{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Gaspar de Portola Charter Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":7.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8100548,"projectId":9564232,"letterContent":"This project has transformed how we experience learning in our classroom. Instead of using technology just for entertainment, we are using it as a tool to think deeply, ask questions, and create. The Nintendo Switch allows us to study video games like real case studies. We analyze how games are designed, how stories and visuals affect players, and why certain games keep people engaged. The Chromebooks help us research ideas, collaborate with classmates, and design our own original game concepts, turning our interests into real academic work.\r\n\r\nWhat excites us most is that we get to learn through something we already love. Many of us feel more focused and motivated when we are able to connect learning to video games, art, and storytelling. Students who sometimes struggle to participate in traditional lessons are eager to share ideas during discussions and group work. The hands-on experience helps us understand complex ideas like design choices, psychology, and problem-solving in a way that feels natural and engaging.\r\n\r\nSome students who are usually quiet in class have become leaders during this project. They help explain game mechanics, suggest creative ideas, and support classmates during discussions and design time. Having access to this technology makes everyone feel included and capable. Because of your support, we don't just feel like students completing assignments, we feel like creators, thinkers, and innovators. Thank you for helping make this learning experience possible.","fullyFundedDate":1758570189853,"projectUrl":"project/level-up-learning/9564232/","projectTitle":"Level Up Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sasaki","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8100548"},{"teacherId":10247217,"projectId":9704125,"letterContent":"I want to thank you all for your generosity towards my students and for my classroom. Your donation of an iPad and iPad pen has motivated my more academically challenged students towards success. Academics are a big challenge for my middle school special education students, but through vocabulary, math and science apps on the iPad, I have witnessed improved social and public speaking skills as well, and overall increased motivation and cooperation. \r\n As one semester closes, and a new one begins in January, my students will begin to make oral presentations on their iPads, and present and their projects to their peers, and the iPad will serve as their visual support. Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1757818901022,"projectUrl":"project/leadership-and-technology-with-students/9704125/","projectTitle":"Leadership and Technology with Students Leading Small Groups!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Katurich","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10247217_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757291579429","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10247217"},{"teacherId":1139255,"projectId":9650899,"letterContent":"By funding our project, you have helped my students complete homework and project study at home, and share their ideas, talents, and hard work with pride. Thanks to you my history students are reaping the rewards of having full access to educational materials. Your generosity is helping to close the technology gap. Now every child—regardless of their family's resources—has access to the tools they need to succeed. Students are researching, collaborating, and creating ambitious projects that bring the ancient world to life. Whether designing digital maps, building interactive timelines, or producing multimedia presentations, students are now exploring their ideas without limitations. \r\n\r\nI like to have the students participate in both analog and digital contests and games to reinforce their learning about history. They love it and they want to show off their mastery. The prizes that you have allowed me to purchase have been an awesome way to celebrate student successes and keep them motivated.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, our classroom has becoming not only a place of learning but a hub of innovation and fun. You have given my students the opportunity to showcase their talents, develop confidence, and take pride in work that truly represents who they are as learners. Thank you for believing in them and for helping ensure that every student has the chance to shine. Your kindness is making a lasting difference in their academic journey and beyond. They are excited to show the world how much they've learned about history! \r\n\r\nI'd like to give Google.org a special shout-out for their times 5 donation. They are really paying forward their commitment to helping communities impacted by the California wildfires get back on their feet. Your community outreach and involvement makes a world of difference. Thank you, thank you, and thank you...","fullyFundedDate":1757387468248,"projectUrl":"project/technology-celebration-caring-for-stude/9650899/","projectTitle":"Technology Celebration: Caring for Students with Laptops and Prizes","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Marjani-Ptah","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1139255_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755232506192","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/marjani-ptah"},{"teacherId":1139255,"projectId":9685065,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my 6th-grade ancient world history students. Every day, my classroom is filled with curious, creative, and passionate learners who are eager to explore the past and share their ideas with the world. While we are fortunate to have Chromebooks available at school, many of my students do not have reliable access to technology at home. Your donation creates an uneven playing field and limits their ability to fully develop the projects that reflect their growth, creativity, and deep engagement with history.