{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Martin Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":33.2,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":7390797,"projectId":9448317,"letterContent":"The new STEM resources have transformed the way my kindergarten students learn, explore, and create. One of our favorite classroom moments so far was during a gear system building challenge; using gears and working together to make it move! The celebration that followed showed just how proud they were of their hard work and problem-solving.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, the students' reactions were pure joy—eyes wide, hands reaching, and excited chatter filling the room. Many of them immediately began sorting pieces, making predictions, and asking if they could \"build something right now.\" Their enthusiasm showed just how powerful hands-on learning can be for young learners, and it was clear they felt inspired and ready to explore.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we're using the new supplies to investigate how things work.Students will create their own mini inventions and test how different forces make things move. Thanks to our generous donors, my classroom is now filled with curiosity, collaboration, and discovery and my students are gaining STEM experiences that will support their growth for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1753289996988,"projectUrl":"project/centers-of-fun-learning-for-everyone/9448317/","projectTitle":"Centers of Fun, Learning for Everyone!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. O'Sullivan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7390797_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1761357268914","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7390797"},{"teacherId":2548866,"projectId":9804447,"letterContent":"Here's the updated version incorporating that detail:\r\n\r\n---\r\n\r\nThank you to the Allstate Foundation for generously funding our **Kindness in Kindergarten** project. Your support brought kindness crayons and kindness bars into our school, and their impact has been truly meaningful.\r\n\r\nOur students used the kindness crayons to design and color vibrant kindness posters and cards, creating **so many thoughtful kindness projects to hand out to others**. The kindness bars were given along with the cards, reminding others to \"be kind\" and spreading a wave of positivity throughout our school.\r\n\r\nThese tools inspired creativity, encouraged conversations about being kind, and helped our young learners express their caring hearts in beautiful ways.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping our kindergarteners learn that small acts of kindness can make a big impact. Your generosity continues to brighten our school and our school community.","fullyFundedDate":1761409457395,"projectUrl":"project/kindness-in-kindergarten/9804447/","projectTitle":"Kindness in Kindergarten","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. E","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2548866_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y453&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658090248863","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/misserb"},{"teacherId":7881272,"projectId":9524086,"letterContent":"From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! Because of your generosity, our kindergarten classroom now has an air conditioner — and what a difference it makes. Our students can learn, play, and grow in a space that is comfortable, safe, and calm, even on the warmest days.\r\n\r\nYour kindness has given our young learners a better environment to focus, explore, and enjoy school. We are so grateful for your support and for believing in the importance of creating the best possible space for our kids.\r\n\r\nWe have even been able to use it into the winter months, as our old school building has one heat setting in the winter time and that is blazing hot! \r\nThank you for helping us make our classroom a cooler, happier place to learn!","fullyFundedDate":1755712448494,"projectUrl":"project/cool-kids-learn-better/9524086/","projectTitle":"\"Cool\" Kids Learn Better","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Szewczak","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7881272_orig.jpg?crop=1944,1944,x259,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1695474952928","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7881272"},{"teacherId":2548866,"projectId":9488960,"letterContent":"The Tonies have had an incredible impact on our kindergarten classroom. They provide an engaging, interactive way for students to experience stories, music, and educational content. With Tonies, students are able to listen independently or in small groups, which supports early literacy skills, vocabulary development, and listening comprehension. They also encourage a love of storytelling and reading, as children are excited to explore new characters and adventures. Beyond literacy, Tonies help foster independence, turn-taking, and collaboration as students share and discuss what they hear. Overall, Tonies have created a fun, hands-on learning experience that keeps our students motivated, curious, and excited about learning every day.","fullyFundedDate":1758817706846,"projectUrl":"project/centers-are-terrific-with-tonies/9488960/","projectTitle":"Centers are Terrific with Tonies","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. E","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2548866_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y453&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658090248863","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/misserb"},{"teacherId":2548866,"projectId":9769732,"letterContent":"The Grinch flap books, Grinch pencils, Grinch Hershey Kisses, and Oh, the Places You'll Go! books brought excitement, learning, and joy to our kindergarten classroom in meaningful ways. The Grinch flap books helped students practice early reading skills, comprehension, and fine motor development as they lifted and explored each flap. \r\n\r\nThe Grinch pencils encouraged writing and creativity while making learning feel fun and special. The Grinch Hershey Kisses were used for hands-on math activities, such as counting and simple addition and subtraction, making math both engaging and festive. \r\n\r\nFinally, Oh, the Places You'll Go! inspired our young learners to dream big and believe in themselves, fostering confidence and a love for learning. Together, these materials created a magical and motivational experience that kept our kindergarteners engaged, excited, and proud of their growth.","fullyFundedDate":1760702418402,"projectUrl":"project/a-grinchy-good-time-in-kindergarten/9769732/","projectTitle":"A Grinchy Good Time in Kindergarten!