{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Marquette Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":37.7,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":7809392,"projectId":9962027,"letterContent":"When the packages arrived, my students were so excited to see our new classroom materials. The art easel was set up immediately and has become a daily favorite during center time. Students use it to paint and experiment with color mixing. The built-in drying rack has been a great tool for building independence, as the children can easily slide their paintings into the slots when they finish without needing teacher assistance.\r\n\r\nThe foam blocks have also transformed our block center into a much safer and quieter space. Because the blocks are lightweight, the children feel confident building bigger structures. Recently, a small group of students worked together during center time to build a tall tower. They practiced counting each block as they stacked them, tested different ways to keep the base sturdy, and worked on sharing and taking turns.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, we will be incorporating both the blocks and the easel into our Buildings unit later in the school year. Students will use the foam blocks to design buildings like houses and fire stations, while using the easel to paint scenery and town signs. These resources have made our classroom centers much more functional and engaging. Thank you for supporting our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1774880772494,"projectUrl":"project/supporting-safe-play-and-creative-learni/9962027/","projectTitle":"Supporting Safe Play and Creative Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Castaneda","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7809392"},{"teacherId":8056402,"projectId":10223360,"letterContent":"We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation of books and supplies to our classroom! Our students are using these materials with gratitude to practice reading comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, and making meaningful connections to stories. The new books make reading more engaging and enjoyable while helping our students build confidence and strengthen their skills. We truly appreciate your support and investment in our students' learning and growth. Thank you so much for helping our class .","fullyFundedDate":1777994700603,"projectUrl":"project/bam-readers/10223360/","projectTitle":"Bam Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cardenas","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8056402_orig.jpg?crop=1080,1080,x0,y161&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1631216625844","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8056402"},{"teacherId":6579547,"projectId":10272632,"letterContent":"The impact your donation has had on our students is immeasurable. This year, I welcomed a new group of second grade bilingual students into my classroom, and their excitement about the books you helped provide was immediate. Students continually ask if they can read the Miles Morales book, and many are eager to pick up the chapter books and challenge themselves as readers.\r\n\r\nThanks to your generosity, we added Spanish and bilingual books, graphic novels, picture books, and chapter books featuring diverse characters, cultures, and communities. I have seen a tremendous increase in reading engagement. In one of our thank-you activities, a student wrote that the new books help him learn \"a leer\" and identified Miles Morales as his favorite, even drawing the book on his page.\r\nBecause our school does not have a librarian, our classroom library is especially important. These books have given my students more opportunities to choose what they want to read, strengthen their vocabulary and comprehension, and develop their identities as readers in both Spanish and English. The books are not simply sitting on our shelves. My students are asking for them, choosing them, and excited to read them.\r\n\r\nThese books will continue to serve future groups of second graders for years to come. Thank you for helping us create a classroom where students have access to books that excite them and for giving my students more opportunities to see themselves as confident, enthusiastic readers.","fullyFundedDate":1778275332612,"projectUrl":"project/bilingual-books-for-the-southwest-side/10272632/","projectTitle":"Bilingual Books for the Southwest Side","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Aguilar","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6579547"},{"teacherId":10466886,"projectId":10258697,"letterContent":"The impact you have made to my students both present and future is extraordinary. Without your donation, my students did not have the headphones they needed to access grade level materials. Many of my students read at one or two grade levels below their own struggling with basic cvc words like cat or box. Accessing grade level materials online was impossible without the benefit of the headphones you so generously donated. Now my students are able to have directions and questions read to them online to aid in their comprehension. \r\n\r\nDuring our small group time, students rotate between stations including one-on-one teacher support, fluency building, problem solving centers, and now thanks to you a technology station where students are able to utilize online supplemental platforms to provide students with additional support at their individual levels. The headphones you provided have enabled my students to access this enrichment technology. Prior to the headphones, it would have been too loud in our classroom of thirty students for anyone to work online without the noise making learning for students at other centers impossible. Your generous donation is utilized daily. I have seen significant gains in my students' confidence and performance since utilizing the new technology station. \r\n\r\nThank you from the bottom of my heart for providing such generous and impactful support to students who truly need it the most. My students were shocked to hear that there are such kind people in the world willing to help children they haven't even met. I sincerely hope your kindness is returned to you tenfold. With a","fullyFundedDate":1777994700454,"projectUrl":"project/headphones-to-support-south-side-chicago/10258697/","projectTitle":"Headphones to Support South-Side Chicago Students With Their Reading Development","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sabaitis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10466886"},{"teacherId":10499158,"projectId":10269435,"letterContent":"I am so grateful to be able to print necessary documents and assignments needed to effectively do my job. I have been able to print my students' IEP's, assessment materials and assignments right in my classroom. This printer is such a blessing because I am not spending an obscene amount of time walking around the school building searching for a functional printer. There are 4 printers in my school building and many of them are often out of toner or broken. This causes long lines to form for the remaining functioning printers. Thanks to this donation, I no longer have to depend on the school printers.