{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Pittsburgh Mifflin Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":19.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6740546,"projectId":10416443,"letterContent":"Our new document camera has made learning more engaging, interactive, and accessible for my first-grade students! This technology allows me to display books, worksheets, writing examples, and hands-on activities on our classroom screen so every student can see the details clearly, even from their seat. During reading and writing lessons, I can model how to sound out words, form letters, use proper spacing, and complete activities step by step. Students can follow along as I demonstrate new skills, making it easier for them to understand and practice what they are learning. My students are especially excited to see their books, classroom materials, and work displayed for everyone to view. The document camera is particularly helpful for students who benefit from visual demonstrations, repeated modeling, and seeing examples before trying a task independently. It also gives students opportunities to share their own work and celebrate their accomplishments with their classmates. I am so grateful for this new resource because it helps me meet the diverse learning needs of my students, build their confidence, and create a classroom where everyone can participate and succeed. Thank you for helping bring learning to life in our first-grade classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1789595431603,"projectUrl":"project/new-technology/10416443/","projectTitle":"New Technology","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Horgan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6740546"},{"teacherId":5965821,"projectId":10069115,"letterContent":"My students and I are very appreciative of the donations we received to add new sensory tools to use in the classroom. We were in need of more options to allow all students to have something that worked for them. \r\nMy students love the weighted stuffys and water fidgets. These are the most popular items that students reach for when they are working through big emotions or having a rough day. The water fidgets are also popular because they can easily join us on the table as we are working to complete and assignment. \r\nAdding these new tools has opened up the excitement of adding even more sensory items to the classroom. We can't wait to see what we add next!","fullyFundedDate":1772550496411,"projectUrl":"project/healthy-mindsbodies/10069115/","projectTitle":"Healthy Minds/Bodies!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Yekich","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5965821_orig.jpg?crop=1219,1219,x587,y160&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1629768535195","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5965821"},{"teacherId":6740546,"projectId":10291836,"letterContent":"The new fun reading supplies are helping make reading an exciting part of our first-grade classroom! My students use them during independent reading, partner reading, small-group activities, and reading choice time. One of my favorite moments is watching students settle in with their books, use the new supplies, and share what they are reading with their friends. These resources make reading feel like something they get to enjoy while still practicing important reading skills.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the new materials, they were immediately excited! They wanted to explore everything, choose their favorite supplies, and get started reading. Their excitement made reading time feel like a special event. Even students who may be hesitant to pick up a book were eager to participate and find something that interested them.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to continue creating a classroom where reading is both purposeful and fun. Students will use these supplies as they read new books, practice fluency, build vocabulary, strengthen comprehension, and talk about their favorite stories with classmates. We will continue encouraging students to choose books that interest them, explore different genres and topics, and discover that reading can be an enjoyable adventure. These fun reading supplies are helping my first graders build confidence while developing a genuine love for books and reading.","fullyFundedDate":1789036266697,"projectUrl":"project/fun-reading/10291836/","projectTitle":"Fun Reading!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Horgan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6740546"},{"teacherId":6740546,"projectId":10291790,"letterContent":"The new reading resources are giving my first graders more opportunities to practice important reading skills in meaningful and engaging ways. We use the materials during whole-group lessons, small-group reading, partner reading, and independent reading. One special classroom moment was watching students gather with their new books and resources and eagerly begin exploring the stories. Students were excited to choose books, talk about the pictures and characters, and share their thinking with classmates. These resources allow me to provide reading materials that meet students at different instructional levels and support their individual learning needs.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the new reading materials, they were excited and curious. They immediately wanted to look through the books, read the titles, study the illustrations, and share their discoveries with friends. Students who may sometimes be hesitant to read were especially eager to choose a book and give it a try. Seeing their excitement reminded me how important it is for children to have access to books that are interesting, inviting, and appropriate for their developing reading skills.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to continue building strong, confident readers through daily reading experiences. Students will practice phonics and decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, sequencing events, identifying characters and settings, asking and answering questions, and making connections to what they read. We will continue using the new resources during small-group instruction and independent reading so that every first grader has opportunities to grow as a reader, discover books they enjoy, and develop a lifelong love of reading.","fullyFundedDate":1788995921276,"projectUrl":"project/reading-resources/10291790/","projectTitle":"Reading Resources","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Horgan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6740546"},{"teacherId":6740546,"projectId":10413143,"letterContent":"The new writing tools are helping my first graders become more confident and excited writers. We use them during writing workshop, small-group instruction, and independent writing activities. One special classroom moment was watching students use the new materials to create their own stories and personal writing. They were able to choose tools that helped them plan their ideas, practice forming letters and words, and share their thinking through writing and drawing. These resources make writing more hands-on and give students opportunities to learn in ways that meet their individual needs.