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. E","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2548866_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y453&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658090248863","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/misserb"},{"teacherId":2548866,"projectId":9431277,"letterContent":"The materials and resources provided have had a meaningful impact on our kindergarten classroom, enhancing both learning and daily routines. Lincoln Logs support hands-on building and problem-solving, helping students develop fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and cooperative play. Books for our classroom provide engaging, thematic learning experiences that connect literacy with social-emotional growth and spark curiosity across a variety of topics.\r\nBooks such as Chester Raccoon and The Energy Bus for Kids offer rich opportunities for discussions about empathy, resilience, and positive behavior. These stories help students explore important concepts like managing emotions, showing kindness, and understanding themselves and others.\r\nEveryday supplies like glue sticks and Kleenex also play a vital role. Glue sticks support creativity and hands-on projects, while having Kleenex available ensures a healthy, comfortable environment where students can focus on learning.\r\nTogether, these materials create a well-rounded classroom experience that nurtures academic growth, creativity, and social-emotional development, giving students the tools and inspiration they need to thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1755709877750,"projectUrl":"project/begin-the-year-right/9431277/","projectTitle":"Begin the Year Right","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. E","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2548866_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y453&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658090248863","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/misserb"},{"teacherId":2548866,"projectId":9399756,"letterContent":"The classroom supplies provided at the start of the year have made a significant impact on our kindergarten classroom. Having essential materials such as paper, writing tools, and art supplies has allowed students to engage in meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that foster creativity, fine motor development, and early literacy skills.\r\nThese resources encourage students to express themselves through art and writing while supporting lessons across all subject areas. The inclusion of Shades of Me paper has been especially valuable in promoting conversations about diversity, self-identity, and inclusion, helping children see themselves and their classmates represented in our classroom materials.\r\nWith these tools readily available, students can explore, create, and learn with enthusiasm and confidence. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to begin our school year fully equipped to support both academic and social-emotional growth, setting a strong foundation for success","fullyFundedDate":1755709878196,"projectUrl":"project/kinder-art-helps-the-heart/9399756/","projectTitle":"Kinder Art Helps the Heart","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. E","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2548866_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y453&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658090248863","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/misserb"},{"teacherId":2548866,"projectId":9430599,"letterContent":"Snacks have a positive and meaningful impact on our kindergarten classroom. Providing daily snacks helps students maintain focus, energy, and engagement throughout the school day. When children's basic needs are met, they are better able to concentrate, participate in learning activities, and demonstrate self-regulation.\r\nSnack time also serves as an opportunity for students to develop important social and self-help skills, such as sharing, taking turns, and practicing good manners. This routine fosters a sense of community and provides a structured break that supports both academic learning and social-emotional growth. Overall, snacks contribute to a calm, supportive, and productive classroom environment where students can thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1755695928281,"projectUrl":"project/full-bellies-happy-hearts-focused-br/9430599/","projectTitle":"Full Bellies + Happy Hearts = Focused Brains","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. E","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2548866_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y453&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658090248863","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/misserb"},{"teacherId":4250463,"projectId":9242620,"letterContent":"I want to thank you for providing books that have brought so much joy and opportunity to my high needs students. For our non-speaking learners with disabilities, books are more than stories—they are tools that help build communication. Through pictures, words, and shared reading, our students are finding ways to engage with others, listen to narrations, and connect with the world around them through books.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has opened doors for my students to learn, to be included, and to engage. The impact is felt each day when I see smiles, new interactions, and the excitement that comes from being connected.