{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Odyssey Preparatory Academy","outOfStateSupporters":50.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9557454,"projectId":10344881,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping bring ukuleles into our music classroom! My students have been so excited to finally get their hands on them and start learning how to play. We have been working on how to properly hold the ukulele, strum, and play our first few chords. It has been so much fun watching students get excited when they realize they can actually make music on a brand-new instrument.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the ukuleles, they could not wait to play them. I heard so many questions about when we were going to start and what songs we would eventually be able to play. Seeing that excitement has been one of my favorite parts of this project. The ukuleles have given my students something new to look forward to in music class and a new way to challenge themselves.\r\n\r\nNext, we will continue learning more chords and practicing how to switch between them. Our goal is to eventually put everything together and play songs as a class. I am excited to see how much their confidence grows as we continue practicing and learning together.\r\n\r\nThank you again for supporting my students and making this possible. These ukuleles are something we will be able to use with students year after year, and I am so grateful that you helped give them this experience!","fullyFundedDate":1785257937932,"projectUrl":"project/strumming-toward-success/10344881/","projectTitle":"Strumming Toward Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Stencel","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9557454_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1720228039648","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9557454"},{"teacherId":9557454,"projectId":10422392,"letterContent":"These new Remo drums have brought so much excitement and energy into our music classroom! Having a larger collection of classroom drums means that more students can actively participate at the same time instead of waiting for a turn or sharing an instrument. We have been using the drums to practice steady beat, rhythm patterns, dynamics, listening skills, and ensemble playing.\r\n\r\nThe students were incredibly excited when they first saw all of the new drums. One of my favorite moments was hearing an entire group play a rhythm together and watching them realize that they had to listen to one another to stay together as an ensemble. Drumming is naturally exciting for elementary students, but it also gives us a fun way to practice self-control, teamwork, and following a conductor. There is nothing quite like seeing a room full of students completely focused because they are excited to make music together!\r\n\r\nOur next step is to continue developing our percussion and ensemble skills. Students will begin learning more complex rhythm patterns, creating their own rhythms, and combining different patterns to create classroom percussion ensembles. As their skills grow, I also hope to give students more opportunities to lead their classmates and create their own musical performances.\r\n\r\nThank you so much for giving my students the opportunity to experience hands-on music making! These drums will be used by hundreds of young musicians and will continue making our music classroom a more engaging, creative, and joyful place for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1787320722789,"projectUrl":"project/bring-the-beat-to-our-classroom/10422392/","projectTitle":"Bring the Beat to Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Stencel","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9557454_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1720228039648","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9557454"},{"teacherId":9557454,"projectId":10422327,"letterContent":"These new music posters have made a wonderful addition to our classroom! The posters cover important concepts we use throughout the year, including solfège, piano chords, music vocabulary, and the instrument families. Instead of simply hearing me explain a concept, students now have colorful visual references they can look at throughout our lessons. I have especially enjoyed seeing students independently look toward the posters when they need a reminder rather than immediately asking me for help.\r\n\r\nMy students were excited when they first saw the new posters and immediately started looking through them and pointing out things they already recognized. One of my favorite moments has been watching students use the instrument family posters during our lessons. They can look at the different instruments, identify which family they belong to, and connect what they see on the wall to the sounds we are hearing in class. The solfège and music vocabulary posters have also become helpful references during our singing, listening, and music-reading activities.\r\n\r\nOur next step is to continue building on these concepts as students become more independent musicians. Younger students will use the posters as they learn basic music vocabulary, solfège, and instrument families, while my older students will begin applying more advanced concepts such as chords and music reading. Because I teach multiple grade levels, these resources will grow with my students and support their learning year after year.\r\n\r\nThank you so much for helping make our music classroom a more colorful, engaging, and supportive place to learn. These posters are more than decorations—they are learning tools that my students can use every day!","fullyFundedDate":1787320466289,"projectUrl":"project/building-better-musicians-one-poster-at/10422327/","projectTitle":"Building Better Musicians, One Poster at a Time","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Stencel","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9557454_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1720228039648","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9557454"},{"teacherId":9557454,"projectId":10102036,"letterContent":"I am definitely the kind of book person who likes to highlight, underline, and make notes as I read. When I find an idea that I can use in my music classroom, I want to mark it so I can easily come back to it later. Most of my reading and studying happens at home, usually somewhere comfortable with a highlighter nearby. As I read, I am constantly thinking about my K–5 students and asking myself, \"How could I use this in my classroom?\" I especially enjoy finding practical ideas that I can try right away.\r\n\r\nThese books have given me ideas that apply to several different parts of being an elementary music teacher. Integrating Music Across the Elementary Curriculum by Kristin Harney has helped me think about ways music can connect with subjects students are learning in their regular classrooms. It has inspired me to look for connections between music and literacy, math, history, movement, and other areas of learning.\r\n\r\nClassroom Management for Art, Music, and PE Teachers by Michael Linsin has been especially helpful because music is such an active classroom environment. Students are constantly moving, singing, playing instruments, and working together. The book has helped me think more intentionally about routines, expectations, transitions, and how I can create an environment where students can have fun making music while still being successful and respectful.\r\n\r\nThe WOW Factor by Dr. Steve Zegree has encouraged me to think about how I can help students become more confident and expressive performers. One of my biggest goals is for students to understand that performing music is about more than simply singing or playing the correct notes. It is also about communicating, working together, and taking pride in what they create.\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite things about these books is that I can take what I am learning and immediately look for ways to apply it with my students. I have become more intentional about establishing routines before students begin using instruments, making transitions clearer, and helping students understand exactly what is expected of them during music-making activities.\r\n\r\nA favorite classroom moment is seeing students successfully use those routines and then become completely engaged in making music together. There is something special about watching a class go from excitedly getting instruments to listening, following directions, and eventually performing together as an ensemble. When students finish and realize that they created something that actually sounds good, you can see how proud they are.\r\n\r\nThese books are not only helping me grow as an educator; the ideas I am learning are making their way directly to my students. I am incredibly grateful to the donors who provided these resources and invested in my professional growth. What I learn from these books has the potential to impact hundreds of young musicians who come through my classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1781290936968,"projectUrl":"project/unlocking-musical-talent-curriculum-fo/10102036/","projectTitle":"“Unlocking Musical Talent: Curriculum for Every Student”","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Stencel","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9557454_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1720228039648","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9557454"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_131163","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":700,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":43,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":26,"percentWhite":45,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":17,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":8,"gradesServed":"K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":50.0,"schoolId":131163,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Odyssey Preparatory Academy on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Odyssey Preparatory Academy","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/florida/brevard-public-schools/odyssey-preparatory-academy/131163"}