{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Durant Road Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":23.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2620499,"projectId":10520740,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our first graders!\r\n\r\nYour generosity is giving our students the opportunity to build, create, explore, problem-solve, and learn through hands-on experiences each morning. These materials will help turn the beginning of our school day into a time filled with curiosity, creativity, and meaningful choice.\r\n\r\nWe know that learning doesn't always have to look like a worksheet or happen at a desk. Sometimes learning looks like a tower that falls down, a bridge that doesn't quite work, a new idea shared with a friend, or a student saying, \"Wait! I have another idea!\"\r\n\r\nYour support gives our students the freedom to experiment, make mistakes, try again, and discover what they can do.\r\n\r\nFrom our entire first grade team—and especially from all of the little builders, creators, and problem-solvers who will benefit from your generosity—thank you for helping us make our classroom a place where learning begins with wonder.\r\n\r\nWith gratitude,\r\n\r\nThe First Grade Team 🦅","fullyFundedDate":1787585340191,"projectUrl":"project/building-brains-stem-morning-activities/10520740/","projectTitle":"Building Brains: STEM Morning Activities for First Grade","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lever","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2620499"},{"teacherId":4548095,"projectId":10228667,"letterContent":"We have built dozens of awesome Lego structures for our library, but I think the Lego Aquarium might just be my favorite! It is perfect for the library! It is absolutely beautiful, and it has so many clever moving parts. We have a crab that crawls out from a hole, a fish that moves around, a treasure chest that opens and closes, and anemone that seem to move in the water. It is incredible.\r\nThank you for building into my students and giving them opportunities like this. Thank you for helping me make my library such a fun and beautiful place to learn!\r\nYou are awesome!","fullyFundedDate":1787585390746,"projectUrl":"project/lego-aquarium-for-the-library/10228667/","projectTitle":"Lego Aquarium for the Library","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. McKey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4548095_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1771243029782","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/dan-mckey"},{"teacherId":4548095,"projectId":10528079,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting this project! The books we were requesting was not available, so DonorsChoose allowed us to choose other books to take their place. \r\nThere are several picture books, such as Carl and the Meaning of Life, about how an earthworm plays a critical role in keeping our world going. We were able to get several graphic novels, such as Cat and Cat Adventures, which I'm sure students are going to really enjoy. We also got several upper elementary novels such as The Last Cuentista, a dystopian novel set in the future which highlights the importance and power of storytelling.\r\nThank you for helping me build up my library with so many great new books.\r\nThank you for building into the literary lives of my young readers!\r\nYou are very much appreciated!!!","fullyFundedDate":1787585203221,"projectUrl":"project/what-a-book/10528079/","projectTitle":"What a Book!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. McKey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4548095_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1771243029782","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/dan-mckey"},{"teacherId":4548095,"projectId":10345035,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting this project, \"Let There Be Sound!\" We are loving the quality of our new Bose bluetooth speaker, and we are finding so many ways to use it to enhance our learning!\r\nOn Monday mornings during Lego Club, and Wednesday mornings during Young Readers and Writers Club, some soft Disney jazz music or relaxing classical music helps provide a wonderful atmosphere for working on Lego or writing books. \r\nWe have been using music to sing learning songs that we have written, such as \"Can't Help Falling in Love with Books,\" (sung to the tune of \"Can't Help Falling in Love with You,\"or \"I Will Learn to Read\" (sung to the tune of \"I Will Follow Him.\") We recently started a new song, \"We Love Reading\" sung to the tune of the Italian love song \"That's Amore.\" It sounds good when I accompany on a keyboard, but it is AMAZING when children sing along with an authentic Italian instrumental version with accordian, violin, and mandolin! Students really enjoy singing with a small orchestra in the background! We had never done that before, and we like it!\r\nAnother way we have used the speaker is to play music in the background while reading a picture book. It has helped so much! Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1786541688649,"projectUrl":"project/let-there-be-sound/10345035/","projectTitle":"Let There Be Sound!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. McKey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4548095_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1771243029782","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/dan-mckey"},{"teacherId":8990472,"projectId":10239211,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating the set of 7 Root drawing robots to our classroom! I was so excited to share with my students that we would be incorporating these into our learning this year. When I first revealed the robots, I programmed the magnetic robot to write HI on the board and let students guess what it was doing. We then guessed how long (how many blocks) the code was for these two letters. The students were surprised when I revealed the long blocks of code for such a small word and became enthusiastic about giving it a try. \r\n\r\nI love the Root Coding program because it has the simulation screen next to the code. This allowed for my students to jump right