\r\n\r\nYour generosity is helping to close this technology gap. With the addition of checkout laptops, every child—regardless of their family's resources—now has access to the tools they need to succeed. These devices have opened the door for students to research, collaborate, and create ambitious projects that bring the ancient world to life. Whether they are designing digital maps, building interactive timelines, or producing multimedia documentaries, students will now be able to explore their ideas without limitations.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, our classroom is becoming not only a place of learning but a hub of innovation. You are giving my students the opportunity to showcase their talents, develop confidence, and take pride in work that truly represents who they are as learners. Thank you for believing in them and for helping ensure that every student has the chance to shine. Your kindness will make a lasting difference in their academic journey and beyond.\r\n\r\nI'd like to give a special shout-out to Google.org for their donation and dedication to our community of learners. Your 5 times match donation comes at a time when teachers are desperately trying to empower all learners in an atmosphere of equity and inclusion. Your corporation pays forward that push.","fullyFundedDate":1757558355065,"projectUrl":"project/equity-unlocking-creativity-laptops-f/9685065/","projectTitle":"Equity & Unlocking Creativity: Laptops for Young Historians Part I","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Marjani-Ptah","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1139255_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755232506192","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/marjani-ptah"},{"teacherId":10247217,"projectId":9695374,"letterContent":"It's amazing how motivated my students are to complete their work in a timely manner, and have the time to be able to team up and compete while playing educational games. They do logic puzzles, create Science quizzes, and build their math and vocabulary knowledge in small cooperative groups with our beautiful new i-Pad! \r\n Their learning has been supplemented, and I'm very happy to witness the healthy competition/excitement levels in class. The kids are respectful with the I-pen and I-pad, and I hope to be able to get more I-pads funded because I have many students who have improved, and groups of 3 kids per I-pad is ideal. I also get to work with kids who are struggling while the others are competing and learning with their small I-pad teams!","fullyFundedDate":1757423424273,"projectUrl":"project/bright-futures-one-ipad-at-a-time/9695374/","projectTitle":"Bright Futures, One iPad at a Time!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Katurich","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10247217_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1757291579429","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10247217"},{"teacherId":1139255,"projectId":9598898,"letterContent":"Thanks to your incredible generosity. Before this project was funded, slow processing speeds, frequent crashes, and limited storage made it challenging for me to prepare materials efficiently — and at times, these issues interrupted lessons altogether. Now, with a reliable MacBook Pro, the way I plan and deliver instruction has changed in powerful and lasting ways.\r\n\r\nThis upgraded computer has opened the door to more engaging and effective learning experiences for my students. I can now design visually rich presentations that capture their attention, incorporate high-quality videos and animations without delays, and use interactive activities that keep students fully engaged. Online learning platforms and digital tools run smoothly, allowing us to make the most of every instructional minute.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, the MacBook Pro has strengthened my ability to support students as individuals. I can provide timely, personalized feedback, monitor progress more efficiently, and create resources tailored to students who need additional support as well as those ready for advanced challenges. Our classroom feels more dynamic, more connected, and more aligned with the digital world my students are growing up in. \r\n\r\nYour support has made all of this possible. By giving me the tools to teach more effectively, you are helping to build a classroom where every student (and teacher mentee)has the chance to thrive, explore their potential, and develop a genuine love of learning. Thank you for believing in my students — and for believing in the power of education to change lives.