{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Dr Malakoff Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":26.7,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":5334193,"projectId":9910281,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and making this project possible! Because of your generosity, my third graders now have access to organized, engaging STEM creation kits that spark imagination, teamwork, and problem-solving every day.\r\nMy students are imaginative engineers and artists who love to design, build, and create. They light up when given the chance to combine reading, science, and art into hands-on projects, and your support has helped bring those experiences to life. The clear storage containers allow us to keep materials like foil paper, Sharpies, googly eyes, tape, beads, magnets, pompoms, and colored sand organized and easily accessible. Each group now uses these containers as their own STEM creation kit, which has made our classroom workspace more efficient and student-centered.\r\nThe holiday-themed STEM bins rotate throughout the year and encourage big thinking using simple materials. Through these hands-on activities, students are strengthening fine motor skills, practicing collaboration, and developing perseverance as they test ideas, solve problems, and redesign their creations. They are learning to think like engineers while building confidence as makers and creators.\r\nMost importantly, these materials have made learning exciting and meaningful. My students are more engaged, communicate their ideas more clearly, and work together with enthusiasm and curiosity. You have helped create an environment where creativity and critical thinking are celebrated every day.\r\nThank you for believing in my students and investing in their learning. Your kindness has made a lasting impact on our classroom, and we are truly grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1764724967592,"projectUrl":"project/bringing-stem-to-life/9910281/","projectTitle":"Bringing STEM to Life!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Long","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5334193_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694226540267","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-v-long"},{"teacherId":9557903,"projectId":9856611,"letterContent":"Thank you! \r\n\r\nThank you, Berkeley! So much for funding our Kindness project and making this meaningful experience possible for my students. When the materials arrived, their faces lit up with excitement! They began designing bracelets, carefully choosing colors, patterns, and messages that represent empathy, friendship, and care for others. As they worked and collaborated, I listened to their powerful conversations about what it truly means to be kind. These conversations became the focal point to write kindness message strips to place in our beautiful gumball machine. The bracelets became more than just crafts; they became symbols of connections that my students shared with our school community. \r\nThanks to your generosity, my students created kindness bags filled with thoughtful surprises and positive intentions, transforming our donations into powerful moments of connection. My students carefully assembled each bag with love and thoughtfulness, all the while discussing who might need a little extra encouragement. Using our mini printer, students printed uplifting messages and affirmations to include in the kindness bags, thereby gaining real-world practice with writing, technology, and purposeful communication. The excitement grew as they distributed bags to our school community. It was amazing to see how smiles spread, and eyes sparkled like bright shining stars while delivering the kindness bags. This experience showed my students that their words and actions matter, and that kindness-when shared, can brighten an entire school community. 🌟\r\n\r\nYour continued support and belief in my classroom have touched my students in ways that go far beyond materials-it has shaped how they see themselves and others. Because of you, my students feel valued, heard, and empowered. You have made our classroom a warmer, more connected place, and the impact you've had on my students' hearts and daily actions is something we will carry with us long after every project ends. \r\n\r\n\r\nWith heartfelt thanks,\r\nErnestina Martinez, 2nd Grade 💗","fullyFundedDate":1763331537074,"projectUrl":"project/the-kindness-crew-compassion-in-action/9856611/","projectTitle":"The Kindness Crew: Compassion in Action!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Martinez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9557903_orig.jpg?crop=1170,1170,x0,y11&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1758589898364","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9557903"},{"teacherId":9198366,"projectId":9892457,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for making our \"Cracking Open the Magic of the Nutcracker\" an unforgettable experience for my students! From the moment they walked into the classroom, they were filled with excitement and curiosity, eager to immerse themselves in the magic of The Nutcracker.\r\n\r\nMy students participated in an escape-room-style adventure, working to solve reading, writing, and math challenges connected to the story. With each task they completed, they unlocked a new part of the journey. The excitement grew as they realized they were getting closer to the \"magic surprise.\" When the final challenge was solved, each student received a special magic key and proudly unlocked their own wooden nutcracker. Watching their faces light up was truly priceless.