{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Junior High School 217 Robert A Van Wyck","outOfStateSupporters":26.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9587819,"projectId":9064920,"letterContent":"I am so excited to share about such a successful project; that would not have been possible without you!! When I first embarked on this journey I set out making an Earth Day t-shirt. What I got was a shirt that was not only creative and thoughtful but also a collaborative effort on the part of my students. I could not have foreseen their excitement and ownership in making this t-shirt. They were so eager to see it completed despite the obstacles. There were three phases to this project which included both the Cricut Maker 3 and the Easy Press 2. Both were needed to complete this project.\r\n\r\nDuring Phase One, students began exploring four key environmental issues- water pollution, air pollution, landfill contamination and global climate change. After researching their impacts on the local, regional and global levels; groups designed a t-shirt to either raise awareness of their cause or inspire others to care for the environment. A class vote determined the final 4 designs which would be presented and voted on by all 4 of my classes. The students utilized the engineering design process and learned the importance of flexibility. Due to image constraint in the Cricut Design Space students needed to revise their selected design. There were 2 additional variations before the final design was complete. The students were resilient and were even more excited about their revisions.\r\n\r\nDuring Phase Two, students began creating the t-shirts using the Cricut Maker 3. Each class helped to cut, measure, organize, and prepare the vinyl for the cutting mat which went into the Cricut Maker 3. Each student selected their role - Weeder(separated the design from the vinyl after printing using the weeding tool), Cutter (cut individual design pieces ensuring each person had all of the pieces to the design) and Presser (checked the organization of t-shirts before final pressing with the Easy Press 2 machine). Giving each student an opportunity to choose their role helped to establish student ownership. This process also helped to develop skills such as patience, attention to detail, active listening, collaboration and communication.\r\n\r\nDuring Phase Three, students used the Easy Press 2 machine to create their final t-shirt. In order to accomplish this goal, students checked each shirt for all of the design components, placed the design pieces correctly on the shirt (through measurement), set the temperature and time on the East Press 2 based on the material of the shirt (based on the heating guide provided on Cricut Design Space) and then began to press the design on the t-shirt. Students had to first heat the shirt and then wait for the vinyl to cool before taking off the protective film. They learned if they pulled off the film too quickly the design would not set and they would have to reapply heat. Sometimes the students would forget to cover the design that was already heated and applied the heat directly to the vinyl. They learned quickly that this would melt the vinyl!!! By the end, we created solutions for mistakes and they were happy with their final creation. The students were so proud of the work that they did. Even those who were apprehensive at first with using the Easy Press jumped right in and gave it a try. Due to all of the excitement in the classroom and the news of our t-shirts, staff wanted to be a part of the action. So the students helped to make t-shirts for the staff too!! We selected a day to showcase our finished designs and when the students saw the teachers wearing the shirts too it brought a sense of community and the students said \" We made those shirts!!\" with lots of smiles!!\r\n\r\nThis project was a learning curve for all!! Many challenges and changes took place as we tried to organize all of the moving parts. My projected goal was to have the t-shirts ready by Earth Day. That did not happen; but we selected another day in honor of Earth Day. Despite the delay the students had an unforgettable experience. My classes and I learned so much about being flexible and embracing mistakes as a part of the process. I am looking forward to the next Cricut Maker 3 and Easy Press 2 adventure!! Thank you so much for your support in making my Earth Day t-shirt project possible!!","fullyFundedDate":1738844177450,"projectUrl":"project/inspiring-innovation-earth-day-t-shirt/9064920/","projectTitle":"Inspiring Innovation: Earth Day T-Shirt with Cricut Easy Press 2","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Ransom","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9587819"},{"teacherId":3846943,"projectId":8735390,"letterContent":"We've been integrating the new materials into a variety of classroom activities, and it's made such a positive difference in both engagement and learning outcomes. One of the standout projects so far involved a group activity where students worked together to organize their thoughts on a complex social-emotional learning topic using the new discussion cubes. These cubes, which have prompts like 'How would you feel in this situation?' and 'What would you do next?' allowed students to dig deeper into their emotions and perspectives in a way that felt fun and interactive. The social-emotional discussions that followed were rich and meaningful, and students were able to share and listen with a lot more empathy because of it.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the materials, they were so excited—especially the new highlighters and dry erase markers. The highlighters have made note-taking more dynamic and helped students visually organize their ideas in ways that were really motivating. The dry erase markers also have been a game-changer for brainstorming and problem-solving activities. We've used them on the classroom whiteboards and tables for everything from group projects to quick warm-up exercises, and they've made the classroom feel more interactive and hands-on.