{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Kinzie Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":27.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":7072952,"projectId":10140410,"letterContent":"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for stepping up to support our classroom just when we needed it most! Because of your generosity, our project was fully funded, and my vibrant, curious learners now have the exact tools they need to stay focused, calm, and inspired as we head into the final stretch of the school year.\r\n\r\nIt is amazing how a few intentional resources can completely shift the energy in a classroom. Your donations brought three vital pieces of our daily puzzle together, and the impact has been immediate:\r\n\r\n* **Diving into *The Wild Robot*:** The excitement in the room when the boxes of books arrived was unforgettable. For the first time, every single student had their own personal copy of *The Wild Robot* to hold, follow along with, and connect to. Having their own books in hand has transformed our reading time; students who used to look around the room are now deeply tracked into the pages, actively analyzing the themes of nature and technology.\r\n\r\n* **Sensory Success with Kinetic Sand:** Our new \"Brain Break\" station has become a sanctuary for regulation. The Kinetic Sand and sculpting tools provide the perfect tactile, quiet outlet for students who need a few minutes to decompress. When a student starts to feel overwhelmed, they spend five minutes at the station. They return to their desks focused, grounded, and ready to learn again.\r\n\r\n* **Ending the \"Great Pencil Famine\":** It might seem small, but having a reliable, abundant supply of pencils has removed a daily layer of stress for my students. No one has to hesitate, hunt around, or feel embarrassed about not having a writing utensil. They can simply grab a pencil and immediately get their big ideas down on paper.\r\n\r\nYou did so much more than just send us supplies; you provided our classroom with the space to breathe, focus, and thrive. You showed my students that their emotional well-being and their academic growth matter to the world outside our school walls.\r\n\r\nThank you for being such an integral part of our learning community and for finishing this school year strong right alongside us!","fullyFundedDate":1773841676784,"projectUrl":"project/kinetic-kids/10140410/","projectTitle":"Kinetic Kids","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Grieger","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7072952"},{"teacherId":7072952,"projectId":10206617,"letterContent":"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making the final day of our fourth-grade year absolutely unforgettable! Because of your incredible generosity, our classroom project was fully funded, and our end-of-year celebration was filled with joy, laughter, and lasting memories.\r\n\r\nThe last day of school can be a bittersweet time for students as they prepare to say goodbye to their friends and transition into summer. However, your support allowed us to turn our final day into a beautiful celebration of the community, friendships, and growth we shared all year long.\r\n\r\nHere is how your kindness came to life on our final day:\r\n\r\n* **The Autograph Beach Balls:** Every single student received their very own beach ball. We spent a wonderful afternoon passing them around for an \"autograph session.\" The classroom was buzzing with positivity as the kids signed their names and wrote sweet compliments and favorite memories on each other's beach balls. They left school with a colorful, personalized souvenir to play with all summer long—and a tangible reminder of how much they are valued.\r\n\r\n* **Sidewalk Chalk Art:** The sidewalk chalk was a massive hit! We headed outdoors and turned the school pavement into a giant canvas. The students loved collaborating on bright, sunny designs and writing encouraging messages to one another as they celebrated the start of summer.\r\n\r\n* *The Wild Robot* Sequel Raffle: As you may know, our class absolutely fell in love with reading *The Wild Robot* this year. Thanks to you, we were able to raffle off copies of the sequel, *The Wild Robot Escapes*. The excitement in the room during the raffle was electric, and the winners were thrilled to take home their new books to kickstart their summer reading.\r\n\r\nKnowing that kind supporters like you invested in their happiness made my students feel incredibly special. You didn't just provide summer toys and books; you helped us close out our fourth-grade chapter with dignity, joy, and a deep sense of community.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in our students and for sending them into summer with such bright smiles. We will cherish these memories for a long time to come!","fullyFundedDate":1777893775936,"projectUrl":"project/beach-balls-and-goodbyes/10206617/","projectTitle":"Beach Balls and Goodbyes","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Grieger","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7072952"},{"teacherId":7894428,"projectId":10018002,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, our Problem-Solving Group has transformed from a space of fatigue into a sanctuary of focus and emotional regulation. Here is how your contribution is changing lives: \r\nIn our counseling groups, we tackle \"heavy\" topics—conflict resolution, emotional regulation, and social navigation. These sessions take a massive amount of mental and emotional energy.\r\n\r\nWe use the new resources as \"Regulation Fuel.\" A specific moment that stands out involved a student who often shuts down when discussing social conflicts. Usually, by the time he reaches my office in the afternoon, his \"resilience tank\" is empty. This week, we started the session with a healthy snack. Having that physical comfort allowed him to stay present; instead of retreating, he was able to use our \"I-Statement\" blocks to walk through a recent argument with a peer. The snack wasn't just food; it was the bridge that kept him regulated enough to do the hard work of self-reflection.\r\n\r\n\r\nThe reaction to the materials was one of pure surprise and warmth. One student asked, \"Wait, these are just for us?\" In a school counselor's office, the environment needs to feel safe and supportive. When the students saw the variety of snacks, they felt seen and cared for. It sent a powerful message: Your well-being matters, and there is a community of people who want to make sure you have what you need to succeed. The \"vibe\" of our group shifted instantly from \"another school task\" to a supportive \"team meeting.\"\r\n\r\nOur Next Steps: Moving Toward Mastery\r\nWith our bodies fueled and our minds focused, the group is moving into the \"Peer Mediation\" phase of our curriculum.\r\n\r\nThe Project: Students are creating \"Conflict Toolkits\"—personalized cards that list their go-to strategies for staying calm.