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping us give my students the gift of communication and connection.","fullyFundedDate":1750872012391,"projectUrl":"project/books-for-enhancing-speech-and-language/9242620/","projectTitle":"Books for Enhancing Speech and Language Development","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Bozzo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4250463_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1717702394219","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4250463"},{"teacherId":2548866,"projectId":9113977,"letterContent":"Having new Barks headphones for our Kindergarten iPads has already made a big impact on student learning and success. The headphones help children stay focused and engaged by blocking out distractions and allowing them to clearly hear directions, stories, and learning apps. This creates equity in learning, ensuring every child can access lessons at their own pace without being affected by background noise. Age of Learning math and reading programs depend on careful listening, and the quality headphones allow students to hear sounds, words, and numbers more clearly, which strengthens early reading and math skills. Having enough headphones also supports hygiene and comfort since students do not need to share. Most importantly, the headphones give students the ability to work more independently on their iPads, building confidence in using technology while allowing me to work with small groups without frequent interruptions.","fullyFundedDate":1750629302645,"projectUrl":"project/can-you-hear-us-now/9113977/","projectTitle":"Can You Hear Us Now?","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. E","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2548866_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y453&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1658090248863","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/misserb"},{"teacherId":7390797,"projectId":8307992,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, our classroom's new soft word center has completely transformed the way my students engage with reading and early literacy skills. While many families use technology at home, the way these tools support learning in the classroom can look very different. In our room, this resource allows students to interact with words in a hands-on, tactile way that reinforces phonics, sight words, and sentence building. The technology behind the center guides students step-by-step, giving them immediate feedback, modeling correct pronunciations, and encouraging them to practice independently—something that is especially powerful for emerging readers.\r\n\r\nYour support has given my students not only a fun, engaging way to practice essential literacy skills but also the confidence that they can be successful readers. Thank you for bringing so much joy—and so much learning—into our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1713274126133,"projectUrl":"project/kindergarten-sight-word-center/8307992/","projectTitle":"Kindergarten Sight Word Center","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. O'Sullivan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7390797_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1761357268914","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7390797"},{"teacherId":7622556,"projectId":9279499,"letterContent":"On behalf of our kindergarten students and staff, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for your generous contribution of the bean bag game, magnetic silly faces game, and the gumball fine motor skills game. These engaging tools have quickly become favorite activities in our classroom and are making a significant impact on our students' learning journeys.\r\n\r\nBeyond the joy and excitement they bring to our daily routines, each game has proven to be a powerful tool in supporting key developmental milestones. As we adapt and enhance these materials to align with our early literacy goals, we are already seeing remarkable growth in letter recognition, phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and expressive language skills.\r\n\r\nThe bean bag game, once purely a source of fun physical movement, is now being used to reinforce letter sounds, sight words, and story sequencing—all through playful interaction and teamwork.\r\n\r\nThe magnetic silly faces game has opened new pathways for storytelling and character development. Our students love using descriptive language as they build and describe their characters, naturally expanding their vocabulary and narrative skills.\r\n\r\nThe gumball fine motor skills game, originally intended to strengthen hand-eye coordination, is now also being used for letter matching, word building, and even rhyming practice—providing fine motor support alongside phonological awareness.\r\n\r\nThese enhancements are only possible because of the solid, imaginative foundation your games have provided. Watching our students light up with confidence as they blend play with learning is a reminder of how vital hands-on, thoughtfully designed materials are to early education.\r\n\r\nThank you again for supporting our classroom and contributing to the development of meaningful, joyful learning experiences for our youngest readers and thinkers","fullyFundedDate":1746496346425,"projectUrl":"project/fun-activities-transformed-into-literacy/9279499/","projectTitle":"Fun Activities Transformed into Literacy Games","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. O'Donnell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7622556_orig.jpg?crop=864,864,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1603827830020","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7622556"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_91230","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":147,"numTeachers":12,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":39,"percentWhite":32,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":2,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 1","studentTeacherRatio":"12.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":66.8,"schoolId":91230,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Martin Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Martin Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/pennsylvania/new-kensington-arnold-school-district/martin-elementary-school/91230"}