{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Larchmont Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":23.1,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10043471,"projectId":10318235,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for bringing these hands-on STEM bins into our classroom! Your generosity has transformed our daily routine and sparked an incredible amount of curiosity and creativity among my students. When the boxes first arrived, my students' eyes completely lit up. They could hardly contain their excitement as we unpacked the bins, bristle blocks, pixel bricks, and building challenges. The room was immediately filled with gasps, eager whispers, and enthusiastic questions about when they would get to touch and explore everything. For many of them, it felt like opening a giant present made just for their learning.\r\nWe have integrated the STEM bins into our daily schedule in several meaningful ways:\r\n\r\nMorning Brain Warm-Ups: Students start their day with open-ended engineering tasks, using the materials to build structures, solve spatial puzzles, and get their brains engaged before standard academic lessons begin.\r\n\r\nSTEM & Design Stations: During rotation time, students work in small teams to tackle specific design challenges—such as constructing the tallest stable tower, building a working bridge, or creating a marble maze.\r\n\r\nCollaborative Problem-Solving: The bins have become a powerful tool for developing social-emotional skills. Students practice sharing ideas, testing hypotheses, learning from structural \"failures,\" and celebrating each other's breakthroughs.\r\n\r\nWhat's Next for Our Students\r\nBuilding on this initial excitement, our next step is to connect these hands-on materials directly to our upcoming science unit on simple machines and structural engineering.\r\n\r\nStudents will soon be tasked with designing and constructing prototype models to solve real-world problems—like creating a functional pulley system or building a bridge capable of holding weight. \r\n\r\nYour support didn't just buy supplies—it unlocked a whole new world of discovery, problem-solving, and confidence for my students. Thank you for believing in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1790603249196,"projectUrl":"project/morning-mindset-stem-bins-for-little-en/10318235/","projectTitle":"Morning Mindset: STEM Bins for Little Engineers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wamer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10043471_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1748522255211","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10043471"},{"teacherId":10043471,"projectId":9934508,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, our students have been actively using the new reading center games during our literacy block each day. We've incorporated the games into our small-group rotations, where students practice sight words, phonics skills, and reading comprehension in a hands-on, engaging way. One special moment that stood out was watching a group of students work together to decode words using one of the matching games. They were laughing, encouraging each other, and so proud when they realized they could read the words independently. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow right before my eyes.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the new materials, their excitement was immediate. They couldn't wait to explore the colorful game boards and cards, and many of them asked, \"Do we get to play this today?\" The games instantly made reading practice feel fun and inviting. Even some of my more reluctant readers were eager to participate, which has made a noticeable difference in their engagement and willingness to try challenging words.\r\nward, we'll continue using these games to reinforce our current reading skills, including blending sounds, building vocabulary, and improving fluency. Our next step is to have students apply what they practice in centers to their independent reading and writing activities. We are also beginning a small-group reading project where students will create simple books using the sight words and phonics patterns they've mastered through the games. Your support is helping build strong, confident readers, and we are so grateful for the impact you've made in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1766268023566,"projectUrl":"project/science-of-reading-success-hands-on-lit/9934508/","projectTitle":"Science of Reading Success: Hands-on Literacy Centers for First Grade","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wamer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10043471_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1748522255211","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10043471"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_84947","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":373,"numTeachers":27,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":48,"percentWhite":30,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":10,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":9,"gradesServed":"K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"13.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":76.9,"schoolId":84947,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Larchmont Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Larchmont Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/ohio/toledo-public-schools/larchmont-elementary-school/84947"}