{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":45.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":3533555,"projectId":10657949,"letterContent":"When the Makey Makey kits arrived in our classroom, the excitement was immediate and contagious. Middle schoolers learn best when they can touch, play, and experiment, but technology often feels like a black box trapped behind a screen. Makey Makey completely shatters that wall. By allowing students to turn almost any physical object into a keyboard key, it instantly transformed our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from passive technology consumers into active hardware engineers.\r\n\r\nYour support has brought true physical computing to life in our STEM lessons. During a recent electricity and circuits unit, students plugged their Makey Makey boards directly into their computers and began testing the conductivity of everyday items around the room. The real magic happened when a group hooked alligator clips to graphite pencil drawings, copper tape, and cups of water to build fully functioning game controllers and musical touchpads. \r\n\r\nYou didn't just provide materials—you provided the exact tools our middle schoolers needed to touch, play, program, and discover the inventor inside themselves. Thank you for bringing Makey Makey into our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1789779392631,"projectUrl":"project/touch-play-learn-interactive-stem-exp/10657949/","projectTitle":"Touch, Play, Learn: Interactive STEM Explorations","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. H","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3533555_orig.jpg?crop=225,225,x73,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1741806957030","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/misterhscigui"},{"teacherId":9157413,"projectId":10657736,"letterContent":"On behalf of our entire student body, gaming club members, and school staff, I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your generous support of our DonorsChoose project, \"Growing Our School's Gaming Club.\" Thanks to your generosity, our club has expanded its capacity to welcome more students, foster new friendships, and provide a vibrant, structured environment for collaborative play.\r\nWhen we created this project, our primary goal was to ensure that every student who wanted to participate had the hardware and multiplayer games necessary to join in. Your support made that vision a reality.","fullyFundedDate":1789782420043,"projectUrl":"project/growing-our-schools-gaming-club/10657736/","projectTitle":"Growing Our School's Gaming Club!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Seefeldt","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9157413"},{"teacherId":9157413,"projectId":10425672,"letterContent":"On behalf of our entire esports team, student athletes, and school community, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your generous support of our DonorsChoose project, \"Preparing for the Esports Season.\" Because of your generosity, our practice and competition space has been transformed into a healthier, more ergonomic, and highly professional environment.\r\n\r\nWhen we launched this project, our goal was simple yet essential: to provide our students with the proper tools and environment to compete comfortably, maintain focus, and stay healthy throughout the high-intensity esports season. Thanks to you, that goal is now a reality.","fullyFundedDate":1789163706840,"projectUrl":"project/preparing-for-the-esports-season/10425672/","projectTitle":"Preparing for the Esports Season","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Seefeldt","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9157413"},{"teacherId":7495069,"projectId":10661791,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity. The 3D modeling technology you provided has completely transformed our classroom, turning abstract, complex lessons into hands-on, tangible experiences that our students can see and touch every single day.\r\nIn school, technology isn't just a digital substitution for paper; it is a tool for active problem-solving and creation. While many of us use devices at home for communication or entertainment, our students are using this new software and hardware to think like engineers. Instead of just memorizing diagrams from a textbook, they are actively designing 3D objects, testing how different shapes handle stress, and visualizing spatial concepts in real-time. This interactive process forces them to critical-think, troubleshoot design flaws, and immediately apply geometry and physics concepts to real-world challenges.\r\nThe most exciting part of this new technology for the students is seeing their digital designs instantly come to life right before their eyes. There is a palpable buzz in the room whenever we start a new modeling project, as they love the creative freedom of building something from scratch and watching it take physical shape. This technology has been a massive breakthrough for our spatial and visual learners, as well as students who typically struggle with traditional lecture-style lessons. For instance, a few students who used to stay quiet during theoretical discussions have completely found their voice through this project. They have naturally stepped up as classroom leaders, patiently guiding their peers through complex design steps and showing an immense boost in overall confidence.\r\nYour support has given these students a powerful new way to learn, discover, and excel. We are deeply grateful for your investment in their future.","fullyFundedDate":1789856011833,"projectUrl":"project/modeling-tools/10661791/","projectTitle":"Modeling Tools","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hreljac","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7495069_orig.jpg?crop=720,720,x294,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1627716326479","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7495069"},{"teacherId":8975086,"projectId":9165935,"letterContent":"When the box of Saddleback books, high-interest graphic novels, and Sports Illustrated sets arrived, my students were genuinely excited to unbox them. For middle school English Language Learners, thick chapter books can look intimidating, so seeing vibrant graphic novel covers and accessible, high-interest titles made them instantly want to dive in. One student who usually avoids independent reading picked up an I Survived graphic novel right away, flipped through the pages, and couldn't wait to check it out for the weekend.