{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"River Gate Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":36.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10464257,"projectId":10157170,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our DonorsChoose project and helping bring these amazing materials to our speech language program. Our students have been incredibly excited to explore the new items, and their enthusiasm has been amazing to see! Each day we push into classrooms the students are excited to see what different materials we have. It is great to have so many materials that fit with each students' interests to show that they are a valued part of the classroom. They have especially loved the felt board with construction vehicles and animals, the wooden puzzles, the Magna-Tiles, the color/weather sorting box, the emotion sorting box, and the spinning toys. These materials have created opportunities for learning, play, sharing, and interacting with peers and adults. \r\n\r\nThe impact on our students' communication skills has been fantastic to see. Several students who entered kindergarten with limited communication at first have begun opening up and talking and communicating about these toys because they are so motivating and fun. The materials have also increased engagement for students who use communication devices, giving them meaningful opportunities to use a wide variety of words and expand their language into sentences. Beyond benefiting students, these materials have inspired me as a speech therapist to create new supports, including communication boards and guides for teachers and staff on how to use these materials to encourage all forms of communication. Your generosity is helping us create richer communication opportunities throughout the school day and empowering students to connect, participate, and build confidence in their voices. We are so grateful for your support and the difference you have made in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1778296663600,"projectUrl":"project/engaging-task-bins-to-support-communicat/10157170/","projectTitle":"Engaging Task Bins to Support Communication","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cochran","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10464257_orig.jpg?crop=3840,3840,x0,y435&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1773688300208","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10464257"},{"teacherId":10600016,"projectId":10508026,"letterContent":"I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for donating to my classroom. I was so excited when I found out our package had arrived! I have been working to create a cozy, welcoming art space for my students, and as soon as I received the rug, I knew exactly where it would go.\r\n\r\nMy students were so excited when they saw our new rug, and I cannot wait to see the looks on my other students' faces when they see our new addition to the art room! While painting with my Kindergarteners today, I used the rug to help with cleanup. As students finished cleaning their areas, they picked a colorful smiley face to sit on while we watched an art video. They were so excited to choose their own color smiley face and sit patiently. \r\n\r\nThroughout the school year, this space will be used in many different ways. We will use it to gather and read art stories, including books for our upcoming Dot Day lesson this month. It will be a place where we can sit together, talk about art, generate new ideas, and get inspired before we create. It will also give students a place to sit, relax, and take a deep breath with our breathing buddy when they need a moment.\r\n\r\nI am extremely grateful for this blessing and for your support of our art classroom. I know my students will enjoy this space throughout the school year, and I am so thankful that you helped make it possible. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for supporting my students and being a part of our art room!","fullyFundedDate":1787585210346,"projectUrl":"project/700-little-artists-one-creative-space/10508026/","projectTitle":"700 Little Artists, One Creative Space","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Livermore","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10600016_orig.jpg?crop=1242,1242,x0,y579&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1788141393784","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10600016"},{"teacherId":10512279,"projectId":10354439,"letterContent":"The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 will provide my students with an engaging and meaningful reading experience that blends humor, history, and powerful life lessons. Through this novel, students will strengthen their reading comprehension skills while exploring themes of family, courage, empathy, and perseverance. The story also offers an age-appropriate introduction to an important period in American history, helping students develop a deeper understanding of civil rights and the impact of standing up for what is right.\r\n\r\nHaving classroom copies of this novel will allow all students to participate in rich discussions, collaborative activities, and evidence-based reading tasks. These books will encourage critical thinking, build historical awareness, and foster meaningful conversations about kindness, respect, and social justice. Most importantly, they will help students see the power of literature to connect us to people, experiences, and events beyond our own lives.","fullyFundedDate":1787156329384,"projectUrl":"project/traveling-back-in-time-through-the-wat/10354439/","projectTitle":"“Traveling Back in Time: Through The Watsons Go to Birmingham”","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vulgamore","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10512279"},{"teacherId":10512279,"projectId":10426058,"letterContent":"A classroom set of The Wild Robot by Peter Brown will inspire students to think deeply about friendship, perseverance, adaptability, and the relationship between technology and nature. As they follow Roz's journey from a stranded robot to a beloved member of an island community, students will develop important literacy skills while engaging with meaningful themes that spark curiosity and discussion.\r\n\r\nThis novel encourages readers to embrace challenges, show compassion, and recognize that differences can become strengths. Through Roz's experiences, students will learn valuable lessons about teamwork, empathy, problem-solving, and what it means to belong. These conversations help students build social-emotional skills that are essential both inside and outside the classroom.