{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Gunston Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":21.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":609308,"projectId":10046652,"letterContent":"When I introduced the new learning stations and materials, students were eager and excited to engage in the puzzles, crafts, and games, and within minutes they were spread across the space, negotiating roles, creating, and encouraging one another. One moment that stood out was a group of third graders working on a complex logic puzzle. At first, they struggled and disagreed, but instead of giving up, they began talking through their thinking, adjusting their approach piece by piece until everything clicked into place. When they solved it, the celebration was genuine and shared—high-fives, smiles, and a sense of earned pride that no worksheet could replicate.\r\n\r\nSince then, these materials have become a natural part of our weekly routine. Students rotate through stations based on interest and challenge level, and I've seen them grow more confident in choosing tasks that stretch their thinking. Some gravitate toward collaborative board games where strategy and communication shine, while others find focus in quiet building or crafting tasks that strengthen creativity and patience. \r\n\r\nLooking forward, we hope to add even more options for students to explore and grow. Thank you so much for your generous support. You have absolutely made a difference for the students at Gunston Elementary!","fullyFundedDate":1769901830589,"projectUrl":"project/library-learning-stations-puzzles-game/10046652/","projectTitle":"Library Learning Stations: Puzzles, Games, and Hands-On Discovery","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. O","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp609308_orig.jpg?crop=2073,2073,x1142,y604&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1777470375605","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/gunstonlibrary"},{"teacherId":6095800,"projectId":10138998,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, 75 of our military-connected students at Gunston Elementary had a morning they will never forget. On Wednesday, April 15th, we successfully hosted \"The Science of Service: A Purple Party.\"\r\n\r\nWith the supplies you provided, our students engaged in their \"Mixing Mission.\" It was a powerful moment to watch their faces light up as their red and blue paint transformed into a vibrant \"Military Purple.\" Thanks to the \"mission-ready\" cleanup supplies, we were able to transition 75 kids smoothly from art to our \"Purple Cow\" treats without a single purple smudge on the hallway walls!\r\n\r\nThe handprint canvases they created are now permanently displayed in our cafeteria. They serve as a daily reminder to our students and staff that while these children move often, they are a vital part of our \"Web of Connection.\"\r\n\r\nThank you for seeing our students, honoring their service, and making this celebration possible.\r\n\r\nWith gratitude,","fullyFundedDate":1773609602612,"projectUrl":"project/the-science-of-service-a-purple-party-f/10138998/","projectTitle":"The Science of Service: A Purple Party for Military Kids","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kathryn Garcia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6095800_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1675527350518","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/garciakathryn"},{"teacherId":6095800,"projectId":9794437,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our \"Letters of Love, Books of Belonging\" project! While these materials were originally intended for Veterans Day, they have found an even more meaningful purpose as a cornerstone of our April celebration for Month of the Military Child.\r\n\r\nAt Gunston Elementary, our military-connected students understand the weight of service better than anyone. Thanks to your gift, our students now have the perfect medium to share their voices. We are so excited to provide them with the opportunity to write heartfelt notes and draw pictures to send to our troops stationed around the world.\r\n\r\nIn light of the current state of our military and the increased activity our families are navigating, giving these students an active role in supporting our troops is incredibly empowering. It allows them to transform their personal experiences into a powerful message of encouragement and \"belonging\" for those currently serving.\r\n\r\nYour kindness hasn't just provided postcards and books; you've provided a bridge between our students and their heroes. We cannot wait to see the impact these small tokens of gratitude have on our troops and the pride our students will feel in sending them.","fullyFundedDate":1767104861519,"projectUrl":"project/letters-of-love-books-of-belonging/9794437/","projectTitle":"Letters of Love, Books of Belonging","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kathryn Garcia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6095800_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1675527350518","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/garciakathryn"},{"teacherId":6095800,"projectId":9810490,"letterContent":"We want to express our deepest gratitude for your generous support of our recent Literacy Night project!\r\n\r\nThe event was a huge success, marked by incredible energy and engagement from our families. We were thrilled to see parents and students actively learning meaningful ways to connect with language at home and on the move.