{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Sequoia Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":63.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":470517,"projectId":9969779,"letterContent":"How on Earth can the thin fibrous floor mats you provided absorb so much water? I am baffled, and grateful to have these mats to prevent students (and me) from slipping when the smallest amount of water makes our floor super slippery. They hold so much water, keep the floor beneath perfectly dry, and also dry quickly! They are machine washable, which will be good when they get very salty or someone spills stinky liquid microalgae coral food. Adding to convenience and safety, the new 20-gallon Brute garbage can on a sturdy wheeled base is proving to be perfect for doing water changes on our aquariums, then rolling it over to the door to pump water onto nearby vegetation or into a sewer access point. We also have a storm drain nearby, but that flows directly into our creek, so we rarely use it. \r\n\r\nThis can is perfect because it is durable, easy to store, and can be repurposed when we want to try a new venture. Being rated \"food safe,\" it is safe for the fresh and salt water used with our sea creatures, as well as holding creatures temporarily. The manageable size means students can roll it around where it is needed and also reach in to retrieve any small snails or crabs inadvertently siphoned out through tubing during water changes. Adding to its versatility, its rolling base fits our trio of 32-gallon Brute cans students use constantly with fresh and salt water for water changes, and also replacing evaporated water, which alone averages over 30 gallons per week.\r\n\r\nThe calculators are working perfectly! They have been used in both 8th grade science classrooms constantly during our semester of motion and forces. They are simple, durable, even with the fidgety kids whose hands cannot help fiddling with anything within their reach. While they do not do high level math, students just finished a culminating project about energy designing a roller coaster, and I had forgotten when selecting these calculators that calculating kinetic energy requires the square root function. Yes! These small but mighty units do indeed have that button! We will be obtaining more of this model of calculator for sure!\r\n\r\nI really appreciate DAILY your support of these science and aquatic studies students. A program of hands-on activities is definitely the way to build analytical thinking, practical skills, collaborative discussion, and confidence in middle school students! Your direct contribution to this is apparent every time former students stop by or contact me. After high school, college, grad school, internships, and jobs from typical STEM fields to construction to law to animal care to teaching, they vividly recount activities they did back in our middle school classroom and how they are grateful they had those experiences. You made these experiences happen!","fullyFundedDate":1766601283702,"projectUrl":"project/supplies-for-stem-experiential-learning/9969779/","projectTitle":"Supplies for Stem Experiential Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Horne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp470517_orig.png?crop=275,275,x0,y23&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1566689341670","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/horne"},{"teacherId":10070730,"projectId":9766687,"letterContent":"Thank you so much to DonorsChoose for providing a MacBook to support my professional learning. This device has greatly improved my ability to participate in online workshops, plan lessons, and continue learning from home.\r\nBuilding Thinking Classrooms has been a major focus of my professional growth, and having reliable access to the BTC online workshop through this MacBook has made a huge difference. I am able to easily watch videos, revisit strategies, reflect on my practice, and thoughtfully plan lessons that center student thinking and engagement.\r\nIn addition, this MacBook allows me to efficiently upload and organize instructional resources, including photos and examples of student work from our vertical whiteboards. Sharing and reflecting on this work helps me better analyze student thinking, adjust instruction, and create richer learning opportunities.\r\nBecause of this increased access to high-quality professional learning and classroom resources, I am better equipped to design meaningful math experiences for my students that promote problem-solving, collaboration, and confidence. Thank you for investing in the tools that allow me to grow as an educator and, ultimately, better support my students' learning.","fullyFundedDate":1759186918514,"projectUrl":"project/teacher-learning-student-learning/9766687/","projectTitle":"Teacher Learning = Student Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Saboor","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10070730_orig.png?crop=202,202,x0,y32&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1751669453715","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10070730"},{"teacherId":10070730,"projectId":9729864,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for funding my year-long access to the Building Thinking Classrooms online workshop through DonorsChoose. Your generosity has had a direct and lasting impact on my students and my teaching practice as a math teacher.