{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Margaret C. Ells School","outOfStateSupporters":26.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10171345,"projectId":10243328,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my project, Buckets of Fun: End-of-Year Student Gifts.\" Your generosity helped make the end of the school year extra special for my preschool students.\r\n\r\n I was able to create personalized gift buckets filled with fun and educational items for each child. Every student received tracing workbooks to continue practicing important preschool skills over the summer, along with reusable cups, bubbles, silly straws, rubber ducks, beach balls, sand buckets and shovels, fun pencils, and colorful stickers. I also used the permanent vinyl to personalize each cup with the students' names, making their gifts even more meaningful.\r\n\r\nThe students were so excited to celebrate the end of the school year and receive their personalized gifts! Their smiles and enthusiasm made the celebration even more memorable, and they couldn't wait to explore everything in their buckets. It was a wonderful way to recognize all of their hard work and growth throughout the year. \r\n The educational workbooks will help them continue building their fine motor, handwriting, and pre-writing skills during the summer, while the outdoor toys encourage active play and family fun.\r\n\r\n Thank you for helping create lasting memories for my class and for investing in their learning, growth, and happiness.\r\n\r\nFrom the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making this project possible. Your kindness has had a lasting impact on my students and our classroom community.","fullyFundedDate":1778107248206,"projectUrl":"project/buckets-of-fun-end-of-year-celebration/10243328/","projectTitle":"Buckets of Fun: End-of-Year Celebration Gifts for My Students","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Feliciano","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10171345_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y378&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755626010577","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10171345"},{"teacherId":10171345,"projectId":10183230,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my project, Rewards That Inspire: Building Positive Classroom Behavior.\" Your generosity has made a meaningful difference in our preschool classroom.\r\n\r\nMy students have been motivated and excited to make positive choices every day. Our prize box quickly became a favorite part of the classroom, encouraging children to be kind, responsible, respectful, and helpful. Whether they had a great day following classroom expectations, helped a friend, cleaned up without being asked, or showed perseverance during a challenging activity, they were proud to earn a special reward.\r\n\r\nThe excitement on their faces each time they earned a prize was priceless. The mini bubbles and slime were by far the biggest hit; they were first items to disappear from the prize box! The fidget toys, stress balls, stamps, bracelets, and other small prizes have also been incredibly popular and continue to motivate students to make thoughtful choices throughout the day.\r\n\r\nBeyond the prizes themselves, you helped create a positive classroom environment where students are recognized and celebrated for their efforts. These rewards have reinforced important social-emotional skills and have encouraged children to take pride in being caring classmates and responsible learners.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and investing in their success. Your kindness has brought so much joy, encouragement, and motivation to our classroom. We truly appreciate your support and the positive impact you've made on our school community.","fullyFundedDate":1778024329678,"projectUrl":"project/rewards-that-inspire-building-positive/10183230/","projectTitle":"Rewards That Inspire: Building Positive Classroom Behavior","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Feliciano","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10171345_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y378&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755626010577","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10171345"},{"teacherId":5752995,"projectId":10153523,"letterContent":"Because of your kindness and support, our preschool classroom has been transformed into a vibrant, literacy-rich environment where our youngest learners are discovering the joy of books every single day. Thanks to you, our students now have access to engaging, age-appropriate literacy materials that spark curiosity, build language skills, and nurture a lifelong love of reading.\r\nBefore your donation, many of our children had limited access to books and hands-on literacy tools. Now, they eagerly gather for story time, explore colorful books independently, and use new materials to practice early skills like letter recognition, storytelling, and vocabulary building. It has been incredible to watch their confidence grow as they begin to express themselves, ask questions, and connect stories to their own experiences.\r\nOne of the most meaningful changes has been in our daily routines. Students who were once hesitant are now excited to participate, turning pages carefully, pointing out familiar letters, and even \"reading\" to their classmates. These moments may seem small, but they are laying the foundation for future academic success and a lifelong love of learning.\r\nYour generosity has given our children more than just supplies—it has given them opportunities. Opportunities to imagine, to communicate, and to see themselves as readers and learners. For many of our students, this project has opened a door to experiences they may not have had otherwise.\r\nFrom the bottom of our hearts, thank you for believing in our students and investing in their future. Your support has made a lasting impact that will continue to grow each time a child picks up a book with excitement and confidence.","fullyFundedDate":1778025524055,"projectUrl":"project/diving-into-the-world-of-reading/10153523/","projectTitle":"Diving Into the World of Reading","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Talevi","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5752995_orig.jpg?crop=880,879,x0,y32&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1558971205317","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5752995"},{"teacherId":9780883,"projectId":10151945,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for funding our project, Hands-On Learning for Growing Hands. Your generosity has brought so much joy and learning into our classroom.