{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Ewa Makai Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":36.2,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":7751383,"projectId":10113964,"letterContent":"Dear DonorsChoose Donors,\r\n\r\nThank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous support of our special education classroom at Ewa Makai Middle School. Your donations have provided our students in grades 6–8 with gardening tools, games, and sensory materials that will make a meaningful difference in their daily learning experiences. Because of your kindness, our students will have more opportunities to learn through movement, hands-on exploration, creativity, play, and sensory experiences.\r\n\r\nThe gardening tools will help us create engaging lessons that connect classroom learning to the world around us. Students will be able to use tools such as hand trowels, small shovels, watering cans, gloves, and planters as they plant seeds, care for growing plants, and observe changes over time. These activities will support fine motor development, hand strength, coordination, sequencing, and responsibility. A student may practice scooping soil into a container, carefully placing a seed, and watering the plant without adding too much water. Another student may use a visual schedule to follow the steps for planting and then check on the plant each day. These simple routines will provide meaningful practice with communication, decision-making, patience, and independence.\r\n\r\nGardening will also give students opportunities to connect academic skills to real-life experiences. They can count seeds, compare plant growth, identify colors and textures, read simple directions, and record observations. Students who sometimes struggle to remain engaged during traditional lessons may become focused and motivated when they are given a real task with a visible purpose. Watching a seed grow into a plant can help students understand that learning and progress also happen one step at a time.\r\n\r\nThe games will support social-emotional learning and classroom community. Through structured games, students will practice taking turns, following directions, waiting patiently, communicating with peers, and handling both success and disappointment. Games can also reinforce academic skills such as matching, counting, identifying patterns, problem-solving, and recognizing words or pictures. For some students, a game provides a comfortable way to practice social interaction without the pressure of a large-group conversation. A student who is learning to request a turn can use a visual cue or verbal phrase during a game. Another student may practice encouraging a peer or asking for help. These moments build confidence and strengthen relationships.\r\n\r\nThe sensory materials will provide students with tools to support self-regulation, attention, and well-being. Many of our students benefit from access to calming and hands-on materials when they feel overwhelmed, anxious, restless, or distracted. Sensory items can help students meet their individual needs while remaining connected to learning. A student may use a fidget during independent work, explore a tactile material during a scheduled sensory break, or choose a calming item before returning to a challenging task. These resources will help students learn to identify what their bodies need and make appropriate choices to become ready to learn.","fullyFundedDate":1774448881267,"projectUrl":"project/gardening-and-sensory-time/10113964/","projectTitle":"Gardening and Sensory Time","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ezaki","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7751383"},{"teacherId":8542032,"projectId":10112099,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity and support of our classroom! Because of your kindness, our room has been transformed into a vibrant, engaging, and supportive space where students feel excited to learn, collaborate, and grow every single day.\r\n\r\nWhen the delivery boxes arrived, the energy in the room was pure magic. The students gasped as we unpacked everything—wide-eyed as they pulled out the disco ball diffuser, colorful fidget toys, giant boxes of snacks, new chess sets, and fresh art supplies. They couldn't believe that people who had never even met them cared enough to send so many wonderful items. One student cheered and said it felt like the ultimate classroom holiday!\r\n\r\nThese resources have immediately elevated our daily learning environment. We've used the items to build a supportive, focused, and fun classroom community:\r\n\r\n* **Sensory & Focus Tools:** The disco ball diffuser, spiky sensory rings, marble mesh fidgets, pop tubes, and pea pod squeeze toys have created a calming environment. Students use these quiet tools during independent reading and focused work time to manage anxiety and stay centered.\r\n\r\n* **Classroom Essentials & Art Supplies:** The dry erase markers, microfiber cleaning cloths, mechanical pencil lead, Model Magic clay, disappearing purple glue sticks, and star stickers are used daily for interactive lessons, group brainstorming on whiteboards, and hands-on creative projects.\r\n\r\n* **Snacks & Rewards:** The Ring Pops, Starbursts, Life Savers, cereal bars, and Frito-Lay variety packs provide essential fuel and positive reinforcement, ensuring no student struggles to focus on an empty stomach.