\r\n\r\nThe Goal: We are practicing \"fishbowl\" role-plays where students mediate mock arguments between their peers.\r\n\r\nYour support ensures that hunger never stands in the way of a breakthrough. Thank you for investing in these students' emotional intelligence and future success!","fullyFundedDate":1769177173558,"projectUrl":"project/the-lunch-bunch-bistro-conversation-sta/10018002/","projectTitle":"The Lunch Bunch Bistro: Conversation Starters and Manners","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fernandez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7894428"},{"teacherId":2821555,"projectId":10002342,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations! Motivating our 7th and 8th graders can be a challenge. Your donation will help alleviate this issue by supplying materials for our positive rewards based system. The systems we developed are meant to encourage positive behavior through our weekly raffle on Fridays and incentivize independent reading. Students can earn raffle tickets anytime they display positive behavior such as: acts of kindness, being on-task, participating in class, or academic achievement. Additionally students are rewarded with stickers when they successfully complete their independent reading book. So far this has worked wonderfully with our students!\r\n\r\n7th and 8th graders, despite being the oldest students in the school, are still highly motivated by stickers, which means your generous donations will help encourage our reluctant readers to pick up a book and read! We wouldn't have been able to do this without you!\r\n\r\nWith your help we will be able to reinforce positive behavior and independent reading with our middle schoolers! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!","fullyFundedDate":1778217016491,"projectUrl":"project/big-kids-love-stickers-too-materials-ne/10002342/","projectTitle":"Big Kids Love Stickers Too! Materials Needed For Positive Reinforcement!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Del Toral","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2821555_orig.jpg?crop=272,272,x17,y14&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1678683695216","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-deltoral"},{"teacherId":2821555,"projectId":10184763,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations! With your help we were able to purchase Lord of the Flies graphic novels which we will use with our 7th graders during our 1st unit centered on the Dynamics of Power. Thanks to you, we are one step closer to having a copy for EVERY student! Prior to this, students could not take the books home and could only share them in class, but now, they will have this resource with them at all times! This novel is a classic for a reason; it teaches students about leadership and power. The only obstacle we faced in years past was the difficulty of the text with some of our diverse learners and language learners. Using graphic novels in class supports comprehension because of the visuals and allows us to bridge the gap for many of our students. Thank you for impacting generations of learners! We cannot thank you enough!","fullyFundedDate":1777649930759,"projectUrl":"project/lord-of-the-flies-graphic-novels-needed/10184763/","projectTitle":"Lord of the Flies Graphic Novels Needed for Differentiation!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Del Toral","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2821555_orig.jpg?crop=272,272,x17,y14&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1678683695216","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-deltoral"},{"teacherId":216256,"projectId":9599011,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the color printer. The students love it. They get so excited when they have a chance to create a flyer, poster, or other project. They feel a sense of pride when they create something that looks great.\r\n\r\nThis color printer has inspired some reluctant students because they had very little confidence in their art skills. Now, they create beautiful pieces of art that they are proud to display. This donation will make it possible for future classes to develop inspirational projects as well. Thanks again for making this a reality. We appreciate everything you do.","fullyFundedDate":1765504061782,"projectUrl":"project/print-rich-for-language-learners/9599011/","projectTitle":"Print Rich for Language Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Gleeson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/216256"},{"teacherId":2821555,"projectId":10002020,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations! With your help we were able to purchase cotton balls, pipe cleaners, wax sticks, pom poms, liquid glue, super glue, feathers, googly eyes, fabric, and hot glue sticks. My students will benefit from having these tools in our classroom for a myriad of reasons, especially because we are an International Baccalaureate (IB) school. Sixth through eighth graders at our school are part of the Middle Years IB Program which is centered on teaching the \"whole\" child and reinforcing project-based learning and community service. These art supplies could be used to complete various projects. In fact, by the end of our program, our 8th graders need to complete a Community Service Project. \r\n\r\nThese tools are going to help students with their IB community projects, to make items for fundraisers, to make visual arts projects, to make classroom labels and as well as to differentiate learning, create visual aides, and more! We cannot thank you enough for giving us these tools which will prove to be such a valuable resource.","fullyFundedDate":1776821572434,"projectUrl":"project/big-kids-need-arts-and-crafts-supplies-t/10002020/","projectTitle":"Big Kids Need Arts and Crafts Supplies Too!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Del Toral","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2821555_orig.jpg?crop=272,272,x17,y14&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1678683695216","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-deltoral"},{"teacherId":2821555,"projectId":10000299,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations! With your help we were able to purchase paintbrushes, acrylic paint, watercolor paint sets, and a variety of paint markers. My students will benefit from having these tools in our classroom for a myriad of reasons, especially because we are an International Baccalaureate (IB) school. Sixth through eighth graders at our school are part of the Middle Years IB Program which is centered on teaching the \"whole\" child and reinforcing project-based learning and community service. These art supplies could be used to complete various projects. In fact, by the end of our program, our 8th graders need to complete a Community Service Project and I believe the paint pens will help them immensely to decorate their trifolds for their presentation. \r\n\r\nThese tools are going to help students with their IB community projects, to make items for fundraisers, to make visual arts projects, to make classroom labels and as well as to differentiate learning, create visual aides, and more! We cannot thank you enough for giving us these tools which will prove to be such a valuable resource.","fullyFundedDate":1776438034732,"projectUrl":"project/help-middle-schoolers-embrace-their-crea/10000299/","projectTitle":"Help Middle Schoolers Embrace Their Creativity With Fun Art Supplies!