{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Chalmers School of Excellence","outOfStateSupporters":40.7,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10050741,"projectId":9399070,"letterContent":"I cannot thank you enough for your generosity when donating to my classroom. I am a social worker on the West side of Chicago working in a neighborhood that does not always receive the best resources for learning. Through your donation I was able to add some much needed color, fun, and enrichment to my classroom. And the students have already taken notice.\r\n\r\nThe Bop-It is a HUGE hit with the kiddos so far. Almost every child that visits my calm down corner is immediately drawn to the toy. It has provided me with an avenue to build rapport with students as well as inject some fun into their school day. The game helps students with listening skills as well as turn taking skills when playing the \"pass it\" mode. I have one student in particular who is set on beating their high score each time they play.\r\n\r\nThe calm down threading boards have also been a fan favorite and have been noticed by our occupational therapist as well as a tool for helping students with their fine motor skills. The students love creating different patterns and writing their names on the boards. I love that they are getting exposure to different kinds of crafts and activities that could help them grow a new skill or interest they wouldn't have been exposed to previously. I am so grateful for you and your donations. You have made a real impact on my students and your donation will be benefiting them for years to come!","fullyFundedDate":1753199267646,"projectUrl":"project/help-build-a-social-emotional-learning-h/9399070/","projectTitle":"Help Build a Social Emotional Learning Hub","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bekah","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10050741"},{"teacherId":9826165,"projectId":9181006,"letterContent":"On behalf of my students at Chalmers STEAM Elementary School, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for your generous support of our project, Our Emotions Are Important to Us.\r\n\r\nBecause of your kindness, my students now have greater access to social-emotional learning tools that help them express themselves, manage emotions, and build healthy relationships. These resources are not only meaningful—they are essential in creating a safe and supportive environment where every student can grow, learn, and thrive.\r\n\r\nYour donation has made a real difference. From calming corners and emotion regulation games to journals and visual aids, each item has brought us closer to our goal of nurturing emotionally aware and resilient learners.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in our mission and investing in the well-being of our students. Your generosity reminds us that we are not alone in this work—and that there is a community of caring individuals who value the emotional growth of every child","fullyFundedDate":1746495813094,"projectUrl":"project/our-emotions-are-important-to-us/9181006/","projectTitle":"Our Emotions are Important To Us","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Johnson-Crenshaw","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9826165_orig.jpg?crop=902,902,x0,y129&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1744298291721","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9826165"},{"teacherId":5541162,"projectId":7004538,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous gift of a large kidney table for our Pre-K classroom. This table has made a tremendous difference in how we support our students during small group instruction. Its shape and size allow us to sit closely with each child, creating a more focused and engaging learning environment where every student feels seen and supported. Whether we're practicing early literacy skills, exploring numbers, or doing hands-on activities, the table has become a central hub for learning and connection.\r\n\r\nYour support has truly elevated the quality of instruction we're able to provide. With the new table, we can more effectively differentiate lessons and meet students where they are developmentally, helping them build confidence and a strong foundation for future learning. We're so grateful for your investment in our classroom and for believing in the power of early education. Thank you for helping us create a space where young learners can thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1675634977699,"projectUrl":"project/proper-workspace-for-better-learning/7004538/","projectTitle":"Proper Workspace for Better Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Aiona","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5541162_272x272.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1533076235763","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-aiona"},{"teacherId":5541162,"projectId":7004500,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous gift of magnetic tiles to our 1st grade classroom! The students were absolutely thrilled to receive them, and they've quickly become a favorite part of our day. These colorful, hands-on learning tools are not only fun but also incredibly valuable for developing important skills like problem-solving, spatial awareness, teamwork, and creativity. It's amazing to watch our students collaborate, build, and explore with such enthusiasm and curiosity.\r\n\r\nYour thoughtful donation has added a new layer of excitement and learning to our classroom. The magnetic tiles have opened up endless opportunities for imaginative play and meaningful learning experiences that will support our students' growth in math, science, and beyond. We are truly grateful for your support and for helping us create a classroom environment where learning feels like play. Thank you for making a lasting impact on our students' education and joy.","fullyFundedDate":1672530942245,"projectUrl":"project/learning-is-magnetic/7004500/","projectTitle":"Learning is Magnetic!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Aiona","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5541162_272x272.