\r\n\r\nWe are currently using these books during our daily independent reading and small-group instruction. Having texts with low reading levels but mature, age-appropriate themes allows my students to focus on vocabulary and comprehension without feeling discouraged. They can read independently at their own pace, practice new English skills, and experience the simple joy of finishing a book cover-to-cover.\r\n\r\nOur next step is using these new books for student-led book talks. Each student will choose their favorite title from the new collection to present to a small peer group, practicing their spoken English and explaining key story elements. Thank you for giving my students a library they are actually excited to read from!","fullyFundedDate":1746786377202,"projectUrl":"project/building-literacy-confidence-with-engagi/9165935/","projectTitle":"Building Literacy Confidence With Engaging Books for Striving Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Perreira","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8975086_orig.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1677798332585","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8975086"},{"teacherId":8975086,"projectId":10103504,"letterContent":"Your generosity completely transformed how our classroom runs every day.\r\n\r\nThe spinning bookshelf is easily the most exciting addition for my middle schoolers. They are much more visual at this age, and being able to spin the tower and see book covers at eye level has made a huge difference. Students who used to drag their feet during independent reading are now eager to browse, pick out books on their own, and build their confidence in English.\r\n\r\nThe new tech tools—like the wireless mouse—let me step away from my desk entirely. Instead of being stuck at the front clicking through a lesson, I can walk around the room, stand next to students who need quick translations, and give immediate support right where they sit. This has been especially huge for my quieter English Language Learners, who get the discreet, one-on-one help they need without feeling called out in front of the whole class.\r\n\r\nThank you for giving my students a classroom environment where they feel supported, engaged, and excited to learn!","fullyFundedDate":1771608883521,"projectUrl":"project/moving-and-reading-supporting-esol-lear/10103504/","projectTitle":"Moving and Reading: Supporting ESOL Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Perreira","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8975086_orig.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1677798332585","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8975086"},{"teacherId":3533555,"projectId":10306653,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for bringing the \"Making Engineers With Makey Makey\" project to life in our middle school classroom! When the boxes arrived and my students caught their first glimpse of the circuit boards, alligator clips, and wiring, the excitement in the room was contagious. For many of our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, technology often feels like a black box—something they interact with daily on screens, but rarely get to build or understand from the inside out. Seeing these hands-on engineering kits sparked immediate curiosity and a flood of questions about what they could create.\r\n\r\nSince introducing the kits, our science and technology lessons have completely transformed. During a recent physics and circuit unit, students used the Makey Makey boards to explore conductivity by testing everyday objects around the room. One stand-out moment was watching a group of middle schoolers successfully turn graphite pencil drawings, copper tape, and water cups into fully functioning game controllers and musical touchpads. The immediate payoff of touching a hand-drawn maze on paper and seeing their computer character move across the screen bridged the gap between abstract STEM concepts and real-world engineering in a way a textbook never could.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, our students are taking these skills even further by designing interactive prototypes for our upcoming engineering showcase. They are currently working in teams to program simple assistive devices and educational games, combining block-based code with physical hardware. Your support didn't just supply our classroom with materials—it gave these young teens the creative confidence to see themselves as problem-solvers, inventors, and future engineers.","fullyFundedDate":1789163709985,"projectUrl":"project/making-engineers-with-makey-makey/10306653/","projectTitle":"Making Engineers With Makey Makey","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. H","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3533555_orig.jpg?crop=225,225,x73,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1741806957030","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/misterhscigui"},{"teacherId":8826146,"projectId":10017214,"letterContent":"Mahalo for all of your generous donations for our students here in my classroom. Giving students the ability to pick up supplies when they need them without having to be embarrassed or ask for basic things like pencils, gives them the confidence to know that they an set themselves up for success.\r\n\r\nWhen students come into 6th grade they are just learning to carry all their supplies with them, use lockers, and are asked to provide things like pencils and notebooks to certain classes that need them. Being able to have a bank of these things for students to pick up when necessary gives them the ability to be just like their friends, not feel shame, and learn that people believe in them past their financial status. \r\n\r\nThank you again for supporting our students. We know they are going to change the world someday, and my job here is to make sure they also know and believe that. You have given them the stepping stones to reach higher!","fullyFundedDate":1777829839895,"projectUrl":"project/help-me-give-my-students-basic-supplies/10017214/","projectTitle":"Help Me Give My Students Basic Supplies","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Abe","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8826146_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1738051421736","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8826146"},{"teacherId":3167239,"projectId":10104151,"letterContent":"My classroom space is beginning the year refreshed as a result of your generous donations. I was able to revamp the classroom library space with the neon sign spreading a positive message to my students of \"you are amazing.\" I have also hung fairy lights that have further enhanced the mood of the reading space. Everyone who has seen the new space speaks of the calming and welcoming environment that has been created.