\r\n\r\n The biggest surprise for my students was the new kitchen set. It is the perfect size for their little hands, and they absolutely love pretending to cook and create together. The stepping stones have also been a wonderful addition for indoor movement on days when the weather keeps us inside. My students especially enjoy the textured turtle stones, even exploring them barefoot for extra sensory input. They are durable and will be enjoyed for years to come.\r\n\r\n The fine motor toys have quickly become classroom favorites. \"Pedro the Peacock\" has made practicing pinching skills fun and engaging. The pounding ball toy helps students learn cause and effect while building coordination. The wooden stacking rocks encourage creativity and problem-solving as students build different structures. The matching letters sensory sorting toy supports both learning and exploration, and the Big Feelings Pineapple gives students a meaningful way to express and talk about their emotions.\r\n\r\n The iron-on vinyl will also help us create many future memories through special field trip shirts and personalized graduation gifts for our students.\r\n\r\n Thank you again for supporting our classroom and helping provide meaningful, hands-on learning experiences for my students.","fullyFundedDate":1778107248437,"projectUrl":"project/hands-on-learning-for-growing-minds/10151945/","projectTitle":"Hands-On Learning for Growing Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. B","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9780883_orig.jpg?crop=480,480,x0,y25&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1728934845642","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9780883"},{"teacherId":9355171,"projectId":9856024,"letterContent":"Thank you all so much for donating to help us create an amazing unit about identity and portraiture! With your support we were able to make quilts out of a wide variety of fabrics that were authentic to the students and their interests, exploring texture and some of the rich history of quilting as we went. Students were then able to create self-portraits with the other supplies, creatively and joyfully rendering artwork that was authentically representational to how they perceived themselves on top of their unique quilts.\r\n\r\nStudents were overjoyed by the range of supplies, fabric prints, face shapes and tones, buttons, sequins, glitter glues, and more, that they had access to with your support. They utilized all of these supplies with the same creativity and unbridled joy that they used to celebrate their portraits at the art show where they were all featured afterwards. The art show was afterschool in addition to during school hours. This meant that not only were the students all able to see and celebrate their displayed artwork, but many of the families were able to as well.\r\n\r\nI am personally so grateful for your support in this as well. Opportunities such as this unit and the following art show are so meaningful for our students and their families and community. Creating art that is representational of their appearances, their interests and surroundings, and seeing that art displayed and celebrated in a public setting isn't only affirming, it is empowering. All of your generosity made this happen, and for this my students, their families, and myself, all thank you.","fullyFundedDate":1771448347733,"projectUrl":"project/quilted-self-portraits-art-supplies-fo/9856024/","projectTitle":"Quilted Self Portraits - Art Supplies for Self-Expression","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Rose","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9355171"},{"teacherId":5752995,"projectId":9939005,"letterContent":"This project will directly benefit my preschool students, many of whom come from high-need and underserved backgrounds with limited access to books, language-rich experiences, and literacy materials at home. For my students, school is often the primary place where they are exposed to consistent storytelling, vocabulary development, and shared listening experiences.\r\nThe Toniebox and related literacy materials will be used daily during whole-group, small-group, and independent learning times to support early language development in a joyful, screen-free way. Through stories, songs, and interactive listening, students will strengthen foundational skills such as listening comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, focus, and expressive language. These hands-on materials allow all children—regardless of reading ability—to independently engage with stories, helping them build confidence and a positive connection to learning.\r\nMost importantly, these resources help bridge opportunity gaps by giving my students equitable access to high-quality early literacy experiences. For children who may face social, economic, or language barriers, the Toniebox creates moments of comfort, engagement, and inclusion while fostering a love of stories and learning. Because of donors like you, my students will gain skills that support kindergarten readiness and lay the groundwork for lifelong literacy success. Thank you for investing in our youngest learners and helping give them the strong start they deserve.","fullyFundedDate":1774914378671,"projectUrl":"project/igniting-a-love-for-stories-with-tonies/9939005/","projectTitle":"Igniting a Love for Stories with Tonie's Story Corner","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Talevi","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5752995_orig.jpg?crop=880,879,x0,y32&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1558971205317","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5752995"},{"teacherId":10171345,"projectId":10148412,"letterContent":"I want to sincerely thank you for your generous support in helping bring our classroom project to life. Because of your kindness, my students now have an incredible collection of books and resources that are already making a meaningful impact on their learning and emotional growth. My students love to sit at the carpet to listen to new stories as well as enjoying them in the carpet. \r\n\r\nThe On Strike Book Set (Books 1–8) has quickly become a classroom favorite. My students love the humor and creativity in each story, and these books have sparked many thoughtful conversations about teamwork, fairness, and responsibility.