\r\n\r\nAfter unlocking their nutcrackers, students painted and decorated them, turning each one into a unique creation. We also watched a video of The Nutcracker ballet, which helped students connect the story to the world of dance and performance. They were completely engaged, asking questions, making connections, and sharing their favorite parts.\r\n\r\nThis project allowed my students to learn through creativity, teamwork, and hands-on exploration. Your generosity brought literature to life and created joyful memories that my students will cherish for years to come. Thank you for making this magical learning experience possible. We are so grateful for you!\r\n\r\nWith heartfelt thanks,\r\nMrs. Carrillo & My Amazing Third Graders 🎄✨🗝️","fullyFundedDate":1763071229258,"projectUrl":"project/cracking-open-the-magic-of-the-nutcracke/9892457/","projectTitle":"Cracking Open the Magic of the Nutcracker","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Carrillo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9198366_orig.jpg?crop=834,834,x0,y82&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1697654499430","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9198366"},{"teacherId":5334193,"projectId":9879642,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom activities during these last special days before Christmas break. Over the past few days, our students have been fully immersed in joyful, hands-on learning experiences that brought creativity, kindness, and holiday cheer to life.\r\nMy students are imaginative, compassionate, and thrive when they are given opportunities to work together. We brought The Grinch to life through a classroom kindness challenge that truly exceeded expectations.\r\nStudents designed and decorated their own DIY Grinch sleighs and earned small wrapped \"gifts\" and Grinch Kisses for acts of kindness, teamwork, and positive behavior. Instead of competing for rewards, students encouraged one another, celebrated good choices, and worked together to \"fill their sleighs\" by spreading joy. The transformation in classroom culture was incredible to witness. We even had a sleigh contest with extra gifts to see who can place \"recover\" the most gifts with only one minute on the clock!!! \r\nThe outcome of this project was powerful. Students demonstrated increased kindness, cooperation, and self-awareness while building positive memories tied to learning. They saw firsthand how small acts of goodness can make a big difference, just like the Grinch's growing heart.\r\nThank you again for helping make this experience possible. Your support helped turn our classroom into a place of warmth, generosity, and connection—an experience our students will remember long after the holiday season ends. 🎄💚","fullyFundedDate":1762992079608,"projectUrl":"project/grinchy-giving-building-kindness-one-sl/9879642/","projectTitle":"Grinchy Giving: Building Kindness One Sleigh at a Time!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Long","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5334193_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694226540267","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-v-long"},{"teacherId":5334193,"projectId":9880764,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for making our Countdown to Kindness project such a joyful success! Because of your generosity, my third graders experienced a truly magical December filled with stories, creativity, and meaningful conversations. Every day, the excitement was contagious as a student unwrapped a beautifully wrapped book from our kindness tree. The room would quiet with anticipation, then fill with thoughtful discussion as we explored stories about empathy, gratitude, self-regulation, and kindness. These books gave students the language they needed to talk about big feelings and to better understand one another.\r\n\r\nThe hands-on STEM component was just as impactful. Using the magic clay and art supplies you provided, students designed and built snowmen inspired by our readings. They experimented, problem-solved, redesigned, and proudly tested whether their snowmen could stand and balance. This activity sparked collaboration, perseverance, and lots of joyful laughter—all while reinforcing engineering and critical-thinking skills.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, this project strengthened our classroom community. The daily routines of reading together, reflecting on kindness, and creating side by side helped my students grow not only as learners, but as compassionate friends. Your support nurtured their hearts and minds and created memories they will carry with them long after the holiday season. Thank you for believing in my students and for helping make learning meaningful, joyful, and full of kindness. 💙","fullyFundedDate":1763329676103,"projectUrl":"project/unwrapping-kindness-a-classroom-countdo/9880764/","projectTitle":"Unwrapping Kindness: A Classroom Countdown Adventure","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Long","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5334193_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694226540267","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-v-long"},{"teacherId":9557903,"projectId":9844250,"letterContent":"Thank you for seeing our classroom and our Hearts. It will be a wonderful Christmas 🎄in my 2nd grade classroom. My student's eyes were twinkling like bright shiny stars 🌟 as we opened our packages. Excitement filled the air. Thank you from the bottom of my heart 💗for your generosity. Your generosity didn't just provide materials-it brought comfort, joy and creativity, and a sense of belonging into our everyday learning. \r\n\r\nThe beautiful pink teacher chair quickly became a special place in our room. It's where students gather close for read-alouds, where stories come to live, and where quiet moments of connection happen. It has given our classroom a feeling of warmth and calm that my