{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Sam Houston Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":35.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":7718406,"projectId":9942906,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity and thoughtful support of our kindergarten classroom. Because of your kindness, our students have been able to experience meaningful, hands-on celebrations that bring learning, culture, and joy together in ways that are developmentally appropriate and deeply impactful.\r\n\r\nYour donations have helped us create rich learning experiences centered around several important holidays and traditions. Through the gift of fortune cookies, red envelopes, and a beautifully engaging book about Lunar New Year, our students were able to learn about this important cultural celebration in an interactive and memorable way. These materials sparked curiosity, encouraged thoughtful discussion, and helped students begin to understand that holidays are celebrated differently across the world. For many of our emergent bilingual learners, this provided valuable opportunities to make personal connections, build vocabulary, and participate confidently in classroom conversations.\r\n\r\nIn addition, the stuffed bunnies donated for Easter allowed us to celebrate the season in a joyful and age-appropriate way. These items helped create excitement and warmth in the classroom while reinforcing lessons about kindness, sharing, and gratitude. The Valentine's Day books you provided supported our focus on literacy and social-emotional learning, giving students opportunities to practice reading skills while exploring themes of friendship, caring, and inclusion.\r\n\r\nMany of our students are emergent bilingual learners, and the materials you provided allowed us to create language-rich experiences through stories, discussions, and hands-on activities. Reading books together, exploring new vocabulary, and participating in shared celebrations helped students strengthen their language skills while also building confidence and a sense of belonging. These moments are especially meaningful for young learners as they navigate both language development and social growth.\r\n\r\nBecause of your generosity, our classroom has become a welcoming space where students feel represented and valued. The materials you donated allowed us to celebrate multiple traditions in a way that honors diversity while fostering community. Students learned that every culture and celebration is important, and they gained early exposure to empathy, respect, and curiosity about the world around them.\r\n\r\nYour support has made a lasting impact on our students' learning and memories. The joy on their faces, the questions they asked, and the connections they made are all a direct result of your kindness. On behalf of our students and families, thank you for helping us create a classroom environment where children can learn, celebrate, and grow together.","fullyFundedDate":1766079476188,"projectUrl":"project/cultural-cheer-for-kinder-kids/9942906/","projectTitle":"Cultural Cheer for Kinder Kids!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jordan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7718406_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1716062568726","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsc-jord"},{"teacherId":8818036,"projectId":9755485,"letterContent":"My students were so excited and delighted when I opened the snack boxes! They stood up and started jumping with so much enthusiasm. \r\n\r\nMy class and I would like to thank you very much for your support. My kindergartners enjoy eating healthy snacks. I sometimes tell them that it's \"brain food.\" I want my students to try a variety of snacks without the excess sugar and food dyes. They seem to like them very much. \r\n\r\nI even share the snacks with my after school tutoring students. They too enjoy these special treats. \r\n\r\nMay God continue to bless you. Thank you for your kindness and generosity!","fullyFundedDate":1762837044347,"projectUrl":"project/fueling-learning-with-healthy-snacks/9755485/","projectTitle":"\"Fueling Learning with Healthy Snacks\"","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Figueroa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8818036_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1698801114016","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8818036"},{"teacherId":7718406,"projectId":9528113,"letterContent":"From the bottom of my heart, thank you for funding this project and helping provide the essential supplies that make such a meaningful difference in our classroom. With a new school year comes new classroom needs, and because of you, those needs were met before the first bell even rang. Your support ensured that our learning environment was fully prepared, engaging, and student-centered from day one.\r\n\r\nThe items you helped provide may seem small on their own, but together they created a huge impact. I immediately put the carpet tape to use on our sliding classroom carpet. Anyone who has worked with young learners knows how important a structured and safe floor space is. Thanks to the sturdy carpet tape, our carpet spots stayed perfectly in place, allowing students to sit safely, focus during lessons, and transition smoothly between activities. It may seem like a simple fix, but it made our daily routines calmer and more efficient right away.\r\n\r\nOur new books were another highlight that instantly captured students' attention. The day we received them, we proudly pulled out one of our new additions, Starting a Sentence, and used it to reinforce proper sentence writing. The students were excited to see brand-new books in our library, and their engagement was immediate. They eagerly listened, participated in discussions, and made connections to their own writing. These fresh, engaging texts breathed new life into our classroom library and helped set high expectations for literacy learning from the very beginning of the year.\r\n\r\nBy Day 2 of having the materials, we were already putting the stretchy headband cords to use during a fun and creative activity. Students used them to create adorable gingerbread-themed headbands, combining hands-on learning with imagination and joy. Activities like these help build fine motor skills, encourage creativity, and most importantly, make school fun. Seeing their smiles and pride as they wore their headbands was a powerful reminder that learning doesn't have to be boring to be effective.\r\n\r\nBecause of your generosity, our classroom started the year energized, organized, and truly ready to learn. You didn't just fund supplies, you invested in a learning environment where students feel excited, supported, and confident. You gave us the tools to build positive learning habits that will last all year long.