\r\n\r\n* **Games & Logic:** Classic games like Guess Who?, Trouble, Sorry!, Connect 4, and the wooden magnetic chess and checkers set give students a fun, constructive way to build problem-solving skills and positive social connections during indoor recess and team-building time.\r\n\r\n* **Classroom Management:** Items like the self-inking rubber stamp and large-button calculator keep our daily routines organized and running smoothly.\r\n\r\n Thank you for giving my students the gifts of joy, comfort, and confidence!","fullyFundedDate":1772499335048,"projectUrl":"project/class-incentives/10112099/","projectTitle":"Class Incentives","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Smith","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8542032_orig.png?crop=1249,1249,x12,y97&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1659651270575","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8542032"},{"teacherId":10297907,"projectId":10072448,"letterContent":"Aloha!\r\n\r\nSometimes \"thank you\" just doesn't feel big enough.\r\n\r\nWhen you chose to support my classroom, you did more than purchase supplies for an 7th-grade math class. You invested in my students and our little corner of ʻEwa Beach—a community that has become incredibly special to me.\r\n\r\nI moved to ʻEwa Beach a little over a year ago, and in that short time, this community has given me a place to call home, a school that I love, and students who challenge me to become a better teacher and person every day. I do not take the privilege of teaching the keiki of this community lightly.\r\n\r\nThis is my second year at ʻEwa Makai Middle School and my first teaching 7th grade mathematics. While I started this year rebuilding my classroom from the ground up, what I am really trying to build cannot be purchased. I want my students to walk through my door knowing they belong, they are seen, and someone is always in their corner.\r\n\r\nI often say that I want to be the teacher I needed when I was their age. Yes, I want my students to leave knowing more mathematics and experience that incredible moment when something finally clicks. But I also want them to know that mistakes are part of learning, their circumstances do not determine their future, and they are capable of far more than they sometimes believe.\r\n\r\nʻEwa is a community filled with heart, resilience, pride, and aloha, and I see those same qualities in my students. They are funny, stubborn, curious, compassionate, wonderfully complicated middle schoolers, and I genuinely love getting to be their teacher.\r\n\r\nAs someone who was not born and raised here, I understand that being welcomed into this community also comes with kuleana. ʻEwa and my students continue to teach me what it means to listen, learn, care for a place, and give back to the community that has welcomed me.\r\n\r\nThe resources you provided will become part of the everyday moments in our classroom—the lightbulb moments, the second attempts, the laughter, the celebrations, and even the days when math feels impossible.\r\n\r\nMahalo nui loa for being part of our classroom and for helping me pour back into a community that has already given me so much.\r\n\r\nWith my whole heart,\r\n\r\nMs. Scott\r\n8th Grade Mathematics\r\nʻEwa Makai Middle School\r\nʻEwa Beach, Hawaiʻi","fullyFundedDate":1774015105909,"projectUrl":"project/hands-on-mathematics-building-confidenc/10072448/","projectTitle":"Hands-On Mathematics: Building Confidence- One Tiger, One Roar","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Scott","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10297907"},{"teacherId":5998711,"projectId":10105552,"letterContent":"Students absolutely loved the choices of yarn they had to choose from after our delivery of new supplies. They were able to relax in our after school enrichment class and create items like small amigurumi animals, little bags, kitchen gadgets like coasters and hot pads and beanies.\r\nBeing in a room with their friends and just chatting and creating, helped students relieve stress and build relationships with new people. Yarn is very expensive so having many different types and colors of yard, without having to purchase it, really is wonderful.\r\nThank you so much for supplying this for us.","fullyFundedDate":1771605784631,"projectUrl":"project/students-love-to-create-with-crocheting/10105552/","projectTitle":"Students Love to Create With Crocheting!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Pauly","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5998711_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1549954143702","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5998711"},{"teacherId":8363356,"projectId":10103196,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom! We truly appreciate your generosity in providing supplies like paper towels, cardstock, tape, snacks, and various prizes. These materials have helped bring more hands-on learning into our classroom and make it easier for students to engage in their learning.\r\n\r\nWe use these resources in our everyday lessons, whether it's building models, cleaning up after labs, or using materials to support group activities. Having these supplies available allows lessons to go smoothly and gives students more opportunities to show their creativity. We're also excited to continue using them in our lessons next school year as well!\r\n\r\nWhile snacks are always a great motivator, students were especially excited about the keychain plushies and immediately started asking how they could earn them. Their enthusiasm and excitement helped bring fresh energy to the classroom and made the 3rd and 4th quarter \"slump\" much easier to overcome.