{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Crossroads Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":43.1,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":10554855,"letterContent":"My students and I are so excited to use our new LEGO K–2 Science Kit! These resources have given my students more opportunities to explore science and engineering through hands-on building, problem-solving, and creativity. Instead of simply learning about science concepts, students can now design, build, test, and improve their own creations. One of our favorite moments was when students were challenged to build a structure that could solve a specific problem. They immediately began brainstorming, choosing LEGO pieces, building their designs, and testing them. Watching students work together, make changes when something didn't work, and celebrate when their designs succeeded was such a wonderful example of authentic STEM learning.\r\n\r\nWhen the LEGO materials first arrived, the excitement in the classroom was contagious! Students were eager to open the boxes and immediately started talking about all the things they wanted to build. Many students were surprised to learn that LEGO could be used for science and engineering challenges, not just free building. The materials have encouraged students to be creative while also developing important skills such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and perseverance. Students are learning that engineers do not always get their designs right the first time—it is okay to try, test, redesign, and try again.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to continue using the LEGO Science Kit during our current STEM lessons as students explore how structures, movement, and simple machines work. Students will be given new engineering challenges that require them to apply what they have learned, work collaboratively, and improve their designs based on testing. I am especially excited to see how students take what they have learned from one challenge and use those ideas to solve a completely new problem. Thank you to our generous donors for helping make these hands-on learning experiences possible. Your support is giving my students the opportunity to learn science by building, creating, testing, and discovering!","fullyFundedDate":1788380439213,"projectUrl":"project/building-science-one-brick-at-a-time/10554855/","projectTitle":"Building Science, One Brick at a Time","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"},{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":10427652,"letterContent":"The Sphero RVR robot is giving my students an exciting, hands-on way to learn about STEM, coding, engineering, and problem-solving. Instead of simply learning about computer programming from a screen or worksheet, students can write code and immediately see their ideas come to life through the robot. They are learning to create sequences, troubleshoot errors, think critically, and make adjustments when their code does not work as expected. The RVR also encourages collaboration as students work together to plan, build, test, and improve their solutions.\r\n\r\nThe most exciting part for my students is being able to program a real robot and watch it respond to their commands. They are fascinated by the fact that their own code can make the Sphero RVR move, change direction, and complete challenges. This makes abstract concepts such as algorithms, sequencing, variables, and cause-and-effect much more meaningful and memorable. The robot has turned coding into an experience that feels like play while still developing important skills students will use throughout their education.\r\n\r\nStudents who may not always consider themselves \"tech experts\" have especially warmed to the RVR because it gives them an opportunity to learn through experimentation. I have seen students become more confident when they discover that making a mistake in their code is not a failure—it is an opportunity to troubleshoot and try again. Students who enjoy building, creating, or solving puzzles are particularly drawn to the robot, while students who may be quieter in traditional lessons often become active participants when working with their classmates on a robotics challenge. This technology is helping students see themselves as coders, engineers, problem-solvers, and creators.","fullyFundedDate":1788380982002,"projectUrl":"project/rolling-into-the-future-robotics-in-our/10427652/","projectTitle":"Rolling Into the Future: Robotics in Our STEM Lab","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"},{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":10385470,"letterContent":"The VINCIBots are helping my students learn by turning STEM concepts into a hands-on, engaging experience. Instead of simply learning about coding, robotics, engineering, and problem-solving through a lesson or video, students are able to build, program, test, and improve their own creations. The VINCIBots encourage students to think critically, work collaboratively, and persevere when their first design or program does not work as expected. They are also giving students an opportunity to see how technology and computer science can be used to solve real-world problems.\r\n\r\nThe most exciting part for my students is being able to make the robots move and respond to their own commands. They are amazed that something they build and program can actually come to life! Students are especially excited to experiment, make changes, and see what happens. The technology has been particularly exciting for students who may not always consider themselves \"STEM students.\" Students who are typically hesitant to participate have become eager to work with a partner, try new ideas, and take on leadership roles. The VINCIBots have created an environment where students are comfortable making mistakes because each mistake becomes an opportunity to troubleshoot, redesign, and try again. Seeing their confidence grow as they realize, \"I built this, and I made it work!