{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Flat Rock Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":36.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":318972,"projectId":10011810,"letterContent":"Wow! 3D printers have changed a lot since my classroom got its first one. It was a micro 3d printer that printed up to 4 inches. You fully funded our new 3D printer and it is a full-sized one that cost the same as the micro one did 15 years ago!\r\n\r\nThe students that visit the makerspace are some of the most inventive thinkers! In the past, they used to want to print designs that somebody else had already created. Now, they are designing their own characters and solutions to problems. One of my favorite designs they have developed is a clamp for their desk that holds their water bottle and keeps it from falling over and making a huge racket in class. \r\n\r\nExperiencing and using this technology at this age really sets them up for success as adults. I can't even begin to imagine where technology will be in 4-7 years when they graduate high school! Think about how quickly cell phones went from bag phones, to flip phones, to the megacomputers we carry in our pockets now. These students will be better prepared and familiar with coding and STEM and able to move into jobs using CNCs or manufacturing easily. Or take their big ideas to college and beyond into inventing and discovering for the future. All because of a 3D printer that you. made possible.","fullyFundedDate":1771859561308,"projectUrl":"project/3d-printer-possibilities/10011810/","projectTitle":"3D Printer Possibilities!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ballard","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp318972_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1510058961733","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/elizabeth-ballard"},{"teacherId":8949495,"projectId":9269462,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting Igniting Literacy: Books to Spark Curiosity and Connection! Your generosity has helped us build a classroom library where my eighth graders have more books to explore and more chances to find one that speaks to them.\r\n\r\nMy students read every day. They choose a book, spend time reading independently, and then write or talk about what they've noticed. We're practicing skills such as making inferences, analyzing characters' choices, and supporting our ideas with evidence from the text. I'm also teaching strategies they can use when they encounter an unfamiliar passage. It has been exciting to see students begin using those strategies on their own.\r\n\r\nThe changes are showing up in small, meaningful ways. Some students have written in their reflections that they think they may finish a book for the first time ever. I've also watched students who usually choose nonfiction sports books reach for fiction as our library has grown. They're becoming more willing to try a story, talk about it, and look closely at what it means.\r\n\r\nAs a science teacher who moved into ELA, I'm learning alongside my students, and their progress has meant so much to me. Thank you for helping make these moments possible and for believing in my readers.\r\n\r\nWith gratitude,\r\nMrs. Knapp","fullyFundedDate":1755734965887,"projectUrl":"project/ignighting-literacy-igniting-li/9269462/","projectTitle":"Ignighting Literacy \"Igniting Literacy: Books to Spark Curiosity and Connection!\"","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Knapp","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8949495_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y386&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1675367757946","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/heather-knapp"},{"teacherId":318972,"projectId":10125533,"letterContent":"Community and Legacy are key parts of the mission of our school. Building a community of proud eagles, we asked for tools to help us turn the circulation desk in the library into an eagles' nest. We applied plywood to the desk so any changes we make to the desk are removable later and it was painted a brownish color to fade into the background. Students cut and collected a bunch of sticks and are about to begin screwing and stapling them to the plywood! \r\n\r\nGetting this community project going has not been slowed by either the students' interest or mine! We are all excitied to try using the drill and screws to attach some branches and build a nest. It has been stiffled by just the craziness of starting the school year off. There is so much that happens at the beginning of the school year! As we settle into our routines, more time is cropping up to get this project completed. Routines are just as important for building a strong, functioning community as is big community projects. We want our students to be proud of where they learn and by asking them to help change it, they are even more invested!","fullyFundedDate":1776456526881,"projectUrl":"project/tools-for-creation/10125533/","projectTitle":"Tools for Creation!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ballard","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp318972_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1510058961733","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/elizabeth-ballard"},{"teacherId":318972,"projectId":10140814,"letterContent":"The day we put the checkered tablecloths out for the next day's book tasting, student excitement rocketed! Everyone that walked into the library wanted to know what was happening. I let them know that it was for a 6th grade event this time, but we would try and arrange one for their grade level soon.\r\n\r\nWhat is a book tasting? They all wanted to know. I said it is much like browsing the shelves, you pick up a book that looks interesting, read the cover, inside cover, and the back. If you still like it, you might read the first few pages to see if you want to borrow it. With the book tasting, each student answers some questions about the book they are \"tasting\" to determine if they want to borrow it now, or maybe add it to a list for later. Thank you for giviing a better reading experience to my students!","fullyFundedDate":1778009725011,"projectUrl":"project/book-tasting-supplies/10140814/","projectTitle":"Book Tasting Supplies!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ballard","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp318972_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1510058961733","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/elizabeth-ballard"},{"teacherId":318972,"projectId":10140818,"letterContent":"I can't thank you enough for giving us The Giver! This class set is housed in the library and checked out by English Language Arts (ELA) teachers to do novel studies in their classrooms. Our last set was beaking down so quickly I couldn't keep up with the repairs.