\r\n\r\nI also am eager to begin using the classroom art supplies to enhance the reading and writing assignments throughout the upcoming school year. On the first day, the new colorful pens and markers will be put to good use by parents and students to write letters of inspiration and construct a wall of encouraging words. This would not have been made possible without your kind assistance.","fullyFundedDate":1778296319756,"projectUrl":"project/art-literacy/10104151/","projectTitle":"Art & Literacy","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Motosue","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3167239_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y645&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1709064485208","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3167239"},{"teacherId":8826146,"projectId":10097974,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the resources you have provided for my students to help them feel safe in the classroom. \r\nMany of my students need not only academic support but emotional as well, and I have found that before they can open up, they have to learn to trust me, trust the space, and let themselves be vulnerable. The weighted blankets, beanbags, and lap pads give them an extra layer of comfort while embarking on their adventure with me. \r\nMy students have amazing futures. You have helped them see that we believe in them!","fullyFundedDate":1776971328605,"projectUrl":"project/help-my-sensory-students-feel-safe/10097974/","projectTitle":"Help My Sensory Students Feel Safe","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Abe","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8826146_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1738051421736","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8826146"},{"teacherId":7500797,"projectId":10116201,"letterContent":"I wish you could step into our classroom for just five minutes to see the incredible impact your generosity has provided. Thanks to your support, our room now has more options for our students to stay regulated, and help them have a better place for learning, focus, and growth. Also, we can now provide these options to more students:\r\n\r\nThe Noise-Canceling Headphones have become a vital \"quiet oasis.\" Students who used to experience anxiety or sensory overload from the standard classroom hum can now slip these on and instantly find their focus. It has given them a profound sense of control over their environment. They also like taking them with them to other classrooms or whole school activities where the intensity of the sensory impact is often greater. We have also had other teachers ask to borrow the headphones for their students. \r\n\r\nThe Wobbly Stools are an absolute game-changer for our students who need to move to think. They can now get the sensory input their bodies crave through \"active sitting,\" allowing them to stay engaged and safe at their desks during lessons. Our students enjoy these stools so much that sometimes there is a \"fight\" for who can sit on them. So these stools have also helped our students practice sharing and compromising. \r\n\r\nThe Ergonomic Chairs have provided the physical stability and comfort our students desperately needed. Physical discomfort is no longer a barrier, clearing the way for so many beautiful \"Aha!\" moments.\r\n\r\n\"When a student feels regulated and safe, they stop surviving the school day and start thriving.\"\r\n\r\nBy funding this project, you didn't just buy furniture and headphones—you gave these resilient middle schoolers agency. You sent a clear, powerful message to our students that their comfort matters, their unique needs are valid, and their community believes in them.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping us create a learning space that respects their neurological blueprints and feels like home. We are profoundly grateful for your kindness.\r\n\r\nMahalo Nui Loa (Thank you very much)!","fullyFundedDate":1773025099474,"projectUrl":"project/tools-for-sensory-needs/10116201/","projectTitle":"Tools for Sensory Needs","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fretto","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7500797"},{"teacherId":9696602,"projectId":10111316,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for bringing this awesome technology into our classroom! Your generous donation of a new 3D printer and all that colorful filament has created a fun and hands-on element to my computer science class on Kauai.. You should have seen the kids the day we unboxed it—the energy in our middle school computer science lab was just off the charts. Even my quietest students were crowding around the machine, totally mind-blown that the stuff they were designing on their screens could actually come to life right in front of them. You didn't just buy us a piece of equipment; you gave these kids a real, hands-on way to see what engineering is all about.\r\nThe difference this has made in my teaching is huge. Instead of just talking about abstract coding and 3D modeling, my students are actually making things—testing out their ideas, figuring out what went wrong, and getting to physically hold their hard work in their hands. Whether they're printing out custom game pieces, trying to build solutions for everyday problems, or just making something cool, they're learning that a messed-up design is just a chance to try again and make it better. Your amazing support turned our classroom from a place where we just talk about technology into a space where we actively create it. Thank you so much for believing in our keiki and giving them such a fun way to learn!","fullyFundedDate":1771780201823,"projectUrl":"project/3-d-for-computer-science/10111316/","projectTitle":"3-D for Computer Science","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Whetsell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9696602"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_69801","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":824,"numTeachers":62,"percentFrplEligible":51,"percentAsian":26,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":8,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":19,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":19,"percentMultiracialImputed":26,"gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"13.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"TOWN","ncesMetroType":"TOWN_REMOTE"},"inStateSupporters":54.4,"schoolId":69801,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/hawaii/kapaa-kauai-waimea-school-district/chiefess-kamakahelei-mid-school/69801"}