{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Highlands Intermediate School","outOfStateSupporters":17.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9376240,"projectId":9772267,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations to our recent DonorsChoose project!! Because of your kindness our classroom now has ambient lighting and calming sensory items that make our space more comfortable and engaging for all students. \r\nThe new lighting and sensory items has already transformed our room into a calmer and more inviting learning environment. They enjoy that we are able to cut down using some of the fluorescent overhead lights by using the floor lamps around class.\r\nThe larger computer screen has made it easier for my student who is visually impaired participate in lessons and follow instructions.","fullyFundedDate":1759284610531,"projectUrl":"project/building-independence-one-skill-at-a-ti/9772267/","projectTitle":"Building Independence, One Skill at a Time","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Chun","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/paige-chun"},{"teacherId":8927713,"projectId":9741343,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of the Ambassador Club! Your donation is an important investment in leadership, directly empowering our exceptional student Ambassadors to move their ambitious service projects from idea to action. Your gift provides the essential materials and logistics necessary for them to make a real, positive difference, whether they're running school-wide beautification efforts or organizing donation drives for the local community. We are deeply grateful for your kindness and for helping us fuel their passion for service, enabling them to become the effective change-makers our school and community need.","fullyFundedDate":1760718910376,"projectUrl":"project/empower-student-service-donate-to-the-a/9741343/","projectTitle":"Empower Student Service: Donate to the Ambassador Club","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Shirafuji","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8927713_orig.png?crop=301,301,x193,y42&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1759479501860","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8927713"},{"teacherId":8825363,"projectId":9771975,"letterContent":"My graphic design students are having a blast turning their digital artwork into physical products with the new pin-making equipment. The classroom has turned into a busy little workshop, and it's been incredible to see the \"aha!\" moment when a student presses their first design and realizes they've made something professional. One of my quieter students was so proud of their first pin that they immediately put it on their lanyard and started showing their classmates how to use the press. It has really shifted the energy in the room from just \"doing an assignment\" to being actual creators.\r\n\r\nWhen we first unboxed the supplies, the kids were genuinely hyped. They were surprised by how high-quality the materials felt and immediately started brainstorming designs for their friends and school clubs. It made the career of a graphic designer feel much more \"real\" to them. Moving forward, we are starting a branding project where each student will design a three-pin collection to represent their own personal logo. Thanks to your support, they aren't just learning design theory; they are seeing their ideas come to life in a way they can actually wear and share.","fullyFundedDate":1759194112742,"projectUrl":"project/adding-some-flare/9771975/","projectTitle":"Adding Some Flare","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Torres","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8825363"},{"teacherId":9970132,"projectId":9784152,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation of classroom materials. The individual whiteboards and dry-erase pens have become an important part of our class routine.\r\n\r\nThese boards have significantly increased student engagement. The students truly enjoy sharing their thinking and collaborating with their tablemates. For me, they also serve as a formative assessment tool, allowing me to monitor student understanding. We have also used them for whole-class discussions, where students analyze various students' work and turn mistakes into valuable learning opportunities.\r\n\r\nThe hanging file folders and file racks have allowed the students to be more organized. Each student now has a personal folder to store their assessments, providing them with quick access to their work. It also helps me remain organized and prepared for parent meetings by keeping student work readily available.\r\n\r\nYour generosity is making a tremendous difference this year and will continue to benefit our classroom for years to come. Thank you again!","fullyFundedDate":1759759807718,"projectUrl":"project/tools-for-active-learning-and-confidence/9784152/","projectTitle":"Tools for Active Learning and Confidence","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Leong","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9970132"},{"teacherId":7596776,"projectId":9785774,"letterContent":"Mahalo nui loa for your generous donation to my classroom library. As you can see in the pictures, my vibrant classroom library has been enhanced due to your generosity. \r\n\r\nThis donation has already been used and appreciated by my students. Adding relevant, engaging novels to my classroom library helps my students grow a love of reading, which builds not only their comprehension and vocabulary, but also their empathy and compassion. Students read daily, and having books that they love helps them to focus and build their skills. \r\n\r\nMahalo, mahalo, mahalo! Your support is appreciated beyond measure!","fullyFundedDate":1759628600612,"projectUrl":"project/read-more-learn-more-live-better/9785774/","projectTitle":"Read More, Learn More, Live Better!