\" has been one of the most rewarding parts of this experience.","fullyFundedDate":1788381507897,"projectUrl":"project/smart-tech-smart-kids-vincibots-in-ste/10385470/","projectTitle":"Smart Tech, Smart Kids: VinciBots in STEM","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"},{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":10385471,"letterContent":"Our new Dash Robot is giving students an exciting, hands-on way to see how technology can be used to solve problems, think creatively, and bring their ideas to life. Students are learning the foundations of coding, sequencing, problem-solving, collaboration, and engineering as they program Dash to move, respond, and complete different STEM challenges. What excites our students most is being able to create a program and then immediately watch Dash follow their instructions—it makes coding feel like play while building important skills. Students who may not always see themselves as \"STEM kids\" have especially warmed to Dash because it provides a fun, interactive way to learn through trial and error. Our students are eager to work together, test their ideas, troubleshoot when something doesn't work, and celebrate when they successfully accomplish a challenge. This robot has opened the door for students to become confident creators of technology rather than simply consumers of it, and we are incredibly grateful to our donors for making this experience possible.","fullyFundedDate":1787764140755,"projectUrl":"project/dash-into-coding/10385471/","projectTitle":"Dash Into Coding","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"},{"teacherId":5492654,"projectId":10011515,"letterContent":"Your donation is already impacting our art classes! With the markers we received, I was able to replace our failing supplies and the students are beyond thrilled. They have made comments about how much better this is than when they left at the end of the school year.\r\n\r\nWe are just starting to dive into our art curriculum, so the kids will be exploring color and line with these new supplies. 2nd, 4th and 5th grade will be making bold stripes into the world of zentangles and exploring Gustav Klimt by creating trees of lines.\r\n\r\nThank you again so much for your donation to our classroom! The kids appreciate it, and so do I. Thank you.","fullyFundedDate":1778590215693,"projectUrl":"project/mark-us-up/10011515/","projectTitle":"Mark Us Up","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Hale","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5492654_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y154&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1697037194798","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/caitlin-thompson"},{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":10112597,"letterContent":"The addition of games to our STEM lab has been incredibly valuable in strengthening problem-solving skills, fostering team bonding, and building meaningful relationships between students and teachers. We are using these new resources during structured STEM challenges where students must collaborate, think critically, and adapt their strategies in real time. One memorable moment was watching a group of students work through a particularly difficult engineering game—after multiple failed attempts, they began encouraging one another, rethinking their approach, and ultimately celebrating together when they succeeded. When students first saw the materials, their excitement was immediate; they were eager to explore, curious about how the games worked, and highly motivated to jump in. Looking ahead, our next steps involve integrating these games into more complex design challenges where students will apply the strategies they've learned to open-ended projects, deepening both their problem-solving abilities and their capacity to work effectively as a team.","fullyFundedDate":1776445646593,"projectUrl":"project/teamwork-makes-the-dream-work-in-stem/10112597/","projectTitle":"Teamwork Makes the Dream Work in STEM","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"},{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":10112571,"letterContent":"The addition of games to our STEM lab has been incredibly valuable in strengthening problem-solving skills, fostering team bonding, and building meaningful relationships between students and teachers. We are using these new resources during structured STEM challenges where students must collaborate, think critically, and adapt their strategies in real time. One memorable moment was watching a group of students work through a particularly difficult engineering game—after multiple failed attempts, they began encouraging one another, rethinking their approach, and ultimately celebrating together when they succeeded. When students first saw the materials, their excitement was immediate; they were eager to explore, curious about how the games worked, and highly motivated to jump in. Looking ahead, our next steps involve integrating these games into more complex design challenges where students will apply the strategies they've learned to open-ended projects, deepening both their problem-solving abilities and their capacity to work effectively as a team.","fullyFundedDate":1776444816984,"projectUrl":"project/connection-fuels-innovation/10112571/","projectTitle":"Connection Fuels Innovation","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"},{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":10112600,"letterContent":"The 12 picture frames in our STEM lab have become an essential part of how we showcase and extend student learning. We use them to display student-created blueprints, engineering designs, coding pathways, and visuals from ongoing activities. During a recent robotics mapping project, students designed their own maps and programmed robots to travel specific routes. We placed their maps and coding sequences into the frames, transforming our lab into an interactive gallery of problem-solving. Students frequently walk around to view each other's work, sparking conversations, new ideas, and meaningful peer feedback.\r\n\r\nWhen students first saw the frames, their reaction was immediate excitement and pride. They were eager to have their work displayed and quickly began asking how they could be featured. The frames helped elevate the importance of their work, making the classroom feel more like a professional lab or gallery space. This sense of ownership motivated students to put extra effort into their projects, knowing their designs and thinking could be shared with others.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, students will use the displayed work to reflect and improve their own designs by analyzing their peers' ideas and identifying ways to refine their projects. As we begin our next engineering challenge, students will create prototypes and document each step of their process. These stages will be showcased in the frames so others can learn from their thinking and problem-solving approaches. The frames are helping us build a classroom culture centered on creativity, reflection, and pride in STEM learning.","fullyFundedDate":1776104656099,"projectUrl":"project/framing-future-engineers/10112600/","projectTitle":"Framing Future Engineers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"},{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":9951816,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation of the VEX Robotics kit to our STEM lab! Because of your support, my students are able to engage in hands-on, technology-rich learning that goes far beyond what a textbook can provide. With this robotics kit, students are building, coding, testing, and improving their own designs, which helps them develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills in a real-world context. What excites them most is the ability to bring their ideas to life—seeing a robot they built