\r\n\r\nWe look forward to continuing to use these materials for labs and projects in the next school year. Thank you again for making this possible, we truly appreciate your support!","fullyFundedDate":1771640769390,"projectUrl":"project/fueling-learning-with-supplies-and-smile/10103196/","projectTitle":"Fueling Learning With Supplies and Smiles","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Masunaga","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8363356"},{"teacherId":8376262,"projectId":10104172,"letterContent":"Educating students who are non-speaking and confined to hospital beds or wheelchairs requires specialized, resilient, and highly engaging tools. Finding literature that captures their interest while enduring heavy wear and tear is an ongoing challenge—but this donation has made an impact.\r\n\r\nThese new books offer our homebound students a critical connection to tactile learning. The physical act of grasping and turning the pages serves as vital dexterity maintenance. Combined with the big-button assistive technology, these books have unlocked a new level of autonomy. Our students are no longer just being read to; they are part of the narrative. They use the big buttons to \"shout out\" their favorite parts, chime in on story refrains, and answer comprehension questions. Thank you for providing the durable resources and adaptive tools our students need to communicate, learn, and thrive.","fullyFundedDate":1771526643683,"projectUrl":"project/help-my-non-speaking-kids-read/10104172/","projectTitle":"Help My Non-Speaking Kids Read","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Routon","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8376262"},{"teacherId":7941232,"projectId":10103157,"letterContent":"Since receiving the romance books and STEM kits, our library has transformed into a space where students are genuinely excited about learning—both through literature and hands-on exploration. The romance books have become a gateway to reading for students who previously felt disconnected from school texts. Just last week, I watched a student who typically avoids reading dive into one of the books during recess, completely absorbed. She finished it in three days and immediately asked another book. Meanwhile, the STEM kits have sparked incredible curiosity and collaboration. In our most recent project, students worked in small groups to build and program robots using the kits. What started as a structured lesson turned into students staying after class, troubleshooting problems together, and redesigning their robots to make them faster and more efficient.","fullyFundedDate":1771470927249,"projectUrl":"project/you-belong-in-the-library/10103157/","projectTitle":"You Belong in the Library","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Langlais","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7941232_orig.png?crop=398,398,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1628033991680","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7941232"},{"teacherId":6592932,"projectId":10104864,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the wonderful donations of art supplies, including canvas boards, paint, paint brushes, pallets, and other craft supplies. \r\n\r\nHow are you and your students using the new resources? Share a specific classroom project or moment. \r\nWe had a big unit on how to handle stress and mental health. My final project was a painting to promote that art is a great way to relive stress and be creative.\r\n\r\nWe researched ways on how to best approach the painting on canvas boards as everyone is on different art level abilities. I made a choice board on which painting to follow based on differentiation of easy, medium, hard, and advanced. It took many class periods to help all the students but at the end, it was all worth it, as the students took them home to also give the paintings to their mom for Mother's Day!\r\n\r\nHow did your students react when they first saw the materials?\r\nThe students were so shocked to see that size of the huge canvas boards, fresh paint, and craft supplies. They said that they are used to getting papers to paint and draw on, not actual fabric boards. I hope I can do this project every year!","fullyFundedDate":1771526394523,"projectUrl":"project/social-and-emotional-health-using-art/10104864/","projectTitle":"Social and Emotional Health using Art","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Matsuura","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6592932_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1564879252003","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6592932"},{"teacherId":6602654,"projectId":10103798,"letterContent":"The project has made an immediate impact on my classroom. The new math manipulatives, snacks, and classroom supplies are now apart of our daily routines and lessons. Having snacks available for students have been helpful when students are hungry. Students who have not eaten in the morning will request a food item when they are hungry. The snack were also a valuable items for students during State Testing. Student were provided a snack during their break. This ensure everyone had fuel during testing. Providing supplies has also helped create a welcoming, supportive environment where students can stay focused and feel prepared to learn each day. \r\n\r\nWhen students first saw the materials, they were so excited. The math manipulatives have helped students visually understand concepts that we learn in class. These materials have not only enhanced learning, but also have promoted students working together to solve problems.