{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Makaha Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":77.1,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8510124,"projectId":9629268,"letterContent":"My students are amazing little learners who are working hard each day to make good choices, show kindness to others, and practice responsibility. Your kindness is helping reinforce those important lessons in a meaningful and joyful way.\r\n\r\nPositive reinforcement plays a big role in helping kindergartners feel proud of their growth and motivated to keep trying. Because of your support, I am able to celebrate their efforts with small but meaningful rewards. Colorful stickers proudly displayed on their work show accomplishment, bright sunglasses make them feel like superstars for good behavior, and fun smelly markers and pencils make learning even more exciting. Sweet Jolly Ranchers and cheerful stamps provide simple but powerful reminders that their hard work and perseverance matter.\r\n\r\nThese rewards do more than bring smiles—they help motivate students to stay focused, try their best, and continue making positive choices throughout the school day. When students know their efforts are noticed and celebrated, they become more engaged, confident, and excited about learning.","fullyFundedDate":1755758896233,"projectUrl":"project/shining-bright-with-good-choices/9629268/","projectTitle":"Shining Bright With Good Choices","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. K","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8510124_orig.jpg?crop=1440,1440,x0,y336&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1656475313442","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-kamakaramos"},{"teacherId":8510124,"projectId":9733250,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our kindergarten STEM project! My students are full of questions, energy, and big ideas, and because of you, they now have the opportunity to explore, build, and discover in ways that truly bring learning to life.\r\n\r\nMany of my kindergarteners don't always get hands-on STEM experiences outside of school, so being able to provide these opportunities in the classroom is incredibly meaningful. Thanks to your support, my students are becoming scientists and engineers right before my eyes. They are learning through play as they launch pom-pom rockets, create lava bottles, and explore motion, cause-and-effect, and careful observation.\r\n\r\nThey are also collaborating with classmates to build, problem-solve, and experiment using robotic kits and building materials. Decorating their own \"scientist shirts\" and earning medals has made them feel proud, capable, and excited to learn. Most importantly, they are discovering that it's okay to make mistakes, try again, and keep going—just like real scientists do.\r\n\r\nBecause of you, my students are gaining confidence in their abilities, strengthening teamwork and problem-solving skills, and developing a love for STEM at a young age. Kindergarten truly is the perfect time to spark curiosity, and your generosity is helping light that spark.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and for helping make our classroom a place where curiosity, creativity, and confidence grow every day.","fullyFundedDate":1765414791180,"projectUrl":"project/little-scientists-big-discoveries-stem/9733250/","projectTitle":"Little Scientists, Big Discoveries: STEM for Kindergarten!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. K","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8510124_orig.jpg?crop=1440,1440,x0,y336&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1656475313442","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-kamakaramos"},{"teacherId":8510124,"projectId":9537560,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our kindergarten classroom. In our room, learning takes a lot of energy, and your kindness is making a meaningful difference in the lives of our young learners.\r\n\r\nMany of my students come to school eager and excited to learn, but some may not always have access to snacks throughout the day. Our school day is long for little learners, and when breakfast is missed or lunch feels far away, it can be hard to stay focused. Having access to snacks like granola bars, crackers, and fruit snacks helps bridge that gap and keeps their minds and bodies fueled for learning.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, my students can focus on learning without the distraction of hunger. These snacks help create a classroom environment where children feel cared for, supported, and ready to participate fully in our daily activities. Beyond nourishment, snack time also supports social-emotional learning as we practice sharing, kindness, and healthy habits together.","fullyFundedDate":1757451352427,"projectUrl":"project/fueling-growing-minds-with-snacks/9537560/","projectTitle":"Fueling Growing Minds with Snacks!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. K","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8510124_orig.jpg?crop=1440,1440,x0,y336&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1656475313442","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-kamakaramos"},{"teacherId":9597934,"projectId":9774514,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, classroom snacks have become an important part of our daily routine. Students enjoy having access to healthy snacks that help them stay focused, energized, and ready to learn—especially during long mornings filled with reading, writing, and problem-solving. One special moment was watching students calmly transition back to learning after snack time, feeling settled, nourished, and ready to participate.\r\n\r\nWhen the snacks first arrived, students were genuinely excited and grateful. There were big smiles, quiet cheers, and many heartfelt \"thank yous.\" For some students, knowing they could count on a snack each day brought a sense of comfort and security. It helped create a positive, caring classroom environment where everyone felt supported.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, snack time will continue to be built into our daily schedule as a way to support both learning and well-being. Students are practicing responsibility by cleaning up after themselves and using snack time as a chance to build community through polite conversation and sharing. Because of you, our students are better able to focus, learn, and grow.","fullyFundedDate":1759416849070,"projectUrl":"project/sel-tools-and-trinkets/9774514/","projectTitle":"SEL tools and trinkets!