{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Highcroft Drive Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":13.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8560119,"projectId":9932315,"letterContent":"Oh my, what a treat these Yoto's are! We have really settled into a routine with these new devices and the class is always a buzz about new features or stories we have found that are amazing. The students are enjoying having an audiobook all to themselves, where they can relax and just listen to a story. They have also loved using them for working music or for stress relief if they've had an especially frustrating moment or day. \r\n\r\nIt has been so fun watching the kids listening to their stories. Some of them are laughing, some following along in a book, some just laying down and soaking it in. It brings joy to my teacher heart seeing them loving the stories I loved as a kid like Charlotte's Web or Magic Treehouse, and watching them experience new things as well like podcasts or stories from the UK. I am so grateful to have your support in providing these learning experiences for kids, and can't wait to see the improvement in my students reading scores as well as their passion for stories. \r\n\r\nWe couldn't do this thing without you!","fullyFundedDate":1764733096364,"projectUrl":"project/amazing-audiobooks/9932315/","projectTitle":"Amazing Audiobooks","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Shaw","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8560119_orig.png?crop=516,516,x6,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1659389602666","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8560119"},{"teacherId":4545141,"projectId":9919481,"letterContent":"Thank you for making my project, \"Building Friendship Through Books: Popular Series Our Students Crave\" a reality for our school community! Because of your generosity, our library now includes highly sought-after book series that students are eager to read—and that eagerness matters. These books introduce essential literacy skills such as character development, understanding friendships and social dynamics, making predictions across a series, and building reading stamina as students move from one title to the next. Series books also help students practice comprehension strategies like tracking story arcs, noticing character growth, and making connections between texts.\r\n\r\nIn our library, reading is active, social, and joyful. Students browse with purpose, recommend books to one another, and excitedly return to share what happened next in a story. These new series have transformed reading time into a shared experience—students talk about characters as if they are friends, eagerly place holds on the next book, and feel confident choosing texts they know they will enjoy. This sense of belonging around books helps students see themselves as readers and strengthens our reading community.\r\n\r\nSeveral students who were previously reluctant readers are now among the most enthusiastic library visitors - especially because of the extremely popular, \"Pizza & Taco\" series, which we've never owned before! Because the characters feel familiar and the stories are accessible yet engaging, students are motivated to keep reading—and that consistency is key to building fluency, confidence, and a genuine love of books. Thanks to you, our students are not only improving their reading skills, they are building friendships through stories that truly resonate with them.","fullyFundedDate":1766446978105,"projectUrl":"project/building-friendship-through-books-popul/9919481/","projectTitle":"Building Friendship Through Books: Popular Series Our Students Crave","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fiedler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4545141_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1504271665751","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4545141"},{"teacherId":4545141,"projectId":9884558,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, my students now have access to a rich collection of inquiry-based books that are changing how they learn and explore the world. These texts help students move beyond simply reading facts to asking thoughtful questions, researching topics, and using evidence to explain what they've learned. Through these books, students are building essential skills such as locating information using text features, comparing ideas across sources, and thinking critically—skills that support reading, science, and social studies learning every day.\r\n\r\nIn our classroom and library, reading is active and engaging. Students browse with curiosity, pause to record questions, revisit texts to confirm ideas, and eagerly share discoveries with classmates. Inquiry books naturally invite discussion, collaboration, and excitement, making reading a shared and meaningful experience rather than a solitary task. \r\n\r\nThe addition of these books has been hugely impactful for our new project-based learning (PBL) research lessons. For example, after hearing the book Crossings, by Katy Duffield, students are challenged to create their own animal crossings to help animals cross over, under, around, and through human construction to lessen the impact of humans on the natural world. To successfully design a crossing, they have to research their animal's habitat and use materials that would entice a wild animal to choose their crossing over a more direct but dangerous path. This book and books like it inspire students, through storytelling, to solve real-world problems. \r\n\r\nThese books have been especially impactful for students who are naturally curious, visual learners, and those who may struggle with traditional chapter books. Many reluctant readers are now choosing to read independently because the topics feel relevant and empowering. Thank you for investing in resources that spark curiosity, build confidence, and help my students see themselves as capable researchers and learners. Your support has made a lasting difference in our school.","fullyFundedDate":1764733096044,"projectUrl":"project/our-students-need-inquiry-books/9884558/","projectTitle":"Our Students Need Inquiry Books!