{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Sylvan Hills Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":32.1,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":2557508,"projectId":9610858,"letterContent":"The \"Slice, Seal, and Solve: Tools for Engaging Math Lessons\" project has made a lasting impact on the way students learn and interact with mathematics in our classroom. With the laminating machine, laminating sheets, and cutting board, I am able to create durable, hands-on learning materials that students can use repeatedly. Math games, task cards, graphic organizers, reference tools, and other interactive resources can now withstand daily classroom use while giving students engaging ways to practice important mathematical concepts.\r\n\r\nThese materials have also allowed me to expand the variety of learning experiences I provide for my students. I can create reusable resources for collaborative activities, learning stations, small-group instruction, review, intervention, and enrichment. Instead of relying solely on worksheets, students can manipulate materials, work together to solve problems, and use dry-erase markers on laminated resources to practice, make corrections, and try new strategies. This encourages students to take risks, learn from mistakes, and become more confident problem solvers.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, this project is an investment that will continue benefiting students well beyond this school year. Being able to protect and reuse instructional materials allows me to stretch classroom resources while continuing to build a collection of high-quality activities that can be adapted to meet students' changing needs. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, I can spend more time creating meaningful, interactive learning experiences and less time replacing worn-out materials. \"Slice, Seal, and Solve\" has provided tools that will help make mathematics engaging, accessible, and memorable for countless students for years to come!","fullyFundedDate":1758202620877,"projectUrl":"project/slice-seal-and-solve-tools-for-engagi/9610858/","projectTitle":"Slice, Seal, and Solve: Tools for Engaging Math Lessons","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Sharon Brooks","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2557508_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1535179702127","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/teacherspbrooks"},{"teacherId":2557508,"projectId":9729003,"letterContent":"The \"Tuned in to Learning!\" project has brought an exciting and creative way to celebrate student achievement in our math classroom. The silent party headphones provide students with a unique reward for their hard work, academic growth, positive behavior, and commitment to learning. Students enjoy earning opportunities to use the headphones, making them a fun incentive that recognizes their efforts while adding something special to their classroom experience.\r\n\r\nThe headphones have also helped us reinforce a positive classroom culture by giving students something meaningful to work toward. Whether students are demonstrating perseverance with a challenging math concept, completing assignments, meeting academic goals, or making positive behavioral choices, the opportunity to earn headphone time provides additional motivation. Because students can enjoy music without disturbing their classmates, the reward allows them to celebrate their accomplishments while maintaining a productive learning environment for everyone.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, \"Tuned in to Learning!\" has helped us show students that their effort, growth, and positive choices deserve to be celebrated. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we can provide memorable experiences that bring joy into the classroom while encouraging students to continue striving toward their goals. These headphones are more than just a fun reward—they are another way to build student motivation, strengthen our classroom community, and remind our young scholars that hard work is worth celebrating!","fullyFundedDate":1764599265224,"projectUrl":"project/tuned-in-to-learning/9729003/","projectTitle":"Tuned In to Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Sharon Brooks","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2557508_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1535179702127","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/teacherspbrooks"},{"teacherId":2557508,"projectId":9052089,"letterContent":"The \"Journals: The Write Stuff for a Math Class\" project has made a meaningful impact on our students by providing them with a dedicated space to organize, explain, and reflect on their mathematical thinking. Rather than simply completing problems and moving on, students are able to document their strategies, show their reasoning, and make connections between concepts. The journals have become an important resource that students can use throughout the year to support their learning.\r\n\r\nMath journals have also helped students become more reflective and independent learners. Students can revisit previous lessons, review examples and strategies, identify mistakes, and track their growth over time. Writing about mathematics encourages students to think beyond simply finding the correct answer and instead focus on understanding why a strategy works. This process makes students' thinking visible and provides valuable opportunities for teachers to identify misconceptions and determine where additional support may be needed.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, the journals have helped students take greater ownership of their mathematical learning. Each journal becomes a personalized record of a student's progress, challenges, strategies, and successes. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, our students have a resource that encourages organization, critical thinking, reflection, and perseverance while helping them develop a deeper understanding of mathematics. In our classroom, journals truly are \"The Write Stuff\" for learning math!","fullyFundedDate":1737597528430,"projectUrl":"project/journals-the-write-stuff-for-math-cla/9052089/","projectTitle":"Journals: the \"Write\" Stuff for Math Class","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Sharon Brooks","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2557508_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1535179702127","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/teacherspbrooks"},{"teacherId":2557508,"projectId":9033446,"letterContent":"The \"Listening is Fundamental Too!\" project has had a positive impact on our students by providing them with headphones that support focused and engaging learning experiences. With access to their own headphones in the classroom, students are better able to concentrate on digital lessons, instructional videos, and other technology-based activities without being distracted by the sounds from neighboring devices. This has helped create a more productive learning environment where students can focus on the task at hand.