\r\n\r\nWith access to this engaging and highly motivating novel, students will strengthen their reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking while developing a love of reading. The Wild Robot provides opportunities for rich discussions, creative projects, and cross-curricular connections to science and environmental stewardship.","fullyFundedDate":1787585154129,"projectUrl":"project/learning-to-adapt-and-care-through-the-w/10426058/","projectTitle":"Learning to Adapt and Care Through The Wild Robot","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vulgamore","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10512279"},{"teacherId":10512279,"projectId":10292073,"letterContent":"A classroom set of Wonder by R.J. Palacio will have a lasting impact on my students by fostering empathy, kindness, and an appreciation for differences. Through Auggie's journey, students will explore important themes such as acceptance, courage, friendship, and resilience while strengthening their reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.\r\n\r\nAs students engage in meaningful discussions and activities centered on the novel, they will learn to see situations from multiple perspectives and reflect on how their actions affect others. Wonder encourages children to choose kindness, stand up for what's right, and celebrate the unique qualities that make each person special.\r\n\r\nThese books will provide opportunities for rich literacy instruction while helping create a classroom culture built on empathy, respect, and inclusion. The lessons students learn from Wonder will extend beyond the classroom, empowering them to become compassionate leaders and thoughtful members of their community.","fullyFundedDate":1787585119791,"projectUrl":"project/building-empathy-and-a-love-of-reading-w/10292073/","projectTitle":"Building Empathy and a Love of Reading with Wonder","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vulgamore","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10512279"},{"teacherId":10512279,"projectId":10426009,"letterContent":"A classroom set of Wonder by R.J. Palacio will have a lasting impact on my students by fostering empathy, kindness, and an appreciation for differences. Through Auggie's journey, students will explore important themes such as acceptance, courage, friendship, and resilience while strengthening their reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.\r\n\r\nAs students engage in meaningful discussions and activities centered on the novel, they will learn to see situations from multiple perspectives and reflect on how their actions affect others. Wonder encourages children to choose kindness, stand up for what's right, and celebrate the unique qualities that make each person special.\r\n\r\nThese books will provide opportunities for rich literacy instruction while helping create a classroom culture built on empathy, respect, and inclusion. The lessons students learn from Wonder will extend beyond the classroom, empowering them to become compassionate leaders and thoughtful members of their community.","fullyFundedDate":1787585327261,"projectUrl":"project/building-empathy-and-a-love-of-reading-w/10426009/","projectTitle":"Building Empathy and a Love of Reading with Wonder","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vulgamore","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10512279"},{"teacherId":10041709,"projectId":9378712,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donations to my classroom. My students absolutely love the items, especially the seat cushions. I have used them during our whole group time as well as during independent work time for flexible seating and the students love having the option to choose the cushions to sit on. \r\n\r\nMy students were so excited when I showed them all the new materials we had received as a class and they all wanted to give a huge thank you to everyone who donated. They have been able to enjoy all the materials sent from the crayons for crafts to the vacuum to help keep the classroom tidy each day. We will continue using these materials and I cannot wait to use them in the future with my new students!","fullyFundedDate":1757693223110,"projectUrl":"project/whittingtons-classroom/9378712/","projectTitle":"Whittington’s Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Whittington","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10041709_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1749836299031","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10041709"},{"teacherId":10512279,"projectId":10292038,"letterContent":"Thank you for making it possible for our third-grade students to read Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Your generosity gave each student access to a powerful story that not only strengthened their reading skills but also touched their hearts. As students followed Auggie Pullman's journey, they practiced making inferences, analyzing character development, identifying themes, and using text evidence to support their thinking. They became deeply engaged in the story and looked forward to each chapter as they discovered how Auggie's courage inspired those around him.\r\nReading Wonder provided valuable opportunities for students to learn lessons that extended far beyond academics. Through discussions and writing activities, students explored themes of kindness, empathy, acceptance, and standing up for others. They learned to consider different perspectives as the novel shifted between narrators, helping them understand that everyone has their own story and challenges. Many students reflected on the importance of treating others with respect and choosing kindness, both in the classroom and in their daily lives. We ended the novel by making a kindness mural where all students included something kind they did on it. \r\nBecause of your support, our classroom became a community of thoughtful readers and compassionate learners. Students grew in confidence as they shared opinions, supported their ideas with evidence, and connected the novel's messages to their own experiences. Wonder helped foster meaningful conversations about character, friendship, and inclusion while inspiring a love of reading that will stay with our students long after third grade. Thank you for investing in our students and helping create an unforgettable learning experience.","fullyFundedDate":1780242646252,"projectUrl":"project/building-empathy-and-a-love-of-reading-w/10292038/","projectTitle":"Building Empathy and a Love of Reading with Wonder","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vulgamore","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10512279"},{"teacherId":10512279,"projectId":10316377,"letterContent":"Thank you for making it possible for our third-grade students to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Your generosity opened the door to a magical world that captured students' imaginations while helping them grow as readers. As they journeyed through Narnia alongside Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, students strengthened their comprehension skills by making predictions, drawing inferences, analyzing characters, and identifying important themes. They were excited to discuss the choices the characters made and how those choices impacted the story's outcome.