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1533076235763","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-aiona"},{"teacherId":5541162,"projectId":7004561,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous gift supporting literacy in our 1st grade classroom. Your contribution has provided our young readers with access to engaging books, learning materials, and literacy tools that are helping to build strong foundational skills. Every day, we see the excitement on our students' faces as they discover new words, explore new stories, and grow more confident in their reading abilities—all thanks to your support.\r\n\r\nYour generosity is making a lasting impact, not just on our classroom, but on each child's lifelong journey with reading and learning. With your help, we're creating a joyful, literacy-rich environment where students are encouraged to dream big and reach their full potential. We are deeply grateful for your commitment to early education and for believing in the power of reading. Thank you for helping us turn pages and open minds.","fullyFundedDate":1671201072655,"projectUrl":"project/literacy-curriculum-for-young-minds/7004561/","projectTitle":"Literacy Curriculum for Young Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Aiona","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5541162_272x272.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1533076235763","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-aiona"},{"teacherId":9823560,"projectId":8914974,"letterContent":"Thank you to your donation, our pre-k students (ages 3-5) found another opportunity to express themselves. During the centers time, they enjoy playing the little piano that is for their size. It helps us to practice the letters we learn in the class, as each key has a letter sticker on it. Some of them have musician parents and relatives. They are able to make some beats, or press all the keys one by one. It is one of the best things in the classroom to hear that one or two students chose to play with the piano, especially when they play nicely :) We have a cover on the piano and students try their best to put it back on and turn the piano after they use it.\r\n\r\nThe ukuleles are a bit more complicated. At this time they mostly try to hold them like a real guitarist and play the strings on the body without touching the strings on the neck. We are also very careful trying to keep the ukuleles safe, but some of us like to walk with them so we got some scars. It is also a great thing to hear a student playing the ukuleles when I am in the middle of doing something. \r\n\r\nThe drums are a good way to release stress and practice rhythm. They help students to use tools/sticks to create sounds. Some of the students (especially the more non-verbal ones) love to express themselves with the drum set and xylophone. The rain drum helps us to practice numbers as well. The days that we cannot go recess due to weather, I realize that the students want to use the music instruments more. They also like to show how to use the instruments to our new students as we get new students almost every month. \r\n\r\nTo conclude, we appreciate the opportunity and are very grateful to have these instruments in the classroom that we spend almost all of our school day.","fullyFundedDate":1732632151873,"projectUrl":"project/playing-music-instruments-to-express-our/8914974/","projectTitle":"Playing Music Instruments to Express Ourselves","teacherDisplayName":"Mx. Duzer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9823560"},{"teacherId":9238941,"projectId":8867792,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for generous donations to the students at my school! They were thrilled to see all of the new equipment and couldn't wait to begin using it all. Your donation has benefited every student, from 4 year olds to 14 year olds. I have used the equipment in my classes as well as during school wide activities. \r\n\r\nMy littlest students have been eager to learn about the parachute and try different games while we play together in cooperation. The older students are having a blast playing against each other in flag football using the new flags and belts we received. All of the students are making good use of the balls, ball pumps, and soccer goals as these have been some of the most popular items. Thank you again for your generosity and kindness towards my students and their enrichment!","fullyFundedDate":1734629889972,"projectUrl":"project/opportunities-to-move-and-grow-through-p/8867792/","projectTitle":"Opportunities to move and grow through physical education.","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Guy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9238941_orig.jpg?crop=1706,1706,x0,y494&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694000172496","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9238941"},{"teacherId":9238941,"projectId":8688503,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donation and for allowing the opportunity for all of the students in my school to interact and create with such novel and engaging art materials and supplies. Since beginning the project, students have been eager and excited to work and explore the chemical process, planning, and exposure to create their cyanotype prints. None of my students have ever worked with photo development or cyanotypes before so it has been an exciting opportunity to work with new techniques and materials.\r\n\r\nYour generous donation towards this experience for my students has made a great impact on their arts knowledge and skills. Prior to exposing our solar prints, students created Japanese Nolan inspired positive and negative shape artwork. Students then worked to collect found objects from the classroom to plan their cyanotype design. We discussed and learned about photo development as well as how to create interesting and balanced compositions combing shapes on their print. Your donation offered my students many opportunities to learn, explore, and express themselves through their art. Projects that allow students to explore a variety of techniques and skills are always a big hit in the classroom and this project has proven no exception. The project has even inspired new projects and ideas for next year. In fact, students were already brainstorming completing the process on fabric and questioning how it might be different from paper. Thank you again for generous contribution to my students enrichment and my arts classroom. I am sure this has been a welcome and exciting opportunity for my students and will make a happy memory of their time in my classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1728062293934,"projectUrl":"project/i-would-love-to-integrate-subjects-to-cr/8688503/","projectTitle":"I Would Love to Integrate Subjects to Create Exciting Cyanotypes!