{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"James Otis Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":41.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6657415,"projectId":10155295,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support in funding our \"A Journey Through Land and Sea\" project! Your kindness has brought our curriculum to life and given my students a deeper, richer connection to the topics we explore in class.\r\n\r\nHaving these new books in our classroom library made a tremendous difference as we wrapped up our units on marine life and Native American history. The highlight was watching the students independently explore the collection and make connections to what we had discussed during our lessons. Their eyes would light up whenever they spotted a familiar term, historical figure, or ocean creature they recognized, eagerly pointing out the details to their classmates.\r\n\r\nBy providing books that directly mirror and extend our curriculum, you have helped foster a love for reading and critical thinking in our classroom. Thank you for giving my students the tools to take their learning further than the textbook could ever go!","fullyFundedDate":1774541694345,"projectUrl":"project/a-journey-through-land-and-sea/10155295/","projectTitle":"A Journey Through Land and Sea","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bacik","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6657415_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1773604838114","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6657415"},{"teacherId":6657415,"projectId":10255681,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in funding our \"Fresh Starts and Fond Farewells!\" project! Your support has brought so much joy, curiosity, and structure to our classroom.\r\n\r\nThe true highlight of this project was watching our students present at our first-ever science fair. The tri-fold poster boards were the star of the show, giving each student a professional canvas to proudly showcase their research, hypotheses, and experiments. Seeing their faces light up as they stood beside their completed projects was unforgettable, and we couldn't have made that milestone happen without you.\r\n\r\nBecause of your investment in our classroom, my students feel valued, equipped, and excited to learn every single day. Thank you for giving us both a wonderful fresh start and unforgettable memories to carry forward.","fullyFundedDate":1778624336398,"projectUrl":"project/fresh-starts-and-fond-farewells/10255681/","projectTitle":"Fresh Starts and Fond Farewells!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bacik","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6657415_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1773604838114","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6657415"},{"teacherId":7887825,"projectId":10123258,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my project and bringing these essential supplies—laminating sheets, velcro, cardstock, and binding rings—into my speech room. Your kindness has directly transformed how my students interact with books, reading tasks, and language activities.\r\n\r\nMany of my students face unique learning challenges that make standard picture books difficult to navigate. The supplies you funded changed everything.\r\n\r\nWith the laminating sheets and velcro, we have been turning our classroom library into a collection of fully adapted, interactive books. Here is how your gift is making a daily impact:\r\n\r\nPhysical Accessibility: Laminated pages are sturdy enough for small hands to grasp and turn independently without ripping, building motor skills and confidence.\r\n\r\nActive Participation: By adding velcro-backed pictures, words, and symbols directly to the book pages, students can actively participate in read-alouds. Instead of just listening, they can attach the right picture to complete a sentence, match identical items, or point to character choices on the page.\r\n\r\nDemonstrating Comprehension: For the students that use total communication, adapted books serve as a bridge to show their knowledge. Using the movable velcro pieces, students can answer comprehension questions—like \"Who is in the story?\" or \"What happens next?\"—by selecting and placing the correct image. \r\n\r\nSeeing the pride on my students' faces when they can hold, manipulate, and more easily engage with reading is priceless. Your support didn't just buy supplies; you unlocked a world of literacy, independence, and active learning for our entire class.","fullyFundedDate":1774054971836,"projectUrl":"project/beyond-the-page-adaptive-reading-for-al/10123258/","projectTitle":"Beyond the Page: Adaptive Reading for All","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ellyse","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7887825"},{"teacherId":6657415,"projectId":10137241,"letterContent":"The books we received have been an amazing addition to our classroom library. They are not only aligned with the units we have been studying, but they also reflect my students' interests. Because of your support, students are so excited to pick up books that capture their attention, make meaningful connections to our lessons, and inspire a genuine love of reading!!! Watching students become excited about reading has been one of the greatest gifts of this project.\r\n\r\nOne of the most transformative items we received has been the vacuum. It has helped us maintain a clean, welcoming learning environment while also providing opportunities to teach responsibility and important life skills. Students are genuinely excited to help keep our classroom clean, and taking turns vacuuming has become a job they look forward to.