into coding and test their code in the first class without needing to learn how to connect and disconnect from the robots. It was incredible to see how excited they were to write code, test code, and even make up challenges for themselves. When a student was especially proud, I'd have them connect to the Promethean board, and we would watch as a class. \r\n\r\nThe next class, students drew letter cards, and the letters they drew became the challenge for their team. They spent this class period coding each letter of \"THANK YOU SO MUCH DONORS\" without needing help from the Letter Code Cheat Cards I had created. They also finally were given the chance to connect to the robot and see it in action. It was incredible to see my students so engaged and excited about this technology. I can't wait to show them the new geometry units we will be able to complete this year!","fullyFundedDate":1782417966066,"projectUrl":"project/rooting-for-a-set-of-root-coding-robots/10239211/","projectTitle":"Rooting for a Set of Root Coding Robots","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kim","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8990472_orig.jpg?crop=672,672,x149,y156&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1682087514782","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8990472"},{"teacherId":8651290,"projectId":10497193,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for providing picnic table covers and outdoor carpets for our fourth-grade classroom! Your generosity has helped us transform our outdoor space into an inviting extension of our classroom where students can learn, collaborate, and enjoy hands-on experiences.\r\n\r\nMy students were so excited when they first saw the new materials! They immediately wanted to head outside and explore our new learning space. The picnic table covers  and carpets give us a clean, comfortable place to work.\r\n\r\nOne of our favorite moments has been taking our math learning outdoors. Students have been able to gather around the picnic tables and carpets to work through challenging problems with partners, explain their thinking, and share different strategies. Being outside has brought a new energy and excitement to our lessons, and students are eager to participate when they know learning can happen beyond the four walls of our classroom.\r\n\r\nOur next step is to continue using this outdoor learning space for our current math and science lessons. Students will be working collaboratively to solve problems, collect and analyze data, and explore science concepts through hands-on activities. We are excited to make outdoor learning a regular part of our classroom experience!\r\n\r\nThank you for helping make learning more comfortable, engaging, and memorable for our fourth graders. Your support has given our students a space where they can learn, collaborate, and grow—and we are so grateful!","fullyFundedDate":1787585163996,"projectUrl":"project/learning-looks-better-out-here/10497193/","projectTitle":"Learning Looks Better Out Here!!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Troy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8651290"},{"teacherId":8651290,"projectId":10328886,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for providing our fourth-grade classroom with a brand-new carpet! Your generosity has given our students a comfortable, welcoming space where they can learn, collaborate, and build a strong classroom community.\r\n\r\nOur new carpet has already made a wonderful difference in our classroom. It gives students a special place to gather for read-alouds, classroom discussions, math activities, and science lessons. Having a comfortable space to sit together helps students feel connected and encourages them to share ideas, listen to one another, and participate in learning.\r\n\r\nThis carpet is more than just a classroom decoration—it has created a warm and inviting place where students can learn, grow, and feel that they belong. Thank you for investing in our students and helping make our classroom a place where they are excited to learn each day!","fullyFundedDate":1787585209139,"projectUrl":"project/with-a-classroom-carpet-we-can-learn-to/10328886/","projectTitle":"With a Classroom Carpet, We Can Learn Together!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Troy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8651290"},{"teacherId":4548095,"projectId":10274225,"letterContent":"I have had quite a few DonorsChoose projects, but I think I must say that this one has been one of the most fun projects I have completed. \r\nMy students, along with me, love the series of books based on \"The Day the Crayons Quit.\" This project allowed me to add several of these titles to our library collections. We were also able to get five crayon plushies along with two crayon finger puppets. I didn't realize it at the time, but these plushies have changed my behavior strategy. Ha. If a student is sitting quietly and listening appropriately, he or she might be asked to sit at the back on a special chair and hold one of the crayon plushies. It has worked pretty well with my youngest students.\r\nI also use the finger puppets more than I thought I would. I like to have the finger puppets remind students of the expectations in the library. My students also like when I use the finger puppets to choose them for various activities. \r\nIn addition to all of that, the books are awesome. They are so funny and engaging, and the students love them.\r\nThank you for giving me and my students this opportunity!","fullyFundedDate":1784314691630,"projectUrl":"project/the-day-the-crayons-came-to-donorschoose/10274225/","projectTitle":"The Day the Crayons Came to DonorsChoose!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. McKey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4548095_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1771243029782","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/dan-mckey"},{"teacherId":4548095,"projectId":10471451,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting this project about our states! I have already begun showing these books to my upper elementary classes in the library. I gave each student one of the books, such as \"B Is for Buckeye\" about Ohio, and asked them to skim through, look at the pictures, and be ready to share something they didn't know about that state. It was really fun and very interesting. Students were very engaged. Some even found out new things about our own state, North Carolina!