\r\n\r\nI'd like to give an extra special shout out to Google.org for investing in our learning community in such a powerful way with a 5x donation match. Your donation has impacted not only the students, but also other teachers at my school. I have even been able to pay this gift forward by mentoring other teachers using visually rich presentations that were only possible with this upgraded technology. I have used this powerful tool to give professional development sessions instructing other teachers on how to make the most of digital resources available to us. So again, thank you and thank you.","fullyFundedDate":1755902143673,"projectUrl":"project/a-digital-passport-to-the-ancient-world/9598898/","projectTitle":"A Digital Passport to the Ancient World !","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Marjani-Ptah","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1139255_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755232506192","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/marjani-ptah"},{"teacherId":10224351,"projectId":9698717,"letterContent":"Being able to read New Kid by Jerry Craft has has a profound influence on my students. The themes of identity, belonging at navigating social dynamics have been particularly timely in my 6th grade classroom. I have many students that see themselves and their experiences represented in the book and many students have connected with the main character's challenges and humor. This in turn has increased their engagement and willingness to share their own perspectives. \r\n\r\nIn the class we do guided discussions, annotating key moments in the book and making text-to-self connections during small group and whole group instruction. The graphic novel style of the book has helped my most reluctant readers to stay focused and confident, and I have noticed increased participation, greater comprehension and deeper empathy as my students reflect on the characters' experiences and relate them to their own social and academic environments. Thank you again for your generosity!","fullyFundedDate":1757556709647,"projectUrl":"project/growing-young-readers/9698717/","projectTitle":"Growing Young Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Thacker","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10224351"},{"teacherId":10185873,"projectId":9622112,"letterContent":"The day we got the new 17-inch computer, all my students wanted to use it. They were so excited that each one of them wanted to take a turn to look up something or see if the keys on the keyboard felt any different because it was new and different and it had a 17-inch screen. The bigger screen meant that they could now have full view graphics and they love the touch screen. Additionally, it has been very beneficial for my students who are near visually impaired. A bigger screen means making the letters bigger for them to see the text of a virtual textbook and they are able to split the screen if they are reading an article for larger print and writing a research paper at the same time with much ease. \r\n The impact that a larger screen computer has had on my students has been enormous. This could not have happened without your contribution of this computer to our classroom. Currently, my students are learning how to use a 3D printer therefore having a computer with a 17 inch screen has helped them to share the design of their own creations among peers.\r\nThank you for helping my students think, create, and design in my classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1755665792000,"projectUrl":"project/unlocking-the-imagination-with-technolog/9622112/","projectTitle":"Unlocking the Imagination with Technology","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gramajo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10185873"},{"teacherId":10185873,"projectId":9617919,"letterContent":"As my biotechnology students engage in conversations in the classroom about writing their next laboratory report, they began to wonder about how long it would take them to actually write their reports by hand. They joked about having to write an entire 7 page report with pen and paper. As a realization of how useful it is to have chromebooks in the classroom, my students were very grateful that they could use technology that is available to them on a daily basis. By integrating technology with hands-on labs, my students have now gained different sets of skills that they did not have to best prepare them for both college and the rapidly evolving careers in science and health. \r\nMy students have been able to write lab reports, conduct virtual experiments as practice for the actual experiments in class. They have been able to contribute to research, class presentations, and so much more. None of this would have been possible with your contribution of chromebooks to our classroom. \r\nFrom my students and I, a huge thank you for making my students' dreams get a little closer to being a reality.","fullyFundedDate":1755542469639,"projectUrl":"project/exploring-biotechnology-with-chromebooks/9617919/","projectTitle":"Exploring Biotechnology With Chromebooks","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gramajo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10185873"},{"teacherId":8248303,"projectId":9570501,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting Let's Get Plugged In! This project has had an enormous impact on my teaching. While many people are familiar with using technology at home, the demands placed on a teacher's computer are very different. Between planning lessons, creating digital resources, grading, projecting materials, running videos, and managing multiple learning platforms at once, my computer is truly the engine of my classroom.\r\n\r\nBefore this project, my old device frequently froze, lagged, or shut down in the middle of lessons—which interrupted instruction, slowed down planning, and made it difficult to keep students engaged. Thanks to your generosity, I now have a reliable computer that allows me to work efficiently and confidently throughout the day.