actually move and respond to their code is incredibly empowering. I have seen several students, especially those who don't always shine in traditional academic settings, truly come alive during these activities. They are taking on leadership roles, collaborating with peers, and gaining confidence as they experiment and innovate. Your donation is not just providing materials—it's opening doors for creativity, curiosity, and future career interests in STEM. Thank you for making such a meaningful impact in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1774379855468,"projectUrl":"project/vex-go-robotics/9951816/","projectTitle":"VEX Go Robotics","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"},{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":9889643,"letterContent":"Many of our donors love to read books (we do, too!), but these new Code & Go Mouse robots introduce students to new kinds of \"texts\" and skills that are just as important as traditional reading. Students learn sequencing, directional vocabulary (forward, backward, left, right), problem-solving, and early coding concepts like planning, testing, and debugging. They also practice following multi-step directions and using precise language—skills that directly support reading comprehension and writing.\r\n\r\nReading in our classroom goes beyond sitting with a book. It looks like students reading symbols, arrows, maps, and challenge cards, talking through their thinking, and explaining their reasoning to peers. Students predict outcomes, test their ideas, revise when something doesn't work, and reflect on what they learned—just like strong readers do when they make sense of a text.\r\n\r\nSeveral students are especially enjoying the new robots, particularly those who benefit from hands-on and visual learning. Some students who may struggle with traditional reading light up when they can physically move the mouse and see their \"story\" play out. Others thrive in collaborative groups, taking turns reading the cards, planning routes, and encouraging one another. The excitement and engagement have been incredible, and students are eager to keep learning through these interactive tools.","fullyFundedDate":1770171725825,"projectUrl":"project/mission-cheese-code/9889643/","projectTitle":"Mission: Cheese Code","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"},{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":9877994,"letterContent":"We are using the car track carpets and accessories in our STEM lab to support hands-on engineering, collaboration, and problem-solving. One of our first projects challenged students to design a community roadway using the carpet as a shared planning space. Working in small groups, students decided where to place roads, buildings, bridges, and signs so that cars could travel safely and efficiently. They tested ideas, made improvements, and explained their thinking to teammates using engineering vocabulary such as design, improve, and solution. When students first saw the materials, their excitement was immediate. They gathered around the carpets with big smiles, pointing out familiar features like intersections and parking lots and eagerly asking how they could build and create. The materials instantly sparked curiosity and engagement. Next, students will continue using the carpets to explore real-world problem solving connected to transportation and city planning. They will take on challenges such as reducing traffic congestion, designing safe routes for emergency vehicles, and creating neighborhoods that meet community needs. Students will sketch plans, test solutions, reflect on their designs, and make revisions, using these resources throughout the year to strengthen collaboration, creativity, and engineering thinking.","fullyFundedDate":1768438516350,"projectUrl":"project/stem-city-rolling-into-innovation/9877994/","projectTitle":"STEM City: Rolling Into Innovation!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"},{"teacherId":2333117,"projectId":9892592,"letterContent":"Thanks to the DonorsChoose grant, my students are actively using the two Matatalab Vinci robots during hands-on coding and problem-solving lessons in our STEM lab. Students are working in small teams to program the robots to complete challenges such as navigating obstacle courses, following mapped paths, and solving story-based missions that require sequencing, debugging, and collaboration. One standout moment was watching a group troubleshoot their program together—celebrating when they realized a single misplaced command was the reason their robot kept turning the wrong direction. The robots have made abstract coding concepts concrete and accessible, allowing students to learn through experimentation and teamwork.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the Matatalab Vinci robots, the reaction was pure excitement. There were wide eyes, big smiles, and lots of \"Whoa!\" and \"This is real coding?!\" Students were instantly curious, eager to explore how the robots worked, and couldn't wait to take turns programming them. Even students who are usually hesitant to participate jumped right in, showing confidence and enthusiasm from the very first session.\r\n\r\nNext, students will build on their foundational coding skills by designing more complex programs that incorporate loops, conditions, and problem-based scenarios connected to real-world applications. They will plan, test, revise, and reflect on their programs while strengthening communication and perseverance. Because of our generous donors, students are not only learning how to code—they are developing critical thinking, collaboration, and a genuine excitement for STEM that continues to grow with each lesson.","fullyFundedDate":1765993240723,"projectUrl":"project/the-great-vincibot-challenge/9892592/","projectTitle":"The Great VinciBot Challenge","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Clemens","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2333117_orig.jpg?crop=1351,1352,x0,y446&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724089087836","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2333117"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_99638","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":435,"numTeachers":30,"percentFrplEligible":92,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":1,"percentWhite":85,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":6,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":5,"gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"14.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"TOWN","ncesMetroType":"TOWN_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":56.9,"schoolId":99638,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Crossroads Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Crossroads Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/kentucky/bullitt-county-public-school-district/crossroads-elementary-school/99638"}