{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Beard Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":25.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":639153,"projectId":10380849,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating to this project! The puzzles are a huge hit within the classroom. I choose these puzzles because not only because of the animals and season scenes, but they are challenging as well. While the pieces are bigger, the students are having to focus on the puzzles and how the shapes all fit together. This is a great opportunity for them to learn patience and persistence. They are also learning how to problem solve. All of these skills are important to have not only within the classroom but outside of the classroom as well.\r\n\r\nThank you again for donating and supporting the work the students are doing in the classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1789585161086,"projectUrl":"project/puzzles-for-pk/10380849/","projectTitle":"Puzzles for PK","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Van Pelt","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp639153_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1625430697270","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/michele-vanpelt"},{"teacherId":8171182,"projectId":6247367,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity! Your support has completely transformed our preschool classroom, touching every single part of our daily routine and creating a brighter, more engaging environment for our young learners.\r\n\r\nBecause of your kindness, our classroom is filled with new opportunities for creativity, independence, and growth:\r\n\r\nBuilding Confidence Through Art: The vibrant new construction paper has fueled endless cutting practice and colorful craft projects. Thanks to the mounting tape, our walls are now covered in student artwork displayed right at their eye level. Seeing their work proudly showcased every day has given our preschoolers an undeniable boost in self-esteem and a strong sense of ownership in our room.\r\n\r\nMastering Turn-Taking & Transitions: The large sand timers have been an absolute hit! Our students loved the tiny timers we had before, but these giant visual timers make waiting for a turn feel like a game. They have dramatically smoothed out center transitions, encouraged fair sharing, and helped prevent frustration and tantrums during play.\r\n\r\nLearning Through Play: The new games have brought so much laughter and targeted learning to our center times. Whether practicing foundational math and literacy skills or learning about feelings and turn-taking, our students are building critical academic and social-emotional skills together.\r\n\r\nFostering Independence at Cleanup: The toy labels have turned clean-up time into a purposeful sorting activity. Our students can now independently categorize and return toys to their proper home, building organizational skills and taking pride in keeping our shared space tidy.\r\n\r\nYour generosity did more than just supply our room with materials—it created a space where 3- and 4-year-olds feel capable, celebrated, and excited to learn every day. Thank you for investing in our classroom community and making a lasting difference in the lives of these little learners!\r\n\r\nWith heartfelt gratitude,","fullyFundedDate":1649079884720,"projectUrl":"project/games-for-educational-fun-labels-to-org/6247367/","projectTitle":"Games for Educational Fun! Labels to Organize the Fun!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Alsheikh","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8171182_orig.jpg?crop=148,148,x11,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1787682268915","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/alsheikh"},{"teacherId":8047864,"projectId":10348116,"letterContent":"Your donation has given all of our students something to look forward to. The Blue bee Pal has motivated many students to use AAC. Their faces light up when they see it's mouth move as they press the buttons. The 3D printer material is being used to make adapted material so that students with physical disabilities are able to access the same activities as their peers. I am also looking forward to using the mount and mounting tape to adapt materials for our students who need it. The migraine cap and helmet will allow students with sensory needs and trouble with self-regulation to benefit from the rest of the items along with their peers. \r\n The Speak and Spell, Leap Frog pad and dancing duck have been extremely motivating for students! Getting the visual and auditory feedback from engaging in these items has increased participation and encouraged curiosity during STEAM. Moving forward, as students gain more skills and confidence I am excited to introduce more complicated activities such as the coding robot and the translator pen for reading. These materials have been truly amazing and the level of engagement and joy would not be possible without your support.","fullyFundedDate":1788959228239,"projectUrl":"project/special-engineers/10348116/","projectTitle":"Special Engineers","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Dee","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8047864_orig.png?crop=226,226,x18,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1758823154519","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8047864"},{"teacherId":639153,"projectId":10356303,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating to this project! These games have been a great addition to our classroom materials. Having new games within the classroom helps to encourage social/emotional learning which is such an important component of preschool learning. \r\n\r\nSo far, in using the games, we have noticed they are now taking turns and understand the concept of taking turns. They are asking other friends if they would like to play. They are following the rules of the game so it is fair play for everyone. Such important learning skills!","fullyFundedDate":1787179064989,"projectUrl":"project/games-for-pk/10356303/","projectTitle":"Games for PK","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Van Pelt","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp639153_orig.png?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1625430697270","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/michele-vanpelt"},{"teacherId":3270243,"projectId":10443242,"letterContent":"These materials have already started to make a difference in our classroom. The chair rounds are great for our wiggly students. They are able to sit at the table and move without distracting peers.\r\n\r\nThe blue peanut has been helpful not only for our wiggly friends, but for our sensory seeking friends. It is light enough that they can carry it, bounce on it, roll on it or just feel the bumps. \r\n\r\nThe additional sensory items have been helpful for all the students in the classroom. They know they can grab what they need when they need them.","fullyFundedDate":1787176189897,"projectUrl":"project/equipping-our-pre-k-classroom-for-sensor/10443242/","projectTitle":"Equipping Our Pre-K Classroom for Sensory Success","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Tanya Boyle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3270243_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1677543016474","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrstboyle98"},{"teacherId":1419965,"projectId":10032083,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting our classroom learning table project! Because of your generosity, our preschool students now have access to engaging literacy and math materials that make learning hands-on, meaningful, and fun.