{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Frederick Harris Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":34.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2719906,"projectId":9868505,"letterContent":"\"If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.\" – John Dewey\r\n\r\nThank you so much for supporting our classroom and helping us provide the tools our students need to be successful. Your generosity is truly making a difference in the lives of our children.\r\n\r\nBecause of your kindness, our students now have access to pop-it keychains, smelly pencils, and squishy mochis—simple yet powerful tools that help them manage movement, calm their minds, and stay focused during learning time. For many students, having a small sensory outlet right at their desk helps them regulate their emotions and continue participating in class.\r\n\r\nThe smelly pencils, in particular, give students a positive and discreet way to calm themselves when they are feeling overwhelmed. These resources help create a supportive classroom environment where students feel understood, prepared, and capable.\r\n\r\nYour support is helping us ensure that every child has what they need to reach their goals. We are so grateful for your belief in our students and for helping us build a classroom where everyone can thrive.\r\n\r\nWith heartfelt appreciation,\r\nThank you for making a difference in our students' lives!","fullyFundedDate":1768429045737,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-tools-for-success/9868505/","projectTitle":"Sensory Tools For Success!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Shermer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2719906_orig.png?crop=399,399,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1646751493750","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-sroka"},{"teacherId":2719906,"projectId":9868627,"letterContent":"\"If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.\" – John Dewey\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in our students and helping us create a learning environment where every child has what they need to succeed. Your generosity is making a direct and meaningful impact in our school.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, our students now have access to stretchy string fidgets, pop tubes, and slap bracelets—tools that help them manage movement, regulate emotions, and stay focused right at their desks. For many students, having a simple sensory tool can make the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling ready to learn.\r\n\r\nThe slap bracelets and fidgets provide safe, appropriate sensory input that helps students redirect their energy and calm themselves when they are upset or distracted. Instead of losing instructional time, they are able to self-regulate and continue working toward their goals.\r\n\r\nYour kindness is helping us ensure that every child feels supported, equipped, and capable of success. We are so grateful for your belief in our students and in the power of meeting their individual needs.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping us build a brighter tomorrow for our children.","fullyFundedDate":1769645369383,"projectUrl":"project/the-sensory-success-toolkit/9868627/","projectTitle":"The Sensory Success Toolkit","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Shermer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2719906_orig.png?crop=399,399,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1646751493750","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-sroka"},{"teacherId":2719906,"projectId":9856034,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our Donors Choose project and helping us create a calming, creative space for our students.\r\n\r\nBecause of your generosity, we are able to fill our bubble tube with distilled water and continue providing a peaceful environment where students can relax, color, draw, and talk about what may be on their hearts. For many of our students, our office is a safe space — a place where they feel heard, supported, and free to express their imagination.\r\n\r\nThe soft glow and gentle movement of the bubble tube truly transforms the atmosphere. It helps students regulate their emotions, feel calmer, and open up about what they are experiencing. Your support directly impacts their well-being and allows them to focus on healing, growing, and learning.\r\n\r\nWe are so grateful that you believe in the power of imagination, creativity, and emotional support for children. Thank you for helping us make our office a comforting and welcoming space for every student who walks through our door.\r\n\r\nWith heartfelt appreciation,\r\nThank you for making a difference in our students' lives.","fullyFundedDate":1770838994207,"projectUrl":"project/bubble-time/9856034/","projectTitle":"Bubble Time!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Shermer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2719906_orig.png?crop=399,399,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1646751493750","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-sroka"},{"teacherId":9801912,"projectId":9694075,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in providing LEGOs and art materials for our printmaking projects!\r\nYour support opens the door to creativity, imagination, and hands-on learning for our students. The LEGOs help spark innovative design thinking, while the printmaking supplies allow students to explore new artistic techniques and express themselves in meaningful ways.\r\nThanks to your kind donation, our school is filled with inspiration and excitement. We are grateful for your commitment to supporting teachers and students. Thank you for making a lasting difference!","fullyFundedDate":1767404156246,"projectUrl":"project/stem-in-color-creative-lego-printmaking/9694075/","projectTitle":"STEM in Color: Creative LEGO Printmaking","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Twitchell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9801912_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1764084830224","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9801912"},{"teacherId":9801912,"projectId":9745789,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the variety of colorful art supplies. We truly appreciate your generosity, and we use these materials every single week!