\r\n\r\nThe headphones have also supported our efforts to provide personalized and differentiated instruction. Students can work independently at their own pace, replay instructional content when they need additional support, and engage with digital learning resources that provide immediate feedback. This is especially valuable in the math classroom, where students often need different levels of practice, explanation, and reinforcement. Headphones allow multiple students to engage in different learning activities simultaneously without disrupting one another.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, this project has helped make technology-based learning more accessible and meaningful for our students. Having a classroom set of headphones ensures that students can fully participate in learning activities regardless of whether they are able to bring headphones from home. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, our students have another valuable tool that promotes independence, concentration, and academic success. Listening truly is fundamental too!","fullyFundedDate":1736724287054,"projectUrl":"project/listening-is-fundamental-too/9033446/","projectTitle":"Listening is Fundamental Too!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Sharon Brooks","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2557508_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1535179702127","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/teacherspbrooks"},{"teacherId":2557508,"projectId":9577545,"letterContent":"The \"Ace-ing the Noise Problem\" project has made a noticeable difference in our classroom environment. Adding tennis balls to the legs of our desks and chairs has significantly reduced the scraping and distracting noises that occur throughout the school day. Students can now transition between activities with less disruption, making it easier to hear instructions, participate in discussions, and remain focused on learning. This simple solution has helped create a calmer and more comfortable classroom for everyone.\r\n\r\nThe tennis balls have also made our classroom much more flexible and responsive to students' learning needs. Desks and chairs can be moved quickly and quietly, allowing me to easily transition the classroom from independent practice to partner activities, collaborative groups, and teacher-led small-group instruction. Instead of worrying about the noise created by rearranging furniture, we can adjust our learning space whenever needed. This flexibility supports collaboration while allowing students to experience different learning structures throughout the class period.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, this project demonstrates how a simple classroom resource can have a tremendous impact on teaching and learning. Our students now have a quieter, more adaptable space that supports concentration, communication, collaboration, and engagement. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have transformed an everyday classroom challenge into an opportunity to create a learning environment that better meets the needs of every student. With our tennis balls in place, we are truly \"Ace-ing the Noise Problem!\"","fullyFundedDate":1758202616558,"projectUrl":"project/ace-ing-the-noise-problem/9577545/","projectTitle":"Ace-ing the Noise Problem","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Sharon Brooks","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp2557508_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1535179702127","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/teacherspbrooks"},{"teacherId":5962441,"projectId":7366812,"letterContent":"Because of your generosity, our classroom became a more engaging, student-centered learning environment. The silent disco headphones were one of the most versatile tools in our classroom. Students used them during independent assignments to listen to music while they worked, giving them the opportunity to create a learning environment that best supported their focus. We also used them during classroom celebrations and silent disco parties, allowing us to celebrate student success without disrupting neighboring classrooms. During testing, students who preferred listening to calming music were able to do so, helping create a comfortable atmosphere where they could focus on doing their best.\r\n\r\nOne of the biggest impacts was the increase in student engagement and independence. Students regularly asked if they could use the headphones during independent work because they recognized how much they helped them concentrate. The headphones also allowed students to listen to music without using their personal phones, eliminating a common source of distraction and helping them stay focused on their assignments. Giving students the choice to decide how they wanted to work fostered greater ownership of their learning and built their confidence. I noticed fewer classroom disruptions, increased focus, and more time spent on task, allowing students to maximize their learning. The headphones became a classroom favorite and were something students looked forward to using.\r\n\r\nThis project made a meaningful difference throughout the school year. My Algebra I students achieved a 100% pass rate with Proficient or Distinguished on the Georgia Milestones Math Assessments, earning our school the Georgia Math Leader School Outstanding Academic Achievement Award. While many factors contributed to this accomplishment, the silent disco headphones supported the positive, focused learning environment that helped our students succeed. Thank you for believing in my students and investing in innovative resources that made learning more engaging, enjoyable, and accessible. Your generosity left a lasting impact on our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1684841086743,"projectUrl":"project/press-play-on-possibilities/7366812/","projectTitle":"Press Play on Possibilities","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Bailey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5962441_orig.png?crop=894,894,x0,y17&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683597490806","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5962441"},{"teacherId":10189577,"projectId":9624298,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, the bean bags have transformed our media center into a cozy Literacy Lounge that students truly enjoy. We placed them in a reading area where students now love coming during lunch and free time to relax and read. When they first saw the bean bags, their excitement was immediate many rushed over to try them out with books in hand. It was wonderful to see students naturally drawn to the space. Moving forward, we plan to use the area for independent reading time and small group discussions, helping students strengthen their love for reading in a comfortable and welcoming environment. Thanks for providing this for our Golden Bear scholars.","fullyFundedDate":1765251858759,"projectUrl":"project/literacy-lounge/9624298/","projectTitle":"Literacy Lounge","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Lee","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10189577_orig.jpg?crop=459,459,x0,y15&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1755618065295","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10189577"},{"teacherId":10163363,"projectId":9560835,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our classroom now has a Student Zen Den—a space where students can relax, reset, and practice self-soothing strategies. Students use this area throughout the day to calm their minds with sensory tools, breathing activities, and quiet reflection before returning to learning.