\r\n\r\nThe new device has been especially transformative during instruction. I can project slides, model writing in real time, share videos, and navigate between platforms like Schoology, StudySync, and McGraw Hill without delays or glitches. Students are more engaged because transitions are smoother, and I'm able to focus entirely on teaching rather than troubleshooting.\r\n\r\nWhat excites my students most is how seamless our lessons feel now. Videos play clearly, presentations load instantly, and we aren't losing time waiting for my computer to catch up. My Pentathlon team also benefits from smoother research sessions, faster access to materials, and uninterrupted practice activities.\r\n\r\nFor me personally, this computer has made planning, grading, and creating resources so much more manageable. I can prepare lessons more quickly, edit project guides, record videos, and respond to student and parent communication without worrying about my device failing at a crucial moment.\r\n\r\nYour support didn't just provide a computer—you provided stability, efficiency, and the ability to deliver high-quality instruction every single day. Thank you for making such a meaningful difference in my classroom and in my teaching.","fullyFundedDate":1754933370847,"projectUrl":"project/lets-get-plugged-in/9570501/","projectTitle":"Let’s Get Plugged In!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Braverman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8248303_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753980640023","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsbraverman11"},{"teacherId":3174640,"projectId":9675732,"letterContent":"Receiving Animal Farm will immediately elevate your students' critical reading skills by introducing them to political allegory and satire. The book's compelling narrative of farm animals overthrowing their human owner provides an accessible framework for students to grasp complex ideas like tyranny, propaganda, and the abuse of power. This will teach them to look beyond the literal story, fostering a vital new ability to interpret symbols and understand how literature can critique real-world events and historical systems.\r\n\r\nMore importantly, the text will spark essential conversations about civic responsibility and questioning authority. By witnessing the slow corruption of the pigs and the exploitation of the other animals, students will engage with universal themes of justice and equality. The narrative empowers young readers to recognize the signs of manipulation and helps them develop the crucial, foundational skills of critical thinking necessary to become engaged, informed, and discerning citizens in their own society.","fullyFundedDate":1757124978344,"projectUrl":"project/animal-farm-class-set-of-45-hardcover/9675732/","projectTitle":"Animal Farm - Class Set of 45 Hardcover Books","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Wheatley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3174640"},{"teacherId":8248303,"projectId":9572864,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our \"Paper [is] Good[s]\" project. Your generosity has already made a noticeable difference in our day-to-day classroom routines. With a large class and constant learning activities, we go through paper, notebooks, and printing supplies incredibly quickly — and your support ensured that my students have what they need without interruption.\r\n\r\nBecause of your donations, students now have consistent access to fresh paper for note-taking, graphic organizers, drafting, and project work. This has helped them stay organized, produce higher-quality work, and feel more confident in their ability to complete assignments. These basic supplies may seem simple, but they play a huge role in helping students stay prepared, focused, and engaged.\r\n\r\nYour support also freed me to print essential materials — differentiated readings, project guides, rubrics, modified assignments, and additional practice pages — without worrying about running out of supplies. This has helped me provide more individualized support, more engaging activities, and more structure for students who rely on clear, printed resources.\r\n\r\nWe are truly grateful for your kindness and for making such a practical, meaningful impact on my classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1755217106436,"projectUrl":"project/paper-is-goods/9572864/","projectTitle":"Paper [is] Good[s]","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Braverman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8248303_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753980640023","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsbraverman11"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_7051","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1403,"numTeachers":69,"percentFrplEligible":46,"percentAsian":13,"percentBlack":3,"percentWhite":44,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":31,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"20.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":false,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":92.4,"schoolId":7051,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Gaspar de Portola Charter Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Gaspar de Portola Charter Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/los-angeles-unified-school-district/gasper-de-portola-middle-school/7051"}