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Colmenares","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7596776"},{"teacherId":9469229,"projectId":9774318,"letterContent":"Your contribution has given my students the vital, tangible tools (ping-pong balls, beads, clay, and glue guns) necessary to bring abstract concepts to life. They were thrilled when the materials arrived and are currently using them to build physical models of atoms and molecules, which fundamentally boosts their understanding and confidence. Next, they will apply this knowledge to model complex organic molecules like glucose, linking chemistry to biology. \r\nThe ping-pong balls, clay, and glue guns are currently being used to construct student-designed, scale models of different atomic isotopes and basic molecular structures, allowing them to visualize subatomic particles and chemical bonds.\r\nWhen the students saw the colorful balls, clay, and craft tools, they were excited and immediately began planning their designs, confirming that the hands-on materials made the abstract lesson feel creative and accessible.\r\nThe students' next step is to use their knowledge of atomic structure to model complex organic molecules, such as glucose or amino acids, showcasing how these smaller components build the structures of life.\r\nThank you for fueling their curiosity and helping us grow future scientists!","fullyFundedDate":1759442857971,"projectUrl":"project/hands-on-science-building-atoms-and-mol/9774318/","projectTitle":"Hands-On Science: Building Atoms and Molecules Together","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Medrano","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9469229_orig.jpg?crop=1164,1164,x358,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1759219893525","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9469229"},{"teacherId":9967607,"projectId":9774579,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our math classroom. Because of you, my students now have access to calculators and glue that are essential for our interactive notebooks and daily learning.\r\nThe calculators have already made a huge difference. Students are able to check their work, explore patterns, and focus more on understanding math concepts rather than getting stuck on computation. This has helped build their confidence and encouraged them to take academic risks.\r\nThe glue may seem simple, but it plays a powerful role in our classroom. Students use it to build interactive notebooks that help them organize their thinking, engage with lessons, and create a resource they can refer back to throughout the year. These hands-on materials make learning more meaningful and accessible for all students.\r\nYour generosity has directly impacted my students' engagement, organization, and confidence in math. Thank you for investing in our classroom and helping create an environment where students feel supported and excited to learn.","fullyFundedDate":1759417662992,"projectUrl":"project/tools-for-math-success/9774579/","projectTitle":"Tools for Math Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Uson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9967607"},{"teacherId":9471248,"projectId":9772877,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation. With the new supplies we could implement activities that allow the students to express their own voice. Students got to decide on their own designs and make their own modifications. We could define and explain the differences between form and function. Some designs looked good on paper but when making them out of wood, they broke. Other designs were sturdy but they did not look as elegant.\r\n\r\nStudent 1 mentioned, \"The new supplies helped to bring my designs to life. They look great even after a month of use. They are so tough.\"\r\n\r\nNew supplies boost our students' educational process. When working with new materials, students feel like they matter. They feel important. They do not feel like they are receiving hand-me-downs. They feel happy that somebody is investing in their learning.\r\n\r\nThe keychain and leather bracelet projects allow extra practice for students to develop greater eye-hand coordination. Some other lessons learned are following instructions, weaving a pattern, and hammering. Color matching and painting techniques are also covered. Life skills learned from these lessons include team work, respect for self and others, and good decision making.\r\n\r\nStudent 12 commented, \"I really like making things. I never knew people could make a living by doing what they enjoy. Basically, filling a need such as crafting keychains.\"\r\n\r\nThe different materials supplied allowed students to have a variety of different experiences. Working with leather is very unique when compared to paracord. Likewise, shrink art is a process which requires its own set of unique tools. Your generous donation helped to pave the road for our students' success.","fullyFundedDate":1759410251506,"projectUrl":"project/key-chains-allow-students-to-express-the/9772877/","projectTitle":"Key Chains Allow Students to Express Their Own Voice","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Ching","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9471248_orig.jpg?crop=726,726,x0,y16&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708119140250","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9471248"},{"teacherId":10295613,"projectId":9780469,"letterContent":"Upon seeing all the materials that was donated to this project, there were a wide variety of emotions. For many, the sight of the sharpie pens, stack of papers, markers, starch, and especially the plastic masks was meet with a sense of anticipation and excitement, sparking immediate questions about the project ahead. Some students display initial apprehension, their eyes widening slightly, perhaps wondering how the items will come together to make a final art piece. This initial wariness quickly went away when I showed them the possibilities of what their final piece might look like. \r\n\r\nFinishing the mask project was a journey of self-discovery and creative expression, culminating in a powerful, tangible representation of identity. The process involved with creating the mask project were creating a paper mache mask from a mold, infusing the final product with deep personal meaning through artwork of a personal experience, coloring with markers, and other materials. The final reward came not only from seeing the completed mask displayed but also the opportunity for the students to reflect on the symbols and share the personal stories and emotions and share those personal experiences to the whole class.