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the new writing materials, they were immediately excited and curious. They wanted to explore the different tools and begin using them right away. Students were especially proud to have materials that made their writing feel special and important. Even students who are sometimes hesitant to write were more willing to take risks, practice new skills, and share their ideas.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to continue building strong first-grade writers through daily writing experiences. Students will work on forming letters correctly, writing complete sentences, using sounds to spell words, adding details to their writing, and revising their work with teacher and peer support. We will continue using the new writing tools during small groups and independent writing so that every student can develop confidence, creativity, and a love of writing. These resources are helping my students see themselves as capable writers whose ideas matter.","fullyFundedDate":1785603987344,"projectUrl":"project/writing-tools/10413143/","projectTitle":"Writing Tools","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Horgan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6740546"},{"teacherId":6740546,"projectId":10411792,"letterContent":"Helping First Graders Become Confident Readers\r\n\r\nThe new books in our classroom are helping my first-grade students develop important reading skills while also building a love of reading. Through these texts, students practice phonics, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, sequencing, making predictions, identifying characters and settings, and making connections to the text. The books also give me opportunities to teach students how to use illustrations and text details to support their thinking and answer questions.\r\n\r\nReading in my classroom is an active and engaging part of our day. Students read independently, listen to read-alouds, participate in small-group instruction, and work with partners to discuss books. During small groups, I select texts that match students' current reading skills and provide targeted instruction and practice. Students have opportunities to read books at their own level, choose books that interest them, talk about what they are reading, and share their thinking with classmates.\r\n\r\nI have been especially excited to see students who may be hesitant readers become more interested in choosing and exploring books. Students who need additional support benefit from having texts they can successfully access while practicing important skills. Other students enjoy challenging themselves with new vocabulary, unfamiliar topics, and more complex ideas. Having a wider variety of books allows each child to find something that connects to their interests and learning needs.\r\n\r\nThe new books are helping me create a classroom where every first grader can see themselves as a reader. Whether a student is working on decoding a new word, building fluency, answering a comprehension question, or simply discovering a story they love, these books provide meaningful opportunities to learn and grow.","fullyFundedDate":1785175008571,"projectUrl":"project/back-to-school-books/10411792/","projectTitle":"Back to School Books!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Horgan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6740546"},{"teacherId":6740546,"projectId":10296186,"letterContent":"Small Groups, Big Learning!\r\n\r\nMy first-grade students and I are using our new classroom supplies every day during small-group instruction. These materials allow me to provide hands-on activities that target the specific skills students are working on. During reading and writing small groups, students use the supplies to practice phonics, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing skills in a more focused and individualized setting. Having a variety of materials allows me to adjust activities to meet students where they are and provide additional practice or enrichment when needed.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the new supplies, they were excited to explore them and eager to begin using them. They especially enjoyed having new materials to touch, use, and share with their classmates. Their excitement made our small-group activities feel more engaging and encouraged students to participate, take risks, and keep trying when a task was challenging.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to continue using these resources during our ongoing small-group reading and writing lessons. Students will rotate through activities that provide practice with the skills they are currently learning while I work with individual students and small groups to provide targeted instruction. These supplies will also give students opportunities to learn through different modalities, collaborate with classmates, and demonstrate their understanding in ways that work best for them.\r\n\r\nThank you for supporting our classroom and helping make small-group learning more meaningful for my first graders. Your generosity provides the hands-on resources my students need to practice, grow, and build confidence as learners. Because of you, every small group becomes an opportunity for a student to learn, succeed, and shine!","fullyFundedDate":1785174078413,"projectUrl":"project/small-groups/10296186/","projectTitle":"Small Groups","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Horgan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6740546"},{"teacherId":6740546,"projectId":10291854,"letterContent":"Our New Classroom Resources Are Making a Difference!\r\n\r\nMy first-grade students and I are already putting our new books, storage bins, and classroom supplies to use every day. The new books give students more opportunities to explore different topics, read at their own level, and choose books that interest them. The storage bins help us organize our classroom library and learning materials so students can easily find what they need during independent reading, small groups, and literacy activities. Our new supplies are also being used during hands-on activities, writing, and small-group instruction to support students with different learning styles and needs.\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite moments was watching my students explore the new books for the first time. They were excited to look through the different titles, talk about the pictures, and choose books that caught their attention. Students were eager to share their choices with their classmates and immediately began talking about what they wanted to read. Seeing their excitement reminded me how important it is to give young readers access to books that make them curious and excited about reading.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to continue building a classroom community of readers. Students will use the new books during independent reading and small-group lessons while practicing important reading skills such as decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and making connections to text. We will also continue organizing our classroom materials so students can independently select and return books and supplies. As the year continues, these resources will help students become more confident, responsible, and enthusiastic learners.\r\n\r\nThank you for supporting our classroom and helping provide resources that meet the individual needs of my first-grade students. Your generosity is helping create a welcoming, organized classroom where every child can find something to read, something to learn, and a way to be successful!","fullyFundedDate":1784816827218,"projectUrl":"project/new-everyday-items/10291854/","projectTitle":"New Everyday Items!