\r\n\r\nWe are also incredibly thankful for the sanitation supplies included in this project. Having these materials readily available allows us to maintain a healthy and organized classroom where students can focus on learning. Your generosity has given us the resources we need to create a safe, comfortable environment every single day.","fullyFundedDate":1773793187098,"projectUrl":"project/help-our-classroom-thrive-books-sanita/10137241/","projectTitle":"Help Our Classroom Thrive: Books, Sanitation, and Essentials","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bacik","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6657415_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1773604838114","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6657415"},{"teacherId":18066,"projectId":9969702,"letterContent":"Thank you again for your generous donation to my class project \"Little Ones Learning With Legos\". My preschoolers were so excited when I unpacked the new boxes of Legos. They could not wait to play with them in the block area. Legos are one of our favorite items. \r\n\r\nLegos benefit my students in many ways. When playing with Legos my students are practicing counting, sorting, matching, and understanding patterns. They are problem solving by using trial and error with the structures they build. The Legos also help to strengthen small muscles in their hands and fingers while improving their eye-hand coordination. They are also practicing sharing, turn-taking, and working in groups. \r\n\r\nWhile Legos are helping my students develop crucial skills all my students know is that they are \"FUN\" to play with.","fullyFundedDate":1767899133315,"projectUrl":"project/little-ones-learning-with-legos/9969702/","projectTitle":"Little Ones Learning With Legos","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kirby","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/18066"},{"teacherId":18066,"projectId":9965060,"letterContent":"Thank you for your donation to my class project. My preschoolers were so excited when I showed them the Lummi sticks. They could not wait to use them. The first time we used them one student said, \"wow I wove my lellow sticks\". \r\n\r\nWe use the Lummi sticks weekly. Using the sticks has helped my students grow in so many ways. Tapping, rolling, and clicking the sticks strengthens their hand muscles, increases their eye-hand coordination, and develops their fine motor skills which supports them with their pre-writing skills. Their gross motor skills are developing as well through large arm movements and crossing the midline. These skills are so important for a preschooler to develop and using the sticks makes it not only fun but also very beneficial for my students. Thanks again for contributing to my class resources.","fullyFundedDate":1766120598424,"projectUrl":"project/lummi-sticks-for-little-ones/9965060/","projectTitle":"Lummi Sticks for Little Ones","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kirby","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/18066"},{"teacherId":18066,"projectId":9790664,"letterContent":"I would like to thank you for your generous donation to my class project. The resources that I received are allowing each student in my class to create their very own memory book. Each month the students make an arts and crafts project and it goes on their monthly page for their book. For example for the month of January the students made a snowman. The snowman was hung up in the room as a decoration. At the end of the month the snowman was taken down and put on the January page of their memory book. The students enjoyed picking the colors for their snowman. Each snowman is unique to each student.\r\n\r\nThis is my students first time in school. This memory book is helping them in so many ways. Working on the book each month is boosting their cognitive development, language skills and their self-esteem. This keepsake of their first year in school will help them process emotions, practice storytelling, strengthen fine motor skills, and create a lasting connection to their past. They will enjoy sharing this memory book with their families.","fullyFundedDate":1765996699009,"projectUrl":"project/preschool-memories/9790664/","projectTitle":"Preschool Memories","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kirby","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/18066"},{"teacherId":6657415,"projectId":9983985,"letterContent":"My heart is full as I write to thank you for your incredible generosity. Because of your support, our classroom was transformed into a workshop of kindness and creativity for our Valentine's Friendship Project. The craft supplies you funded provided more than just paper and glitter; they provided an opportunity for my students to practice empathy and connection. In a world that can sometimes feel a bit disconnected, your contribution helped me show these children that people care about them. You've helped foster a classroom culture where kindness is the default setting.\r\n\r\nWe are so grateful for your belief in our students and our vision for a more connected classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1769363457670,"projectUrl":"project/heart-to-heart-building-social-skills-t/9983985/","projectTitle":"Heart-to-Heart: Building Social Skills Through Celebration","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bacik","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6657415_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1773604838114","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6657415"},{"teacherId":10329532,"projectId":10085025,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, our speech therapy room has become an even more engaging and supportive space for my visually impaired students. The specialized materials you helped provide are already making a meaningful difference in how my students communicate, explore, and participate during our sessions.\r\n\r\nWe use these new resources throughout our speech therapy activities to initiate and encourage communication in ways that are accessible, motivating, and developmentally appropriate. Because many of my students rely heavily on tactile and auditory input, the materials you funded—especially the sensory‑rich and high‑contrast toys—have opened up new opportunities for them to interact with their environment and with me. During structured play, turn‑taking activities, and communication practice, these tools help my students express choices, request items, label actions, and engage in shared play with greater confidence.