\r\nThe Building Thinking Classrooms workshop has become an essential resource that I consistently return to when planning lessons, reflecting on student learning, and refining my instruction. The ongoing access to videos, examples, and strategies allows me to thoughtfully design math experiences that encourage students to think deeply, collaborate, and engage meaningfully with mathematical concepts rather than simply follow procedures.\r\nBecause of this workshop, my classroom has shifted to a more student-centered environment where students feel more confident sharing their thinking, taking risks, and learning from one another. I am better equipped to anticipate student misconceptions, ask purposeful questions, and create tasks that promote problem-solving and perseverance. This has led to increased engagement, richer mathematical discussions, and a stronger sense of ownership over learning among my students.\r\nHaving a year-long resource that I can revisit at any time has made my job easier and more effective, allowing me to continuously improve my practice while keeping students at the center of every instructional decision. Thank you for investing in my professional learning and, most importantly, in my students' success in mathematics.","fullyFundedDate":1758790494701,"projectUrl":"project/building-thinking-classrooms-in-mathemat/9729864/","projectTitle":"Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Saboor","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10070730_orig.png?crop=202,202,x0,y32&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1751669453715","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10070730"},{"teacherId":470517,"projectId":9863984,"letterContent":"Woohoo! What a great assortment of corals we were able to obtain through this project! I selected ones that would be appropriate for the conditions in each of our classroom reef tanks and are not commonly found in local reefkeepers' aquariums and at coral swaps. This will increase the biodiversity of captively maintained and bred corals in our region!\r\n\r\nWhen we received our shipments, my Aquatic Studies students learned how to dip them in various solutions to remove pests or treat damaged tissue. They then placed their new creatures in a small quarantine system to observe their health and possible pests before transferring them to other tanks around our room to care for them until they grow big enough to divide and share with other reefkeepers.\r\n\r\nI love hanging back and watching my students teach each other new tank jobs, observe changes in their corals, ask questions about them and their interactions, and become more interested in what they see. Of course, I am also pleased to see them developing strong practical and science process skills!\r\n\r\nMy students think it is very cool to propagate their corals using various methods and trade or \"back them up\" with other reefkeepers so that if one piece dies, the other pieces may live on, keeping the original specimen alive somewhere. Sadly, coral reefs may become rare or extinct in my students' lifetime, so I appreciate your help in giving them the opportunity to observe and value the amazing coral reef ecosystem and our ocean! Charlie Veron, \"godfather of the Great Barrier Reef\" and author of a wonderful and surprising autobiography, believes that all classrooms should contain an aquarium, and I see why! Thanks to you, over 300 students per year in my middle school Science and Aquatic Studies classes are surrounded by boxes of ocean!","fullyFundedDate":1761893478579,"projectUrl":"project/experiential-learning-in-methods-of-cora/9863984/","projectTitle":"Experiential Learning in Methods of Coral Propagation","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Horne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp470517_orig.png?crop=275,275,x0,y23&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1566689341670","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/horne"},{"teacherId":470517,"projectId":9538802,"letterContent":"Well, some students came and did a great job trying their hand at \"fragging\" corals. There are different techniques for dividing different types of corals with different structures and growth habits. Students love using various tools to divide them, then mount the cuttings. The gloves are important to protect hands from chemicals exuded by soft corals in particular, sharp edges of stony corals, as well as the (excessive globs of) super glue students used to mount the fragments to keep them from blowing around the tank or falling into the sand while they are still tiny. The entire class also used the gloves in their dissection of clams and oysters in their last unit of the semester course. The two sizes of high quality dry pellet food were immediately put into our automatic feeders that keep our two sizes of clownfish pairs fed over weekends and school breaks. \r\n\r\nThe upcoming aqua class will care for the \"baby corals\" and keep tank parameters suitable for growing them out. Some students set up data tables and dated photos or sketches to compare future growth. Others used a PAR meter to measure light at various radii from light point sources and depths in our tanks and compare to published guidelines for suitable light for different coral species. I hope to have everyone get to try this next semester and also monitor and adjust our PAR levels (intensity