{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Kilmer Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":46.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":764823,"projectId":10473640,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support! Your donation truly means a lot to us and helps us keep doing the work we care about. Your support allows us to make a positive impact and continue reaching the people and families we serve. We're incredibly grateful for your kindness, generosity, and belief in what we do. Every contribution, big or small, helps us grow, reach more people, and make a lasting difference. We truly appreciate your generosity and are so thankful for the difference you're helping us make!","fullyFundedDate":1788959295333,"projectUrl":"project/magnetic-letters-for-growing-readers/10473640/","projectTitle":"Magnetic Letters for Growing Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. W.","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp764823_orig.jpg?crop=1597,1597,x0,y218&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694367617131","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/764823"},{"teacherId":6634762,"projectId":10198102,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping bring these much needed supplies into our classroom. My students were especially excited when they saw the new art markers. They immediately wanted to know when they would get to use them. NOW! Having these materials readily available has also made our class routines easier. \r\nWe use these supplies in our daily writing, annotating, class activities and creative projects. The art supplies are helpful for kids to show learning in ways that go beyond a worksheet. \r\nThank you for investing in my students and our classroom. We have the ideas and now the supplies to actually bring them to life.","fullyFundedDate":1779283659516,"projectUrl":"project/no-pencil-left-behind/10198102/","projectTitle":"No Pencil Left Behind","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Loza","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/lozarok1"},{"teacherId":7660959,"projectId":10242715,"letterContent":"While technology at home is often passive (watching videos or playing entertainment games), in our classroom, the iPad and Plugo AR software serve as an active learning bridge. It turns abstract concepts into concrete, interactive experiences.\r\n\r\nFor K–3 students building foundational reading, writing, and basic math skills, the technology provides immediate feedback. When young learners use physical manipulatives alongside the camera-based Plugo games, the app instantly lets them know if their answer is correct without the anxiety of a red mark on a paper worksheet. It breaks down early literacy and math skills into visual, gamified challenges that scaffold their learning, allowing students to move smoothly from hands-on counting to screen-based problem-solving.\r\n\r\nThe most exciting feature for my students is the \"magical\" Augmented Reality (AR) connection between their desk and the screen.\r\n\r\nThey are fascinated by the fact that when they move a physical game piece, building block, or math tile on the mat in front of them, the iPad screen instantly responds and brings their work to life. Instead of feeling like traditional \"drill and practice\" work, it feels like interactive storytelling or building a video game level. They love the sound effects, the visual rewards, and the feeling that they are controlling the digital world with their hands.\r\n\r\nThis technology has been a game-changer for two specific groups of learners: reluctant readers/writers and students with math anxiety.\r\n\r\nSeveral of my students who typically freeze up when handed a traditional math worksheet or pencil-and-paper writing prompt have completely blossomed with these tools. One student in particular, who used to get overwhelmed by multi-digit addition, spent 20 straight minutes focused on the Plugo station. Being able to physically touch the manipulatives while watching the story unfold on the iPad removed the pressure. Seeing their eyes light up when they solved a problem independently—and watching their confidence spill back over into their regular classwork—has been the absolute best part of this project.","fullyFundedDate":1779311661868,"projectUrl":"project/bridging-the-gap-with-phygital-learnin/10242715/","projectTitle":"Bridging the Gap with \"Phygital\" Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Baroud","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7660959"},{"teacherId":7476508,"projectId":10008581,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous gift of a Cricut maker 3. The students were so excited to receive such an amazing gift. My students and I have been printing out card stock letters for projects and bulletin boards. We can't wait to start printing out t shirt decals to create some school spirit wear. This amazing machine has given my class the opportunity to get so creative in many different ways. We are so excited to see what we can create next with our awesome cricut maker 3 in the upcoming school year!","fullyFundedDate":1778017268425,"projectUrl":"project/kilmer-crafters/10008581/","projectTitle":"Kilmer Crafters","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mercado","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7476508_orig.jpg?crop=475,475,x40,y140&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1704860216840","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/a-mercado"},{"teacherId":764823,"projectId":10181269,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom mailbox project! Your generosity helps students stay organized, take responsibility for their materials, and build independence. These mailboxes will also improve communication between school and home by providing a consistent place for student work, assignments, and important information. We truly appreciate your support and the positive impact it will have on our classroom community. Your kindness helps create a more focused and successful learning