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Horgan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6740546"},{"teacherId":2414408,"projectId":10388908,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting our classroom through Food for Focus! Your generosity has made a meaningful difference in the lives of my students.\r\n\r\nHaving access to healthy snacks has helped my students come into the classroom ready to learn. Instead of being distracted by hunger, they are better able to focus, participate, and stay engaged throughout the school day. I have seen students become more settled and prepared to take on challenging lessons when they know they have something nutritious to eat.\r\nFood for Focus has also created opportunities for students to learn about the importance of taking care of their bodies and making healthy choices. Something as simple as providing a snack can have a powerful impact on a child's ability to learn and feel successful at school.\r\n\r\nYour donation is more than food—it is helping remove a barrier to learning and giving my students the opportunity to focus on what matters most: learning, growing, and believing in themselves.\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in my students and helping make our classroom a place where every child can come ready to learn.","fullyFundedDate":1784651460253,"projectUrl":"project/food-for-focusing/10388908/","projectTitle":"Food for Focusing","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Simunovic","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2414408_272x272.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1516195099741","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-simunovic"},{"teacherId":6740546,"projectId":10292790,"letterContent":"This project has brought excitement, creativity, and hands-on learning into our classroom! My students are using the new STEM supplies to explore, build, problem-solve, and work together. During STEM activities, students are encouraged to design, test their ideas, make changes, and try again when something does not work the first time. These experiences help develop critical thinking, communication, collaboration, perseverance, and problem-solving skills.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the new materials, they were excited to explore and immediately began asking questions about what they could create. They were eager to work with their classmates, share ideas, and see if their designs would work. It was wonderful to watch students who may be hesitant during traditional academic activities become actively engaged and confident during hands-on STEM challenges.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to continue using the supplies for new design challenges that connect STEM learning to reading, writing, and real-world problem solving. Students will have opportunities to plan their designs, build and test them, record their observations, and explain what they learned. We will continue encouraging students to think creatively, learn from mistakes, and persevere until they find a solution.\r\n\r\nThank you to our generous donors for providing these STEM supplies and giving my students opportunities to learn by doing. Your support is helping them become confident thinkers, problem-solvers, and lifelong learners!","fullyFundedDate":1779106563381,"projectUrl":"project/stem-activities/10292790/","projectTitle":"Stem Activities","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Horgan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6740546"},{"teacherId":6740546,"projectId":10291807,"letterContent":"This project has made a wonderful difference in my students' reading experiences. The new texts give students opportunities to practice important skills such as phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, sequencing, identifying key details, making connections, and retelling stories. They are also learning how books can help us understand different people, places, experiences, and ideas.\r\n\r\nReading in our classroom is an active and joyful part of our day. Students listen to read-alouds, practice reading with partners and in small groups, explore books independently, and talk about what they are reading. I use the books to model reading strategies, introduce new vocabulary, ask comprehension questions, and encourage students to make connections to their own lives and learning.\r\n\r\nThe students who are struggling readers have especially benefited from having engaging books that are accessible to them. They are becoming more willing to choose books independently, practice reading, and take risks with unfamiliar words. I have also seen students who were hesitant about reading become excited to share a book or tell a friend about a story they enjoyed. Their growing confidence, independence, and excitement about books have been some of the most rewarding results of this project.\r\n\r\nThank you to our donors for helping us create a classroom where every student has the opportunity to experience success with reading and discover the joy of books!","fullyFundedDate":1779370971759,"projectUrl":"project/new-read-aloud-books/10291807/","projectTitle":"New Read Aloud Books","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Horgan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6740546"},{"teacherId":7228344,"projectId":10069418,"letterContent":"My Donors Choose project being funded has a meaningful impact on the students I support asa school counselor. The snacks, fidgets, games, and comfy seating helps students to feel comfortable opening up and building positive relationships. Many students come to school carrying stress, anxiety, or emotional challenges, and having access to calming tools and flexible seating will allow them to regulate their emotions, stay engaged, and feel supported.\r\n\r\nIn addition, the cold weather clothing necessities will help meet some of the basic needs that can often become barriers to learning and emotional well-being. Providing students hats, gloves, socks and other essentials helps ensure that students feel cared for, confident, and prepared for the school day. This project helps me to better support the whole child by addressing social-emotional needs and basic necessities, ultimately helping students feel safer, more connected, and ready to learn.","fullyFundedDate":1772550487989,"projectUrl":"project/winter-weather-care/10069418/","projectTitle":"Winter Weather Care","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cress","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7228344_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1771343039787","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7228344"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_88699","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":256,"numTeachers":25,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":37,"percentWhite":49,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":1,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":10,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"10.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":81.0,"schoolId":88699,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Pittsburgh Mifflin Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Pittsburgh Mifflin Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/pennsylvania/pittsburgh-public-schools/pittsburgh-mifflin-elementary-school/88699"}