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fiedler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4545141_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1504271665751","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4545141"},{"teacherId":4545141,"projectId":9820694,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our students are now enjoying a new felt story board along with beloved felt story sets, including Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and two Pete the Cat stories. These materials introduce essential early literacy skills in a hands-on, engaging way. As students retell stories using the felt pieces, they practice sequencing events, building vocabulary, recognizing patterns and repetition, and developing oral language skills—all critical foundations for reading success.\r\n\r\nReading in our Media Center is interactive and playful, especially for our youngest learners. During lessons, students eagerly volunteer to place felt pieces on the board, act out story events, and predict what will happen next. The felt stories invite movement, conversation, and collaboration, allowing students to experience stories with their whole bodies—not just their eyes. This kind of multisensory learning helps concepts \"stick,\" particularly for early readers and English language learners.\r\n\r\nThese felt stories have been especially meaningful for students who benefit from visual and tactile learning. Children who are still developing confidence with print are able to participate fully by retelling stories and engaging with characters, even before they can read independently. The familiar, joyful characters spark excitement and confidence, turning storytime into an inclusive experience where every child feels successful. \r\n\r\nFor students who prefer to engage with technology, they were able to record the story using green screen and stop-motion apps. They edited the video and had to correctly assemble the video clips in the order of the story, testing their recall and comprehension with project-based learning. Because of you, our students are building strong literacy and technology skills while discovering that reading is something to engage with and enjoy!","fullyFundedDate":1760721591756,"projectUrl":"project/our-littles-need-felt-board-stories/9820694/","projectTitle":"Our Littles Need Felt Board Stories!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fiedler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4545141_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1504271665751","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4545141"},{"teacherId":4545141,"projectId":9792729,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, our students now have access to a vibrant new collection of historical fiction books—and the impact has been immediate. These stories do far more than entertain; they help students build critical reading skills by asking them to infer character motivations, analyze cause and effect, and distinguish between historical facts and imagined details. As students read, they are learning how to step into another time period, develop empathy for people who lived through different circumstances, and make meaningful connections between the past and the world they live in today.\r\n\r\nReading in our Media Center is an active, joyful experience. You'll see students curled up with books, eagerly discussing plot twists with friends, and making thoughtful observations about how life \"used to be.\" Many students are using these books to support classroom learning in social studies, while others are discovering a love of history through stories that feel personal and relatable. Historical fiction has a unique way of making big ideas—like courage, resilience, and justice—feel accessible to young readers. One interesting data point - the Alan Gratz titles that we were able to add to the collection through this project have cracked the Top 10 list for most checked out books for the month, dethroning perennial favorites like Dog Man and Diary of a Wimpy Kid!\r\n\r\nSeveral students who were once reluctant readers have been especially drawn to these new titles. The combination of engaging storytelling and real historical settings has helped them stay focused, motivated, and excited to read. For some, this has been the first time they've finished a longer chapter book independently. Thanks to you, our students aren't just learning about history—they're experiencing it through stories that will stay with them long after the last page is turned.","fullyFundedDate":1760732539301,"projectUrl":"project/our-students-need-new-historical-fiction/9792729/","projectTitle":"Our Students Need New Historical Fiction Books!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fiedler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4545141_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1504271665751","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4545141"},{"teacherId":20314,"projectId":9579311,"letterContent":"Thank you again for donating to this project. The students have absolutely loved using the various Design and Drill kits. My students with special needs have used them several times and have been highly engaged each time. Their favorite activity has been building robots using the drills, bolts, and gears.