\r\n\r\nThis dystopian novel is one the students enjoy very much. A boy named Jonas is made aware of dark secrets of his society and must struggle with carrying or revealing that knowledge. This society has removed all painful memories and therefore created \"the sameness,\" where everyone feels the same all the time, no sadness and also no joy.\r\n\r\nThe book ends on a cliffhanger and there are 3 more books in the series. Many students come and check out the rest of the series, meaning we have hooked them and they are becoming better readers! Thank you for your part in that!","fullyFundedDate":1773846923052,"projectUrl":"project/give-us-the-giver/10140818/","projectTitle":"Give Us the Giver!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ballard","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp318972_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1510058961733","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/elizabeth-ballard"},{"teacherId":10568114,"projectId":10424935,"letterContent":"Thank you for these materials. Students are excited when they step into my office and see the basketball hoop, jenga box, and other activities you have provided! The storage bins have helped me get organized and keep all the supplies I need where I can find them. The magnets have allowed me to post important resources up on my board where they are accessible. And of course, UNO is always popular with this age group! You have helped to make this year a good one, by providing the materials I needed to get my office up and running!","fullyFundedDate":1785691871321,"projectUrl":"project/new-counseling-space/10424935/","projectTitle":"New Counseling Space","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fredrickson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10568114"},{"teacherId":318972,"projectId":9841810,"letterContent":"Joy! That is what my students were experiencing in the makerspace this week! The cardboard cutters were a huge hit! And a huge, delighful mess! I had more visitors to the makerspace than ever becasue the students that came told their friends to come, too! Students made wonderful creatures! I had a duck, a pig, and a robot-y thing. Some students didn't want to make creatures, so they built whatever they wanted. Quite a few boats and cars were made.\r\n\r\nI provided the students with some simple techniques to join cardboard and let them loose. Exploring and experimenting yeilded fantastic results! And I got as excited as they did with their work and forgot to get photos of all the awesome things they created.\r\n\r\nI am looking forward to some structural projects next year using these same materials; like bridge building and marble movers. Thank you for making such a wonderful impact in my library!","fullyFundedDate":1764790143075,"projectUrl":"project/cardboard-cutters-for-engineering/9841810/","projectTitle":"Cardboard Cutters for Engineering","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ballard","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp318972_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1510058961733","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/elizabeth-ballard"},{"teacherId":318972,"projectId":9747695,"letterContent":"Thank you for providing these wonderful books to my students! I put these on a featured rack and they were immediately scooped up. The first book checked out was American Born Chinese. We had had a copy of this before and it was unfortunately lost, so my students were excited to see this popular graphic novel back again.\r\n\r\nSoon after that Stamped, the YA adaptation, was checked out. It had been on the student request list for awhile and I was happy to be able to order this for them. I read the Adult version and was powerfully affected. I hope the student that picked it up will feel and embrace its message.\r\n\r\nAll of these books, including the fairy tales for different cultures, are sparking interest and conversations. I am truly grateful for your support of my students and widening their view of the world.","fullyFundedDate":1760643216223,"projectUrl":"project/books-that-are-windows-and-doors/9747695/","projectTitle":"Books That Are Windows and Doors!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ballard","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp318972_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1510058961733","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/elizabeth-ballard"},{"teacherId":318972,"projectId":9747067,"letterContent":"Wow! Once these books were cataloged and ready to be checked out, they were checked out! The biography of Messi was the first book checked out and several other students have put it on hold for when the first is finished with it. And, with Wicked 2 being released recently, the Arianna Grande book is a hot ticket, too. \r\n\r\nMy students want to read more in depth information about the famous people they like than what they can glean from an Instagram post or TikTok, which is great! And by grabbing them with these celebrities, we can encourage them to read more and more. Anything we can do to get them to read now benefits them in life. Better vocabulary, more stamina, better opportunities later. \r\n\r\nThank you for choosing my students to support and show that they matter!","fullyFundedDate":1758845921475,"projectUrl":"project/current-biographies/9747067/","projectTitle":"Current Biographies!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ballard","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp318972_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1510058961733","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/elizabeth-ballard"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_2911","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":746,"numTeachers":52,"percentFrplEligible":71,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":1,"percentWhite":55,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":37,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":1,"percentMultiracialImputed":2,"gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"14.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":63.6,"schoolId":2911,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Flat Rock Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Flat Rock Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/north-carolina/henderson-county-public-schools/flat-rock-middle-school/2911"}