{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Mendez Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":38.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8424242,"projectId":9457455,"letterContent":"Thank you for your donation towards purchasing items for our Student Birthday Bags!\r\n\r\nWith your donations we are able to celebrate all of our students on their special day!\r\n\r\nOur students are always excited and surprised to receive their personalized birthday bag with various prizes and snacks. As well, they love having their birthday chair while in our class. They love feeling special on their birthday, and we enjoy being able to make them feel just as special as they are! \r\n\r\nThank you once again for your donations! Our students really appreciate all of the gifts on their special birthday!","fullyFundedDate":1757683098083,"projectUrl":"project/bags-of-joy-birthday-surprises/9457455/","projectTitle":"Bags of Joy: Birthday Surprises!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Wood","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8424242_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1685554057105","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8424242"},{"teacherId":8738840,"projectId":9636240,"letterContent":"When the box from LOFT arrived, my students could hardly contain their excitement. They gathered around as I began to open it, guessing what might be inside. As soon as they saw the supplies for our classroom rabbits — fresh litter box materials, new toys, and books about rabbit care — they cheered and began talking all at once about how happy our bunnies would be. That moment of pure joy reminded me how much our classroom pets mean to them, and how much this donation would enrich our learning environment.\r\nIn our class, the rabbits are more than just pets — they are part of our classroom community. My students take turns helping with daily \"Care Crew\" jobs, such as changing the water, refilling hay, or sweeping near the enclosure. The new litter supplies have made this process easier, cleaner, and more efficient, which allows students to take real ownership of their responsibilities. The new toys have also sparked so much curiosity; the students love observing how the rabbits interact with them and often talk about which toys seem to be their favorites. It has truly made caring for the rabbits more engaging and fun for everyone involved.\r\nOne of the most meaningful parts of this donation has been the books. During our classroom library station, students love sitting on the carpet near the rabbits' pen to read. The books about rabbit care have become some of the most popular choices! Students enjoy learning about what rabbits eat, how to keep them healthy, and how to read their behaviors and moods. They often share what they've learned with me and their classmates, proudly giving updates like, \"Did you know rabbits need toys to keep their teeth healthy?\" or \"I read that bunnies like to be near their friends!\" It's been so rewarding to see students reading for both enjoyment and purpose — knowing their learning connects directly to something they care about.\r\nThe addition of these resources has strengthened our sense of community and responsibility. Many of my students look forward to their turn as \"Care Crew\" helpers, and they've started reminding each other to be gentle and calm around the rabbits. It has built empathy, patience, and teamwork in a very natural and meaningful way. For some students, caring for the rabbits has become a highlight of their day and a way to take pride in helping our classroom family.\r\nThanks to LOFT's generous donation, my students now have both the tools and the knowledge to care for our rabbits in a more informed, compassionate way. The impact has reached far beyond pet care — it has created daily opportunities for reading, collaboration, and character building. Every time I see a student reading beside the rabbit pen, carefully refilling their hay, or softly whispering to one of our bunnies, I'm reminded that this project has made our classroom a warmer, more connected place to learn.\r\nFrom the bottom of our hearts — from myself, my students, and our beloved classroom rabbits — thank you, LOFT, for helping make learning come alive in such a joyful and meaningful way.","fullyFundedDate":1757683151142,"projectUrl":"project/bunny-buddies-helping-students-grow-thr/9636240/","projectTitle":"Bunny Buddies: Helping Students Grow Through Animal Care","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Nail","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8738840_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1664749622332","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8738840"},{"teacherId":9923451,"projectId":9563356,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution to our 5th grade classroom! Because of your support, my students now have access to micro:bits — an incredible tool that's helping them learn how to code, program, and think critically in new and exciting ways.\r\n\r\nWith these micro:bits, my students are exploring how technology works through hands-on learning. They're writing simple programs, testing sensors, and collaborating to solve real-world challenges. It's amazing to see their creativity come alive as they design and debug their own projects.\r\n\r\nBeyond coding, these lessons are teaching them persistence, problem-solving, teamwork, and confidence — skills that reach far beyond the classroom. Many of my students are discovering for the first time that they can be creators of technology, not just users of it.