{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Great Oaks Academy","outOfStateSupporters":80.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2611661,"projectId":9705706,"letterContent":"I was so excited to hand deliver all of our brand new sports uniforms to our athletic director. Thank you so much for your help with our project. Great Oaks is on the rise with athletics, and we were having a hard time trying to get the money to support our program. Your help really means so much to the coaches, students and staff at GOA. There has been a boost of confidence in our basketball, volleyball and cross country athletes as they are able to show off their skills and look great in their new uniforms as they do so!","fullyFundedDate":1757889038264,"projectUrl":"project/new-uniforms-grizzly-team-pride/9705706/","projectTitle":"New Uniforms = Grizzly Team Pride","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riesterer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2611661_orig.jpg?crop=683,683,x34,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755652033574","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/goa6thgrade"},{"teacherId":2611661,"projectId":9816348,"letterContent":"Your generosity has greatly impacted our cheer season in the greatest way possible. We were not sure how we would get all of the pom-poms we needed for this season, but your donations made it possible for us to start the season with everything we need. We have not been able to have a cheer team of this size since the team formed, due to funding. We are now able to allow more scholars to participate. Allowing scholars to have access to sports at this crucial age helps them in so many ways. We will never be able to say thank you enough.\"","fullyFundedDate":1761841334653,"projectUrl":"project/gimme-a-g-gimme-an-o-gimme-an-a-goa/9816348/","projectTitle":"Gimme a G, Gimme an O, Gimme an A! GOA!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riesterer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2611661_orig.jpg?crop=683,683,x34,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755652033574","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/goa6thgrade"},{"teacherId":2611661,"projectId":9724265,"letterContent":"Oh my! This bookshelf is BEAUTIFUL! Besides looking great it adds a whole dedicated space to store all of our highly sought after graphic novels.\r\n\r\nMy students were literally fighting over who got to give up their recess to help me build it. The students worked in an assembly line process and the shelves were built before we knew it. All of my helpers definitely take pride in helping expand our classroom library that has been opened to our entire school.\r\n\r\nThe books, binders and punch cards are all a welcome addition to our classroom as well. My students love to flip the manners book and read the next good manner! I love how see how it can connect to our moral focus virtue of the month. It makes my heart so happy to be able to teach my students more than just science and social studies within my walls. I love being able to teach them to be a great human as well!\r\n\r\nThank you so much for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1762265251340,"projectUrl":"project/today-a-reader-tomorrow-a-leader/9724265/","projectTitle":"Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riesterer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2611661_orig.jpg?crop=683,683,x34,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755652033574","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/goa6thgrade"},{"teacherId":1878994,"projectId":9559966,"letterContent":"My students absolutely LOVE the new items for our classroom! We have been using the smelly stickers for incentives for behavior. The finger flashlights are being used for \"Flashlight Friday\" where I turn off the lights and we read by flashlight. It's quickly become our favorite time of the week!\r\n\r\nThe colorful paper has been used to update the theme in my classroom, and has taken it from dull and sun faded to bright and inviting. The students love getting the birthday crowns to wear on their special day!\r\nThank you again for your generosity in making this happen for my class!","fullyFundedDate":1760729920157,"projectUrl":"project/colorful-in-kindergarten/9559966/","projectTitle":"Colorful in Kindergarten!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Zuhlke","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1878994_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1453516288647","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1878994"},{"teacherId":2611661,"projectId":9536619,"letterContent":"The first time in introduced a escape room to my students they were hooked! I used them to review for our end of term tests and they were beyond beneficial. The students wanted more when they escaped the room. I have now ben able to add an escape room for most of my science topics that I teach.\r\n\r\nIn my world geography social studies classroom I was able to add many different mapping skill activities into my \"bag of tricks.\" My students can now plot latitude and longitude points like a pro! Likewise they are able to easily identify a location when given a latitude and longitude coordinate. These will help support the knowledge that they gain while reading about each of the countries across the world.\r\n\r\nThank you so much for all of your support!","fullyFundedDate":1758546569673,"projectUrl":"project/creatively-investing-in-young-minds/9536619/","projectTitle":"Creatively Investing in Young Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riesterer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2611661_orig.jpg?crop=683,683,x34,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755652033574","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/goa6thgrade"},{"teacherId":2611661,"projectId":9507133,"letterContent":"I wish you could have seen the excitement when the boxes of supplies began to arrive and then their complete awe of strangers just flat out amazed them.\r\n\r\nThank you so very much for helping make my classroom a better place to learn from! My students have become more responsible and organized with transitioning from one activity to another - a situation that occurs five different times within the 90 minute class. Each student having their own supplies has helped make our class run smoother since we are not waiting to share our supplies. Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1760446584124,"projectUrl":"project/basics-to-begin-2025-2026-part-2/9507133/","projectTitle":"Basics to Begin 2025-2026 - Part 2","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riesterer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2611661_orig.jpg?crop=683,683,x34,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755652033574","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/goa6thgrade"},{"teacherId":2611661,"projectId":9723742,"letterContent":"Oh my! This bookcase is BEAUTIFUL! Besides looking great it adds an additional shelves since it can float in the middle of our class library since we've run out of wall space. \r\n\r\nMy students were literally fighting over who got to give up their recess to help me build it. The students worked in an assembly line process and the shelves were built before we knew it. All of my helpers definitely take pride in helping expand our classroom library that has been opened to our entire school.\r\n\r\nThank you so much for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1760107040480,"projectUrl":"project/spin-to-find-a-great-novel/9723742/","projectTitle":"Spin to Find a Great Novel!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riesterer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2611661_orig.jpg?crop=683,683,x34,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755652033574","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/goa6thgrade"},{"teacherId":10053670,"projectId":9406657,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution that allowed us to purchase new art supplies for our K–8 students! These materials have truly transformed our art classroom and opened up so many creative possibilities. My students and I have been using the new supplies for a variety of projects—from colorful scribble monsters in the lower grades to making portfolios with our new folders and painting explorations in the upper grades. One of our favorite projects so far has been creating \"Neurographic Art,\" where students used new markers and watercolor paints to express their emotions through lines and color. The results were stunning, and it sparked wonderful conversations about creativity and mindfulness.