\r\n\r\nOur kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students learned how gears work and then used the drills to attach gears and bolts to the boards, matching the pattern design cards. After building their designs, they connected the drills to the gears so they could watch how one spinning gear powered the next. Kindergarten and first-grade students also practiced their counting skills with the Number Design and Drill kits by placing picture-and-number pattern cards on the boards and drilling the correct number of bolts into place.\r\n\r\nOur fourth graders have especially enjoyed the \"Space Circuits\" kits, using them to build electrical circuits that light up, spin, and buzz.\r\n\r\nAs you can see, these kits have been incredibly valuable—helping students strengthen core academic skills while also engaging in hands-on STEM learning. Thank you again for supporting my STEM classroom and public education.","fullyFundedDate":1755725613045,"projectUrl":"project/put-the-e-in-stem-with-these-engineeri/9579311/","projectTitle":"Put the \"E\" in STEM With These Engineering Activities","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lewis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/20314"},{"teacherId":4545141,"projectId":9039704,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, our library is now filled with beautiful new books that celebrate Indian and Indian-American voices, cultures, and stories. These books have sparked so much joy, curiosity, and pride among our students. For many children, this was the first time they saw characters who looked like them, spoke their languages at home, and dealt with similar issues as they do. That kind of connection is powerful—it builds confidence, encourages reading, and fosters a deep sense of belonging.\r\n\r\nThese books also provide important windows for all students to learn about different cultures, traditions, and perspectives. We've had thoughtful discussions about identity, immigration, and family traditions sparked by these stories. Our readers are practicing empathy, expanding their worldviews, and making meaningful text-to-self and text-to-world connections. One second grader proudly hugged a new book and said, \"This character has my name!\"—a moment I won't forget. Thanks to you, we're not just adding books to shelves—we're growing hearts, minds, and a stronger sense of community.","fullyFundedDate":1746209789595,"projectUrl":"project/our-students-need-more-indian-books/9039704/","projectTitle":"Our Students Need More Indian Books!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fiedler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4545141_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1504271665751","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4545141"},{"teacherId":4545141,"projectId":9286655,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our youngest students now have access to the inspiring Little People, BIG DREAMS biography series—and they are absolutely loving them! These beautifully illustrated books are just right for early readers, introducing real-world figures like Leo Messi, Rosa Parks, Tenzing Norgay and Mary Anning in a way that is both accessible and empowering. Through these stories, students are practicing important literacy skills like sequencing, identifying main ideas, and making text-to-self connections. We're also using the books as jumping-off points for rich conversations about perseverance, kindness, bravery, and following your dreams.\r\n\r\nIn our school library, reading time has become even more joyful and purposeful. Students often sit side by side, reading these biographies together or excitedly retelling facts they've learned to classmates. One kindergartener who had never checked out a nonfiction book before proudly told me, \"I love Jane Goodall! She helped monkeys!\" Another first grader who is a reluctant reader has been eagerly collecting the books each week, calling them his \"heroes collection.\" Because of you, reading in our library now feels like an adventure into the lives of world changers—and our students are beginning to imagine how they might change the world, too.","fullyFundedDate":1746817401333,"projectUrl":"project/our-littlest-readers-need-biography-book/9286655/","projectTitle":"Our Littlest Readers Need Biography Books, Too!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fiedler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4545141_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1504271665751","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4545141"},{"teacherId":20314,"projectId":8619999,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating to my \"Stop and Make Learning Exciting With Stop Motion Animation\" project. Because of your donation, the students now have Ipad holders, minifigures, and minifigure accessories to utilize in order to make stop motion animation movies. The students have absolutely loved being able to use their creativity skills to turn stories into movies! \r\n In their homeroom classes the second graders wrote a personal narrative about being a paleontologist and finding a fossil. In STEM class they used the Lego minifigures and accessories such as pickaxes to create a visual for their story. Their stop motion animation videos showed the following scenes: the minifigure searching for a fossil, finding a fossil, digging in the sand for the fossil, and identifying the fossil. The students really enjoyed making their first movies!\r\n In their homeroom classes the third graders read the book, \"Peter Pan.\" In STEM class they were tasked with using stop motion animation to recreate one scene from the book. The students were fully engaged in this project and loved being able to show their own interpretations of what happened in the book.\r\n Thanks again for supporting public education and the students in my STEM classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1726845999667,"projectUrl":"project/stop-and-make-learning-exciting-with-sto/8619999/","projectTitle":"Stop and Make Learning Exciting With Stop Motion Animation!