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Anderson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9597934_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1743752618970","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9597934"},{"teacherId":9597934,"projectId":9844744,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, these new resources have quickly become a meaningful part of our daily learning. Students are using them during whole-group lessons, small groups, and independent work time to practice foundational skills like letter sounds, early writing, and problem-solving. One favorite moment was watching students work together during a literacy center—helping a classmate sound out a word and proudly rereading their work with confidence.\r\n\r\nWhen the materials first arrived, the excitement was immediate. Smiles, curious questions, and eager hands filled the room as students explored everything for the first time. Many students asked, \"Can we use this today?\"—and they were thrilled when the answer was yes! The resources felt special to them and helped boost motivation, especially for students who benefit from hands-on, engaging tools.\r\n\r\nNext, students will continue using these materials to deepen their learning as we move into more challenging lessons. We'll build on current skills by applying them to new reading and writing projects, strengthening independence, and encouraging collaboration. Because of you, students feel supported, confident, and excited to learn every day. Thank you for making such a meaningful difference in our classroom 💛","fullyFundedDate":1760917103798,"projectUrl":"project/kinder-essentials/9844744/","projectTitle":"Kinder Essentials","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Anderson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9597934_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1743752618970","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9597934"},{"teacherId":2091703,"projectId":9981144,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for my Lunar New Year materials. I especially liked the book Feasts and Festivals Around the World: From Lunar New Year to Christmas. I have a handful of students who don't celebrate holidays, so it's really nice to be able to remind students that I'm teaching them about different cultures, and that we're learning not celebrating, but we are celebrating learning.\r\nMost of my students don't need prizes to do art, but with the added component of using the engineering design process when choosing art materials and planning out what their art will look like, some of them needed the extra push. Those prizes came in handy! Thank you for helping me teach about Chinese New Year and other Lunar New Year celebrations.","fullyFundedDate":1767984464311,"projectUrl":"project/lunar-new-year-motivation/9981144/","projectTitle":"Lunar New Year Motivation","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mishima-Donahue","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2091703_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1458188707987","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-mishimadonahue"},{"teacherId":2091703,"projectId":9712281,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the snacks and food for my robotics team. I'm not sure if it's because I have more boys than last year, but they are a lot more hungry than previous years, even though my team overall is younger.\r\nThey have been enjoying breakfast and lunch at each tournament we have entered with SPAM and rice with the nori either as musubis or SPAM bowls. We were also able to make them nachos during our Fall and Winter Break practices with the cheese and chili. \r\nThe smaller snacks and drinks were the first to go since we have three practices a week. My class can't thank you enough for the support this season.","fullyFundedDate":1758636592380,"projectUrl":"project/robotics-recharge/9712281/","projectTitle":"Robotics Recharge","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mishima-Donahue","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2091703_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1458188707987","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-mishimadonahue"},{"teacherId":2091703,"projectId":9791344,"letterContent":"Thank you for your support in helping my students with their environmental PBL. Each year, my 5th grade students do a PBL in which they research and do something to make our school/community better. I let them lead the charge and facilitate wherever it leads. This opportunity is alway amazing because it allows my students to do things on a bigger scale than what I can produce on my own. With this project, my students were able to add recycle bins (and trash bags) to many of our common areas. They decided they didn't care about the money, and put a sign on the containers saying once the bag is full, anyone can take the bag as long as they put in another provided bag in the can so others can continue to recycle their cans and bottles. \r\nWe have one in our teacher's lounge, office, multimedia center, and cafe. We have two extra in the cafe that come out for family engagement events.\r\nThank you for helping us keep recyclables out of our landfills.","fullyFundedDate":1762360854255,"projectUrl":"project/recycling-matters/9791344/","projectTitle":"Recycling Matters","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mishima-Donahue","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2091703_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1458188707987","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-mishimadonahue"},{"teacherId":2091703,"projectId":9650195,"letterContent":"Thank you for the ability to print in color, 3D print that is! My students absolutely love the color printed items. We're still learning the ins and outs of how the painting works with our printing. We never knew there were so many elements to think bout when it comes to the amount of waste, and print time we needed to think about when doing color printing. Since we also want to think about our environment, we're now thinking about what we can do with all the waste from the 3D printer we didn't know we were going to have before we started.