\r\nIt is also good for many of our students to start learning that states have nicknames. I think it is great if students know, for example, what state is \"The Land of Lincoln\" or \"The Empire State.\"\r\nThank you for allowing me the chance to help my students with a little geography and a little history. Who knows, maybe some of these students will want to travel to these states in the future.\r\nThanks for helping me build up my library with these books!","fullyFundedDate":1787263272716,"projectUrl":"project/celebrating-america-250-state-by-state/10471451/","projectTitle":"Celebrating America 250 State by State","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. McKey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4548095_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1771243029782","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/dan-mckey"},{"teacherId":371454,"projectId":10376490,"letterContent":"I wish you could feel the excitement in the classroom when students helped me open those boxes of new books! They showed their excitement by asking how many they could read and could they read them together; it's always heartwarming when growing learners ask to read!\r\nGraphic novels and nonfiction books offer engaging and thrilling student responses. Without knowing it, students are growing as independent readers, acquiring new vocabulary and phonetic proficiency. These foundational skills will benefit readers in the future by building on their ability to comprehend texts and process information.\r\nThese texts encourage student discussion by offering readers a shared topic everyone can contribute to. You helped provide the means for engagement, collaboration, and sharing the wonders of books with our students. Much thanks to you!","fullyFundedDate":1787164346885,"projectUrl":"project/fresh-pages-for-emerging-readers-rebuil/10376490/","projectTitle":"Fresh Pages for Emerging Readers: Rebuilding an Exciting Classroom Library","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Shearer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp371454_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1484078672762","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/371454"},{"teacherId":4548095,"projectId":10093217,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting this \"Bricks and Beauty\" Lego project! My students love when we get new Lego sets, and so do I! What a privilege!\r\nThree of the items we were hoping to get were not available, but the good news is that gave us just enough to purchase the gorgeous Japanese Cherry Blossom set. That set is now complete and ready to hang along with the Floral Art which was made of Lego dots. \r\nWe hit our summer break before we could finish our Watering Can and our Cactus. I look forward to seeing students finish those.\r\nBecause of you and many donors before you, our library is starting to look like a little Lego museum, and our students are so proud!\r\nThank you for giving my students the opportunity to build STEM skills. Thank you for giving them the chance to work together on something that brings beauty to our library and to our world.\r\nThank you for believing in my students.","fullyFundedDate":1778276072256,"projectUrl":"project/bricks-and-beauty/10093217/","projectTitle":"Bricks and Beauty","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. McKey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4548095_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1771243029782","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/dan-mckey"},{"teacherId":9595464,"projectId":10418611,"letterContent":"Thank you for donating to my project on helping history come alive. My students are very excited to hear some of these new stories!\r\n\r\nSince my school was moved to a temporary location, I haven't started teaching withe books yet. However, the planning has started! Our first Social Studies Unit will be focused on the American Revolution. Students have some background on this unit so I decided to start with the book George vs. George. I will use this book to teach how the perspectives are different between the Americans vs the British. After using George vs George, I will use the book Colonial Voices Hear Them Speak to show how the regular every day people handled the American Revolution. \r\n\r\nIn my classroom, I plan to read excerpts of these texts and the other books in the project to start my lesson and follow up with discussion questions geared towards understanding the background and point of view of the historical characters and events. My students are already asking when they can start reading the books. Now that we are back in our permanent location, I can't wait to get started!","fullyFundedDate":1785847076894,"projectUrl":"project/history-unlocked-travelling-through-tim/10418611/","projectTitle":"History Unlocked: Travelling Through Time One Story at a Time","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hare","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9595464_orig.png?crop=329,329,x26,y68&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1761844077015","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-hare"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_1824","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":567,"numTeachers":51,"percentFrplEligible":59,"percentAsian":4,"percentBlack":27,"percentWhite":33,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":29,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":3,"gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"11.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":76.5,"schoolId":1824,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Durant Road Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Durant Road Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/north-carolina/wake-county-public-school-system/durant-road-elementary-school/1824"}