{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Lyal Burkholder Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":39.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":476170,"projectId":10008897,"letterContent":"The arrival of our engineering materials from the heavy duty paracord to the colorful aluminum carabiners has turned our classroom into a bustling design studio. My students are no longer just reading about physics; they are actively building the vehicles that will traverse our room. We recently had a fantastic session where students used the foam board and wooden dowels to construct custom chassis, debating how to best secure the plastic wheels and axles to minimize friction. One group spent an entire hour perfecting their hook system using the D ring carabiners, realizing that the way the clip sits on the paracord line completely changes the speed of the descent.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the variety of materials, the excitement was palpable. They were especially drawn to the 32 piece carabiner set. Having professional grade clips made the project feel real and high stakes rather than just a craft. I overheard one student tell their partner, \"We actually have enough axles to try a four wheel design now!\" It was a joy to see them dive into the bins, sorting through the 60 plastic wheels and planning out their blueprints on the foam board.\r\n\r\nOur next step is the official Payload Speed Trial. Now that the base models are built, students are tasked with modifying their foam board carriers to hold a specific weight while maintaining stability on the 1/8\" paracord line. They will be using their wooden dowels to reinforce the frames and testing which wheel to axle ratio provides the smoothest ride. Your support has provided the literal building blocks for these young innovators to test, fail, and ultimately succeed. We can't wait to see which design takes the gold!","fullyFundedDate":1769567833939,"projectUrl":"project/engineering-energy-in-motion-building-c/10008897/","projectTitle":"Engineering Energy in Motion: Building Classroom Ziplines","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Davis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp476170_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1524113883389","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsbrandidavis"},{"teacherId":10409595,"projectId":10034902,"letterContent":"On behalf of my students and our classroom, I want to express my deepest thanks for your generous support of our project, \"Turning Math Struggles into Math Success.\"\r\nMathematics can be a daunting subject for many learners, often met with \"I'm just not a math person\" or a sense of frustration when concepts don't click immediately. Your donation is doing so much more than just providing supplies; it is helping provide a bridge to confidence. \r\nIt's a powerful moment in a classroom when a student's \"I can't\" turns into an \"I've got it!\" That shift in mindset changes their entire trajectory in school. Because of your kindness, my students are realizing that math isn't a wall—it's a doorway and they can be successful.\r\nYour belief in our classroom reminds my students that there is a whole community of people rooting for their success. We are so excited to put these tools to use and start our journey from struggle to success.\r\nThank you for being a champion for education and for investing in the potential of my students.","fullyFundedDate":1768768822106,"projectUrl":"project/turning-math-struggles-into-math-success/10034902/","projectTitle":"Turning Math Struggles into Math Success","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Dudschus","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10409595"},{"teacherId":9515912,"projectId":10045254,"letterContent":"From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Your generous contribution to our \"Empowering Middle Schoolers with Emotional Regulation Tools\" project is going to change the daily life of my 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students.\r\nMiddle school is a time of huge emotions and intense pressure. Thanks to you, my school will now be a trauma-informed space where every student has the tools they need to succeed, no matter how overwhelmed they feel.\r\nWhen the supplies arrived, my students were excited to try things like the calming fidgets, soft putty, and dedicated sketch pads. These are the tools my students will use to ground themselves, manage their anxiety, and return to a \"regulated state,\" ready to learn history, math, or science.\r\nYou didn't just donate materials; you invested in lifelong emotional competence. Thank you for seeing the value in teaching resilience and helping us build a truly focused and safe classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1769106557588,"projectUrl":"project/building-resilience-for-middle-school-su/10045254/","projectTitle":"Building Resilience for Middle School Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kenyon","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9515912"},{"teacherId":9966882,"projectId":10034390,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation of 10 wireless glue guns. I originally requested 5, but we were incredibly blessed to receive 10! Although one of them is not working and will not charge, we are still very grateful for the additional supplies.