students truly need. The books and bright green shelf have changed the way my students see reading. Having books beautifully displayed and easy to reach has sparked excitement and independence. I've watched students proudly choose books, recommend favorites to friends, and settle in with a story- sometimes for the very first time felling confident as a reader. \r\n\r\nThe beads, holiday pencils, and picture frame opened the door for creativity and kindness. As students carefully thread beads into bracelets, they talk about who they want to give to and why. These small creations become powerful acts of love, friendship, and connection especially during the holidays. Oh! the utility cart helped meet our classroom's needs right when they mattered the most making sure learning never stopped and every student has what they needed to succeed. \r\n\r\nBecause of you, my students feel seen, valued, and inspired. 💗\r\nWith Heartfelt appreciation,","fullyFundedDate":1761682899908,"projectUrl":"project/books-bells-and-holiday-smiles/9844250/","projectTitle":"\"Books, Bells, and Holiday Smiles\"","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Martinez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9557903_orig.jpg?crop=1170,1170,x0,y11&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1758589898364","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9557903"},{"teacherId":5334193,"projectId":9899449,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our project and for believing in the power of joyful, hands-on learning. Because of your generosity, my students were able to engage in a STEM challenge that blended engineering, creativity, and emotional well-being—exactly what they need during a season that can feel both exciting and overwhelming.\r\nWith your help, students explored design and engineering concepts while practicing teamwork, mindfulness, and positive emotional expression. They loved using the holiday candy, cones, and materials you helped fund to build and decorate their own STEM Christmas tree creations.\r\nWe even hosted a special Grinch Day, where students designed their very own Grinch-themed sugar-cone trees. The room was filled with laughter, focus, and pride as they engineered, tested, and decorated their creations—then enjoyed their well-earned treats!","fullyFundedDate":1763675539567,"projectUrl":"project/stem-sweets-and-smiles-building-the-g/9899449/","projectTitle":"STEM, Sweets, and Smiles: Building the Grinch’s Candy Christmas Trees!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Long","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5334193_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694226540267","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-v-long"},{"teacherId":9278218,"projectId":9767209,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous donation to my Let's Bead Kind project. My students had a blast as they created kindness bracelets in our classroom. Students were able to design their very own bracelet by choosing their beads, colors, and letters. These handmade bracelets were were more than just a fun hands on project because the reason behind the project was to foster kindness within our campus community. My students enjoyed spreading kindness with their fellow school mates. My next step is to encourage my students to continue practicing kindness each and every day.","fullyFundedDate":1759767485839,"projectUrl":"project/lets-bead-kind/9767209/","projectTitle":"Let’s Bead Kind!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Rodriguez Piton","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9278218"},{"teacherId":5334193,"projectId":9912745,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our forensic science project! Because of you, my students had the chance to step into the role of real investigators—an experience many of them have never had before.\r\nYour contribution provided far more than materials. You are helping my students explore, experiment, and think like scientists. With the hands-on forensic activities you've made possible, they'll learn to gather evidence carefully, document their observations, collaborate with peers, and draw meaningful conclusions based on scientific reasoning rather than guesswork. These are skills that will stay with them long after the project ends.\r\nThe resources from Teachers Pay Teacherrs helped me create engaging, high-quality investigations that sparked curiosity and joy. Even the hats and patches played an important role—they aren't just props; they help students feel like they truly are detectives. When they put them on, they know it's time to investigate, to think critically, and to believe in their own potential.\r\nThank you for giving my students a memorable learning experience and for investing in their growth. Your kindness makes a real difference in our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1764720116272,"projectUrl":"project/future-forensic-investigators-hands-on/9912745/","projectTitle":"Future Forensic Investigators: Hands-On Crime Scene Science for Students","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Long","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5334193_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1694226540267","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-v-long"},{"teacherId":9158567,"projectId":9505505,"letterContent":"The Light Table has transformed our classroom into a space filled with wonder, curiosity, and hands-on exploration. From the moment it arrived, students were immediately drawn to its soft glow and inviting surface. It created a calm and focused environment where even the most hesitant learners felt confident engaging with new concepts. The table quickly became a center for discovery, offering endless ways to learn through play.