environment.","fullyFundedDate":1779054464919,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-mailboxes-for-first-grade/10181269/","projectTitle":"Classroom Mailboxes for First Grade","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. W.","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp764823_orig.jpg?crop=1597,1597,x0,y218&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694367617131","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/764823"},{"teacherId":9502961,"projectId":10077872,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation of these high interest Spanish chapter books and graphic novels! Since these books arrived, I have been doing daily choice reading in my 2nd to 5th grade Spanish classes for native and heritage speakers. I cannot tell you what a huge hit these books have been! The students are all excited for reading every day and cannot wait to choose or continue their favorite books. I have to keep a waitlist of some of the most popular books so that students can get a turn with them.\r\n\r\nI truly believe that this excitement for reading will have long-term benefits for the students in my class. For the students who have arrived to the US recently and are dominant in Spanish, it is instilling a love of grade-level reading that will hopefully bridge to English as their proficiency develops. For my heritage students who are English dominant but speak Spanish at home, these books are helping to encourage them to expand their Spanish vocabulary and literacy skills. For all students, the books are wonderful motivation to keep going with Spanish throughout middle and high school and to be proud of their bilingualism and biliteracy. I hope many of these students will be graduating with the Illinois Seal of Biliteracy in the future, and I believe that you have helped support them in their progress toward this goal.\r\n\r\nThank you again for your generosity and for bringing this wonderful gift to my classes!","fullyFundedDate":1773873037294,"projectUrl":"project/bring-high-interest-spanish-books-to-imm/10077872/","projectTitle":"Bring High-interest Spanish Books to Immigrant and Refugee Students","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Navejas","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9502961_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y342&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1736121070464","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9502961"},{"teacherId":4712686,"projectId":10060248,"letterContent":"Thank you for providing our Makerspace with a new iPad and keyboard. The Makerspace is a place for students to come and complete action projects connected to their learning and IB units. \r\n\r\nOur Grade 5 students have already begun using the iPad to record their action items for their PYP Exhibition project! We have students using the iPad to record skits and podcasts! The students are using technology to share their newly acquired learning on topics such as, pollution, banned books, and the positive and negative effects of Ai. \r\n\r\nNext school year, we will be able to connect our iPad to our Cricut machine and 3D printer! Thank you so much for helping our students figure out how tech can help our learning and community.","fullyFundedDate":1777937610466,"projectUrl":"project/small-hands-big-plans-tech-powered-lea/10060248/","projectTitle":"Small Hands, Big Plans: Tech-Powered Leadership","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Dewey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4712686_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1769296223358","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msdeweysclass"},{"teacherId":4067790,"projectId":9974046,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, my students were incredibly excited to receive the new board games for our classroom! It was wonderful to see their excitement as they gathered around the games, eager to practice teamwork and problem-solving with their classmates.\r\n\r\nWe are using these games during choice time and as part of our IB unit on conflict resolution. The games have already created meaningful opportunities for students to practice taking turns, following rules, communicating respectfully, and working through disagreements in a positive way. \r\n\r\nThese resources are helping students build important social, emotional, and cognitive skills through hands-on learning and play. Your support has made a lasting impact on my students, and we are so grateful for your kindness and generosity!","fullyFundedDate":1771012080049,"projectUrl":"project/play-together-grow-together/9974046/","projectTitle":"Play Together, Grow Together","teacherDisplayName":"Teacher Jezerak","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4067790_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1789173203578","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/jez100"},{"teacherId":2477912,"projectId":10174031,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and helping us receive funding for the Half Moon Table and the Stacking Stools for my preschoolers! Your generosity is creating such an exciting and meaningful learning space for my students.\r\n\r\nBefore receiving these materials, I often had to work with one child at a time due to limited seating and workspace. Thanks to your kindness, I can now gather small groups of students together for hands-on learning, collaborative discussions, guided practice and meaningful activities that help prepare them for kindergarten success.\r\n\r\nOne of the sweetest moments in our classroom is hearing students run up to me with excitement asking if they can do \"kindergarten work\" or \"hard work.\" They are so eager to learn! They often ask me if they can show their classmates the work that they have been doing at the group table. Now that they have a new table and seating arrangement, it will give them the opportunity to learn together, build confidence, strengthen social skills and engage in activities that make learning fun and meaningful.