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Del Toral","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2821555_orig.jpg?crop=272,272,x17,y14&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1678683695216","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-deltoral"},{"teacherId":2821555,"projectId":10161311,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations! With your help we were able to purchase Freak the Mighty books which we will use with our 8th graders during our 2nd unit centered on the Power of Friendship. Thanks to you, we officially have a copy for EVERY student! Prior to this, students could not take the books home and could only share them in class, but now, they will have this resource with them at all times! \r\n\r\nThis novel is a classic for a reason; it teaches students about the power of empathy. The only obstacle we faced in years past was the difficulty of the text with some of our diverse learners and language learners. Having 1-1 copies allows us to bridge the gap for many of our students. Thank you for impacting generations of learners! We cannot thank you enough!","fullyFundedDate":1773875632212,"projectUrl":"project/freak-the-mighty-books-needed-for-middle/10161311/","projectTitle":"Freak The Mighty Books Needed For Middle Schoolers","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Del Toral","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2821555_orig.jpg?crop=272,272,x17,y14&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1678683695216","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-deltoral"},{"teacherId":2821555,"projectId":10073526,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations! Motivating our 7th and 8th graders can be a challenge. Your donation will help alleviate this issue by supplying materials for our positive rewards based system. The systems we developed are meant to encourage positive behavior through our weekly raffle on Fridays and incentivize independent reading. Students can earn raffle tickets anytime they display positive behavior such as: acts of kindness, being on-task, participating in class, or academic achievement. So far this has worked wonderfully with our students!\r\n\r\n7th and 8th graders, despite being the oldest students in the school, are still highly motivated by stickers and prizes which means your generous donations will help reinforce positive behavior! We wouldn't have been able to do this without you!\r\n\r\nWith your help we will be able to reinforce positive behavior by using these blind boxes as part of our weekly raffle! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!","fullyFundedDate":1774056229599,"projectUrl":"project/blind-boxes-needed-to-support-middle-sch/10073526/","projectTitle":"Blind Boxes Needed to Support Middle School Positive Behavior System!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Del Toral","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2821555_orig.jpg?crop=272,272,x17,y14&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1678683695216","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-deltoral"},{"teacherId":2821555,"projectId":9954216,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations! With your help we were able to purchase Lord of the Flies graphic novels which we will use with our 7th graders during our 1st unit centered on Transformations. Thanks to you, we are one step closer to having a copy for every student! \r\n\r\nThis novel is a classic for a reason; it teaches students about the dynamics of power. The only obstacle we faced in years past was the difficulty of the text with some of our diverse learners and language learners. Using graphic novels in class supports comprehension because of the visuals and allows us to bridge the gap for many of our students. Thank you for impacting generations of learners! We cannot thank you enough!","fullyFundedDate":1773840595486,"projectUrl":"project/lord-of-the-flies-graphic-novels-needed/9954216/","projectTitle":"Lord of the Flies Graphic Novels Needed for Differentiation","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Del Toral","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2821555_orig.jpg?crop=272,272,x17,y14&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1678683695216","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-deltoral"},{"teacherId":2821555,"projectId":10160767,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations! With your help we were able to purchase Lord of the Flies graphic novels which we will use with our 7th graders during our 1st unit centered on the Dynamics of Power. Thanks to you, we are one step closer to having a copy for EVERY student! Prior to this, students could not take the books home and could only share them in class, but now, they will have this resource with them at all times! This novel is a classic for a reason; it teaches students about leadership and power. The only obstacle we faced in years past was the difficulty of the text with some of our diverse learners and language learners. Using graphic novels in class supports comprehension because of the visuals and allows us to bridge the gap for many of our students. Thank you for impacting generations of learners! We cannot thank you enough!","fullyFundedDate":1773875633117,"projectUrl":"project/lord-of-the-flies-graphic-novels-needed/10160767/","projectTitle":"Lord of the Flies Graphic Novels Needed for Differentiation","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Del Toral","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2821555_orig.jpg?crop=272,272,x17,y14&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1678683695216","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-deltoral"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5298","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":670,"numTeachers":37,"percentFrplEligible":72,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":5,"percentWhite":15,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":77,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"18.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":72.6,"schoolId":5298,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Kinzie Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Kinzie Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/kinzie-elementary-school/5298"}