\r\nWith this new resource, students practiced letters, numbers, shapes, and patterns in meaningful and memorable ways. They traced letters with glowing manipulatives, sorted colorful shapes, and experimented with transparency and color mixing. These activities supported fine motor development, early literacy, and foundational math skills, all while keeping students truly excited about learning. The light table helped connect abstract ideas to concrete experiences, making lessons stick in a powerful way.\r\nMost importantly, the Light Table inspired creativity, collaboration, and joy. Students gathered around it to solve problems together, share materials, and talk about what they noticed. It became a safe space for communication and teamwork, especially for children who often remain quiet in whole-group activities. This project did far more than provide a tool. It opened the door to imagination and exploration, enriching our classroom environment and leaving a lasting impact on our students' learning journey.","fullyFundedDate":1755712282764,"projectUrl":"project/learning-through-light-shapes-letters/9505505/","projectTitle":"Learning Through Light: Shapes, Letters, and Wonder","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Contreras","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9158567_orig.png?crop=1024,1024,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1700682733962","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9158567"},{"teacherId":9198366,"projectId":9798548,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our Pizza Fraction project! My third graders were thrilled to become chefs for the day, and this experience brought math to life in the most exciting way. Students made their pizzas completely from \"scratch,\" rolling out air-dry clay dough, shaping their crusts, and carefully cutting each pizza into equal parts to match their customer's order. They added toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms, and olives based on fractional instructions, proudly explaining things like \"3/8 pepperoni and 5/8 cheese.\"\r\n\r\nThis project was also used for my formal TTESS evaluation, and it went amazing. My students were fully engaged, collaborating, problem-solving, and confidently discussing numerators, denominators, and equivalent fractions while creating beautiful work they were proud of.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping transform math into a hands-on, joyful learning experience. Your generosity made our classroom feel like a real pizzeria, and my students will remember this lesson for a long time. We are so grateful for you!\r\n\r\nWith appreciation,\r\nMrs. Carrillo & The Royal Knights Pizza Chefs 🍕⚔💙","fullyFundedDate":1760931588991,"projectUrl":"project/cooking-up-fractions-in-our-classroom-pi/9798548/","projectTitle":"Cooking Up Fractions in Our Classroom Pizzeria!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Carrillo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9198366_orig.jpg?crop=834,834,x0,y82&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1697654499430","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9198366"},{"teacherId":9557903,"projectId":9768079,"letterContent":"To: The Allstate Foundation 💗\r\n\r\nThere was so much excitement in the classroom as we opened the packages from our project \"The Ripple Effect of Kindness.\" We had been talking about kindness the weeks before receiving our materials. My students got a better picture of the multiple meaning of kindness when I read \"Sara The Bucket Filler: A Story About Showing Kindness and Being Happy.\" 📙\r\nOur bubblegum machine dispenser became the heart of our kindness mission. Instead of candy it dispensed good deeds that inspired my students to take action. We used our colorful storage bins to place all the materials and now our kindness project was in motion. We created colorful kindness bracelets and painted the rocks which turned into \"kindness rocks\" with a happy image. With excitement and teamwork, we filled treat bags with our bracelets and rocks and stickers and distributed them throughout the school. Each item we shared was a small reminder that kindness can spread just like bubbles -one thoughtful action at a time. My students returned to our classroom and were excited to use their Cra-Z-Art Crayons 🖍️and colored a sheet with a kindness message. They also read the wonderful books that were donated. 📚 Reading is at the heart of our classroom as well. \r\n\r\nThank You!!! to \"The Allstate Foundation\" \r\n\r\nThank you so much with all of our hearts 💗💗for your kindness and generosity for funding our project \"The Ripple Effect of Kindness\" This project has truly made a difference in our school community. 🏫\r\n\r\n Mrs. Martinez, 2nd Grade teacher","fullyFundedDate":1761408427373,"projectUrl":"project/the-ripple-effect-of-kindness/9768079/","projectTitle":"\"The Ripple Effect of Kindness\"","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Martinez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9557903_orig.jpg?crop=1170,1170,x0,y11&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1758589898364","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9557903"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_8393","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":601,"numTeachers":50,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":1,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":97,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"12.0:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":73.3,"schoolId":8393,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Dr Malakoff Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Dr Malakoff Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/texas/united-independent-school-district/dr-malakoff-elementary-school/8393"}