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we're focusing on the next phase of our social-emotional learning unit. Students will be using the discussion cubes to explore more complex situations, allowing them to engage in deeper conversations around empathy, conflict resolution, and self-awareness. We also plan to incorporate more collaborative note-taking and brainstorming sessions using the highlighters and dry erase markers, which will help reinforce their skills in organization, reflection, and communication.","fullyFundedDate":1732051829773,"projectUrl":"project/make-it-make-sense/8735390/","projectTitle":"Make it Make Sense","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Collado","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3846943_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1472953249417","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3846943"},{"teacherId":9587819,"projectId":8796874,"letterContent":"I am so excited to share about such a successful project; that would not have been possible without you!! When I first embarked on this journey I set out making an Earth Day t-shirt. What I got was a shirt that was not only creative and thoughtful but also a collaborative effort on the part of my students. I could not have foreseen their excitement and ownership in making this t-shirt. They were so eager to see it completed despite the obstacles. There were three phases to this project which included both the Cricut Maker 3 and the Easy Press 2. Both were needed to complete this project.\r\n During Phase One, students began exploring four key environmental issues- water pollution, air pollution, landfill contamination and global climate change. After researching their impacts on the local, regional and global levels; groups designed a t-shirt to either raise awareness of their cause or inspire others to care for the environment. A class vote determined the final 4 designs which would be presented and voted on by all 4 of my classes. The students utilized the engineering design process and learned the importance of flexibility. Due to image constraint in the Cricut Design Space students needed to revise their selected design. There were 2 additional variations before the final design was complete. The students were resilient and were even more excited about their revisions.\r\n During Phase Two, students began creating the t-shirts using the Cricut Maker 3. Each class helped to cut, measure, organize, and prepare the vinyl for the cutting mat which went into the Cricut Maker 3. Each student selected their role - Weeder(separated the design from the vinyl after printing using the weeding tool), Cutter (cut individual design pieces ensuring each person had all of the pieces to the design) and Presser (checked the organization of t-shirts before final pressing with the Easy Press 2 machine). Giving each student an opportunity to choose their role helped to establish student ownership. This process also helped to develop skills such as patience, attention to detail, active listening, collaboration and communication. \r\n During Phase Three, students used the Easy Press 2 machine to create their final t-shirt. In order to accomplish this goal, students checked each shirt for all of the design components, placed the design pieces correctly on the shirt (through measurement), set the temperature and time on the East Press 2 based on the material of the shirt (based on the heating guide provided on Cricut Design Space) and then began to press the design on the t-shirt. Students had to first heat the shirt and then wait for the vinyl to cool before taking off the protective film. They learned if they pulled off the film too quickly the design would not set and they would have to reapply heat. Sometimes the students would forget to cover the design that was already heated and applied the heat directly to the vinyl. They learned quickly that this would melt the vinyl!!! By the end, we created solutions for mistakes and they were happy with their final creation. The students were so proud of the work that they did. Even those who were apprehensive at first with using the Easy Press jumped right in and gave it a try. Due to all of the excitement in the classroom and the news of our t-shirts, staff wanted to be a part of the action. So the students helped to make t-shirts for the staff too!! We selected a day to showcase our finished designs and when the students saw the teachers wearing the shirts too it brought a sense of community and the students said \" We made those shirts!!\" with lots of smiles!!\r\n This project was a learning curve for all!! Many challenges and changes took place as we tried to organize all of the moving parts. My projected goal was to have the t-shirts ready by Earth Day. That did not happen; but we selected another day in honor of Earth Day. Despite the delay the students had an unforgettable experience. My classes and I learned so much about being flexible and embracing mistakes as a part of the process. I am looking forward to the next Cricut Maker 3 and Easy Press 2 adventure!! Thank you so much for your support in making my Earth Day t-shirt project possible!!","fullyFundedDate":1737086072306,"projectUrl":"project/merging-creativity-and-technology-in-sci/8796874/","projectTitle":"Merging Creativity and Technology in Science with the Cricut","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Ransom","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9587819"},{"teacherId":8557769,"projectId":8885262,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for giving us the gift of a color printer! Because of your donations, the students have been able to analyze and create their own games to teach others about they have learned about financial literacy. Some games teach about the value and variety of ways to save, others teach the value of investment and financial growth. All of the lessons includes some form of awareness regarding scams and credible resources. Having the ability to print their projects allows them to take their learning to the next level by giving them the chance to showcase their work to other students at our student showcase.","fullyFundedDate":1734452089606,"projectUrl":"project/literally-literate/8885262/","projectTitle":"Literally Literate!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Morello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8557769_orig.png?crop=361,361,x49,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689940795033","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8557769"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_1019","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1266,"numTeachers":90,"percentFrplEligible":85,"percentAsian":25,"percentBlack":12,"percentWhite":4,"percentIndigenous":3,"percentLatinx":51,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"14.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":74.0,"schoolId":1019,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Junior High School 217 Robert A Van Wyck on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Junior High School 217 Robert A Van Wyck","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/new-york/new-york-city-dept-of-ed/ms-217-robert-van-wyck/1019"}