\r\n\r\nYour support is helping create a classroom environment where my students feel excited, capable and proud of themselves every single day. Thank you for believing in my preschoolers and investing in their future. Your kindness and generosity truly make a lasting difference.","fullyFundedDate":1776127179039,"projectUrl":"project/to-the-moon-and-back-a-stem-table-for-l/10174031/","projectTitle":"To the Moon and Back: A STEM Table for Learning!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wright","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2477912_orig.jpg?crop=1188,1188,x0,y7&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1670604109211","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-wright111"},{"teacherId":6634762,"projectId":10081525,"letterContent":"When my students first saw the new art supplies, their reactions were everything. They were curious, excited and it seemed their ideas began to flow almost immediately. Students that are usually hesitant to participate jumped right in, eager to create. We used the materials for visual note taking during our reading of Just Mercy, where students wrote and drew about key moments, themes, symbols of justice and character emotions! The quality of markers and paper make a noticeable difference. The kids took their time, revised their work and showed a level of pride and care that I do not see often.\r\nThese resources have become part of our daily learning, not just a special activity. Students design posters and are planning a board game that connect to the class text about finding truth and justice.These material help the students think deeply, slow down and express their ideas in many creative ways. They will continue to use these materials to develop projects and theme based art displays. Thanks to your support, my classroom is becoming a space where creativity drives engagement, student voices are visible and every learner has a meaningful way to show what they understand.","fullyFundedDate":1770248304699,"projectUrl":"project/creating-with-purpose/10081525/","projectTitle":"Creating with Purpose","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Loza","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/lozarok1"},{"teacherId":7476508,"projectId":9983684,"letterContent":"We are so excited to be receiving these items for our science class. The plastic spoons, craft sticks, cumin, and measuring utensil's are all going to replenish our modeling matter unit. I cannot wait to use these items for the different investigations the students will do. From the flavor ingredients test to the creating actual salad dressing. The students get so engaged in this unit compared to some of the others. I cannot wait to use these items with the students!! Thank you so much for your support of my students learning.","fullyFundedDate":1772407293594,"projectUrl":"project/lab-materials/9983684/","projectTitle":"Lab Materials","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mercado","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7476508_orig.jpg?crop=475,475,x40,y140&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1704860216840","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/a-mercado"},{"teacherId":10173247,"projectId":9583805,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in funding our project! Our 1st-grade co-taught classroom is a vibrant, diverse community, and your gift of a Cricut machine has already made a world of difference for our students.\r\n\r\nIn our classroom, we focus heavily on multimodal learning, as a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn't work. We have students with a wide range of needs, from fine motor challenges to communication delays. This Cricut has allowed us to move beyond standard paper and pencils to create custom-tailored learning materials. \r\n\r\nWe can now cut out letters and shapes from foam, felt, and more. For a student struggling with letter recognition or math shapes, being able to feel the edges of a number or a square makes the concept \"click\" in a way a flat image on a screen never could. We can also now create professional-grade materials that stand up to daily use. From \"First/Then\" boards that help a student manage anxiety to interactive sorting games for social studies and reading, we have already seen a change in their confidence. \r\n\r\nPerhaps most importantly, this machine allows us to make our classroom feel more inclusive. When we can quickly create custom labels, name tags, and organizational bins that use both text and icons, our students gain a sense of independence. They don't have to wait for an adult to tell them where something goes; the environment itself \"speaks\" to them in a way they can understand.\r\n\r\nFinally, coming from a lower-income school, many of our students haven't experienced the luxury of personalizing. Simply having a \"special\" pencil with their name on it encourages an educational buy-in that many didn't have before. \r\n\r\nYour support does more than just provide a piece of technology—it provides our students with a clearer path to the curriculum and a more welcoming place to grow. We are so excited to get \"crafting\" for our kids!","fullyFundedDate":1765834139828,"projectUrl":"project/creating-a-colorful-and-welcoming-space/9583805/","projectTitle":"Creating a Colorful and Welcoming Space with Cricut","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Goodman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10173247_orig.png?crop=1269,1269,x0,y12&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1775235538611","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10173247"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5446","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":789,"numTeachers":48,"percentFrplEligible":78,"percentAsian":9,"percentBlack":22,"percentWhite":15,"percentIndigenous":1,"percentLatinx":41,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":9,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"16.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":53.1,"schoolId":5446,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Kilmer Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Kilmer Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/kilmer-elementary-school/5446"}