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in our students and in the importance of a well-prepared classroom. Your kindness and support are felt every single day, and we are so grateful to have you as part of our learning journey.","fullyFundedDate":1764710603949,"projectUrl":"project/keep-the-year-rolling/9528113/","projectTitle":"Keep the Year Rolling","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jordan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7718406_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1716062568726","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsc-jord"},{"teacherId":7718406,"projectId":9748914,"letterContent":"When our holiday-themed day materials arrived, my students' faces absolutely lit up with excitement! They couldn't wait to see what each themed day—Grinch Day, Frosty the Snowman Day, Polar Express Day, Elf Day, and Rudolph the Reindeer Day—had in store. From the moment they saw the colorful craft supplies, candy cane pens, and mini stockings, the room was filled with joy and anticipation. It instantly created a sense of wonder and enthusiasm for learning that carried over into all of our classroom activities.\r\n\r\nEach day, students will use the new materials to complete fun and creative projects that tie into our literacy lessons. These hands-on experiences will help strengthen their writing, comprehension, and fine motor skills—all while building a stronger classroom community.\r\n\r\nThanks to your generosity, our classroom will be transformed into a festive, joyful space where learning feels like magic. These resources have not only made our holiday days special but have also reminded my students that learning can be filled with fun, creativity, and heart.","fullyFundedDate":1762266391103,"projectUrl":"project/holidays-make-us-happy/9748914/","projectTitle":"Holidays Make Us Happy","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jordan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7718406_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1716062568726","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsc-jord"},{"teacherId":8818036,"projectId":9617638,"letterContent":"I would like to thank you very much for your generosity. My students and I are very grateful to have primary journals to write and exciting books by my favorite author Eric Carle! My students are extremely excited with these books. They like when I read to them after lunch or before going home after a long and busy day. \r\n\r\nAnother thing that I would like to share is that my student's hand writing ✍️ is improving and I am very proud about that. With hard work and dedication and high expectations, students are able to write legibly and correctly on the line. Thank you donors for making this possible! It was so hard finding these type of journals at the beginning of the school year. \r\n\r\nHopefully by the second semester, my precious kindergartners will start writing their own sentences or short stories on their own!\r\n\r\nOnce again thank you sooooo very much and may God bless you!!!","fullyFundedDate":1755743705248,"projectUrl":"project/building-literacy-through-books-and-jour/9617638/","projectTitle":"Building Literacy Through Books and Journaling","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Figueroa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8818036_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1698801114016","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8818036"},{"teacherId":8818036,"projectId":9244182,"letterContent":"I'm am really excited to share that my students loved the Pete the Cat books! My goal is for students to enjoy reading, learn new vocabulary, increase reading comprehension and become successful in reading! \r\n\r\nMany of my students in class don't have many experiences with books or someone to read to them at home. My students like when I read to them after lunch or before going home after a long busy day. They get to choose and vote for the book they want me to read to them. \r\n\r\n Thanks to wonderful donors like you, I am building my classroom library with books they truly enjoy and get excited about. We appreciate you and may God bless you always!","fullyFundedDate":1744204706869,"projectUrl":"project/reading-is-the-key-to-success/9244182/","projectTitle":"Reading is the key to success!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Figueroa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8818036_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1698801114016","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8818036"},{"teacherId":5036486,"projectId":9512955,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for believing in my students. They have been excelling this school year. They have been reading like crazy. The students have used the graphic novels and propelled themselves into the next level of reading. They have been showing huge growth in their fluency and comprehension. \r\n\r\nMost importantly 90% of my students are really enjoying reading! Coming in every few days to take an AR test and check out a new book.\r\n\r\nHere at Sam Houston, we really do believe Readers are Leaders! Thank you for helping our students grow!\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\nMs. Tullos","fullyFundedDate":1754066322187,"projectUrl":"project/graphic-novels-lead-to-success/9512955/","projectTitle":"Graphic Novels Lead to Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Tullos","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5036486_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1524109081113","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5036486"},{"teacherId":4816325,"projectId":9289776,"letterContent":"Thank for your donations towards supplies that were much needed for my students and out classroom. The students are enjoying the timers. They can now use on one each small group which allows them to manage their time more effectively. The paper came at the right time as we were almost out to print out student writing for their portfolios. \r\nEach donation makes a world of difference to my students and to me. Anytime we can get new supplies that we really need it is one step further to increasing the students interest in their work because they don't have to worry about supplying items themselves (which many cannot do).\r\nAgain, a huge thank you and I hope you make the decision to continue to support us on future projects.","fullyFundedDate":1756309496553,"projectUrl":"project/transforming-teaching-to-thrive-through/9289776/","projectTitle":"Transforming Teaching to Thrive Through Technology","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Curbow","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4816325_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1515096410640","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/j-curbow"},{"teacherId":7718406,"projectId":9399871,"letterContent":"I cannot thank you enough for your generosity in funding our STEM project! Because of your support, my students now have access to Playstix, Plus-Plus Blocks, and Pattern Blocks—tools that are already making an incredible impact in our classroom. These resources are more than just building materials; they are hands-on opportunities for my students to think critically, collaborate, and create in ways that foster both imagination and problem-solving.\r\n\r\nThe moment the materials arrived, excitement filled the room. My students' eyes lit up as they began exploring the different shapes, colors, and possibilities. Some immediately began building elaborate structures, while others worked together to solve design challenges. It was amazing to see teamwork, communication, and perseverance come alive so naturally through play and discovery. The Playstix encouraged creativity in engineering, the Plus-Plus Blocks sparked innovative designs, and the Pattern Blocks helped students recognize shapes, symmetry, and geometry concepts in a concrete and engaging way.