\r\nThe Community Workers Book Set has helped my students learn about the important roles people play in our community. They are more aware and excited about the helpers around them, and many have even started talking about what they want to be when they grow up.\r\n\r\nThe Mini Emotion Plush Toys with A Little SPOT of Feelings Book Set have been especially powerful in supporting social-emotional learning. Students use them during our calm-down time and classroom discussions about feelings. \r\nWe have also enjoyed reading The Kids' Book of Diversity: Empathy, Kindness and Respect for Differences, which has helped students better understand and appreciate what makes each of us unique. It has encouraged thoughtful discussions about empathy, inclusion, and respect in our classroom community.\r\n\r\nAnother beloved addition is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We read this book several times while learning about butterflies and critters. This classic story continues to engage students while also supporting learning about growth, change, and sequencing. It is a favorite during read-aloud time and helps build early literacy skills in an exciting and memorable way.\r\n\r\nI also appreciate the addition of meaningful titles such as Only for a Little While, Empowering Stories for Black Children, and A Butterfly Is Patient. These books help us explore themes of family, culture, kindness, patience, and change. They have enriched our classroom library and helped students see themselves and others in new and important ways. We read the book a butterfly is patient while learning about butterflies and the students loved the pictures.\r\n\r\nThanks to your generosity, my students are not only growing as readers, but also as thoughtful, empathetic, and confident individuals. They are excited during reading time, engaged in discussions, and proud when they complete activities together. It is truly special to see their faces light up as they explore these new books.\r\nThank you again for investing in my classroom and believing in my students. Your support is making a lasting difference every single day.","fullyFundedDate":1773845013058,"projectUrl":"project/social-emotional-learning-through-the-po/10148412/","projectTitle":"Social-Emotional Learning Through the Power of Books","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Feliciano","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10171345_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y378&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755626010577","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10171345"},{"teacherId":10171345,"projectId":10094945,"letterContent":"The playdough center has quickly become a favorite learning area in our classroom. The children truly enjoy rolling, flattening, pinching, and cutting the playdough as they explore and create. We have successfully incorporated these materials across multiple themes. During our *On the Go* theme, the children constructed construction vehicles, cars, planes, and boats. For our *Critter* theme, they created bugs, butterflies, and homes for their critters. The children have also enjoyed using the tools to make stamps and to form their names with playdough.\r\n\r\nThe silicone mats have been especially valuable in helping us keep our classroom clean and organized. The students now understand that the playdough stays on their individual mats, helping them develop responsibility and respect for materials. They take great pride in helping to set up the playdough center and independently cleaning up by returning all tools and materials to their designated baskets.\r\n\r\nThese resources have significantly enhanced creativity, fine motor development, independence, and engagement through hands-on learning. Your generous support has made a meaningful and lasting impact on our students' learning experiences.","fullyFundedDate":1771448347928,"projectUrl":"project/rolling-cutting-creating-play-doh-too/10094945/","projectTitle":"Rolling, Cutting, Creating: Play-Doh Tools Needed","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Feliciano","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10171345_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y378&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755626010577","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10171345"},{"teacherId":10171345,"projectId":9925458,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in supporting our classroom! Because of your kindness, our students now have access to a wide variety of engaging, hands-on puzzles that make learning both fun and meaningful.\r\n\r\nMy students absolutely LOVE the puzzles. We use them during centers, free time, and even recess. They've quickly become a daily favorite in our classroom. The Bluey puzzles, in particular, are the biggest hit! I have one student who is especially talented with puzzles, and he is always excited to work on the Bluey ones. They truly bring him so much joy.\r\n\r\nWhat's been even more special to see is the growth in students who had never completed a puzzle before. Some didn't know where to start at first, but now they are learning, trying, and succeeding. Their excitement is priceless. They have big smiles, proud moments, and even clap when they finish a puzzle. It's such a beautiful thing to witness their confidence grow.\r\n\r\nThese materials are helping develop not only academic skills like problem-solving and early literacy, but also perseverance, independence, and joy in learning. Your support is making a real difference in our classroom every single day.