\r\n\r\nMy students immediately noticed the new glue guns—they were excited to see how clean they were and even pointed out the new numbered stickers. I shared with them that these materials were donated through DonorsChoose, and they were truly appreciative. In my classes, I typically have 12–18 groups, and because of your generosity, each group can now have their own glue gun without needing to share.\r\n\r\nWe received the glue guns in February, and students began using them during our latest building project, which started on April 1, 2026. For this project, students are designing and creating prosthetic devices for animals they \"adopted,\" based on a background story. Using materials such as cardboard, box cutters, glue guns, glue sticks, and rulers, students are challenged to build prosthetics that are functional and thoughtful in design. Their creations must be easy to put on and remove, stay securely in place, allow movement (like a knee or elbow), be comfortable, and look neat and well-made. Students will evaluate each other's work and present their final projects during our upcoming STEM Night.\r\n\r\nThese glue guns will continue to support student learning in future projects throughout the year, including building robotic arms and grabbers for search and rescue, an animal box volume project, and a house prototype scaling project.\r\n\r\nWith sincerity and humility, I would like to express our deepest gratitude for your support of our Engineering STEAM classroom. Your generosity is making a meaningful difference in the way my students learn, create, and collaborate.\r\n\r\nThank you again for believing in our students!","fullyFundedDate":1769177561615,"projectUrl":"project/environmental-engineering-tools/10034390/","projectTitle":"Environmental Engineering Tools","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hernandez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9966882"},{"teacherId":5113850,"projectId":10012774,"letterContent":"I would like to extend my thanks for funding my positive reinforcement project. Your support has already made a difference in the lives of my students. \r\n\r\nYour gift has encentivised better attendance for some of our most struggling students. You have also helped to support the social emotional needs of our students as they get overwhelmed with tasks or with life in general. They are able to reset by creating a small 3D project with the 3D printing pens, or snuggle for a few minutes with one of the weighted animals. The bear is one of our favorites.\r\n\r\nThe incentives have helped us create positive behavioral supports in the classroom. Students love earning time with the pens and other incentives like the crazy pens!\r\n\r\nThank you on behalf of myself, my students, and the entire Burkholder team.","fullyFundedDate":1768684101540,"projectUrl":"project/designers-in-the-making-3d-pens-posit/10012774/","projectTitle":"Designers in the Making: 3D Pens & Positive Reinforcement","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Russell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5113850_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1698857658754","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5113850"},{"teacherId":9368298,"projectId":9992723,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous gift. The students have been able to create artistic math designs using the supplies donated. Motivation is key for middle school students in math class, and design creations assisted with motivating the students to learn, apply, and create with their math topics. The students are very thankful, and I am very appreciative of the supplies and your generous donation. \r\n\r\nWe were able to obtain games that will be used to enhance the math lessons. Students are more motivated when learning is fun and games are a great motivator.\r\nThank your generous gift.","fullyFundedDate":1768099523778,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-supplies-for-math/9992723/","projectTitle":"Classroom Supplies for MATH","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wapneski","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9368298"},{"teacherId":3756563,"projectId":10002656,"letterContent":"The atmosphere in our math intervention groups has been completely transformed thanks to your support. When the boxes arrived, the students were absolutely buzzing with excitement to see the new incentives! Now, there is a tangible sense of anticipation each week as we lead up to our pull-out group raffle. This simple reward system has turned a potentially high-stress environment into a space where students are eager to participate, regulate their focus, and cheer each other on. Seeing them so motivated to tackle difficult math problems just for a chance at a fun sticker or a fidget tool has been truly rewarding.\r\n\r\nBeyond the excitement of the rewards, your donation has provided essential visual and tactile support for our daily learning. I often see students pausing during their independent work time to refer to our new classroom posters, using them as a \"safety net\" to recall formulas and strategies. Additionally, the vibrant colored paper has allowed me to design collaborative group activities that make math feel like a team sport rather than a solo struggle. These tools are helping my students build the stamina they need to work through complex problems with confidence.