\r\n\r\nWhen students first saw the materials, they were excited and immediately curious. Several shared that the space made them feel safe and happy. One student even said, \"This helps me calm down when I feel upset.\" Seeing their faces light up showed how much they needed a place designed just for their emotional well-being.\r\n\r\nBecause of your contribution, students are learning healthy ways to manage stress and emotions. Our next steps include teaching guided breathing, journaling, and mindfulness activities so students can continue building independence and confidence in regulating their feelings.\r\n\r\nYour support has transformed our classroom into a space that nurtures both academic success and emotional growth. Thank you for making this possible.","fullyFundedDate":1759264935644,"projectUrl":"project/student-zen-den/9560835/","projectTitle":"Student Zen Den","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Alexandre","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10163363_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1760448107654","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10163363"},{"teacherId":8653480,"projectId":6945946,"letterContent":"Many students are often in the shadows and slip through the cracks because of a lack of confidence. Some of them exhibit unacceptable behavior. I strive to seek these students out and encourage them to participate in a sport. \r\n\r\nThe title \"student athlete\" means a lot to our scholars and we emphasize that implies that you are a \"good student\" first,\r\n \r\nOnce a scholar becomes a member of a team he/she takes on the responsibility of being a team player not just on the field or court but in the classroom as well. This more often than not, diminishes problem behavior and enhances the success of the student.","fullyFundedDate":1677034422578,"projectUrl":"project/creating-a-positive-correlation-between/6945946/","projectTitle":"Creating a Positive Correlation Between Academics and Athletics.","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Polite","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8653480"},{"teacherId":9082499,"projectId":10004216,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my \"Support Deaf Student\" project. Because of you, my students now have access to technology that helps them learn more confidently and independently every day. Many of my scholars use devices at home, but the tools you provided are being used in a much more intentional way at school—helping them practice key skills, stay engaged during instruction, and access learning in ways that match how they communicate best. For my Deaf and hard of hearing students especially, having strong visual supports and consistent access to digital materials makes a real difference in understanding directions, building vocabulary, and participating fully in class activities.\r\n\r\nThe most exciting part for my students is that the new materials make learning feel more interactive and student-friendly. Instead of simply hearing information and trying to remember it, they can see it, work with it, and revisit it as many times as they need. I've noticed students becoming more motivated when they realize they can follow along without feeling lost or left behind. Some students who typically hesitate to participate are now raising their hands more, completing assignments with more confidence, and showing pride in their progress. It's powerful to watch them feel empowered by tools that actually support their learning needs.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has made my classroom more accessible, more inclusive, and more supportive for every learner—especially students who need communication and visual access to thrive. Thank you for believing in my scholars and for helping create a learning environment where they feel seen, supported, and capable. We truly appreciate you.","fullyFundedDate":1769177031815,"projectUrl":"project/support-deaf-student/10004216/","projectTitle":"Support Deaf Student","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. JeanPierre-Foy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9082499_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1767992819182","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9082499"},{"teacherId":9608238,"projectId":9590524,"letterContent":"I cannot thank you enough for supporting our projects, Pi in the Sky and Peace on the Floor. The new resources have already made such a difference in our classroom. The tennis balls on our chair legs have turned our once noisy space into a calm, focused environment where students can concentrate without the constant scraping of chairs. The snacks have been equally impactful, giving my students the energy and confidence to learn without worrying about being hungry.\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite moments was during our recent \"Pi in the Sky\" math activity. Students rotated through puzzle stations, and for the first time, they moved smoothly and quietly between groups—staying engaged in solving problems instead of being distracted by the noise of the room. When we wrapped up, they were thrilled to celebrate their hard work with the snacks you helped provide. Their excitement and joy showed me how much these small but meaningful resources matter.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the tennis balls on their chairs, they laughed, tested them out, and immediately noticed the difference. And when the snack box appeared, the whole class erupted with cheers. They were amazed that someone they had never met cared enough to give them both comfort and fuel for their learning journey.\r\n\r\nBecause of your generosity, my students are now better prepared to dive into our next big project: connecting math skills to real-world situations. With the quiet environment and the energy to focus, they are ready to tackle new challenges with confidence and enthusiasm.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and investing in their success. Your kindness has made our classroom a place of peace, focus, and joy.","fullyFundedDate":1755646466864,"projectUrl":"project/pi-in-the-sky-and-peace-on-the-floor/9590524/","projectTitle":"Pi in the Sky… and Peace on the Floor","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Dooley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9608238_orig.jpg?crop=750,750,x0,y225&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1721931704549","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/vndooley"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_49350","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":447,"numTeachers":44,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":96,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":2,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"10.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":67.9,"schoolId":49350,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Sylvan Hills Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Sylvan Hills Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/georgia/atlanta-public-schools/parks-middle-school/49350"}