\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in our students and for bringing so much happiness into our learning environment!","fullyFundedDate":1770838996434,"projectUrl":"project/piece-by-piece-new-puzzles-for-growing/9925458/","projectTitle":"Piece by Piece: New Puzzles for Growing Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Feliciano","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10171345_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y378&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755626010577","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10171345"},{"teacherId":10171345,"projectId":9925388,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity and support of our classroom! My students absolutely LOVE the new games, and their excitement was evident the moment they arrived. Their faces truly lit up when they saw everything you made possible.\r\n\r\nThe fan favorites have quickly become the Alphabet Box, Don't Break the Ice and Hungry Hungry Hippos, but every game has been a huge hit. We enjoy playing Candy Land: Bluey Edition and building creatively with the Magnetic Tile Building Block Set. These games have become an important part of our daily routine! We use the games during recess and as a special game center in the classroom.\r\n\r\nThrough these games, students are learning valuable social skills such as taking turns, accepting both winning and losing, and practicing patience and sportsmanship while also having fun. The large plastic zipper pouches gave also been an incredible resource, helping us keep games and puzzles organized and easily accessible.\r\n\r\nYour kindness has made a meaningful difference in my students' learning and social development. Thank you for investing in our classroom and bringing so much joy, learning, and laughter to our days. We are very grateful for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1770246454723,"projectUrl":"project/little-learners-big-fun/9925388/","projectTitle":"Little Learners, Big Fun!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Feliciano","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10171345_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y378&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755626010577","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10171345"},{"teacherId":9097574,"projectId":9948431,"letterContent":"I am incredibly grateful for your generosity and support of our classroom project, \"Listening, Learning, and Literacy for Little Learners.\" Because of you, my Pre-K students now have access to engaging resources that are helping them grow in their language, literacy, and social development every single day.\r\nThe materials you provided have made a huge difference in how my students learn. At this early stage, children learn best through hands-on, interactive experiences. With these new resources, my students are more engaged during circle time, small group activities, and independent learning. They are excited to participate, listen to stories, explore sounds and letters, and build confidence as early learners. I have seen students who were previously shy or hesitant begin to actively join in, communicate more, and show enthusiasm for learning.\r\nWhat has been most exciting is seeing how much joy these materials bring to my students. They are especially drawn to activities that allow them to explore literacy in a fun and meaningful way. Some of my students with language delays and learning challenges have truly benefited from these supports, as they provide visuals, repetition, and opportunities to practice skills in a way that meets their individual needs. It has been beautiful to watch them grow more confident and independent.\r\nYour kindness is not just providing supplies—it is opening doors for my students and giving them the tools they need to succeed. Thank you for believing in my classroom and for making a lasting impact on these young learners.","fullyFundedDate":1769983405036,"projectUrl":"project/listening-learning-and-literacy-for-li/9948431/","projectTitle":"Listening, Learning, and Literacy for Little Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Toro","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9097574_orig.jpg?crop=1692,1692,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1765025349489","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9097574"},{"teacherId":9780883,"projectId":9708088,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting my amazing preschoolers! Your generosity has helped us bring creativity, confidence, and joy into our classroom. With the Cricut Joy and materials, my students ages 3 to 5 and on the autism spectrum are able to participate in hands-on projects that strengthen their fine motor skills and independence.\r\n We've used the Cricut to make classroom crafts, visual supports, and even personalized shirts for our field trips and gift bags for graduation celebration. Watching my students proudly wear their creations and these personalized gift bags for their graduation has been such a heartwarming reminder of how much your support means. You've helped make learning fun, meaningful, and full of smiles.\r\n Thank you for believing in our youngest learners and helping them build confidence one small creation at a time.","fullyFundedDate":1771448347843,"projectUrl":"project/cut-craft-and-creating-memories/9708088/","projectTitle":"Cut, Craft and Creating Memories!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. B","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9780883_orig.jpg?crop=480,480,x0,y25&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1728934845642","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9780883"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_60894","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":141,"numTeachers":15,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":2,"percentBlack":17,"percentWhite":3,"percentIndigenous":1,"percentLatinx":70,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":4,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - Pre-K","studentTeacherRatio":"9.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":73.6,"schoolId":60894,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Margaret C. Ells School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Margaret C. Ells School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/massachusetts/springfield-public-school-district/margaret-c-ells-ecc/60894"}