\r\n\r\nOur students have created Winter Landscapes, Greek mythology art projects, climate change artwork, Black History Month projects, Lunar New Year art, and so much more. Each project gives students a chance to express themselves while learning important content.\r\n\r\nThese materials continue to help us connect art with ELA, math, science, and social studies. Thank you for supporting our school and helping students grow, explore, and create!","fullyFundedDate":1768940671347,"projectUrl":"project/creating-together-art-supplies-for-insp/9745789/","projectTitle":"Creating Together: Art Supplies for Inspired Collaboration","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Twitchell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9801912_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1764084830224","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9801912"},{"teacherId":9801912,"projectId":9724598,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the generous donation of colorful art materials to our school. Because of your kindness, our students were able to dive into vibrant, hands-on projects that brought their creativity to life. The supplies you provided added excitement and inspiration to every lesson. Seeing the joy and engagement on students' faces as they explored new ideas was truly wonderful, and it was made possible with your thoughtful support.\r\n\r\nOur class was able to create collaborative projects that beautifully blended science and art. Students worked together to design models, illustrate scientific concepts, and transform their learning into imaginative visual displays. Your donation helped turn abstract ideas into colorful, tangible creations that deepened understanding and encouraged teamwork. We are incredibly grateful for your generosity and for investing in our students' curiosity, creativity, and love of learning.","fullyFundedDate":1768178194176,"projectUrl":"project/igniting-curiosity-giving-students-mate/9724598/","projectTitle":"Igniting Curiosity: Giving Students Materials While Blending Science and Art","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Twitchell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9801912_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1764084830224","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9801912"},{"teacherId":10239755,"projectId":9677958,"letterContent":"Great news! We were already to get our new trumpet into the hands of a student. He was asking me to learn trumpet all year long, and because of your donation, he was ecstatic to get to play! \r\n\r\nWhen the package first arrived, the trumpets and I all opened it together. They all cheered with joy upon seeing that we have received a new trumpet, and that one of their friends would now be able to join their section. \r\n\r\nRight now, students are preparing for a performance at the Springfield Thunderbirds game, where they will perform for over 7,000 people. They are learning music faster than ever, and I could not be more proud of them. \r\n\r\nThank you so much for your donation, and for helping our students achieve their dreams!","fullyFundedDate":1760693784508,"projectUrl":"project/trumpets-for-fhes/9677958/","projectTitle":"Trumpets for FHES!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Donald","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10239755"},{"teacherId":2719906,"projectId":9878215,"letterContent":"I cannot fully express enough how grateful I am for all of your donations to my school. It is wonderful you share my vision for reaching children. Working in an inner city school, we do not have all the necessary materials we need. We often have to make do with what we have.\r\n\r\nThe tools you have funded will enable the students in my school to create beautiful rock paintings! The paint that you funded is able to help my students create beautiful rocks that have positive messages and pictures on them! Helping our students grow in the arts is one of our priorities and with your help we are making that happen! This project helped our students spread kindness throughout our school. We cannot thank you enough for your generosity!\r\n\r\nHenry Ford once said \"Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success.\" We have achieved success working together to better our school community and we are forever grateful!\r\n\r\nI hope to share with my colleagues a new technique in learning. Thank you so much. My students are very excited to have these tools to help them with their learning.","fullyFundedDate":1764703463659,"projectUrl":"project/the-joy-of-painting/9878215/","projectTitle":"The Joy of Painting!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Shermer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2719906_orig.png?crop=399,399,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1646751493750","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-sroka"},{"teacherId":2719906,"projectId":9656090,"letterContent":"Words cannot express how grateful I am for your generous support and donation to my Donors Choose project! Because of your kindness, our classroom now has the storage bins we needed to organize our clothing closet. These bins have already made a tremendous difference in helping us keep items neat, accessible, and easy for students to find when they need them.\r\n\r\nHaving an organized space allows our students to feel cared for and supported, and it helps us provide clothing and essentials with dignity and ease. Your donation is doing more than supplying materials—you are helping create a welcoming environment where students can focus on learning, knowing their basic needs are met.