{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Alain Locke Charter Academy","outOfStateSupporters":46.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8631111,"projectId":9958652,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, my students have been able to experience music in a whole new way through creativity, color, and hands-on learning. The crayons, colored pencils, and markers have become an important part of our music classroom, helping students connect visual art with musical concepts like rhythm, melody, and expression. Instead of only hearing music, my students are now able to see it, create it, and express their understanding in colorful and meaningful ways. When the students first saw the new supplies, their faces immediately lit up with excitement. Many could not wait to begin creating, drawing musical patterns, and using colors to represent sounds and emotions. The materials instantly made lessons feel more interactive and engaging, and students were eager to participate and share their creativity with one another.\r\n\r\nOne especially memorable moment was when my 1st graders learned about Bob Marley while preparing to sing the song Three Little Birds. We explored the background of Bob Marley, discussed the type of musician he was, and talked about the positive messages in his music. Afterward, students used the new coloring materials to complete a coloring worksheet of Bob Marley. They were so excited to combine music history with art, and many proudly shared their colorful work with classmates. This activity helped students make deeper connections to the music while expressing their individuality and creativity in a meaningful way.\r\n\r\nThese resources continue to support our daily music lessons and projects as students use colors and visual designs to identify rhythms, map melodic patterns, and illustrate songs we are learning together. Moving forward, my students will continue exploring how music and art connect by creating visual representations of instruments, composers, musicians, and musical elements. Your support has helped create a classroom environment where sound and color come together to inspire imagination, confidence, collaboration, and a lifelong love of music. Thank you for making these meaningful learning experiences possible for my students every day.","fullyFundedDate":1768505781552,"projectUrl":"project/colorful-tools-for-musical-minds/9958652/","projectTitle":"Colorful Tools for Musical Minds!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Belluomini","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8631111_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1765671286397","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbelluomini"},{"teacherId":8631111,"projectId":9958129,"letterContent":"This project has had a tremendous impact on our music classroom by giving students a hands-on and engaging way to learn both their very first instrument and the fundamentals of music. Through learning the recorder, students have developed skills such as reading music, recognizing rhythms, and understanding basic musical concepts in a fun and approachable way. Many students who were initially hesitant about music class have grown more confident as they experience success playing songs on their own and with their classmates.\r\n\r\nThe excitement surrounding playing the recorder has brought new energy into the\r\nclassroom. Students look forward to music class each week, eager to learn new songs, practice their skills, and challenge themselves musically. Along the way, they have also strengthened important skills like focus, listening, coordination, perseverance, and teamwork.\r\n\r\nOne of the biggest highlights of the year was our music showcase, where students had the opportunity to perform on their recorders for an audience. Their hard work and dedication were evident as they played together with confidence and enthusiasm. Seeing the smiles on their faces and throughout the audience made it clear how meaningful the experience was for everyone involved. The showcase gave students a true sense of pride and accomplishment, while also creating a joyful and supportive environment where they felt creative, successful, and connected through music.","fullyFundedDate":1765993936801,"projectUrl":"project/reading-music-with-recorders/9958129/","projectTitle":"Reading Music With Recorders!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Belluomini","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8631111_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1765671286397","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbelluomini"},{"teacherId":8631111,"projectId":9958079,"letterContent":"This project has had a tremendous impact on our music classroom by giving students a hands-on and engaging way to learn both their very first instrument and the fundamentals of music. Through learning the recorder, students have developed skills such as reading music, recognizing rhythms, and understanding basic musical concepts in a fun and approachable way. Many students who were initially hesitant about music class have grown more confident as they experience success playing songs on their own and with their classmates.\r\n\r\nThe excitement surrounding playing the recorder has brought new energy into the classroom. Students look forward to music class each week, eager to learn new songs, practice their skills, and challenge themselves musically. Along the way, they have also strengthened important skills like focus, listening, coordination, perseverance, and teamwork.