\r\n\r\nWe are currently finishing a mini cardboard bedroom art project. These miniature diorama are crafted from recycled cardboard, paper, markers, and paints. They selected a particular theme that is close to their hearts and incorporated it into the bedroom, from color schemes to artwork from the walls, furniture, and bed sheets. Seeing the tiny beds, desks, and even miniature paintings coming together has been incredibly satisfying, highlighting how everyday materials can be transformed into art. Some students even let me have their artwork in order to display them proudly to my next set of students.","fullyFundedDate":1759577151321,"projectUrl":"project/the-storytellers-veil/9780469/","projectTitle":"The Storyteller's Veil","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Arios","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10295613"},{"teacherId":9551425,"projectId":9773066,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for providing the funds to purchase flexible seating for our students. The students were so excited once we unpacked the boxes. They were even more excited when it was explained what the items were for. \r\n Whenever students do independent work on the laptops, students can find a comfortable space to use the flexible seating options to do their work. Productivity has certainly gone up for the students who do not care for sitting at a traditional pallet desk. \r\n We look forward to allowing our students to do group activities together using the flex seating options in the future. \r\n Thank you again for supporting the education of our students. Your support means a lot to all of us!","fullyFundedDate":1759241809453,"projectUrl":"project/flexible-classroom/9773066/","projectTitle":"Flexible Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gebs","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9551425"},{"teacherId":8359470,"projectId":9772788,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in encouraging our students to be positive contributors, productive scholars, and responsible students. Your donation allows our growing teens to visit our redemption center and redeem their points for their favorite prizes such as Takis, Oreo Minis, popcorn, and chips! \r\n\r\nThe snacks at our redemption center are so popular that what we had initially bought only lasted us one month! We were worried how we would be able to purchase more snacks to last us until at least December. We are forever grateful for your donation. Middle school students are always hungry, and 95% of the time they choose food over a toy/gadget/school supplies!","fullyFundedDate":1759194538232,"projectUrl":"project/teenagers-practicing-positive-behaviors/9772788/","projectTitle":"Teenagers Practicing Positive Behaviors","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Higa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8359470"},{"teacherId":9806735,"projectId":9773725,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous contribution, our students transformed our annual community night into an unforgettable, student-led showcase of creativity and collaboration. The new resources you provided were immediately put to use supporting our student groups. The funds helped us acquire materials necessary for ambitious creative elements into a tangible, high-quality event. When the students first saw the final materials arrive, their excitement was solid. It was a visible validation of their hard work, transforming planning into reality. The overwhelming success and positive feedback validated their project management and teamwork skills, instilling immense pride and ownership in every student leader involved.\r\n\r\nThe impact of this project goes far beyond a single evening. Our students are currently focused on the next steps of analyzing the event's success. The skills gained are directly applicable to their ongoing academic and personal growth, reinforcing the value of leadership and their commitment to enhancing the school climate for everyone. This single night has increased our family engagement and proven to our students that their capacity for leadership is truly limitless. Thank you Hawai'i State Dept. of Ed and Marc & Lynne Benioff for giving us this opportunity!","fullyFundedDate":1759427737352,"projectUrl":"project/pride-and-belonging-through-a-fun-event/9773725/","projectTitle":"Pride and Belonging Through a Fun Event","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Morihara-Dahilig","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9806735"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_50792","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":824,"numTeachers":58,"percentFrplEligible":31,"percentAsian":37,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":3,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":18,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"7 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"14.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":82.4,"schoolId":50792,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Highlands Intermediate School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Highlands Intermediate School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/hawaii/leeward-oahu-school-district/highlands-intermediate-school/50792"}