\r\nThrough this shared reading experience, students learned valuable lessons about courage, forgiveness, loyalty, and perseverance. They explored how characters changed throughout the novel and used text evidence to support their thinking during discussions and writing activities. The rich vocabulary and vivid imagery challenged students to think deeply and helped them become more confident, engaged readers. Many students were inspired by the themes of hope and redemption and eagerly anticipated each chapter as our adventure in Narnia unfolded.\r\nThe classroom set of novels allowed every student to actively participate in meaningful literacy activities and collaborative conversations. Having access to high-quality literature helped create a strong reading community where students could share ideas, ask questions, and develop a lifelong appreciation for books. This project not only improved students' reading abilities but also fostered creativity, critical thinking, and a love of learning that will continue long after they leave third grade.","fullyFundedDate":1780776747326,"projectUrl":"project/bringing-literary-classics-to-life-with/10316377/","projectTitle":"Bringing Literary Classics to Life with This Classic Novel","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vulgamore","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10512279"},{"teacherId":10512279,"projectId":10292064,"letterContent":"Thank you for making it possible for our third-grade students to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Your generosity opened the door to a magical world that captured students' imaginations while helping them grow as readers. As they journeyed through Narnia alongside Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, students strengthened their comprehension skills by making predictions, drawing inferences, analyzing characters, and identifying important themes. They were excited to discuss the choices the characters made and how those choices impacted the story's outcome.\r\nThrough this shared reading experience, students learned valuable lessons about courage, forgiveness, loyalty, and perseverance. They explored how characters changed throughout the novel and used text evidence to support their thinking during discussions and writing activities. The rich vocabulary and vivid imagery challenged students to think deeply and helped them become more confident, engaged readers. Many students were inspired by the themes of hope and redemption and eagerly anticipated each chapter as our adventure in Narnia unfolded. Students completed a culminating project where they used a shoebox to tell about the beginning, middle, and end of the story and included pictures. \r\nThe classroom set of novels allowed every student to actively participate in meaningful literacy activities and collaborative conversations. Having access to high-quality literature helped create a strong reading community where students could share ideas, ask questions, and develop a lifelong appreciation for books. This project not only improved students' reading abilities but also fostered creativity, critical thinking, and a love of learning that will continue long after they leave third grade.","fullyFundedDate":1780242646505,"projectUrl":"project/bringing-literary-classics-to-life-with/10292064/","projectTitle":"Bringing Literary Classics to Life with This Classic Novel","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vulgamore","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10512279"},{"teacherId":10512279,"projectId":10292056,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our DonorsChoose project and helping us bring The Wild Robot into the hands of our third-grade students. Because of your generosity, our students were able to experience a captivating story that sparked their imaginations, strengthened their reading skills, and inspired meaningful discussions about friendship, perseverance, and what it means to belong. All students were able to access the text, even if they couldn't read very well. They would listen to it read on You Tube and follow along in the book. \r\nAs students followed Roz's journey from a mysterious robot to a cherished member of the island community, they developed important literacy skills such as making inferences, identifying themes, analyzing character development, and using text evidence to support their thinking. They also explored social-emotional lessons about kindness, acceptance, resilience, and teamwork. Through reading, writing, and collaborative discussions, students learned that our differences can become our strengths and that compassion can build unexpected connections. Students completed a culminating project where they used tin foil to create their own robot like Roz. \r\nYour support provided much more than books. It created opportunities for our students to grow as readers, thinkers, and caring individuals. Many students connected deeply with Roz's challenges and celebrated her successes, making this novel a memorable and impactful learning experience. Thank you for investing in our classroom and helping foster a love of reading that will continue to benefit our students for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1780242646380,"projectUrl":"project/learning-to-adapt-and-care-through-the-w/10292056/","projectTitle":"Learning to Adapt and Care Through The Wild Robot","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vulgamore","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10512279"},{"teacherId":9149217,"projectId":9908450,"letterContent":"On behalf of my students and myself, thank you so much for your generous donation to our special education classroom. Your support is more than just a gift; it is a vote of confidence in our students' potential. Because of you, we are now able to create an environment that is suited for them to learn. The sensory tools help my students stay regulated and focused throughout the day. These donations have brought so much joy to my students and they are able to be themselves in my classroom. Thank you for being a champion for our students!","fullyFundedDate":1764660412739,"projectUrl":"project/special-education-classroom/9908450/","projectTitle":"Special Education Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kirby","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9149217_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1764077956738","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9149217"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_97310","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":695,"numTeachers":42,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":9,"percentBlack":39,"percentWhite":15,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":28,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":6,"gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"16.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":63.5,"schoolId":97310,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about River Gate Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"River Gate Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/north-carolina/charlotte-mecklenburg-school-district/river-gate-elementary-school/97310"}