\r\n\r\nAs a primary special education teacher, I think it's important that printed student assignments are printed clearly and in color. Thanks to our new printer, I am able to provide my students with printed materials that are both printed clearly and in color! My students' assessments and assignments look amazing and I am able to prepare them in advance instead of standing in long lines waiting for one of the few functioning printers in the school. This printer is a such a great convenience and makes my job a little less stressful.","fullyFundedDate":1779838241193,"projectUrl":"project/a-little-print-goes-a-long-way/10269435/","projectTitle":"A Little Print Goes a Long Way","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Anderson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10499158_orig.jpg?crop=4000,4000,x0,y293&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1779298119724","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10499158"},{"teacherId":10063084,"projectId":9936899,"letterContent":"These brand-new Christmas pajamas have transformed our classroom into a sanctuary of comfort and joy. We kicked off our holiday season with a 'Cozy Cocoa & Story Point' morning. Every student changed into their new, soft pajamas, and we gathered on the rug to read holiday stories. Seeing the students sitting together, matching in their festive gear, removed any visible barriers of financial hardship. The smiles were wider than I've seen all year. It wasn't just about the clothing; it was the look of pure surprise and the feeling of being truly 'seen' and 'special' that moved me most.\"","fullyFundedDate":1764620189470,"projectUrl":"project/give-the-gift-of-warmth-this-christmas/9936899/","projectTitle":"Give the Gift of Warmth This Christmas","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Martinez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10063084_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752614923030","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/msmartinez1"},{"teacherId":10219534,"projectId":9644363,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support of our Wild Snack Reserve, my students have been able to enjoy snacks that help them stay focused and energized throughout the day. Having access to these resources has made a real difference in our classroom environment.\r\nOne special moment happened during our afternoon work time. Normally, we would have fun Friday. Fun Friday is for students that have enough points to enjoy a fun and relaxing day. I use Wild Snack Reserve for fun Fridays as well. More and more students earn their fun Friday since receiving our snacks.\r\nThis also help provide snacks for students who may not have had something to eat before coming to school. Your kindness truly makes a difference in our kindergarten literacy classroom.When students are hungry, it can be difficult for them to focus on learning. Because of your generosity, we are able to offer a quick snack so students can feel comfortable, cared for, and ready to participate in reading and writing activities.\r\nWhen the students first saw the snack reserve, they were incredibly excited and grateful. Many of them immediately said \"thank you\" and talked about how the snacks would help them during long school days. It also opened up conversations about healthy choices and taking care of our classroom community.\r\nYour kindness and generosity truly make a difference for my students every day. Thank you for supporting our classroom and helping create a positive and supportive learning environment!","fullyFundedDate":1765205096680,"projectUrl":"project/the-wild-snack-reserve/9644363/","projectTitle":"The Wild Snack Reserve","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Eaton","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10219534"},{"teacherId":9865842,"projectId":9556194,"letterContent":"My students and I are using the new tree trunk seating and curtains to completely transform our math lessons and daily classroom experience. The tree trunks provide each child with their own designated spot on the carpet, creating a sense of personal ownership and comfort that encourages active participation. There's now plenty of space between the trunks, so students can easily come up to the board to solve problems or share ideas during whole-group lessons, and I can move freely around the group to check in with everyone, offer one-on-one support, or gently redirect anyone who needs help staying focused. A favorite moment recently was during a counting and patterns activity: the kids were so engaged that they spontaneously started \"building\" number patterns by scooting to different trunks to represent groups of objects—it turned a simple lesson into an exciting, movement-based exploration that kept them all fully involved and smiling.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the new carpet with the tree trunks, they erupted with pure joy—they literally jumped up and down, cheered, and celebrated like it was the best surprise ever! Their excitement was so genuine and expressive, exactly as kindergarteners are, and it instantly made the space feel special and welcoming. The curtains have added another magical layer, especially on sunny days when the green light filters through and casts a soft, forest-like glow across the room. The children constantly point it out and tell me they feel like they're in a forest learning math, which is precisely what we wanted—to make their kindergarten year feel enchanting and unforgettable. Moving forward, our next steps include using this inviting setup for hands-on geometry projects, where they'll explore shapes and spatial relationships by arranging manipulatives around their tree trunks, building on the enthusiasm these resources have already sparked.","fullyFundedDate":1764726744189,"projectUrl":"project/the-mathematical-forest-experience/9556194/","projectTitle":"The Mathematical Forest Experience","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Najera","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9865842"},{"teacherId":10164015,"projectId":9563890,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in supporting our students in building their love for reading. The cushions in the library added an extra coziness, allowing us to sit more comfortably in the library during our independent reading. \r\n\r\nWhen the students saw the new addition in our library, they were so excited and could not wait to use the cushions. They enjoy getting to use them, especially when we \"read around the room.