\r\n\r\nAs a teacher, it is inspiring to watch students engage so deeply with learning. Many of my students do not often have access to STEM resources outside of school, so your donation is giving them opportunities they might not otherwise experience. These materials are not only enhancing academic skills but also building confidence, persistence, and a love for problem-solving—skills that will benefit them far beyond our classroom.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has truly transformed our learning environment. Instead of just reading about STEM concepts, students are now able to apply them hands-on, which deepens understanding and makes learning more meaningful. Every block they stack, every pattern they design, and every creation they proudly share is a direct result of your kindness.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in the power of education and for choosing to support my students. Your investment is shaping young learners into creative thinkers, problem-solvers, and future innovators. Please know that your gift will continue to be used throughout the school year and for many years to come, touching the lives of countless students.","fullyFundedDate":1757611111524,"projectUrl":"project/stem-for-the-win/9399871/","projectTitle":"STEM for the Win!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jordan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7718406_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1716062568726","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsc-jord"},{"teacherId":5493473,"projectId":9256235,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in purchasing books for my students! Having bilingual books in our classroom is such a gift, especially for our newcomers who are learning English. These texts allow them to begin applying basic comprehension skills in their native language while also making connections to English. It's a powerful bridge that builds confidence, helps them feel included, and gives them the tools to engage in meaningful learning right away.\r\n\r\nThe high-interest graphic novels you helped provide are just as important. The visuals support students in understanding context and meaning, which makes it easier for them to acquire new vocabulary and internalize sentence structures. Graphic novels naturally invite rereading, spark excitement, and help students see themselves as real readers. Language acquisition doesn't happen overnight, but these books make the journey fun, engaging, and accessible. My students and I are so grateful for your support—you've made a real difference in their learning.","fullyFundedDate":1754066322836,"projectUrl":"project/two-languages-one-library/9256235/","projectTitle":"Two Languages, One Library","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Campbell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp5493473_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1530200452513","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5493473"},{"teacherId":5179701,"projectId":9249136,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution to my DonorsChoose project! Because of your support, my classroom library has grown in meaningful ways that truly reflect the diverse backgrounds, voices, and experiences of my students.\r\n\r\nWhen my students opened the boxes of new books, their excitement was contagious. They eagerly flipped through the pages, pointing out characters who looked like them, families that reminded them of their own, and stories that introduced them to new perspectives. Representation matters, and now my students feel seen, valued, and celebrated through the books we read together.\r\n\r\nYour gift is not just about adding books to our shelves—it's about creating opportunities for empathy, understanding, and confidence. Every time a child picks up one of these books, they are building a lifelong love of reading and discovering that their story has a place in the world.\r\n\r\nOn behalf of my students and myself, thank you for believing in them and for investing in their education. Your generosity has made a lasting impact, and we are deeply grateful","fullyFundedDate":1746786299858,"projectUrl":"project/growing-readers-diverse-books-for-my-2n/9249136/","projectTitle":"Growing Readers: Diverse Books for My 2nd Grade Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Flores","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5179701_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1660694748609","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5179701"},{"teacherId":7718406,"projectId":9502284,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom prize store project! Your kindness has brought an incredible boost of motivation, joy, and excitement to my students. Because of you, our classroom reward system will be more organized, engaging, and meaningful than ever before.\r\n\r\nThe stickers you've helped provide will now be proudly displayed in a pocket chart, where students can see their progress and feel a sense of accomplishment as they work toward their goals. This visual reminder keeps them motivated and helps them learn about perseverance, responsibility, and delayed gratification.\r\n\r\nOur gumball rewards will make academic progress even more exciting, as students eagerly complete their intervention lessons with accuracy, knowing they are working toward both knowledge and a small, sweet prize. The addition of fun keychains will provide random surprises throughout the year, making each achievement extra special and memorable.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, your support creates a culture of positivity and encouragement in our classroom. Students now feel proud of their hard work, celebrate each other's accomplishments, and look forward to continuing to grow.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has gone far beyond simply providing supplies—you've helped build lasting memories and a classroom filled with encouragement and joy. Thank you for believing in my students and for investing in their success. We are truly grateful for your kindness and support.","fullyFundedDate":1756836473414,"projectUrl":"project/tiny-treasures-for-big-achievements/9502284/","projectTitle":"Tiny Treasures for Big Achievements!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jordan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7718406_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1716062568726","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsc-jord"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_17049","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":748,"numTeachers":44,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":18,"percentWhite":1,"percentIndigenous":2,"percentLatinx":75,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"17.0:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_SMALL"},"inStateSupporters":65.0,"schoolId":17049,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Sam Houston Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Sam Houston Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/texas/port-arthur-independent-school-district/sam-houston-elementary-school/17049"}