{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Colin Powell Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":39.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":1465399,"projectId":10274200,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of my classroom! Your donation of notebooks, Post-it Notes, erasers, and pencils means so much to me and my students.\r\n One of our classroom messages this year is \"Erasers Mean Mistakes Are Okay.\" I want my fourth-grade students to understand that making mistakes is a natural and important part of learning. An eraser may seem like a small classroom supply, but it sends a big message: It is okay to try, make a mistake, learn from it, and try again!\r\n The notebooks will give my students a place to organize their thinking, practice new skills, and show their learning. The Post-it Notes will allow them to record questions, important ideas, and reflections throughout our reading lessons or \"prove it\" exit tickets. The pencils and erasers will give them the everyday tools they need to participate fully in their learning without worrying about running out of supplies.\r\n Your generosity helps create a classroom where students feel comfortable taking risks, asking questions, and learning from their mistakes. These supplies will be used every day and will make a meaningful difference in our classroom.\r\n Thank you once again for investing in my students and helping them understand that mistakes don't mean we failed. It means our brains are learning!","fullyFundedDate":1779385304939,"projectUrl":"project/erasers-mean-mistakes-are-okay/10274200/","projectTitle":"Erasers Mean Mistakes Are Okay","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Quijada","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1465399"},{"teacherId":10466489,"projectId":10265193,"letterContent":"I wanted to start by saying thank you so much for donating to my classroom. Your support truly means so much to me and to my students. My students are using the STEM toys to build during Build-it Friday. It's so beautiful seeing even my most shy student talking excitedly about something that they created. So far they have been very excited to use the magnetic blocks and Legos because my students really love Minecraft. What's incredible is also seeing their vocabulary! Some of my students have started to make connections with mathematics too! \r\n\r\nWhen we received our first package of goodies, my students let out a happy cheer! They had never experienced something like that before. Many of my students couldn't wait to build with them. \r\n\r\nI am working on creating some STEM challenges for my students that we could do throughout the week. STEM is very important to me and always has been. I will also be using the Legos to teach area models in math when we do multi-digit multiplication. I am always trying to find ways to make my lessons more hands-on and these materials will help me do that. \r\n\r\nAgain, I would like to say thank you so much from the bottom of my heart!","fullyFundedDate":1782946759771,"projectUrl":"project/talking-tech-stem-tools-for-future-scie/10265193/","projectTitle":"Talking Tech: STEM Tools for Future Scientists","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Chavez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10466489_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1774462132235","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10466489"},{"teacherId":6004982,"projectId":10119190,"letterContent":"Dear Donors,\r\n\r\nI want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your kindness and generosity. Your contribution to my classroom, which benefits approximately 500 students, is truly a precious gift. \r\n\r\nThe kids had a fantastic time using the chalk and bubbles for our end-of-year activities. They were especially happy to play basketball and hopscotch. These resources have greatly enhanced our educational activities, and all the children are excited and appreciative of the materials you provided.\r\n\r\nThank you once again for your generosity! \r\n\r\nMay it return to you in many wonderful ways!","fullyFundedDate":1774910284173,"projectUrl":"project/game-time-for-all/10119190/","projectTitle":"Game Time for All","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Voropanova","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6004982_orig.jpg?crop=1999,1999,x173,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1751337505339","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/anna-voropanova"},{"teacherId":10466489,"projectId":10274358,"letterContent":"I would like to start off by expressing my sincerest gratitude for your generous donations. Without you my students and I wouldn't have been able to have these amazing headphones. What is particularly great about them is that they have a built-in microphone which is essential for my students to practice their speaking. My students are multilingual learners and many of them are very shy and soft spoken. One of the activities that I do to get them to come out of their shell is provide them a picture that they have to tell a story about. They tell this story orally and record it. At first, they are very shy, but then they like recording their stories and playing it for the class. It has been incredible seeing them tell beautiful stories. \r\n\r\nWhen the box first arrived, my students were curious. I explained to them that there were some generous donors that wanted to see them succeed and donated something for us to use. When I pulled out the first headphone, they screamed! They couldn't believe their eyes! What excited them was not only the color of the headphones, but that they would be able to tell their stories better. Our biggest issue was that we didn't have microphones before and so when they recorded, their voices would get drowned out. \r\n\r\nI will say that these headphones have excited my students and they look forward to our story telling time (ESL speaking time). They have even begged me to do it every day! \r\n\r\nThank you for your support. It truly means so much to me. The difference you have made in the lives of my students will be something I will never forget! \r\n\r\nThank you