\r\n \r\nOne of the biggest highlights of the year was our music showcase, where students had the opportunity to perform on their recorders for an audience. Their hard work and dedication were evident as they played together with confidence and enthusiasm. Seeing the smiles on their faces and throughout the audience made it clear how meaningful the experience was for everyone involved. The showcase gave students a true sense of pride and accomplishment, while also creating a joyful and supportive environment where they felt creative, successful, and connected through music.","fullyFundedDate":1766185393153,"projectUrl":"project/every-child-deserves-a-first-instrument/9958079/","projectTitle":"Every Child Deserves a First Instrument","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Belluomini","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8631111_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1765671286397","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbelluomini"},{"teacherId":8631111,"projectId":9958126,"letterContent":"This project has had a tremendous impact on our music classroom by giving students a hands-on and engaging way to learn both their very first instrument and the fundamentals of music. Through learning the recorder, students have developed skills such as reading music, recognizing rhythms, and understanding basic musical concepts in a fun and approachable way. Many students who were initially hesitant about music class have grown more confident as they experience success playing songs on their own and with their classmates.\r\n\r\nThe excitement surrounding playing the recorder has brought new energy into the classroom. Students look forward to music class each week, eager to learn new songs, practice their skills, and challenge themselves musically. Along the way, they have also strengthened important skills like focus, listening, coordination, perseverance, and teamwork.\r\n \r\nOne of the biggest highlights of the year was our music showcase, where students had the opportunity to perform on their recorders for an audience. Their hard work and dedication were evident as they played together with confidence and enthusiasm. Seeing the smiles on their faces and throughout the audience made it clear how meaningful the experience was for everyone involved. The showcase gave students a true sense of pride and accomplishment, while also creating a joyful and supportive environment where they felt creative, successful, and connected through music.","fullyFundedDate":1765827592865,"projectUrl":"project/sound-beginnings-on-recorder/9958126/","projectTitle":"Sound Beginnings on Recorder","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Belluomini","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8631111_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1765671286397","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbelluomini"},{"teacherId":622199,"projectId":9936178,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation of nonfiction books like Who Would Win? and I Survived to our middle school classroom. These books are incredibly popular with our students and are a wonderful way to spark curiosity and excitement about reading. The engaging topics and action-packed stories help students connect with nonfiction while also building their reading confidence and knowledge about the world.\r\n\r\nYour donation helps create a classroom library that encourages students to explore new topics and develop a love of reading. Having access to high-interest books like these makes a real difference, especially for students who are still discovering which kinds of books they enjoy most. We truly appreciate your generosity and your support of our students and their learning.","fullyFundedDate":1764692778273,"projectUrl":"project/true-story/9936178/","projectTitle":"True Story","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Keim","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp622199_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1456880196143","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-keim"},{"teacherId":622199,"projectId":9897578,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support in making it possible for every student in our 5–6 classroom to receive a special gift. Your kindness brought so much excitement and joy to our students. Seeing every child feel included and appreciated made the moment truly meaningful for our class. The students were so excited to customize their water bottles with stickers, and truly appreciated the bookmarks, pens, and erasers.\r\n\r\nYour generosity helps create a positive and caring classroom community where students feel valued and supported. We are incredibly grateful for your thoughtfulness and for making this experience possible for all of our students. Thank you for investing in our classroom and in the happiness of our learners.","fullyFundedDate":1764637116115,"projectUrl":"project/joy-for-all/9897578/","projectTitle":"Joy For All","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Keim","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp622199_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1456880196143","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-keim"},{"teacherId":622199,"projectId":9161932,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating the Big Nate books to our classroom. Your generosity has helped add exciting and engaging reading options for our students. Many of our students already love the humor and relatable characters in the series, and these books will encourage them to spend more time reading and enjoying stories. It is always wonderful to see students excited about picking up a book.\r\n\r\nYour thoughtful donation helps create a classroom environment where reading is fun and accessible for everyone. Because of your kindness, our students will have more opportunities to build their reading skills and discover the joy of books. We truly appreciate your support of our classroom and our young readers.","fullyFundedDate":1742262396536,"projectUrl":"project/big-nate-big-reading-goals/9161932/","projectTitle":"Big Nate; Big Reading Goals","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Keim","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp622199_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1456880196143","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-keim"},{"teacherId":622199,"projectId":9307353,"letterContent":"Thank you for your investment in our classroom. Your generosity is unmatched. As a child, I loved reading the Goosebumps series, and it has been such a joy to introduce these books to my classroom. My students love the mystery and excitement of these books, and they are drawn in by the characters, the descriptions, and the suspense. To develop their skills as a reader, students need access to a diverse library of books, and I deeply appreciate your willingness to add to and expand our classroom bookshelves.","fullyFundedDate":1749323642705,"projectUrl":"project/fright-night/9307353/","projectTitle":"Fright Night!