\r\n\r\nFinally, your contribution has allowed me to ensure that every student starts on a level playing field. I am now able to discreetly provide notebooks, pens, and other basic supplies to students who arrive without the tools they need to succeed. By removing these small but significant barriers, we are creating a classroom where the only thing students have to worry about is the math in front of them. Thank you for providing the \"extras\" that make our classroom feel like a home and the \"essentials\" that make learning possible.","fullyFundedDate":1768490981328,"projectUrl":"project/motivating-math-students/10002656/","projectTitle":"Motivating Math Students","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Pizano","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3756563_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x0,y161&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1723485541998","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3756563"},{"teacherId":10305146,"projectId":10006738,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution toward a cordless vacuum cleaner and a color printer for our 7th-grade Environmental Science classroom. These additions have already made a significant impact on our daily learning environment. Because our school operates with a limited custodial staff, the cordless vacuum has been a total game-changer. A clean, organized classroom provides a welcoming atmosphere where students feel comfortable and focused. It has also instilled a sense of shared responsibility, as students are now empowered to take pride in maintaining a professional space that reflects the high quality of work they produce.\r\n\r\nThe addition of a color printer is equally transformative for our upcoming curriculum. In the coming weeks, our budding scientists will be designing biomimicry devices and \"movie posters\" for their student-created alien biomes. Having the ability to print these projects in full color allows their creativity to truly shine; it turns a standard assignment into a professional-grade portfolio piece. Seeing their intricate designs—from specialized plant adaptations to complex alien food webs—vividly rendered in ink makes their hard work feel \"real\" and celebrated.\r\n\r\nThese tools are more than just classroom equipment; they are investments that will benefit my students for years to come. By providing both a sense of pride in our physical space and the technology to showcase scientific innovation, you have enriched our educational experience immensely. We are so grateful for your kindness and your belief in the importance of a well-equipped science classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1768188228038,"projectUrl":"project/clean-create-and-print-tools-that-kee/10006738/","projectTitle":"Clean, Create, and Print: Tools That Keep Classroom Running","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Foster","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10305146_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1759955188972","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10305146"},{"teacherId":10305146,"projectId":9925052,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution toward the purchase of animal skulls for our 7th-grade Environmental Science class. This interactive inquiry lab has been a highlight of our semester, transforming our classroom into a hands-on forensic site. My students were immediately captivated, stepping into the roles of biological detectives to uncover the secrets held by each specimen. By observing the size and shape of the skulls and the complexity of the nasal cavities, they were able to gather concrete evidence about how these animals once lived and thrived.\r\njj\r\nThe level of engagement during the \"Predator vs. Prey\" analysis was truly remarkable. Students carefully examined eye socket placement, chanting the helpful rhyme, \"eyes on the side likes to hide; eyes in the front likes to hunt.\" They further refined their theories by analyzing dentition—studying the sharp canines of carnivores, the flat molars of herbivores, and the versatile teeth of omnivores. The excitement was so infectious that several students refused to stop at general classifications; they dove into independent research to find specific evidence to identify the exact species of their skulls.\r\n\r\nUltimately, this lab provided a deep, tactile understanding of survival adaptations. This foundational knowledge is now serving as the blueprint for our final project: The Alien Biome Challenge. Using the principles of adaptation they learned from your donated skulls, students are now designing their own alien creatures with specialized traits to survive in extraterrestrial environments. Your support has not only provided a lesson but has fueled a sense of wonder and scientific grit in these young learners.","fullyFundedDate":1766168257110,"projectUrl":"project/skull-detectives-an-ecology-discovery-l/9925052/","projectTitle":"Skull Detectives: An Ecology Discovery Lab","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Foster","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10305146_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1759955188972","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10305146"},{"teacherId":9350050,"projectId":10032259,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping us purchase shoulder rests for our orchestra students. This project has made a real difference in our classroom.\r\n\r\nBefore we had these shoulder rests, some students were struggling to hold their instruments comfortably. A few were using makeshift supports, and others were tensing their shoulders just to keep their violins in place. It made playing harder than it needed to be.\r\n\r\nWhen the shoulder rests arrived and students realized they have shoulder rests to use, their faces lit up. One student said, \"This feels so much better!