\r\n\r\nWith gratitude,\r\nMs. Mac","fullyFundedDate":1771734681146,"projectUrl":"project/engaging-math-class/10103798/","projectTitle":"Engaging Math Class","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mac","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6602654_orig.jpg?crop=426,426,x121,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1596748892991","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-macadangdang"},{"teacherId":7939873,"projectId":10103475,"letterContent":"My students have been enjoying the board games and learning to get along with each other better. They have also been learning how to follow rules and instructions when they do not know how to play the games. \r\n\r\nThese games provide them with other opportunities to interact with each other and give them a variety of situations to figure out how to get along together. They are not only learning about socializing but the games teach them strategy, math, english and many other positive attributes they need to learn for daily living. \r\n\r\nThank you again for supporting my classroom and providing these great opportunities for my students to grow and learn in a fun way.","fullyFundedDate":1771625094582,"projectUrl":"project/games-and-more-lets-challenge-each-othe/10103475/","projectTitle":"Games and More! Lets Challenge Each Other! Good Game!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Reyes Oda","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7939873"},{"teacherId":2953169,"projectId":10103995,"letterContent":"I would like to thank you so much for you generous contributions to my culinary program. All the students are so grateful. They could have many more opportunities to cook with all the food and resources I was able to buy with all of your help.\r\n\r\nThe students were so excited when I told them we got a donor to help us get some food for them to cook. They got to make many different dishes that they loved. I know the students feel more confident in the kitchen after taking this culinary course. My hope for all of them would be that they will remember certain dishes and how to cook it for their families one day.\r\n\r\nThank you once again for your kindness and generosity! It is greatly appreciated!","fullyFundedDate":1771526045373,"projectUrl":"project/cooking-fun/10103995/","projectTitle":"Cooking fun","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. G.","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2953169_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1450284176696","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2953169"},{"teacherId":8822412,"projectId":9745944,"letterContent":"The materials purchased for our East Coast trip had a meaningful impact on student engagement, creativity, and the overall travel experience. Students designed their own tote bags by creating original artwork, printing it on sublimation paper, and transferring the designs onto the bags. This hands-on process fostered creativity, self-expression, and a strong sense of ownership, while also helping students easily identify their belongings. In addition, the use of permanent markers, stickers, laminating pouches, and a laminator allowed students to create personalized luggage tags, encouraging both artistic expression and organization throughout the trip.\r\n\r\nStudents also designed custom logo stickers for our club, strengthening group identity and pride. Access to creative tools, including a color pencil sharpener, supported continued participation in these activities. The inclusion of a Fujifilm instant camera allowed students to capture moments as they happened and share them with one another, sparking laughter, reflection, and genuine connection throughout the trip. \r\n\r\nOverall, these materials contributed to a successful and enriching educational travel experience by promoting creativity, collaboration, and responsibility. The hands-on opportunities provided through these resources helped create a more engaging, organized, and memorable experience for all students, leaving them with both practical skills and lasting memories.","fullyFundedDate":1759455953832,"projectUrl":"project/snapshots-of-learning-a-journey-beyond/9745944/","projectTitle":"Snapshots of Learning: A Journey Beyond the Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Madela","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8822412_orig.jpg?crop=839,839,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1668673950712","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8822412"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_99518","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1190,"numTeachers":50,"percentFrplEligible":30,"percentAsian":32,"percentBlack":2,"percentWhite":8,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":20,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":11,"percentMultiracialImputed":24,"gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"23.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":63.8,"schoolId":99518,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Ewa Makai Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Ewa Makai Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/hawaii/leeward-oahu-school-district/ewa-makai-middle-school/99518"}