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Keim","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp622199_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1456880196143","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-keim"},{"teacherId":622199,"projectId":9307574,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for adding to our collection of mythology books in the classroom. Mythology is a 6th grade standard, and students are expected to learn not only the myths but how we still reference these myths in our world today. Having mythology available at a variety of reading levels has made a huge difference in our classroom and we are so appreciative of your willingness to help. Reading these stories about gods and goddesses, mythological creatures, and lessons learned has really ignited my students' creativity. They are enthralled and excited to learn more.","fullyFundedDate":1755700239283,"projectUrl":"project/myth-mastery/9307574/","projectTitle":"Myth Mastery","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Keim","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp622199_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1456880196143","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-keim"},{"teacherId":622199,"projectId":8167750,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your support. While colored paper may seem like a small thing, it makes a big difference in classroom organization. 5th grade is a transition point where students in our school begin to rotate between classes, and many students are still struggling to develop and use organizational systems. Being able to find, retrieve, and identify things by colors has made a world of difference. From consistently coloring the things that going home to using bright and unique colors to mark important papers and things to keep, your small gesture is bringing about big change.","fullyFundedDate":1715829404695,"projectUrl":"project/paper-products-please/8167750/","projectTitle":"Paper Products Please","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Keim","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp622199_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1456880196143","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-keim"},{"teacherId":8631111,"projectId":8452091,"letterContent":"Our new music classroom library has been a huge hit this year! Thanks to your generous support, our students now have access to a growing music classroom library that has helped expand both their literacy skills and understanding of the world of music. These books have introduced students to important lessons about musicians, composers, instruments, musical genres, music history, and the cultural impact of music throughout society. Through these texts, students are building reading comprehension skills, learning new vocabulary, making connections between music and history, and developing critical thinking as they explore how music reflects different cultures, time periods, and social movements.\r\n\r\nWith our new music classroom library, I've also been able to incorporate more books into our lessons! With my Kindergarten through 2nd Grade students, we were able to learn more about Stevie Wonder for Black History Month by reading \"Stevie Wonder (Little People, BIG DREAMS)\". After reading about his life, students were able to make more connections and develop a deeper understanding to our musical class activities such as singing and performing body percussion to Stevie Wonder's song \"Sir Duke.\" \r\n\r\nDuring independent reading time and learning centers, many students enjoy browsing the library to find topics that match their own musical interests, whether that is jazz, famous singers, or stories about inspiring musicians. These books are helping students see reading as a way to explore creativity, history, culture, and self-expression all through the lens of music.\r\n\r\nThank you again to our generous donors for helping us create our first music classroom library! Your contribution is helping our students discover the joy of learning through music, literacy, and creativity each and every day.","fullyFundedDate":1724083638828,"projectUrl":"project/a-musical-library/8452091/","projectTitle":"A Musical Library!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Belluomini","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8631111_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1765671286397","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbelluomini"},{"teacherId":8631111,"projectId":9223105,"letterContent":"My students were absolutely floored when they saw our brand new recorders! With these new recorders, students were able to read music for the very first time and perform a wide variety of music throughout the school year.\r\n\r\nTheir favorite piece we played was a jazz tune called \"Simba Samba\", which we performed at our Music Showcase. Up until that point, we had been learning about jazz and they finally got to perform a piece within that genre! Students had solos and fun groovy moments that had the audience tapping their feet. The confidence and smiles I saw on stage for that performance were priceless!\r\n\r\nThis experience would not have been possible without these recorders. Your generosity and kindness have made a positive impact for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1743773150668,"projectUrl":"project/recorders-for-rising-stars/9223105/","projectTitle":"Recorders for Rising Stars!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Belluomini","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8631111_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1765671286397","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msbelluomini"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5494","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":368,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":90,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":98,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":1,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":53.1,"schoolId":5494,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Alain Locke Charter Academy on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Alain Locke Charter Academy","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/alain-locke-charter-academy/5494"}