\r\n\r\nWe are incredibly grateful for your generosity and belief in our school community. Thank you for making such a meaningful impact on our students' daily lives.\r\nWith heartfelt appreciation,","fullyFundedDate":1761707156665,"projectUrl":"project/organize-our-closet/9656090/","projectTitle":"Organize Our Closet!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Shermer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2719906_orig.png?crop=399,399,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1646751493750","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-sroka"},{"teacherId":10257865,"projectId":9709831,"letterContent":"Because of this project, my students now learn in a classroom that feels organized, inviting, and full of opportunities to grow as readers and writers. From the very first day we unpacked the materials together, the excitement was clear. As I pulled out the new books and placed them into the colorful book bins, students gathered around, eagerly pointing out titles they recognized and asking when they could start reading. Several students immediately said, \"This book looks just right for me!\" That moment alone showed me how powerful access to the right resources can be.\r\n\r\nWe use the new books every single day during our literacy block. Students select books from clearly labeled bins that match their reading levels, interests, and topics we are studying in class. The bins and storage carts have helped students become more independent and responsible learners. They know where materials belong and how to access them without interrupting instruction. During independent reading time, I now see students fully engaged, reading for longer periods, and confidently choosing books they can read and understand. During partner reading, students share books from the same bins, practice fluency, and talk about characters and events using academic language.\r\n\r\nOne memorable moment happened during a small-group lesson when a student who usually struggles to stay focused proudly finished an entire book and asked if they could write about it. Using the classroom supplies from this project, the student wrote a short response, drew a detailed picture, and shared their work with the class. This was a powerful reminder that when students have access to materials that meet their needs, their confidence and motivation increase.\r\n\r\nThe classroom supplies have also supported our writing lessons. Students use them daily to write opinion pieces, personal narratives, and informational texts connected to the books they read. Having enough supplies for everyone means no one has to wait or miss out, which keeps lessons running smoothly and students engaged.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, the next steps for my students include deeper comprehension work, such as identifying main ideas, asking and answering questions about texts, and writing longer responses using evidence from their reading. We will continue rotating books in the bins to match new units and themes, allowing students to explore different genres and topics throughout the year. Thanks to this project, my students are building strong reading habits, developing independence, and discovering a love for learning that will stay with them long after first grade.","fullyFundedDate":1768082208215,"projectUrl":"project/learning-in-first-grade/9709831/","projectTitle":"Learning in First Grade","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Aponte","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10257865"},{"teacherId":4797236,"projectId":9343631,"letterContent":"Wow! Thank you for your generosity in helping us get organized for the school year. Our new routines have a lot of pieces. Your support has allowed us to get bags to organize by week and bins to organize materials by unit. The laminating sheets have been extremely handy. We have been able to create engaging center activities and sorts for our students. In addition, our kindergarteners get to bring a laminated book home when they are the star. From the bottom of our hearts- Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!","fullyFundedDate":1755702350694,"projectUrl":"project/organized-for-success/9343631/","projectTitle":"Organized for Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sullivan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4797236"},{"teacherId":4797236,"projectId":6413427,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation. The glue sticks have allowed us to create beautiful art creations. The whiteboard markers allow us to be successful during morning meeting, reading small groups, and math small groups. They allow us to write so many words and solve a ton of math problems. They make learning more fun and engaging. The notebooks, crayons and pencils are our favorite. We write so many stories. We use the crayons to illustrate our stories. Thank you for your generous donation. Your kindness is appreciated.","fullyFundedDate":1658883924062,"projectUrl":"project/school-supplies-for-little-learners/6413427/","projectTitle":"School Supplies for Little Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sullivan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4797236"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_60879","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":570,"numTeachers":41,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":4,"percentBlack":18,"percentWhite":16,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":53,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"13.9:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":65.6,"schoolId":60879,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Frederick Harris Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Frederick Harris Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/massachusetts/springfield-public-school-district/frederick-harris-elementary-school/60879"}