again.","fullyFundedDate":1778771046864,"projectUrl":"project/giving-my-ell-students-a-voice/10274358/","projectTitle":"Giving My ELL Students a Voice","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Chavez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10466489_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1774462132235","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10466489"},{"teacherId":7761001,"projectId":9819385,"letterContent":"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind and generous support. The kids and I were so excited when our beautiful rug and art supplies arrived. We immediately put those markers to work to enhance our projects during Women's Month. \r\nMore recently, we have been able to use our new markers to create lovely cards for Teacher and Nurse Appreciation Week. We have gathered on our cozy rug to read countless books and to rehearse lines we love from poetry and drama books. \r\n\r\nThe room feels like a safe and sacred place to learn and grow.\r\n\r\nThank you for making this possible!","fullyFundedDate":1769114018376,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-rug-to-create-a-calm-cozy-corn/9819385/","projectTitle":"Classroom Rug to Create a Calm Cozy Corner","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cifarelli","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7761001_orig.jpg?crop=1837,1838,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1636776326141","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7761001"},{"teacherId":10424385,"projectId":10073582,"letterContent":"I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you for your generosity and support. The resources you donated have made such a meaningful difference in our classroom. My students have truly enjoyed using them—they've sparked curiosity, creativity, and so much excitement for learning.\r\n\r\nOne of our favorite times of the week is something we call \"Build It Friday,\" where students get to collaborate with each other to design, build, and create using fun manipulatives. The materials you provided have made these moments even more special—giving students new ways to explore their ideas and work together.\r\n\r\nThey genuinely look forward to using these resources, and it's been so special to see their huge, beaming smiles from ear to ear as they dive into activities. I truly can't thank you enough for helping my students enjoy coming to school and feel excited about learning each day.\r\n\r\nIt's clear that these resources were given with care, and they've helped create a more engaging and enriching environment for everyone. Your kindness has had a direct impact on my students' experiences, and I'm so grateful.\r\n\r\nThank you again for thinking of our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1770647632512,"projectUrl":"project/bring-back-the-joy-making-school-fun-ag/10073582/","projectTitle":"Bring Back the Joy: Making School Fun Again","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cartas","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10424385"},{"teacherId":9639394,"projectId":10065079,"letterContent":"We've been using the new resources every day in our classroom, and they've made a big difference in how smoothly things run. The boards are especially helpful during centers, review time, Kahoot activities, and group work. Students are more engaged because they can actively participate and collaborate with their classmates. One great moment was during a review session when every group was working on their boards at the same time—everyone was involved, and it made learning feel more interactive and fun.\r\n\r\nThe electric sharpener has also been a huge help. Students can sharpen their pencils quickly and get right back to work without losing instructional time. We've also created a classroom system with the pencils—each student gets a new one every month, labeled with tape so they know which one is theirs. This has helped with organization and responsibility.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the new materials, they were very excited and grateful. They even took ownership by helping to create classroom rules for how to use and care for everything. It was great to see them feel a sense of pride and responsibility.\r\n\r\nRight now, we're using these materials as part of a mid-year refresher, giving students a fresh start with new supplies and routines. Our next steps are to continue building strong habits with these tools while focusing on small group instruction and review activities to strengthen key skills. These resources are helping us stay organized, engaged, and ready to learn every day.","fullyFundedDate":1770224368725,"projectUrl":"project/refresh-the-classroom/10065079/","projectTitle":"Refresh the Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bermudez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9639394"},{"teacherId":10073736,"projectId":9742998,"letterContent":"Thank you for your donation of 25 headphones to our Kindergarten classroom! The support has empowered students to explore new ideas and materials. These have been a game-changer for managing classroom noise. My students now have a dedicated way to enjoy quiet time, allowing them to focus without becoming over stimulated by bustling activities around them. You have created a peaceful learning environment where everyone can thrive. \r\nThank you again for investing in their future and making an incredible learning experience possible.","fullyFundedDate":1761830294690,"projectUrl":"project/noise-level-reduction/9742998/","projectTitle":"Noise Level Reduction","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Morsella","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10073736"},{"teacherId":6004982,"projectId":9842981,"letterContent":"From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you once again for your kindness and generosity. Your contribution to my classroom, benefiting approximately 500 students, is truly a precious gift. We have been exploring different types of movement using yoga mats for comfortable seating and spacing. We enjoy using kaleidoscopes during our restful and relaxing times, as well as ribbons and scarves to discover creative movement patterns. Additionally, we use stretchy bands for various strength and rhythm activities. These resources have been a wonderful addition to our educational activities, and all the children are excited and appreciative of the materials you provided.