and color) as we continue to rejuvenate our mature tanks in the new year. \r\n\r\nPropagating coral is one of my favorite activities in this elective class, as well as very interesting for many students. We are part of a regional club consisting of reef tank hobbyists as well as shop owners and keepers/advisors to public aquariums. We \"back up\" each other's coral frags in order to increase diversity in our tanks as well as keep pieces growing in different aquariums to increase the likelihood of the original coral surviving somewhere, even if it does not make it in some of the tanks. Whether one feels it is due to human impact on the ocean or natural changes, the fact is that wild coral reefs are in grave danger. It is an important time for people to work to preserve natural reefs and also enjoy small versions in tanks! Students learn a lot of practical tool skills while fragging corals, then must observe the frags over time to see if they appear healthy and growing, and if not, research and discuss with others what to do to try to help them. I hope to increase student exposure to these last skills in the coming semester.","fullyFundedDate":1759897332808,"projectUrl":"project/dividing-corals-multiplies-stem-career-a/9538802/","projectTitle":"Dividing Corals Multiplies STEM Career Awareness","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Horne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp470517_orig.png?crop=275,275,x0,y23&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1566689341670","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/horne"},{"teacherId":470517,"projectId":9897287,"letterContent":"Thank you for providing the synthetic sea salt mix! Of course, this is the most crucial ingredient of a healthy reef aquarium. Students test different water parameters twice a week, add solutions such as calcium and pH buffer for coral and invertebrate health and growth, and all but one tank has a machine that essentially makes sea foam to lift all sorts of junk out of the water. Despite this, certain detrimental compounds build up and other beneficial ones become depleted (plus you can just never be sure what goes in open-top tanks in a classroom), so partial water changes must be done periodically.\r\n\r\nI guess our tried and true brand of salt mix is now only being packaged in boxes instead of heavy plastic buckets due to breakage during shipping; however, these boxes arrived thrashed! Wet salt mix is useless, so I was delighted to see that they apparently make the plastic bags out of some material akin to that of the aircraft black box. Not a grain was loose in the boxes and the salt was perfectly dry! Woohoo!\r\n\r\nStudents rotate through tank care jobs throughout the semester, so everyone gets practice calculating, weighing out salt, mixing, testing, and adjusting the salinity of the saltwater all of our sea creatures rely on. In fact, a group tests the salinity of every tank at least twice a week because it is that important! These are some great skills for kids to practice, and to work together to verify the salinity is accurate.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the salt, you provided a stack of red bins to pair with blue ones obtained through an earlier project. These are great for all sorts of labs in the aqua class as well as general science classes. Five of each color means we can have two different setups that lab groups can clearly distinguish and use in many activities having two parts going at once. Also, I hope we break less glassware and have fewer supplies flying off onto the floor than when using our usual cafeteria-style trays.\r\n\r\nThe replacement squeeze bulb will help start a siphon when I do water changes after school (and avoid another trip to the dermatologist after a semester of lazy me starting the siphon myself with saltwater on my lips and face - bad idea!), and the small pipets are perfect for students to use throughout the year in lab activities. This past month my aquatic studies students used the pipets to place saltwater on refractometers to measure the salinity, as well as to measure algae culture and nutrient solution when setting up little ecosystems of algae and brine shrimp to observe energy transfer and the life cycle of the shrimp. \r\n\r\nI hope this gives you an idea of the many activities you have made possible for my students, as well as my new semester of aqua students coming up, and a whole semester more of science labs with my regular classes. I am grateful that you are giving these meaningful experiences to my 7th and 8th graders. This is the perfect age for all of them to engage in hands-on investigating and then working together (and with me) to make sense of what they observe. This leads them to wonder, build understanding of complex concepts, and feel confident and interested when they enter high school science classes. I also hope it enriches their lives by being fascinated by the natural world and becoming environmental stewards. Thank you for being a part of this!","fullyFundedDate":1763565874217,"projectUrl":"project/reef-aquariums-are-worth-their-salt/9897287/","projectTitle":"Reef Aquariums Are Worth Their Salt!