Gamewell Elementary School in Lenoir, North Carolina on DonorsChoose

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This is sparking imagination, building creative thinking, and helping my students to connect stories to their own experiences. Using these Tonies, students are taking the opportunity to select stories on their own, building independence and ownership of their learning. This autonomy is nurturing self-confidence and motivating the students to engage with literature both inside and outside of our classroom.\r\n\r\nHaving these Tonies in our classroom is making storytelling magical and engaging, transforming our classroom into a place where stories come alive. This joyful experience is promoting a positive association with reading, laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of books and storytelling.\r\n\r\nWith the support of this project, our Kindergarten classroom is becoming a space where literacy skills flourish, imaginations soar, and students gain the confidence to grow as readers and learners.","fullyFundedDate":1746785909611,"projectUrl":"project/magical-story-time-building-literacy-an/9255245/","projectTitle":"Magical Story Time: Building Literacy and Imagination with Tonies","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Smith","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9998743_orig.png?crop=228,228,x0,y2&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1744668108425","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9998743"},{"teacherId":9094488,"projectId":9074870,"letterContent":"On behalf of our kindergarten students and staff at Gamewell Elementary. I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for your generous donation of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) items to our classroom. Your thoughtful contribution has made a meaningful and immediate difference in the lives of our youngest learners.\r\nThe new materials have brought excitement and inspiration into our learning space. From hands-on science kits to engaging building tools and art supplies, your donation has enriched our daily activities and opened doors to exploration and creativity. Our students are already showing increased curiosity, problem-solving abilities, and a genuine joy for learning—skills that are essential for their future academic growth and success.\r\nIt's incredible to witness how these resources spark collaboration, ignite questions, and encourage children to think critically, even at such a young age. These early experiences in STEAM are not only building foundational knowledge, but also nurturing confidence, communication, and a love for discovery.\r\nThank you once again for your kindness and support. Your generosity has made a lasting impact on our classroom and the young minds who learn and grow here every day. We are deeply grateful.\r\nWarm regards,\r\n\r\nSarah Riley","fullyFundedDate":1742996090005,"projectUrl":"project/stem-in-kindergarten/9074870/","projectTitle":"Stem in Kindergarten","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Riley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9094488_orig.png?crop=1651,1651,x643,y134&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689276950145","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9094488"},{"teacherId":1813931,"projectId":9098215,"letterContent":"Words can not express how fun these boards are. As the teacher I have been able to use them in so many different fun ways. The kids love to doodle on the boards and watch it magically disappear at the touch of a button. When we use the boards for lessons the students rush to be the first to write the letter, word, or answer to a math problem and then hold it up so I can do a quick check of understanding. The kids that don't like to use pencil and paper are loving the new way to show me what they know.\r\n\r\nAll because of your love for children and generous donation these students are enjoying lessons and learning in a fun productive way. These students face so many challenges their non disabled peers do not and it makes my heart smile when people like you come together to put a smile on their faces and give them a fun way to learn. All the students are getting to use the boards and are very thankful for your giving hearts. May you smile knowing that you made a difference in a child's life today.","fullyFundedDate":1739683166441,"projectUrl":"project/watch-me-boogie-on-my-board/9098215/","projectTitle":"Watch Me Boogie on My Board!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hicks","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1813931_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1630259343766","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1813931"},{"teacherId":9813501,"projectId":8898592,"letterContent":"I hope this message finds you well. On behalf of our entire classroom, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for your generous donation of supplies. Your thoughtfulness and support have made a tremendous impact on our students' learning experience. With these new resources, our classroom is better equipped to inspire creativity, foster learning, and nurture the potential within each student. For example we had the students making crafts before our Christmas break. The Christmas light name tags were laminated so that each student could take home their work. We worked on skills that helped them with spelling their names as well as motor skills during this activity. Each day we have our students using the expo pens to sign in, because of your kindness students are not having to wait for a pen to use. We have opted to use the rug in our block center and the students are working together being creative in their play. We will continue to use the supplies for more projects as well as our daily activities each day as our class works on new and exciting things to come as we continue to create memories this school year. Your kindness truly makes a difference, and we are incredibly grateful for your commitment to education. 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About this school

Gamewell Elementary School is a rural public school in Lenoir, North Carolina that is part of Caldwell County School District. It serves 437 students in grades K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 13.2:1. Its teachers have had 27 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades K - 5

437 Students

33 Teachers

2904 Morganton Blvd SW

Lenoir, NC 28645 View local requests

http://ges.caldwellschools.com/

Evidence-based impact

Inspire teachers to stay in the classroom and boost student achievement.¹

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

Gamewell Elementary School Teachers 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.

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Gamewell Elementary School Demographics

93%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

16%

of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

Gamewell Elementary School 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.