"},{"teacherId":9463442,"projectId":9089030,"letterContent":"We can't thank you enough for your generous donation of Clorox wipes, tissues, paper towels and cleaner. Your support has made a tremendous impact on our students and classrooms!\r\n\r\nBecause of you, our learning spaces are cleaner, healthier, and more welcoming for our students. Your donations help us prevent the spread of germs, keep supplies readily available, and create a safe environment where students can focus on learning without unnecessary disruptions.\r\n\r\nYour kindness and generosity mean the world to us, and we truly appreciate your commitment to our students' success. Thank you for making a difference!","fullyFundedDate":1741977732164,"projectUrl":"project/winter-essentials/9089030/","projectTitle":"Winter Essentials","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Vaughn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9463442_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y100&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1714054676162","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9463442"},{"teacherId":9555653,"projectId":9061939,"letterContent":"Thank you so very much for contributing to and making Beyond the Canvas possible. Students were so excited from the very first day when we opened our box of canvases and they each built their easels. We began the project by brainstorming why people create and how art makes them feel. Some of their responses were that people create \"to bring the world together\" and \"to show them what they can do\" and art made them feel \"joyful,\" \"imaginative,\" and \"inspired.\" \r\n\r\nStudents were then introduced to 30 different African American artists. We learned facts about their life, watched interviews, and read quotes from them. Finally, we did a gallery walk of approximately 90 paintings and students each chose one that spoke to them to duplicate.\r\n\r\nStudents worked hard to recreate the original paintings and the African American Museum of Southern Illinois agreed to display them. We hosted an art opening and my students felt SO loved. Their parents, friends, neighbors, current and former teachers and staff, our principals, the mayor, a city council member, members of our police department, and even our former lieutenant governor came to support our students. The display will remain up for the month of March. \r\n\r\nThank you for allowing my students to have positive feedback from so many members of their community, for helping them to feel proud of themselves, and hopefully inspire them to be productive members of their community in the future all while honoring the voices of African American artists.","fullyFundedDate":1738764400358,"projectUrl":"project/beyond-the-canvas-honoring-african-am/9061939/","projectTitle":"Beyond the Canvas - Honoring African American Voices in Art","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Liss","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9555653_orig.jpg?crop=483,483,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1716516298404","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9555653"},{"teacherId":7759090,"projectId":8647482,"letterContent":"My students are excited about the opportunity to have a book of their own to read as we study the book together in class. We plan to use these books as a class wide book study and to enrich a wide variety of reading skills. Some students have already asked if they can begin reading the books. We want to take this opportunity to thank you for helping provide a one-on-one book reading experience that we can provide year after year. Without your donations we would not be able to put a book in each students hands. Thank you for providing an opportunity to instill a love of reading.","fullyFundedDate":1733256991380,"projectUrl":"project/exploring-literature-beyond-the-textbook/8647482/","projectTitle":"Exploring Literature Beyond the Textbook","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Korb","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7759090_orig.jpg?crop=2208,2208,x0,y736&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1723572847695","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrskorb"},{"teacherId":9555653,"projectId":8422806,"letterContent":"I have been teaching 5th grade for 31 years. This was my first project and I am still completely blown away by the very idea of Donor's Choose. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting my students. These funds have helped make several projects possible already this fall and will continue to support projects planned for the spring.\r\n\r\nOne of the most impactful gifts we received were the 90+ books that were donated to our classroom. The class set of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory allowed us to kick off the year in a fun way, with a novel that was familiar to most, enabling us to do a deep dive into studying character traits. It also allowed us to set up behavioral expectations. Keeping with the theme, students received Wonka Tickets throughout the day for following our PAWS expectations (Positive Attitude, Accountability, Working Hard, and Self-Control). At the end of each day 5 of these Wonka tickets were drawn out of a jar and those students got a mini-chocolate bar. Inside many bars were golden tickets that made students eligible to win a larger prize. This generated so much excitement and it was SUCH a positive start to the year! When we finished the novel, the decorations that were provided through Donor's Choose turned our room into a world of candy with lollipops hanging from the ceiling and decorations everywhere. Students celebrated Wonka Day by traveling through several stations that helped review the book, as well as making Shrinky Dinks (Mike TV was shrunk in the novel). We finished the day by watching the original film. Students loved finding all the ways it was different from the book. This was a great way to start the year!\r\n\r\nAnother one of our units in the fall is our Mystery Unit. The remaining 50+ novels provided were used for students to read as many short mystery novels as possible independently. These stories were perfect! Students are often reluctant to silently read at the beginning of the year for a sustained period of time. Students did such a good job, we decided to have a pajama day where we read almost all day long! These novels helped kick off a unit that focused on making inferences using text evidence, one of our primary 5th grade state standards. Throughout the unit, we do many fun activities such as spy training and solving a \"kidnapping.\" Our assistant principal went \"missing\" and students had to examine the crime scene, taking notes. They then analyzed \"suspect\" (teachers in the building) interviews, using what they learned about making inferences to solve the mystery. Thankfully, Mrs. Reed was found safely! A local detective then came in to speak to our class. She does an AMAZING job of using the vocabulary and strategies authors use to write mysteries and ties it in to her day to day. She also sets up a fake crime in which a cell phone is stolen from our front office, showing the students video of the crime, speaking to headquarters on her walkie talkie, etc. and walks the class through how to solve the crime. Students think it is real until the very end. We finish the unit by taking a tour of our local police department. The novels provided were a perfect way to build interest in this unit and give students hours of independent reading time! Thank you!\r\n\r\nWhile some of the materials provided will be used in the spring for Construction Week, Glow Day, and our Dinosaur Island project, our final fall classroom transformation was our math carnival. These funds purchased prizes and tickets for our carnival. Students work in partners for two weeks solving math packets on various topics. What they don't know at the beginning is that every single problem is a sample state test question. The problems are very difficult, but students earn tickets for perseverance, accuracy, teamwork, showing their work, and using test strategies. Each day, two partnerships are deemed the \"World's Strongest Students.\" They get to sit at a special table and work the ticket book that day. On Fridays, students spend their tickets on carnival games, winning lots of prizes. Students are so motivated to earn tickets, they voluntarily did over 500 bonus problems at home to earn extra tickets!\r\n\r\nAll of these projects take a lot of time and money. I have typically paid for them out of my pocket. I cannot express to you how much joy you have provided my students, while motivating them to learn hard things. THANK YOU SO MUCH!","fullyFundedDate":1720632418589,"projectUrl":"project/transforming-education-through-classroom/8422806/","projectTitle":"Transforming Education Through Classroom Transformations","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Liss","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9555653_orig.jpg?crop=483,483,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1716516298404","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9555653"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_27846","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":299,"numTeachers":27,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":3,"percentBlack":49,"percentWhite":21,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":11,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"4 - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"11.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"TOWN","ncesMetroType":"TOWN_DISTANT"},"inStateSupporters":71.8,"schoolId":27846,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Lewis Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Lewis Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/carbondale-elementary-school-district-95/lewis-elementary-school/27846"}