\r\nThe variety of materials has allowed us to meet the needs of all learners and provide opportunities for practice, discovery, and growth every day. Thank you for helping create an inviting space where our young learners can develop confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning. Your support has made a lasting impact on our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1778278482361,"projectUrl":"project/learning-table-for-math-and-literacy/10032083/","projectTitle":"Learning Table for Math and Literacy!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Pamela Gaeding","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1419965_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1484759920999","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/gaeding"},{"teacherId":1419965,"projectId":10256046,"letterContent":"I would like to send a heartfelt thank you for supporting our Bead-utiful Bracelets project! Because of your generosity, our classroom received a wonderful variety of beads and beading materials that inspired creativity, learning, and joy every day.\r\n\r\nYour donation provided meaningful hands-on learning experiences while helping our young learners build confidence, creativity, and independence. Thank you for making such a positive impact on our classroom and for helping bring smiles to our students' faces every day!","fullyFundedDate":1778012759567,"projectUrl":"project/bead-utiful-bracelets/10256046/","projectTitle":"Bead-utiful Bracelets","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Pamela Gaeding","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1419965_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1484759920999","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/gaeding"},{"teacherId":1256962,"projectId":10328021,"letterContent":"This new classroom rug will have a meaningful impact on my preschool students by providing a comfortable and inviting space for learning, circle time, storytelling, and collaborative play. It will help create a welcoming classroom environment where children can feel safe, connected, and ready to learn. The rug will also give students a designated space to practice listening, communication, social skills, and participation as a group. Thank you for helping make our classroom a warm and engaging place for our young learners!","fullyFundedDate":1787255988603,"projectUrl":"project/a-gathering-place-for-learning/10328021/","projectTitle":"A Gathering Place for Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Halina","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1256962_orig.jpg?crop=3318,3318,x0,y110&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1646071463160","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1256962"},{"teacherId":8000501,"projectId":10328036,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donation. The new rugs have absolutely transformed my classroom. The library area is super cozy and inviting now. My students love sitting on the floor together looking at books. The other rug is near building area with blocks, animals, trucks and so much more. The students enough sitting there as well as they work and play together. \r\n\r\nI am so excited to have these rugs that my students can use as they learn throughout the classroom. These rugs are such high quality and I know they will be used for many years as more child learn and grow in my classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1787187692958,"projectUrl":"project/soft-spots-for-smart-starts-new-rugs/10328036/","projectTitle":"Soft Spots for Smart Starts: New Rugs","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Angela","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8000501_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1629432665257","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/angela111"},{"teacherId":2617431,"projectId":10158766,"letterContent":"We all had a blast watching these chicks hatch and grow. We loved learning how to take care of them!\r\n We enjoyed having different classrooms and other adults visit our to see the chicks! Our chicks also were able to take classroom trips by going to other rooms to hang out with different friends.\r\n The chicks also helped friends talk to other peers about the chicks. As a teacher, I also learned a lot about chicks by doing research on how to take care of them. Thank you so much for this year, and for years to come of hatching chicks in Room 117!","fullyFundedDate":1775509693141,"projectUrl":"project/cracking-the-communication-shell-social/10158766/","projectTitle":"Cracking the Communication Shell: Social Skills and Baby Chicks","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mathews","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2617431_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1704758623289","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2617431"},{"teacherId":3270243,"projectId":10261686,"letterContent":"My students are young and inquisitive. They love playing with light. I showed them the materials as they came in and were so excited. They were coming up with different ways to use some of the items. We used the light pad to show xrays of animals we were studying. The light blocks were a huge hit as well. When the school year starts back up, the new students will be so excited because we will do a full study on light and shadows and these materials will be crucial to a wonderful and engaging learning opportunity!","fullyFundedDate":1778162876298,"projectUrl":"project/help-light-up-learning-in-prek/10261686/","projectTitle":"Help Light Up Learning in PreK!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Tanya Boyle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3270243_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1677543016474","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrstboyle98"},{"teacherId":4284937,"projectId":10183692,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting this project. As we ended the preschool year, the children used the materials to celebrate what they had learned and set goals for themselves as incoming kindergarten students.\r\n\r\nWe tie-dyed shirts, created superhero capes, and talked about the \"superpowers\" the children had gained that would help them make new friends and succeed in kindergarten. They left the classroom excited and ready to zoom into new learning experiences as they moved on to new schools.\r\n\r\nTo conclude the project, we created a class book to share with families on the last day of school. In it, we thanked them for a wonderful year and wished everyone well. All of this was made possible through the support of Donors Choose.","fullyFundedDate":1775617395947,"projectUrl":"project/superhero-showcase/10183692/","projectTitle":"Superhero Showcase","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kathleen Kelly","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4284937_orig.png?crop=1650,1650,x0,y60&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1646799208573","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/kathleen-kelly"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5311","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":391,"numTeachers":17,"percentFrplEligible":36,"percentAsian":14,"percentBlack":5,"percentWhite":34,"percentIndigenous":1,"percentLatinx":37,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":5,"gradesServed":"Not specified","studentTeacherRatio":"23.0:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":74.5,"schoolId":5311,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Beard Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Beard Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/beard-school/5311"}