\r\n\r\nRight now, we are working on a communication unit focused on expanding expressive language through play‑based routines. The new materials are helping students practice requesting, commenting, and engaging in back‑and‑forth interactions. Our next steps involve building more independence and consistency in these skills. Students will begin using the materials in more structured communication tasks, such as choosing between items, describing what they feel or hear, and participating in simple cooperative play. These tools will continue to support their progress as we introduce new vocabulary, model communication strategies, and create opportunities for meaningful interaction.\r\n\r\nYour support has done more than supply materials—it has created moments of joy, curiosity, and connection for students who benefit deeply from hands‑on, accessible learning experiences. Thank you for believing in them and for helping make our speech therapy room a place where every student can grow and communicate in their own way.","fullyFundedDate":1772135106033,"projectUrl":"project/play-to-communicate-therapy-tools-for-v/10085025/","projectTitle":"Play to Communicate: Therapy Tools for Visually Impaired Students","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Amanda","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10329532"},{"teacherId":7887825,"projectId":9960522,"letterContent":"This project has been a huge success! Since I work with a large number of students that use dynamic Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), picture based voice output systems, I can now model language on a separate device. This is immensely beneficial for the students taking ownership over their own device and learning new language skills. \r\n\r\nAdditionally, the toys have been a huge hit! My students specifically love the sensory based toys including the light spinner and the thunder stick. These toys not only motivate them to participate, but also help to regulate my students. \r\n\r\nI have so much gratitude for your generous donations!","fullyFundedDate":1765950840448,"projectUrl":"project/from-toys-to-technology-helping-student/9960522/","projectTitle":"From Toys to Technology: Helping Students Find Their Voice","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ellyse","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7887825"},{"teacherId":3925129,"projectId":9688394,"letterContent":"I cannot thank you enough for the generous donations that purchased our vacuum cleaner! Not only is our room cleaner, but the students love taking their turns to vacuum the room! \r\n\r\nSome background on our class. We are a high incidence cluster classroom which includes mainly students with autism but also students with sensory needs and one that is fully visually impaired. We are not a traditional classroom. Our room has several carpets and cushioned chairs as well as sensory blocks and tables. We do not have desks or standard chairs. Our ability to keep our room clean was limited by the amount of custodial help our school was provided. At times our friends would be sitting in day old dirt and crumbs from snacks. Thanks to our brand new, commercial vacuum we are sitting in style!\r\n\r\nLife skills play a big part in our classroom. Students take the CTA with the aides in the classroom to get around town for field trips, we clean our tables with sanitized wipes, we make sure our hands are always clean! Now we take turns on Mondays and when needed cleaning our rugs!!!!!","fullyFundedDate":1764556241750,"projectUrl":"project/it-takes-a-village-to-keep-our-class-cle/9688394/","projectTitle":"It Takes a Village to Keep Our Class Clean!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lane","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3925129"},{"teacherId":4430770,"projectId":10019393,"letterContent":"Thank you so very much for donating to our Family Engagement project. The materials are essential to engaging parents/guardians with their children as they are hands-on projects. The materials facilitate communication and cooperation between the families and their child within the school community.\r\nOverall the family engagement projects will build a stronger bond between families, Teachers, Administrators and staff. Involving parents early on in the educational process, in a positive manner, is crucial for a student's future success and fosters a positive school experience.\r\nA special thank you to the Bezos Family Foundation for the extreme generosity and altruistic practices. The Bezos Family Foundation is making a big impact on our students school experience: involving parental involvement for a most positive long term effect.","fullyFundedDate":1769192023332,"projectUrl":"project/family-engagement-for-little-ones/10019393/","projectTitle":"Family Engagement for Little Ones","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Dec","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4430770_orig.jpg?crop=480,480,x29,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1768309501776","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4430770"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5670","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":354,"numTeachers":29,"percentFrplEligible":83,"percentAsian":4,"percentBlack":29,"percentWhite":4,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":60,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"12.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":58.2,"schoolId":5670,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about James Otis Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"James Otis Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/james-otis-world-language-acad/5670"}