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has made a lasting impact on their education and their belief in what they can achieve. From all of us in our 5th grade science class — thank you for investing in our future innovators!","fullyFundedDate":1755876420006,"projectUrl":"project/sparking-creativity-and-coding-skills-wi/9563356/","projectTitle":"Sparking Creativity and Coding Skills with micro:bits!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Dye","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9923451_orig.png?crop=286,286,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1754680349699","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9923451"},{"teacherId":8738840,"projectId":8938148,"letterContent":"On behalf of our bilingual classroom, I want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation of books. Your kindness has made a meaningful difference in the lives of my students.\r\nThese books have opened up new worlds for our readers—sparking curiosity, building confidence, and nurturing a genuine love for reading. For many of our students, this was their first time finding stories in both English and their home language, allowing them to see their cultures and experiences reflected in the pages. That kind of representation is powerful—and priceless.\r\nThanks to your support, our classroom library is now more vibrant, inclusive, and inspiring. The excitement on my students' faces as they discovered books that spoke to them personally was a joy to witness. Some have even begun sharing their favorite stories with their families at home, creating stronger connections between school and home learning.\r\nYour donation has not only helped improve literacy skills but also reminded our students that there are people out there who believe in them and their potential. Thank you for making such a lasting and positive impact.","fullyFundedDate":1741119918282,"projectUrl":"project/bilingual-books-for-enrichment/8938148/","projectTitle":"Bilingual Books for Enrichment","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Nail","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8738840_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1664749622332","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8738840"},{"teacherId":5198149,"projectId":9009638,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity. We received our package and the kids are excited to continue working towards earning a prize. Every now and then I surprise the kids with a prize just because. Knowing that there are prizes helps keep the students excited and motivated to complete their work. They are more likely to stay engaged and focused knowing that there is a reward for their continued efforts.\r\nYour help in keeping my students engaged and focused means so much. I am so happy to have support from the community.","fullyFundedDate":1735408238084,"projectUrl":"project/rewarding-hard-work/9009638/","projectTitle":"Rewarding Hard Work","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kirchhoff","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5198149_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y386&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1691972683716","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-kirchhoff"},{"teacherId":5414046,"projectId":8672587,"letterContent":"I am so grateful for you generous donation. Your gift has allowed me to purchase some wonderful items for my classroom. \r\n As a special educator, keeping my students focused is difficult at times. The stress balls and fidget spinners will absolutely help with this. Mini squishies, animal erasers and birthday bracelets will be great for celebrating my students on their special day or for their progress.\r\n Organization is important to me. Ziplocs organize my station games and sheet protectors keep safe the accommodations I provide in their math folders, as part of their IEP.\r\n The Uzzle and Sumology math games are awesome! My students love playing these. The Uzzle games are great for enhancing spatial reasoning skills and encouraging problem-solving strategies. The game Sumology helps children develop math skills by teaching them to solve problems.\r\n Having these materials will certainly enhance my classroom environment and I thank you for your support of public education.","fullyFundedDate":1730392977395,"projectUrl":"project/brain-breaks-rewards-and-organization/8672587/","projectTitle":"Brain Breaks, Rewards and Organization, Oh My!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Devereaux","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5414046_orig.jpg?crop=1158,1158,x195,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1557253375101","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5414046"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_100669","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":540,"numTeachers":44,"percentFrplEligible":86,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":2,"percentWhite":8,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":86,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"12.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_SMALL"},"inStateSupporters":61.2,"schoolId":100669,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Mendez Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Mendez Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/texas/san-marcos-consolidated-independent-school-district/mendez-elementary-school/100669"}