\" Another told me, \"It's easier to play now.\" You could immediately see shoulders relax and posture improve. The sound of their playing changed and they become more confident.\r\n\r\nNow we're able to focus less on discomfort and more on making music. We're working on improving tone, dynamics, and playing longer musical phrases with confidence. Because students feel more supported physically, they're also feeling more confident musically.\r\n\r\nYour generosity didn't just buy equipment, it helped our students feel more comfortable, more capable, and more like real musicians.\r\n\r\nThank you for being part of our orchestra family.","fullyFundedDate":1768770745171,"projectUrl":"project/helping-our-young-musicians-play-comfort/10032259/","projectTitle":"Helping Our Young Musicians Play Comfortably and Confidently","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Hsia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9350050"},{"teacherId":10305146,"projectId":9924847,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution toward the Teachers Pay Teachers gift card for our 7th-grade Environmental Science class. Your support has directly translated into high-quality, hands-on learning experiences that have sparked a genuine curiosity in my students. Because of you, our classroom has transformed into a living laboratory where students have moved beyond the textbook to examine real animal skulls, dissect owl pellets, and participate in simulations to track the spread of infections within populations. These interactive labs have provided the kind of \"lightbulb moments\" that make science truly come alive.\r\n\r\nBeyond the lab table, your donation funded comprehensive activities that helped students master the complexities of our natural world. We've explored the diverse biomes of Earth, investigating the fascinating adaptations plants and animals use to survive in extreme environments. Students are now proficient in mapping the flow of energy through ecosystems, from understanding trophic levels to building intricate food chains and webs. The culmination of this unit is particularly exciting: students are currently applying everything they've learned to design their own \"alien biomes,\" complete with extraterrestrial flora and fauna specifically adapted to survive their unique conditions. Thank you for investing in these future scientists and for making our classroom a place of creativity and discovery.","fullyFundedDate":1764705068769,"projectUrl":"project/enhance-our-learning/9924847/","projectTitle":"Enhance Our Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Foster","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10305146_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1759955188972","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10305146"},{"teacherId":9711037,"projectId":10016307,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom and making this project possible. Many people use technology at home every day, but seeing how it's used in a classroom can be very different. Your donation has allowed my students to use technology not just for fun, but for learning, creating, and problem-solving. They are using it to research, design, collaborate, and test ideas in ways that would not have been possible before. I've already seen students become more engaged, more focused, and more willing to challenge themselves because this tool makes learning feel more interactive and meaningful.\r\n\r\nThe most exciting part of this new product is how hands-on and motivating it is for the students. They love that they can immediately see the results of their work and improve their ideas in real time. It has turned regular class activities into something that feels more like a real-world project, and students are much more invested in doing their best work. Even students who sometimes struggle to stay focused are eager to participate because this technology makes learning feel modern, fun, and relevant to their lives.\r\n\r\nA few students in particular have really shined with this new technology. Some of my quieter or more reserved students have gained confidence because they can show what they know through building, designing, or creating rather than just writing or speaking. Other students who sometimes struggle in traditional lessons have become leaders in helping classmates learn how to use the new tools. Your generosity has truly made a difference, not just in what my students are learning, but in how they see themselves as capable, creative learners. Thank you again for investing in my students and our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1768502076490,"projectUrl":"project/from-controllers-to-collaboration-espor/10016307/","projectTitle":"From Controllers to Collaboration: Esports in Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Carney","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9711037"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_94341","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":495,"numTeachers":32,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":14,"percentWhite":27,"percentIndigenous":1,"percentLatinx":41,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"15.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":60.2,"schoolId":94341,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Lyal Burkholder Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Lyal Burkholder Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/nevada/clark-county-school-district/lyal-burkholder-middle-school/94341"}