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lewis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/20314"},{"teacherId":4545141,"projectId":9233344,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in funding our DonorsChoose project! Because of you, our library is now home to the ENTIRE Science Comics series—and our students couldn't be more excited. These engaging, high-interest graphic novels are constantly being checked out, and they've quickly become favorites among our curious readers. From coral reefs to volcanoes, dogs to dinosaurs, these books are sparking deep conversations, critical thinking, and a growing love for nonfiction.\r\n\r\nThe Science Comics series has helped us build important literacy and science skills across grade levels. Students are learning how to identify main ideas and key details, make inferences from both text and images, and connect scientific concepts to the real world—all while enjoying the story format they already love. In our media center, reading is all about discovery and joy. It's a place where students can choose what interests them and develop as readers at their own pace. These books meet students right where they are and help them stretch both their reading stamina and their content knowledge.\r\n\r\nSeveral of our reluctant readers—especially students who tend to avoid traditional nonfiction—have found new confidence through these books. One fifth grader, who rarely checked out anything but graphic novels, proudly told me, \"This one taught me more about bats than I've known in my whole life!\" Another student, a second grader fascinated by space, now reads during her recess because she wants to \"learn everything about rockets.\" Thanks to you, our students see themselves as readers and scientists. We are so grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1744205875984,"projectUrl":"project/our-huskies-need-more-science-comics/9233344/","projectTitle":"Our Huskies Need More Science Comics!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fiedler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4545141_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1504271665751","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4545141"},{"teacherId":4545141,"projectId":9040425,"letterContent":"I am thrilled to share that our DonorsChoose project for early chapter books has been fully funded, and the impact on our young readers has been incredible! Thanks to your generosity, our library now has a wider selection of engaging, accessible books that serve as the perfect bridge between picture books and longer novels. These new additions are helping our students develop fluency, comprehension, and confidence in their reading journeys.\r\n\r\nIn our library, reading is an active, joyful experience. Students excitedly browse the shelves, eager to find a book that matches their interests and reading levels. With these new chapter books, they now have more options that challenge them just enough to build stamina and independence while keeping them engaged. I created colorful bookmarks for each new series with a list of the titles that we now own. Students can check off when they have finished one book and move on to the next book in the series. These students are excitedly bringing their bookmarks to the media center to show me how many books they have read! Moments like these are happening every day, all thanks to you.\r\n\r\nYour support has made a lasting difference, not only by providing books but by fostering a love of reading that will stay with these students for years to come. Thank you for believing in the power of books and the potential of our young readers!","fullyFundedDate":1739561609368,"projectUrl":"project/our-students-need-chapter-books/9040425/","projectTitle":"Our Students Need Chapter Books!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fiedler","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4545141_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1504271665751","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4545141"},{"teacherId":20314,"projectId":8998022,"letterContent":"Thank you again for your donation so that new headphones could be purchased for my STEM class. The kids were so excited when we received them! They absolutely love the bright colors of the headphones. My younger students are thrilled that I now have headphones that fit them. In addition, many students have mentioned that these new headphones are much more comfortable than the old ones. The students are now better able to focus on their coding activities since they have headphones that are not only functional, but also comfortably fit. Thanks again for supporting my STEM class and public education!","fullyFundedDate":1736977538373,"projectUrl":"project/help-my-students-to-not-miss-a-beat-in-s/8998022/","projectTitle":"Help My Students to Not Miss a Beat in STEM","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lewis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/20314"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_3724","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":687,"numTeachers":58,"percentFrplEligible":8,"percentAsian":51,"percentBlack":7,"percentWhite":28,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":6,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"11.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":false,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":86.5,"schoolId":3724,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Highcroft Drive Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Highcroft Drive Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/north-carolina/wake-county-public-school-system/highcroft-drive-elementary-school/3724"}