Dollars4Schools

Mandela International Magnet School is a 7-12 IB magnet school in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We were recently ranked the second strongest public high school in the entire state! While we have no shortage of committed, competent educators and curious, respectful students, unfortunately we lack copies of certain titles in our Language and Literature catalog. Some of the books we teach include S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders (8th), Art Spiegelman's Maus (9th), Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun (10th), and Yoko Ogawa's The Memory Police (11th), a mixture of classic and contemporary works, American and world literature. We seek $500 to ensure there are enough copies of each title for all students.

Jackson Buckley
ELA teacher at Mandela International Magnet School (MIMS)

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Hello, I am the new librarian at Ramirez Thomas Elementary School. I am seeking to make our library a relaxing calming space where students can come in and unwind in a book. However, our Library was not used for roughly five or more years. As you can imagine, five years is a very long time for our books to be sitting on the shelfs. I want the students' Library class to feel welcoming and inviting as the circulation of books will help tremendously with their Literacy academics. I am hoping to get bean bags, book dividers, lamps, throw pillows, and a class rug so students can navigate the Library in a more friendly manner. All of this will sum up roughly to $550. Thank you for your help.

Kind Regards,

Mayela Aranda
Librarian, Ramirez Thomas Elementary School

My name is Erika Gallegos and I work at THRIVE Community School in Santa Fe. We are a public charter school and this will be our 4th year open. I have taught at THRIVE for the past three years and this year I will be both a teacher and a community schools coordinator. We are a very diverse population with many students with special needs and also have many families who need food/basic needs assistance. Part of my role this year as a community schools coordinator is to have a space set up in my office for students to be free to come and go when they need something, whether it is a healthy snack to help get through the day or a quiet break where they feel comfortable.  In order to help our students I will need some monetary support from the community. I would like to ask for around $1000 to help me set up my space for students. This money would help purchase snacks for students as well as some sensory activities and a comfortable seating option for them.  

This year I will also be teaching fifth grade science. THRIVE has started a partnership with Reunity Resources who has agreed to help us start a vegetable garden paired with lessons for students. Students will be able to take ownership of the garden and help grow vegetables and fruits to share with our school community. In order to make this happen we need some start up funds to create the raised garden beds. It will cost about a minimum of $300 dollars per garden bed. We would like to build two raised beds which would mean we need about $600. We would greatly appreciate any support!

Thank you,

Erika Gallegos
THRIVE Community School
Santa Fe NM

My name is Jackson Buckley and I teach 8th, 9th, and 11th grade English Language and Literature at Mandela International Magnet School. Many of our library books are old, damaged, or we are lacking the necessary copies to meet our students' needs. For example, we have only 8 copies of the second volume of Art Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus for 47 9th graders and 13 copies of Romeo and Juliet for the same cohort. We are hoping to replenish our library with new books so that incoming cohorts can each have a book to take home with them and read. For these reasons, we are requesting $500.

A group of Mandela International Magnet School’s 7th grade students took first in the region for a STEM competition called Future City.

The theme the students had was to "design a floating city and provide two innovative examples of how your floating city works and keeps its citizens healthy and safe." They will be traveling to Washington, DC, to represent New Mexico in the National Competition from February 15^th -18^th.  

Shipping of the prototype is nearly $1,000, and we would appreciate Dollars4Schools’ support in helping cover the expense.

Thank you!

Submitted by Randy Grillo, Ed.S., NBCT, Mandela International Magnet School's Principal

I am reaching out to kindly request $499 to purchase a comprehensive math and language arts program to support and enhance my students’ learning. This program is designed to provide engaging, differentiated instruction tailored to meet the diverse needs of my classroom.

The program includes interactive activities, digital resources, and targeted practice that will strengthen foundational skills in both subjects. It is particularly effective for students who need additional support to close learning gaps while also providing opportunities for advanced learners to challenge themselves. Furthermore, its alignment with state standards ensures that it complements our existing curriculum seamlessly.

This resource will directly benefit all 25 students in my class by offering:

• Personalized Learning Paths: Students can work at their own pace, allowing them to master concepts before moving on to new material.
• Skill Reinforcement: Engaging practice activities help solidify essential skills in a fun, interactive way.
• Teacher Support Tools: The program provides detailed progress tracking and assessment data, enabling me to tailor instruction to individual needs.

With this funding, I aim to create a more dynamic and inclusive learning environment that fosters both academic growth and a love for learning. Thank you for considering my request and for your continued support in helping our students succeed.

Submitted by Ms. Alaysia Boylan, 4th Grade Teacher