Porter Middle School in Missoula, Montana on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Porter Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":33.8,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":149839,"projectId":9000940,"letterContent":"All of our 7th grade students embarked on a new reading journey this year with \"The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise\". This is the story of a 12-year-old girl who is traveling with her dad all over the country in a school bus, and due to certain events must go \"home\" (a place they haven't been in over 5 years). The catch is that she needs to get her dad to drive the bus \"home\" without him knowing. Coyote, the main character, is a warm and funny and strong character who immediately endeared herself to our students. She is the same age as our 7th graders, and her problems, worries, frustrations, and joys are shared by many of our students.\r\n\r\nWe read this book in several different ways: out loud listening as a whole class (see photo), out loud with partners (see photo), and silently individually (or listening on audiobook). Each day we would read 2-3 chapters and students had vocabulary words to define and find, as well as 1-2 comprehension questions that keyed in on the elements of plot which we had just studied. Once a week, we would have \"Book Clubs\", where students would discuss prompts and questions about the chapters for that week as a small group of 4-5 students. They LOVED Book Club days! (I forgot to get a photo. :-(. )\r\n\r\nThere are many wonderful \"quotable quotes\" and stand-alone quips by Coyote in this book, and we asked students to find favorites and write them on speech bubbles which we posted on a bulletin board for all to see (see photo). Over time, the board completely filled up! This was an engaging book for students toward the end of the year, with suspense right up to the very end! It was a big success! We are so grateful to our \"anonymous donor\" for making this unit possible. Our 7th Grade English Language Arts team is excited to include this book again next year in our curriculum, with even more interactive lessons and activities in the works that connect to Coyote's story! Thank you so very much!","fullyFundedDate":1735577762940,"projectUrl":"project/all-aboard-journey-with-coyote-sunrise/9000940/","projectTitle":"All Aboard! Journey with Coyote Sunrise Through a One-Book Unit","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Adams","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/149839"},{"teacherId":9018892,"projectId":8960274,"letterContent":"Having a full set of pickleball paddles and balls for our 8th grade Physical Education classes has been so impactful. When students first saw the new, bright paddles, they shouted their approval! Then, they began to claim specific colors: \"I want a blue one!!\" Generating enthusiasm for a PE unit from the onset makes the instructional and game-playing elements so much easier. Students were eager to learn about the rules for the \"kitchen\", score-keeping, and when to dink or overhead smash!\r\n\r\nThese new paddles and balls ensured that every student had high quality equipment - no one had an old, left-over broken paddle. After whole group instruction, students practiced skills with partners and in casual small-sided games. The large size and sticky grip of these new paddles ensured that every student, from advanced athletes to students with special needs (IEPs/adapted PE), could hit the ball. Some students who typically had much lower participation were delighted with the pickleball unit, and remarked, \"I'm actually good at this game!\" Movement is a universal language, so learning the game of pickleball was also easily accessible to our English Language Learning students.\r\n\r\nFinally, the PE classes progressed to a seeded, bracketed Pickleball Tournament, which students took very seriously. Some upsets occured, and students were so proud with each win in the double elimination tourney. Students who didn't advance in the tournament enjoyed the game so much, they happily played consolation matches until the bell rang at the end of the period each day. All students were able to demonstrate proficiency on the SHAPE America PE standards 1.8.11 (serving), 1.8.12 (forehand/backhand), 1.8.13 (volleying), 1.8.19 (defensive position), and most importantly, 4.8.3: \"Participates in a variety of physical activities that can positively affect personal health.\" \r\n\r\nHaving such high-quality materials to deliver instruction, encourage participation, and allow all students to experience success is a perfect match! Thank you very much for your contribution to CS Porter Physical Education!","fullyFundedDate":1741521736498,"projectUrl":"project/paddles-up-for-pickleball/8960274/","projectTitle":"Paddles Up For Pickleball!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McFarland","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9018892_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y586&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750260056217","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9018892"},{"teacherId":2089667,"projectId":8709118,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for funding this project! I am so excited about the books. I only have a few and will eventually acquire a class set, but they are wonderful in providing an Indigenous perspective of US history. Students are able to critically consider different point of views in the development of our country--good and bad. \r\n\r\nThe headphones have been awesome too. Not only do they provide extra support for our ESL students, but they also are being used by students in other classrooms. I've got lots of kids who are borrowing from me so they can use decent headphones to get their work done. Because I have a class set, I'm able to use them for classroom activities as well which is awesome at allowing students to work at their own pace. \r\n\r\nStudents have been quite respectful of the materials and I'm thrilled to have them to offer! Thank you so much for providing these tools!","fullyFundedDate":1725029425963,"projectUrl":"project/easing-the-way-for-ell-learners/8709118/","projectTitle":"Easing the Way for ELL Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Johnson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2089667"},{"teacherId":9774509,"projectId":8814825,"letterContent":"The introduction of sound-dampening earplugs has been very helpful for many of our students who are sensitive to loud or overwhelming environments. These students often described feeling distracted, overwhelmed, or even physically uncomfortable in busy classrooms or noisy school settings. With the earplugs, they now have a simple but effective tool to create a more comfortable learning environment for themselves. \r\n\r\nFor these students, the ability to focus without being overwhelmed by background noise has significantly improved their engagement with academic tasks. Teachers have reported noticeable improvements in students' ability to stay on task and participate in class discussions. \r\n\r\nAdditionally, these students are staying in class for longer periods of time and accessing Student Services staff less frequently. The impact goes beyond academics—it's also about creating an environment where students feel safe, supported, and capable of success. These earplugs have empowered our students to take charge of their own learning and well-being, showing them that their unique needs are seen and valued. 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About this school

Porter Middle School is an urban public school in Missoula, Montana that is part of Missoula County Public School District 1. It serves 589 students in grades 6 - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 19.0:1. Its teachers have had 32 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades 6 - 8

589 Students

31 Teachers

2510 W Central Ave

Missoula, MT 59804 View local requests

Evidence-based impact

Inspire teachers to stay in the classroom and boost student achievement.¹

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

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

Porter Middle School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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Porter Middle School Demographics

55%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

18%

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.

Porter Middle School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 4, 2025

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