\r\nWe're also learning that we need a way to keep all of our different color filaments sealed air tight so they don't become brittle while not in use now that we're switching them out so much. It's exciting for them to now have so many new engineering problems to think about.\r\nThanks again!","fullyFundedDate":1762265276335,"projectUrl":"project/steam-and-cte-classes-rule/9650195/","projectTitle":"STEAM and CTE Classes Rule!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mishima-Donahue","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2091703_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1458188707987","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-mishimadonahue"},{"teacherId":4272828,"projectId":9910302,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our 5th grade students. Because of your kindness, our students now have access to earphones that allow them to fully participate in online tutoring sessions without distractions. This has made a meaningful difference in their ability to focus, listen closely, and engage confidently during instruction.\r\n\r\nThe earphones have helped create a more supportive learning environment where students can hear directions clearly and receive individualized help. In addition, the small candy incentives have been a powerful form of positive reinforcement. They motivate students to attend tutoring sessions, stay engaged, and put forth their best effort. These simple rewards help students feel recognized and encouraged for their hard work.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has directly impacted our students' learning and confidence. You have helped create a positive, motivating experience that supports both academic growth and perseverance. We are incredibly grateful for your investment in our classroom and for believing in our students' success. Thank you for making a lasting difference in their educational journey.\r\n\r\nWith sincere appreciation,","fullyFundedDate":1764010730256,"projectUrl":"project/listening-learning-and-leveling-up/9910302/","projectTitle":"Listening, Learning, and Leveling Up!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Gumm","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4272828_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1523420981163","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/makahap11"},{"teacherId":762182,"projectId":9781785,"letterContent":"CTE is a school and Complex Area wide initiative. The goal is to expose students to real world and skilled jobs that they will encounter once they leave school. We are continuing with weekly classes through March. We will have a open-house style presentation which is open to families and the community. There students will be able to share what they have been working on and why CTE has been meaningful for them. \r\n\r\nWe have set up several wood working projects for students. The class is a mix of kindergarten, first, and second grade students and is taught by myself and another teacher. \r\n\r\nThe students were very excited to be working with real tools. They have been able to keep materials organized in the work bins. They have stayed safe using their safety glasses. Our next project will be assembly and painting of our bird houses. This last project ties into our the work and learning they are experiencing on the 501c farm.","fullyFundedDate":1759596803091,"projectUrl":"project/career-and-technical-education-through-w/9781785/","projectTitle":"Career and Technical Education Through Wood Working","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Biel","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp762182_orig.jpg?crop=829,829,x0,y127&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1667066531455","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/jon-biel"},{"teacherId":11950,"projectId":9773042,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity and support of our classroom! Because of you, our students have been learning, growing, and smiling every single day.\r\nThe headphone jacks have been a total game-changer! They allow our students to plug their headphones into our new iPads so they can fully focus on their individual, differentiated work during center time. Having that quiet, personalized learning space has helped them stay engaged and confident as they learn at their own pace.\r\nThe dry erase markers were just the perfect size for little hands. They have been amazing for building proper pencil grip while students work through math problems and phonics activities. The excitement on their faces when practicing and showing off their work has been priceless!\r\nSnack time has also become a favorite part of the day thanks to the pretzels and popcorn. These tasty treats helped our students refuel, refocus, and power through the rest of the school day with happy hearts and energized minds.\r\nTo wrap up the day, the magnetic blocks have been an absolute hit! Students love building towers, cities, and creative structures, all while strengthening problem-solving skills and teamwork. Their imaginations truly come alive during this time.\r\nYour support has made a meaningful difference in our classroom, and we are so grateful for your kindness. Thank you for believing in our students and helping make learning both fun and engaging!","fullyFundedDate":1759537279149,"projectUrl":"project/tools-to-help-every-kindergartener-shine/9773042/","projectTitle":"Tools to Help Every Kindergartener Shine","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Dennis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp11950_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1524112795646","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/sarah-dennis"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_50800","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":409,"numTeachers":46,"percentFrplEligible":83,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":3,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":40,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"8.9:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":22.9,"schoolId":50800,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Makaha Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Makaha Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/hawaii/leeward-oahu-school-district/makaha-elementary-school/50800"}