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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Jones from Williamsburg, VA is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Jones is requesting

What A Happy Sound: Steel Drums!

My students need 2 Jumbie Jam steel drums for a study of Caribbean music.

FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Jones's classroom raised $513

This project is fully funded

My Students

Nothing evokes the sounds of the Caribbean like steel drums. For children, their first exposure to this magical sound most likely came when they saw The Little Mermaid movie and heard "Under the Sea." It is a sound specific to these islands and the music created there.

I am the music teacher for 525 children in grades k-5.

We are a Title 1 school. This year, approximately 42% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch. We have an increasing population of homeless children as well as an increasing number of students for whom English is not their first language. We are very fortunate in our school division that every child has one 45 minute music class every week, but for many of these children, that music class is their only exposure to "real" musical instruments. I don't have a budget to purchase classroom instruments, but thanks to DonorsChoose and other grants I have written, I am able to make wonderful instruments available for my students to use when they come to their weekly music class. I do already have some Jumbie Jams in the music room from previous DonorsChoose projects, but the number of students in my fifth grade general music classes continues to grow. It would be wonderful if we had enough so everyone could play together.

My Project

In my fifth grade music classes I teach world music. Three years ago I took a poll of my students. I asked them to tell me if either they or one of their parents had been born in another country. Out of about 75 fifth grade students that year, I had 22 foreign countries represented! I was amazed, because we are in a small town, so I was not expecting this much diversity. Some of our students come from islands in the Caribbean, so when I started researching music to teach from this region, I was enchanted with the sound of the steel drums, their history in that culture, and knew that my students would be excited to actually have an opportunity to learn how to play this unique instrument. The Jumbie Jam is a kid-friendly version of the original steel drums. It would bring a whole new dimension to our study of this music if instead of just singing the Banana Boat song or doing The Limbo, if my students could actually play these traditional Caribbean tunes on a steel drum.

At the end of the school year, my fifth grade students will perform a world music program for their families and the student body.

I would love to be able to include a piece that used steel drums in this performance. I think that my fifth grade boys would be especially thrilled to learn how to play this wonderful instrument. Once again, the kindness of Donors Choose donors can make this dream possible by giving my students this one-of-a-kind instrument.

Mrs. Jones Matthew Whaley Elementary School Grades 3-5

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Williamsburg, VA View local requests

More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

42 students impacted 6donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Jumbie Jam Deluxe Steel Drum Kit • Woodwind and Brasswind $199.95 2 $399.90

Materials cost

$399.90

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$6.00

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$435.90

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$76.92

Total project goal

$512.82

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $512.82

5 Donors

-$511.71

Donations toward project cost

-$435.90

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$75.81

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$1.11

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Jones and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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