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Horne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp470517_orig.png?crop=275,275,x0,y23&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1566689341670","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/horne"},{"teacherId":470517,"projectId":9834440,"letterContent":"Our new species of corals arrived healthy and well-packed, and since the Aquatic Studies elective is the last class of the day, students were able to open the bags and prepare the corals to be placed in a temporary tank.\r\n\r\nTo protect our current coral stock and stable tank systems from diseases and pests, students carefully took each coral, soaked it in an insecticide then iodine solution while brushing the base and squirting solution into any crevices. A couple of students manned microscopes to see if any of the debris bits blown off looked like living pests. The corals travelled through a series of rinsing bowls and ended up on racks or the bottom of the quarantine tank. \r\n\r\nThe next day then twice a week thereafter, students tested the water, examined their new corals, and made sure they weren't touching or fallen over. We are in the process of cleaning up and resetting our existing reef tanks, so these new corals have been in the quarantine tank longer than necessary. In January, the new semester students of this ocean exploration class will enter, so they will be the ones to transfer and mount these frags to rockwork in established tanks or growout racks in our dedicated propagation tank.\r\n\r\nThank you for providing this uncommon experience to my budding marine scientists and future ocean stewards!","fullyFundedDate":1760921752677,"projectUrl":"project/calling-all-corals/9834440/","projectTitle":"Calling All Corals!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Horne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp470517_orig.png?crop=275,275,x0,y23&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1566689341670","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/horne"},{"teacherId":470517,"projectId":9906003,"letterContent":"Thank you for providing materials that my students will use frequently in activities throughout the year! Students quickly put the colored paper to use in labs that either had multiple stations with directions to follow, a set of class agreements, and in a microscope sand lab in which there were several different observations or tests to do when examining each of ten sand samples. The printer ink allows them to print their work for various classes and keep track of data tables monitoring parameters of the reef tanks my marine science class take care of. Colored ink is important for labs requiring colored pH scales for universal indicator strips and colored aquarium testing scales that rely on indicators in titrations. Students also were very pleased to have colored paper to use in our schoolwide holiday door decorating activity.\r\n\r\nColored pencils are used frequently in notetaking and practice activities in science class to aid in learning different categories such as acid/base/neutral, physical/chemical changes, and kinetic/potential energy. My students also engage in scientific and nature sketching to help them slow down, make and record careful observations, and discuss with peers what they observe and what they wonder about. \r\n\r\nThe simple aquarium water topoff device has proven to be quite a valuable little piece of equipment on our small 14-gallon clownfish-anemone tank! Due to the small volume of water, its salinity rises daily as water evaporates. Even the \"nano\" versions of reliable topoff devices we use on our other tanks could cause a much larger problem if they were to malfunction and dump in too much replacement fresh water. There is also not a great location in the little tank to place water level sensors. Students assembled the simple two-tube device we received and we found the perfect location for it and it is working perfectly, especially over weekends and school holidays.\r\n\r\nYou can see how these items you provided are having tangible impacts on the activities my students can do in our science classroom. I appreciate your help in offering them meaningful experiences to help them build a strong foundation for high school courses and beyond!","fullyFundedDate":1763661189252,"projectUrl":"project/the-middle-school-science-experience/9906003/","projectTitle":"The Middle School Science Experience!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Horne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp470517_orig.png?crop=275,275,x0,y23&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1566689341670","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/horne"},{"teacherId":470517,"projectId":9281316,"letterContent":"Thanks to you, my students have been doing multiple activities combining STEM and financial literacy! The books have seen use in lessons as well as on the counter for students to check out. The titles about AI, reducing cell phone use, and microplastics have been the most popular. \r\n\r\nStudents set up \"beaker bags\" with saltwater, algae, and nutrients, then later added brine shrimp cysts to create self-sustaining ecosystems. They love this activity! They have been making observations for over 50 days, ask a lot of great questions, measure turbidity (amount of algae), and record accounts of population, size, and life stages of brine shrimp. They also observed visually and with electronic sensors how oxygen and CO2 are involved. The 6th grade classes were also able to use the Vernier interfaces and sensors for some Earth and plant science activities. It is great that Vernier has provided the interface and digital analysis app by which students can use our old sensors with their Chromebooks!