{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Gaston Junior Senior High School","outOfStateSupporters":27.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10506466,"projectId":10289109,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our classroom! Because of your kindness, our students received the board games Senet and Jenga, bringing hands-on learning, strategy, and collaboration directly into our lessons.\r\nThese games have become an engaging tool for our students to explore history, critical thinking, and social-emotional skills. Watching students analyze game boards and strategies that people used thousands of years ago brought history to life in a way a textbook never could. Meanwhile, Jenga has been a fantastic resource for building patience and team problem-solving as students work together to maintain balance and strategic focus.\r\nWhen the packages arrived and were unboxed in front of the class, the excitement was immediate! The students were fascinated by Senet's unique board and historic aesthetic, eager to learn the rules of a game played by ancient pharaohs. With Jenga, eyes lit up with friendly competition and anticipation. There was a genuine buzz in the room. Your generosity opened up a whole new way for our students to connect with learning, collaborate with peers, and stay curious.\r\nThank you again for investing in our classroom and making learning so dynamic and fun for my students!","fullyFundedDate":1787153126611,"projectUrl":"project/history-of-games/10289109/","projectTitle":"History of Games","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cripe","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10506466"},{"teacherId":10506466,"projectId":10285455,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in funding our classroom project! Because of your support, we received 8 Royal Game of Ur board games, and they have already made a huge, meaningful impact in our classroom.\r\n\r\nThese games are being integrated directly into our history and gaming curriculum, allowing students to step back thousands of years and experience one of the world's oldest known board games firsthand.\r\n\r\nIn a recent class session, we used the games to explore how ancient civilizations designed entertainment, strategic thinking, and social interaction. Seeing students huddled over the wooden boards, calculating their moves with the tetrahedral dice, and engaging in friendly competition brought history to life in a way a textbook never could. It was amazing to watch them naturally analyze gameplay mechanics and strategy while collaborating with their peers.\r\n\r\nWhen the boxes first arrived and were opened in class, the excitement was immediate! Students were fascinated by the unique design of the boards and the distinct shape of the ancient-style dice. Many of them had never seen or heard of the Royal Game of Ur before, so there was a real sense of curiosity and wonder. As soon as the rules were explained, they couldn't wait to sit down, roll the dice, and try it out for themselves. The room was instantly filled with laughter, eager discussions, and high-energy matches.\r\n\r\nNow that students have mastered the foundational rules and mechanics of the Royal Game of Ur, our next step is to examine how ancient game design influences modern gaming. Students will be analyzing the elements of chance, strategy, and player interaction in the game and applying those insights to create their own original board game concepts.\r\n\r\nYour generosity provided a tangible piece of history that sparked genuine joy and critical thinking in our classroom. Thank you for making learning so dynamic and engaging for my students!","fullyFundedDate":1786023234210,"projectUrl":"project/history-of-games/10285455/","projectTitle":"History of Games","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cripe","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10506466"},{"teacherId":10506466,"projectId":10289135,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in funding our project and providing 8 Mancala games for our classroom!\r\nWhen the box arrived and the students saw the wooden boards and colorful glass stones, their excitement was immediate. Many of them instantly recognized the game, while others were curious to learn how to play..\r\nWe have been using these Mancala games as an engaging hands-on resource to explore strategy, turn-taking, and historical game mechanics. Recently, during our gameplay session, it was incredible to watch the classroom dynamic shift. Students who don't always interact with one another were suddenly deeply focused across from each other, counting out stones, planning moves ahead, and laughing together. \r\nYour support has brought a tangible, vibrant layer of interactive learning to our room that simply wouldn't have been possible without you. Thank you for making a lasting impact on my students and supporting our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1781153381043,"projectUrl":"project/history-of-games/10289135/","projectTitle":"History of Games","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cripe","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10506466"},{"teacherId":10506466,"projectId":10280049,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in funding our new World War II literature circle books! In our 8th-grade classroom, reading is a vibrant, collaborative experience. Because of your support, our daily routine has transformed into active \"lit circle\" workshops where students gather in small groups to read, debate, and analyze these diverse texts together. These books are doing vital groundwork as we prepare to read The Diary of Anne Frank. Your donation allows my students to discover the experiences of many different individuals from around the world during this era. Through these texts, students aren't just reading history; they are mastering critical middle school literacy skills like analyzing perspectives, tracking character resilience, and making cross-textual connections.\r\n\r\nThe impact of these new books on my students has been profoundly moving, especially for some of our more reluctant readers. Having a choice of modern, high-interest historical fiction has sparked a newfound enthusiasm across the whole classroom. By exploring the war through global lenses (from young citizens in Europe to families in Japanese-American internment camps) our students are building deep historical empathy. You have truly given them the gift of perspective, and we are so grateful for your investment in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1778505055467,"projectUrl":"project/stepping-into-history-preparing-for-the/10280049/","projectTitle":"Stepping Into History: Preparing for the Diary of Anne Frank","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cripe","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10506466"},{"teacherId":9655813,"projectId":9515929,"letterContent":"It has been such a pleasure to start the school year strong with the various items and tools from my list! I have been able to offer snacks to students that are hungry, calming tools, and comfortable seating arrangements for the office and study hall room. I'm thankful that you chose to donate to my list and support me as I entered a new school community this year. \r\n\r\nOne specific thing that has really stood out to me is the amount of snacks I've been able to provide to them. While they are able to receive breakfast and lunch for free at school, sometimes it's not enough- especially for some of our student athletes who have practice after school! It is my pleasure to be a safe space for these students at school so they may be comfortable, safe, and cared for. Thank you for supporting me support them.","fullyFundedDate":1756230626493,"projectUrl":"project/help-a-school-counselor-in-a-new-school/9515929/","projectTitle":"Help A School Counselor in A New School!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Smart","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9655813_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1723600434267","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9655813"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_88435","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":203,"numTeachers":18,"percentFrplEligible":61,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":76,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":18,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":3,"gradesServed":"7 - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"11.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":72.7,"schoolId":88435,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Gaston Junior Senior High School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Gaston Junior Senior High School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/oregon/gaston-school-district-511j/gaston-junior-senior-high-school/88435"}