\" Students love grabbing a cushion and then finding a spot around the classroom to read. The cushions add more fun and comfort as they cozy up and immerse themselves in their book. \r\n\r\nEspecially in third grade, our students are building their reading endurance. Our goal is to be able to read for a whole 30 minutes with no distractions. Sure, we can read at our desks for the whole time, but it's more fun to lie on the floor on a cushion around the room. :) With your support, our students are loving independent reading even more and helping them to meet their reading goals.","fullyFundedDate":1760705199527,"projectUrl":"project/cozy-library-for-curious-minds/9563890/","projectTitle":"Cozy Library for Curious Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Liao","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10164015_orig.jpg?crop=1431,1431,x1300,y504&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1786655287633","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10164015"},{"teacherId":7809392,"projectId":9926998,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, our preschoolers enjoyed healthy snacks, and it has truly made a difference in our classroom. Snack time has become such a meaningful part of our routine. We use it to talk about colors, shapes, counting, and where food comes from. The children love helping pass things out and counting pieces together. One sweet moment that stood out was when a student said this is healthy because it has fruit on the package. Those little moments are huge at this age.\r\n\r\nWhen the snacks first arrived, the excitement was real. The children were so curious about what was in the boxes and couldn't wait to see everything. There were lots of \"What's that?\" and \"Can I try it?\" It has been wonderful watching them become more willing to try new foods. For some of our students, having access to consistent healthy snacks at school is so important, and your support helps make sure they have that opportunity.\r\n\r\nWe are continuing to talk about healthy choices as part of our classroom learning. We are working on a simple project where students are creating pictures of their favorite healthy foods, and we're even starting to graph which snacks are the class favorites. It's been a great way to connect nutrition with early math and literacy skills. Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and helping our students learn and grow in such a meaningful way.","fullyFundedDate":1764186009761,"projectUrl":"project/snacks-for-growing-minds/9926998/","projectTitle":"Snacks for Growing Minds!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Castaneda","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7809392"},{"teacherId":9693905,"projectId":9251182,"letterContent":"I cannot thank you enough for gifting our classroom a Cricut machine! This tool has completely transformed the way I personalize the learning experience for my Pre-K students. So far, it has allowed me to create custom shirts for the children and beautifully personalized Christmas presents that they were so proud to take home to their families. Seeing their names on their own items makes them feel a deep sense of belonging and ownership in our classroom, which is so important at this foundational age.\r\n\r\nBeyond the holidays, this machine has become a staple in our daily environment. I use it constantly to label and personalize classroom cubbies, folders, and supply bins, helping my early learners recognize their printed names and stay organized. Your generosity has not only provided us with a high-quality crafting tool but has also added a level of care and detail to our classroom that makes every student feel seen and celebrated. Thank you for making our school home so much more colorful and personal!","fullyFundedDate":1747308463265,"projectUrl":"project/epic-end-of-year-celebration-with-person/9251182/","projectTitle":"Epic End-of-Year Celebration with Personalized Tees for Pre-K!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Pasillas","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9693905_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1737519147468","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9693905"},{"teacherId":9693905,"projectId":9949480,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in supporting our snack project! My Pre-K students were absolutely thrilled when the delivery arrived. These snacks play a vital role in our classroom, especially during our \"Fun Friday\" celebrations where we gather to reward a week of hard work and growth. Seeing their faces light up as they enjoy a special treat together is a highlight of our week, and it truly helps foster a sense of community and joy in our learning environment.\r\n\r\nBeyond the celebrations, your donation ensures that no child in our classroom has to focus on an empty stomach. Having a reliable stash of healthy snacks allows me to provide immediate nourishment to any student who arrives hungry or needs an extra boost of energy throughout the day. By meeting these basic needs, you have helped create a space where my students feel safe, cared for, and ready to learn. We are so grateful for your kindness and for investing in our little learners!","fullyFundedDate":1766006315948,"projectUrl":"project/snacks-for-growing-minds/9949480/","projectTitle":"Snacks for Growing Minds!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Pasillas","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9693905_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1737519147468","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9693905"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_5729","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1026,"numTeachers":60,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":26,"percentWhite":3,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":69,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"17.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":62.3,"schoolId":5729,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Marquette Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Marquette Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/illinois/chicago-public-school-district-299/marquette-west-elementary-school/5729"}