\r\n\r\nSo far, students have been using the hydroponics supplies a little, and the refractometers a lot! The native garden plan will take shape in earnest in the spring.\r\nAll of these materials are expanding student exposure to diverse careers involving technology, biology, chemistry, our state's complex water situation, environmental stewardship, and the financial factors involved. Thank you for giving them these opportunities!","fullyFundedDate":1758720060938,"projectUrl":"project/middle-school-students-the-future-of-st/9281316/","projectTitle":"Middle School Students: The Future of STEM!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Horne","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp470517_orig.png?crop=275,275,x0,y23&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1566689341670","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/horne"},{"teacherId":4803665,"projectId":9730494,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to my school and our students! \r\n\r\nI was so thrilled to get the healthy snacks from this project to share with my students. I have been in this role as a school counselor for 11 years and I have seen the recent uptick in students needing basic necessities. Having one of their basic needs met through food, they are able to return to class focused, calm, and ready to learn. It also helps them feel taken care of and supported. This is critical for student self-esteem and well-being. This project was definitely about more than snacks—it bought equity, care, and ensuring that every student has the chance to succeed. With your generosity, we were able to give them the boost they need to thrive in school and hopefully beyond.","fullyFundedDate":1758800121470,"projectUrl":"project/smart-snacks-for-student-success/9730494/","projectTitle":"Smart Snacks for Student Success","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Stewart","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4803665_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1505610792312","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4803665"},{"teacherId":9562174,"projectId":9816556,"letterContent":"Your contributions have made an impact. The stoplight was the rage of the school. It helps the students self-regulate. I never imagined that such a simple tool would change the classroom landscape. The microphone and amplifier save my voice and enable students in the back of the class to hear. 7th graders can get a little tired and restless at the end of the day in 7th Period. These two management tools changed the classroom environment. \r\n\r\nThe donated stickers, puzzles, and small gifts have made a meaningful impact when I reward students for exhibiting positive behavior. It is fun to see their faces light up over a cat sticker. At this age, the students like choice, independence, and recognition. The classroom atmosphere is much better because of your commitment to the class.","fullyFundedDate":1760622427171,"projectUrl":"project/fun-incentives-to-teach-and-encourage-se/9816556/","projectTitle":"Fun Incentives To Teach and Encourage Self-Regulation","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Dane","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9562174_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1717823989169","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9562174"},{"teacherId":1109389,"projectId":9603314,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our classroom. My students are naturally curious, creative, and full of questions about how the world works. They love rolling up their sleeves, testing their ideas, and seeing science come to life. With the thermometers and scales you helped provide, they'll be able to gather real data—measuring temperature, comparing mass, and observing changes right before their eyes.\r\n\r\nYour donation also allows my students to bring their learning to a creative level. The markers and construction paper will help them build detailed cell models, giving them a hands-on way to understand the parts and functions of cells. These materials make our science lessons more engaging, meaningful, and accessible for all learners. We are truly grateful for your kindness and the opportunities you've made possible for our young scientists.","fullyFundedDate":1755691248439,"projectUrl":"project/measuring-up-in-science-class/9603314/","projectTitle":"Measuring Up in Science Class!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mendoza","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1109389_272x272.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1457556430837","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/emendoza"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_4159","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":835,"numTeachers":36,"percentFrplEligible":50,"percentAsian":17,"percentBlack":3,"percentWhite":26,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":38,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"23.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":36.4,"schoolId":4159,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Sequoia Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Sequoia Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/mount-diablo-unified-school-district/sequoia-middle-school/4159"}