\r\n\r\nThank you! Thank you! Thank you! \r\n\r\n\r\nMay your generosity return to you in many wonderful forms!","fullyFundedDate":1761854601576,"projectUrl":"project/play-and-learn/9842981/","projectTitle":"Play and Learn","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Voropanova","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6004982_orig.jpg?crop=1999,1999,x173,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1751337505339","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/anna-voropanova"},{"teacherId":3683024,"projectId":9715595,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our Art Basics project. Your generosity made sure my students had the most essential supplies to create freely. The paper, drawing tools, and basic materials you helped provide are already being used every single day.\r\n\r\nThe first day the boxes arrived, students crowded around as I opened everything. They were especially excited to see the variety of paper because we often have to ration it. One of my fourth graders said, \"Now we can keep practicing until we get it right.\" That comment stayed with me. Having enough basic supplies gives students permission to explore, make mistakes, and try again without fear of wasting materials.\r\n\r\nWe have already used these resources in sketching warm ups, watercolor lessons, and a mixed media fall art project. I noticed students taking more care in their work simply because they had fresh materials that felt special and meant for them. It has shifted the tone in the room. They feel valued, and they know this project came from people who believe their creativity matters.\r\n\r\nThank you for being part of our classroom. Your support reaches every student who walks through our art room door.","fullyFundedDate":1761854601210,"projectUrl":"project/art-basics/9715595/","projectTitle":"Art Basics?","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Woods","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3683024_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1468890535045","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3683024"},{"teacherId":3683024,"projectId":9715635,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project, \"Leveling Up Recess with Interactive Gaming.\" Your contribution has already made a noticeable difference. The interactive console has become a new gathering spot during recess, especially for students who sometimes feel unsure about where they fit in outside.\r\n\r\nThe first day we introduced it, I watched a group of students who usually stand on the sidelines begin to play together and cheer each other on. They were teaching one another how to use the console, taking turns without being prompted, and celebrating every small win. It was such a genuine moment of connection. You could feel the shift in the space.\r\n\r\nThis new activity is helping students socialize in ways that feel natural and comfortable. It offers movement, teamwork, and positive interaction. We are planning to introduce small grade-level tournaments next, which the students are already asking about.\r\n\r\nThank you again for helping create a playful and welcoming recess environment. Your generosity is felt every single day.","fullyFundedDate":1761854602204,"projectUrl":"project/leveling-up-recess-with-interactive-gami/9715635/","projectTitle":"Leveling Up Recess with Interactive Gaming","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Woods","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3683024_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1468890535045","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3683024"},{"teacherId":3683024,"projectId":9715647,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project. The students were so excited when they saw the new board games. Recess can be a tricky time in our school because many students are still learning how to work together, handle frustration, and include others. These games have opened up new ways for students to connect. I watched a group of fourth graders teach a first grader how to play Connect Four, and they stuck with her patiently until she understood. Moments like that do not always happen on their own. The games gave them a way to practice kindness and teamwork without it feeling forced.\r\n\r\nSince adding these games to recess, I have seen fewer conflicts and a lot more laughter. Students who used to stand on the sidelines now have something they feel comfortable joining. They are learning to take turns, communicate, and problem solve in real time. It has changed the tone of our recess space in the best way possible. We will continue encouraging students to rotate through games, welcome new players, and challenge themselves with different choices each week.\r\n\r\nThank you again for making a difference. Something as simple as board games has had a real impact on our school community, and we appreciate your generosity.","fullyFundedDate":1761854601646,"projectUrl":"project/games-to-spark-fun-and-friendship-during/9715647/","projectTitle":"Games to Spark Fun and Friendship During Recess","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Woods","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3683024_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1468890535045","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3683024"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_106003","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":692,"numTeachers":55,"percentFrplEligible":74,"percentAsian":2,"percentBlack":1,"percentWhite":1,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":95,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"12.6:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":60.4,"schoolId":106003,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Colin Powell Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Colin Powell Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/new-jersey/union-city-public-schools/colin-powell-elementary-school/106003"}