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Guy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9238941_orig.jpg?crop=1706,1706,x0,y494&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694000172496","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9238941"},{"teacherId":9238941,"projectId":8827046,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness towards my students and school community! This means so much and allows me to provide a STEAM focused, well rounded education to my students. By providing my classroom with these books, every young student will get read to every day, and all the students at my school will have access to my library with their art class. \r\n\r\nWe do not have a library at our school so being able to offer exposure to books and the many lessons they can teach us is so important. Representation matters. Reading aloud to students and teaching them joy and love for books is important as they become readers themselves and journey through school.\r\n\r\nThank you again for helping me encourage my students to love to read by providing this amazing donation of books. These books will be used for many years with many students and will make a big impact on what I can provide my students.","fullyFundedDate":1728062295979,"projectUrl":"project/read-aloud-and-art-center-books-for-curi/8827046/","projectTitle":"Read Aloud and Art Center Books for Curious Young Artists","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Guy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9238941_orig.jpg?crop=1706,1706,x0,y494&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694000172496","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9238941"},{"teacherId":9674638,"projectId":8659980,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous contribution to our \"Everyday Routine\" project. Students and parents love the gifts sent. With your help, we are able to create a more organized and engaging environment where students can develop crucial life skills like independence, responsibility, and leadership. The items you donated, including book pouches, organization bins, and labeling materials, are giving my students the tools they need to take ownership of their space and their learning.\r\n\r\nOne of our key goals is to establish individual workspaces for each student, allowing them to organize their belongings and begin to understand the value of keeping things in order. The book pouches are especially meaningful, as they provide a safe way for students to take home books, fostering a love of reading both in and outside of school. These pouches not only protect the books but also teach the students how to care for their personal items.\r\n\r\nThe organization bins are helping us label and store classroom materials, allowing the students to understand the importance of keeping their work neat and accessible. The classroom jobs are another essential part of our routine, empowering students to take on responsibilities that build leadership skills and foster a sense of teamwork.\r\n\r\nThanks to your generosity, we are making strides toward creating a classroom where students feel valued and capable. Every item you've provided plays a critical role in helping us achieve this vision. Your support is teaching my students how to be more independent, take pride in their belongings, and work together to maintain a positive learning environment.\r\n\r\nThank you again for investing in the future of these young learners. Your kindness is truly appreciated, and we will continue to build upon the foundation you have helped us create.","fullyFundedDate":1725031050996,"projectUrl":"project/everyday-routine/8659980/","projectTitle":"Everyday Routine","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Jackson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9674638_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724293453314","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9674638"},{"teacherId":5541162,"projectId":6675375,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous gift supporting financial literacy in our Pre-K classroom. Your contribution is making a meaningful difference in the lives of our youngest learners by helping us introduce important concepts like saving, sharing, and smart spending in age-appropriate and engaging ways. With your support, we've been able to integrate fun, hands-on activities and learning tools that spark curiosity and set the foundation for lifelong financial skills.\r\n\r\nYour kindness and commitment to early education are truly inspiring. It's never too early to start building healthy financial habits, and thanks to you, our students are getting a strong head start. We are deeply grateful for your belief in our mission and in the potential of every child to grow into a confident, capable learner. Thank you again for investing in our classroom and in the future of our students.","fullyFundedDate":1661819618343,"projectUrl":"project/its-never-too-early-for-financial-liter/6675375/","projectTitle":"It's Never Too Early for Financial Literacy!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Aiona","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5541162_272x272.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1533076235763","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-aiona"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5661","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":223,"numTeachers":21,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":91,"percentWhite":1,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":5,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"10.6:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":59.3,"schoolId":5661,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Chalmers School of Excellence on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Chalmers School of Excellence","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/chalmers-elementary-school/5661"}