Pierce Middle School in Tampa, Florida on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Pierce Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":24.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9978802,"projectId":9549431,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, my middle school band students now have high-quality saxophone mouthpieces and fresh reeds that have truly transformed their playing experience. In our daily rehearsals and lessons, we're using these new resources to focus on building better tone production, improved intonation, and greater control over dynamics and articulation. With the upgraded mouthpieces and properly matched reeds, the sax section's sound opened up dramatically—richer, more even across registers, and far less airy or strained than before. It allowed them to play with confidence, hit those high notes cleanly, and blend beautifully as a group, turning what used to be a frustrating passage into something they were proud to perform.\r\nThe students' reactions when they first unpacked and tried the new materials were priceless—wide eyes, big grins, and immediate exclamations like \"Whoa, this actually sounds good!\" and \"I can play so much easier now!\" Many had been struggling with the old, worn-out student-model mouthpieces and inconsistent reeds that made even basic notes feel like a battle. Switching to these better options gave them that instant \"aha\" moment: suddenly, the instrument responded to their efforts instead of fighting them. It reignited their enthusiasm, with several kids asking to stay after class just to experiment and practice more.\r\nLooking ahead, we're building on this momentum in our current unit preparing for the spring concert. Students are now tackling more challenging pieces that demand expressive phrasing and dynamic contrasts, skills that are much more accessible with reliable equipment. Your donation hasn't just provided supplies; it's given these young musicians the tools to grow musically, stay motivated, and fall even more in love with band. Thank you from the bottom of my heart—and from all the smiling sax players in the room!","fullyFundedDate":1764708132240,"projectUrl":"project/saxophone-mouthpieces-and-reeds/9549431/","projectTitle":"Saxophone Mouthpieces and Reeds","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Beatty","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9978802"},{"teacherId":818282,"projectId":9755555,"letterContent":"The classroom buzzed with excitement when the packages arrived. Each student was assigned a kit and when they completed their work in class, they sat and built their handheld game. The word spread quickly throughout the school and student outside of robotics class stopped by to see if they could also create a game and therefore has increased interest in our STEM program. \r\n\r\nMy students gained practical lesson in soldering, reading schematics and identifying electric components. This aligns with our curriculum standards, including: CTE-TECED.912.9410110.4.3\r\nIdentify and describe the operation of common electronic components and CTE-TECED.912.9410110.4.6 Perform basic soldering techniques and breadboard construction.\r\n\r\nBeing able to provide fun hands-on activities makes it easy to teach a high school level class in a middle school classroom. My students will go into high school with not only the course units, but a technical skill set that will undoubtably be valuable in future workforce.","fullyFundedDate":1761324286554,"projectUrl":"project/robotics-jitterbug-boogie/9755555/","projectTitle":"Robotics Jitterbug Boogie","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sigrun","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp818282_orig.jpg?crop=865,865,x198,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708832576906","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/sira75"},{"teacherId":10037594,"projectId":9629812,"letterContent":"\"As soon as the boxes arrived in the classroom, I had 6 student helpers and 1 student assistant unbox all the new mats! At first, they didn't have a clue what could possibly be in the large boxes. Once they were unboxed and physically laid eyes on the new mats, a bunch of the students immediately asked if we were going to use the mats in that same days lesson. I sensed a lot of joy; realizing that no longer would they have to lay down on rag tag 60 year old fitness mats!\r\n\r\n10/10 would recommend for any P.E classroom","fullyFundedDate":1758296088041,"projectUrl":"project/new-gym-fitness-mats-to-replace-mats-fro/9629812/","projectTitle":"New Gym Fitness Mats to Replace Mats From the 1960's!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Torres","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10037594"},{"teacherId":818282,"projectId":9176775,"letterContent":"As a teacher of engineering students, the moment the table arrived, I immediately had 4 volunteers ready to assemble the table, one at each leg. I can't say who was more excited, them or me. Watching their enthusiasm in contributing to our classroom and taking ownership in making our learning environment better was endearing. \r\n\r\nThe assembly was easy. The table will allow more students to gather around for instructions, collaboration and brainstorming. I uploaded the \"before\" and \"after\" pictures. It is not just a table, it is a statement. It tells my students that I value them in my space. My open-desk policy is now open for business!","fullyFundedDate":1746786344014,"projectUrl":"project/the-bots-of-the-half-round-table/9176775/","projectTitle":"The Bots of the Half Round Table","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sigrun","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp818282_orig.jpg?crop=865,865,x198,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708832576906","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/sira75"},{"teacherId":9978802,"projectId":9211935,"letterContent":"Words cannot express how thankful I am for your generous donation to our Band Program here at Pierce. It may be 1 saxophone but it impacts everyone in the ensemble. The quality is excellent and the band as a whole is better for it. The student body is very excited for the new addition to the band. Seeing something brand new and of quality impacts everyone and improves the overall sense of pride for our program. \r\nOur next steps in class are to prepare for our next couple of performances at the local high school. 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About this school

Pierce Middle School is a suburban public school in Tampa, Florida that is part of Hillsborough County Public School District. It serves 858 students in grades 6 - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 13.8:1. Its teachers have had 37 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades 6 - 8

858 Students

62 Teachers

5511 N Hesperides St

Tampa, FL 33614 View local requests

Direct, proactive support

Empower teachers at Pierce Middle School to request what their students need.

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

Pierce Middle School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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Pierce Middle School Demographics

71%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

92%

of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

Pierce Middle School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Mar 12, 2026

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.