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the new supplies, their excitement was contagious! Many of them gasped when they noticed the wide range of vibrant colors and fresh materials. Several students said, \"It feels like a real art studio now!\" It was heartwarming to see how much pride and joy they took in using tools that made their artwork feel special and professional.\r\n\r\nRight now, we're beginning a unit on sculpture and design, where students will be using the donated materials to explore three-dimensional art. They're eager to build, experiment, and bring their ideas to life using these new resources. Your generosity continues to inspire creativity and confidence in every child who walks into our art room. Thank you again for helping make art such a joyful and meaningful experience for our students!","fullyFundedDate":1750894413452,"projectUrl":"project/art-supplies-for-young-artists/9406657/","projectTitle":"Art Supplies for Young Artists!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bala","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10053670"},{"teacherId":2611661,"projectId":9584570,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for choosing to support my classroom. Without your kindness, our classroom would not be running as smoothly. My students were beyond excited to get a glimpse of their new supplies that they will be using on a daily basis for their interactive notebooks.\r\n\r\nWe will use basic supplies on a daily basis. We love being organized with their pencil pouch and never needing to look far for a pencil when we need work on our assignments.\r\n\r\nThese interactive notebooks will travel with each of these scholars over the next few years and become a valuable resource that they will need when they are preparing to take the Science M-STEP in 8th grade. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!","fullyFundedDate":1758915795760,"projectUrl":"project/basics-to-begin-2025-2026-part-1/9584570/","projectTitle":"Basics to Begin 2025-2026 Part 1","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riesterer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2611661_orig.jpg?crop=683,683,x34,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755652033574","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/goa6thgrade"},{"teacherId":2611661,"projectId":9339742,"letterContent":"I am so thrilled to be able to add a new flexible seating option in my 6th grade classroom. I already have a few options but I know that these chairs will be highly sought after by each class that enters my door. My students have always been super responsible and made smart choices when it comes to choosing their \"home base\" and I don't anticipate this addition to be any different. The orange color coordinates with our classroom beautifully as well.\r\n\r\nThe LED lights were just what our classroom library needed! My student love how cozy it has made our classroom library.","fullyFundedDate":1755735300804,"projectUrl":"project/creating-a-welcoming-environment/9339742/","projectTitle":"Creating a Welcoming Environment","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riesterer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2611661_orig.jpg?crop=683,683,x34,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755652033574","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/goa6thgrade"},{"teacherId":2611661,"projectId":9389742,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping my students become more organized as a middle schooler - which is definitely not an easy task. The addition of the colored paper has helped the student organize their weekly social studies assignments. The colored paper has helped them to create colored tabs in their science notebooks, which makes finding the correct section a breeze! Middle school scholars generally have a hard time transitioning from a one classroom- all subjects classroom to a middles school setting that has a different classroom for each class. Thank you so much for helping to ease this transition for my students!","fullyFundedDate":1755704510711,"projectUrl":"project/creating-a-welcoming-environment-for-mid/9389742/","projectTitle":"Creating a Welcoming Environment for Middle School","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riesterer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2611661_orig.jpg?crop=683,683,x34,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755652033574","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/goa6thgrade"},{"teacherId":2611661,"projectId":9415594,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for putting a huge smile on my 90 new sixth graders (along with several former students) as the eagerly awaited to get their hands on the new graphic novels! These new titles with books that my students requested for my classroom library because they had been hooked on the series from when I introduced it in my classroom in our First Chapter Fridays. Our school library is closed as of right now so to see the pure joy that these students have in their eyes is from having new books in their hands is beyond magical. Thank you for making our classroom an even greater place to be!","fullyFundedDate":1755743572373,"projectUrl":"project/we-love-graphic-novels/9415594/","projectTitle":"We Love Graphic Novels","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riesterer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2611661_orig.jpg?crop=683,683,x34,y83&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755652033574","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/goa6thgrade"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_30823","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":768,"numTeachers":36,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":5,"percentBlack":80,"percentWhite":1,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":1,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"21.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":19.1,"schoolId":30823,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Great Oaks Academy on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Great Oaks Academy","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/michigan/michigan-department-of-education/great-oaks-academy/30823"}
Join the 1,178 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
Great Oaks Academy is
an urban public school
in Warren, Michigan that is part of Michigan Department of Education.
It serves 768 students
in grades K - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 21.3:1.
Its teachers have had 204 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. Each classroom request for funding was created by a classroom teacher and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
of students receive free or reduced price lunch
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Source: the National Center for Education Statistics
86%
of students are Black, Latino, Native
American, or Asian
Data about school demographics comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. The numbers in this chart may not add up to 100% because of limitations in the available data.
Great Oaks Academy Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Dec 5, 2025
DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students
in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.
Great Oaks Academy
$69,047
raised using DonorsChoose
204
projects
funded
29
teachers
funded
1,178
donors
54
projects
for
basic supplies
7
projects for
technology
38
projects for
books
18
projects
for
art supplies
Great Oaks Academy has received support from
225 individuals from Michigan and
953 individuals out-of-state.