\r\n\r\nBecause of your help, our families now have effective tools to build critical vocabulary. This shared knowledge will not only enrich their students' school experience but will also foster the language development that is crucial for long-term academic success.\r\n\r\nThank you once again for investing in the potential and future of our Gunston students!","fullyFundedDate":1760747555699,"projectUrl":"project/conversation-connection-fueling-literac/9810490/","projectTitle":"Conversation Connection: Fueling Literacy at Home","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kathryn Garcia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6095800_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1675527350518","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/garciakathryn"},{"teacherId":6095800,"projectId":9760405,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contributions to our Zen Zone project!\r\n\r\nBecause of your kindness, we will be able to create a dedicated, calm space where our students can go to regroup, self-regulate, and take a quick break when they feel overwhelmed. This Zone is more than just furniture and resources; it is a commitment to our students' mental health and emotional intelligence.\r\n\r\nYour donation is directly supporting a healthier, more focused learning environment for everyone at Gunston. Thank you for investing in the well-being and success of our students!","fullyFundedDate":1759089673484,"projectUrl":"project/the-zen-zone-quiet-safe-place/9760405/","projectTitle":"The Zen Zone Quiet & Safe Place","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kathryn Garcia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6095800_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1675527350518","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/garciakathryn"},{"teacherId":6095800,"projectId":9625271,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our Eagle Tickets program! Your donation is a powerful investment in our students' success.\r\n\r\nThis program makes a real difference by helping us reward and reinforce the positive behaviors of safety, respect, and responsibility. Thanks to you, our students can continue to earn Eagle Tickets and visit our online \"Eagle Store\" to choose from a treasure trove of exciting prizes.\r\n\r\nYour contribution directly helps us celebrate our students' hard work and growth. We are so grateful for your belief in our school community.","fullyFundedDate":1756827345305,"projectUrl":"project/fuel-flock/9625271/","projectTitle":"Fuel Flock","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kathryn Garcia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6095800_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1675527350518","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/garciakathryn"},{"teacherId":9913395,"projectId":9090959,"letterContent":"Thank you for you generosity it had a true impact on my upper grade music students this year. Over the years I have noticed and had feedback from students that as they move into Orchestra and Band along with General Music learning treble clef notation is not enough. It was wonderful to see my bass clef readers really shine and be able to help their friends with bass clef notation during our keyboard unit. And vice versa the treble clef students were able to reciprocate the help and advice they received from the bass clef with their knowledge of treble clef notation. \r\nWe began our unit with how to use our fingers on the keyboard. Just like any instrument they had played before, each finger has an assignment and location on the keys. We warmed up with 5 finger exercises each lesson, while reinforcing our solfege singing (do, re, mi...) Right hand, left hand, both hands. It was wonderful to see all students be able to access this at their own pace. Next we practiced simple 5 note songs, like Mary Had a Little Lamb and Twinkle, Twinkle. During the week of May 4th, in honor of Star Wars, I gave them the challenge of learning the Star Wars main melody on the keyboard. They took the challenge and love it! Finally on week 3 and 4 our 5th and 6th grade students took on a new role at the keyboards, composer! It was time for them to write a jingle melody to sell \"pizza.\" We used the 5 note warm up exercises and learned some famous jingles (McDonalds, State Farm, and Liberty) and then they created their own. \r\nWow, what a fun and engaging learning time we had. The students were so proud of their work. I was beaming with pride for them. We even had time to input their melodies into the computer where we could save them and they could add a beat and change the voicing like they did on the keyboard. It was so much fun! Making music and making memories with friends what a way to end the year. Thank you so much for helping us make this happen. We all look forward to working on the keyboards more next year.","fullyFundedDate":1739550732658,"projectUrl":"project/keyboards-to-success/9090959/","projectTitle":"Key(boards) to Success!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Hart","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9913395"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_33713","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":533,"numTeachers":35,"percentFrplEligible":38,"percentAsian":15,"percentBlack":26,"percentWhite":30,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":19,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"15.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":78.7,"schoolId":33713,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Gunston Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Gunston Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/virginia/fairfax-county-public-schools/gunston-elementary-school/33713"}