{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Sterling Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":33.9,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6925744,"projectId":9859168,"letterContent":"THANK YOU for your kind contribution to Sterling Middle School and our push for literacy and a culture of reading. The texts you donated each fit into a 12-unit row in our free-to-students book vending machine. Teachers share \"golden tickets\" with students, who use them to claim a token in our school's Library, and then cash the token in the vending machine. Teachers have been sharing these with students for reasons such as exemplary behavior and work completion, or simply because they know that a student is a book lover. Our hallways are buzzing with excitement as students go use the machine with teacher permission at different times during the school day. Thank you for helping us put more books into the hands of our students!","fullyFundedDate":1767126939608,"projectUrl":"project/leaders-are-readers-multicultural-book/9859168/","projectTitle":"Leaders Are Readers: Multicultural Book Rewards for Student Success","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. G","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6925744"},{"teacherId":7051179,"projectId":9747073,"letterContent":"Our Blanket Club students are utilizing these fabric resources in many ways. One of the most impactful is the creation of pet blankets for the local animal shelters near our school. The joy that making a simple warm blanket for an animal in the shelter brings to these kids is unforgettable. Many have asked to make more!\r\n\r\nThey are also using the fabric to create blankets for local shelters. This is a heartwarming way to help the community & also to give back. Because we have received so many donations, the students are able to make a blanket to keep.","fullyFundedDate":1760732744836,"projectUrl":"project/cozy-creativity-ms-blanket-club/9747073/","projectTitle":"Cozy Creativity: MS Blanket Club","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Christofferson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/sterlingblanketclub"},{"teacherId":6925744,"projectId":9711444,"letterContent":"THANK YOU for your generous donation to this project. The flexible seating has really transformed this self-contained setting--perhaps one of the most challenging classes for both students and the teachers who support them. By having access to movement while they work, students of a kinesthetic predisposition are able to release some energy and really emphasize their learning. Moreover, teachers have reported that this outlet has had a positive impact in classroom discipline and concentration. You can see how the tools we got work: a set of chair feet turn classroom chairs into \"wobble chairs\" while the rocking stools allow a large range of motion in lieu of traditional chairs.\r\n\r\nOn behalf of Sterling Middle School's Special Education team, please receive our deepest gratitude for helping us make a difference!","fullyFundedDate":1761322511412,"projectUrl":"project/flexible-seating-for-special-education-c/9711444/","projectTitle":"Flexible Seating for Special Education Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. G","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6925744"},{"teacherId":10327086,"projectId":9853083,"letterContent":"The expansion of our makerspace has brought new energy and excitement to our school library. Students have eagerly embraced the new materials, spending their time exploring, creating, and experimenting in ways that extend far beyond traditional reading. The 3D pens, LEGO sets, beads, and other hands‑on resources have quickly become favorites—sparking curiosity, encouraging collaboration, and inspiring students to bring their ideas to life.\r\nWhether they're designing unique 3D creations, building intricate structures, or expressing themselves through art, students are fully engaged and enthusiastic about the opportunities these tools provide. The makerspace has truly transformed our library into a vibrant hub of creativity and innovation, and the joy students show while learning and making has been one of the most rewarding outcomes of this project.","fullyFundedDate":1762972249956,"projectUrl":"project/creating-collaborating-and-growing-in/9853083/","projectTitle":"Creating, Collaborating, and Growing in Our Makerspace","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Coogan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10327086_orig.jpg?crop=239,239,x0,y41&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1761673451158","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10327086"},{"teacherId":371793,"projectId":9694118,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity in funding our reading nook comfy chairs. The kids really enjoy going there and are taking excellent care of the chairs. It has become the favorite part of the classroom. \r\n\r\nWhen they are finished doing their work, and they want to read a book or do their computer program, they always ask to sit over in the nook-that is how I know what a special area it has become. It makes me smile that they feel safe and comfortable in my room. Thank you so much for making this a possibility for us. \r\n\r\nYou have made a difference with all of my newcomers. I am most grateful to you!","fullyFundedDate":1758479841145,"projectUrl":"project/getting-comfy-and-cozy-in-the-reading-no/9694118/","projectTitle":"Getting Comfy and Cozy in the Reading Nook!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kay","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp371793_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1517061829871","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/kay-gude"},{"teacherId":10037267,"projectId":9490187,"letterContent":"I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your generous donations to my classroom. Your kindness, thoughtfulness, and willingness to support education have made a meaningful difference for both myself and my students. Because of your contributions, our classroom is a more prepared, welcoming, and engaging place to learn.\r\n\r\nThe supplies you donated—whether large or small—have had an immediate and positive impact. Items such as basic school materials, organizational tools, instructional resources, and enrichment supplies help ensure that every student has access to what they need to succeed. Having these resources readily available allows me to spend more time focusing on teaching and supporting students, rather than worrying about shortages or limitations.\r\n\r\nYour generosity helps create an environment where students feel supported, confident, and excited to learn. When students walk into a classroom that is well-equipped, it sends a powerful message that their education matters and that there are people in their community who care about their success. Many of my students may not otherwise have access to these materials, and your donations help bridge that gap in a meaningful way.\r\n\r\nBeyond the physical supplies, your support also provides encouragement and motivation. Knowing that parents, families, businesses, and community members are willing to invest in our classroom reminds students that learning extends beyond school walls. It reinforces the idea that education is a shared responsibility and that teamwork plays a vital role in shaping their future.\r\n\r\nPlease know that your generosity does not go unnoticed. Each donated item is used with care and purpose to enhance daily lessons, support individual learning needs, and foster creativity and collaboration among students. Your contributions help create hands-on learning opportunities, promote organization and responsibility, and support a positive classroom culture.\r\n\r\nOn a personal note, I am deeply appreciative of the trust and support you have shown. Teaching is a rewarding profession, but it is also made stronger through partnerships with generous individuals like you. Your willingness to give your time, resources, and support makes a lasting impact that reaches far beyond the classroom.\r\n\r\nThank you once again for your generosity, kindness, and commitment to education. Your donations have truly made a difference, and I am incredibly grateful for your support. Together, we are helping to create a strong foundation for learning, growth, and success for all students.","fullyFundedDate":1755712352617,"projectUrl":"project/engaging-thru-exploration/9490187/","projectTitle":"Engaging Thru Exploration","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Smith","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10037267_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753202863845","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10037267"},{"teacherId":8255630,"projectId":9360827,"letterContent":"When the rocket supplies arrived, my students' excitement was immediate and contagious. The moment I brought out the bottle launchers, bike pump, and materials for building soda bottle rockets, their faces lit up. Many had never worked on a hands-on STEM project like this before. Even better, the project grew into a joint activity between my 6th and 7th graders, connecting science concepts with math skills through a wonderful collaboration with the math teacher next door.\r\n\r\nWe have already begun our first round of rocket design challenges. Students worked in teams to build and decorate their rockets, test different fin shapes, and make evidence-based hypotheses about what might help their rocket travel farther. During our first launch day, the cheers and laughter echoed across the field as students recorded data, compared results, and encouraged one another. For many of them, this was the first time science and math felt truly \"alive.\"\r\n\r\nNext, students will refine their designs based on their test results and prepare for a combined \"Rocket Showcase,\" where they will explain their design choices and reflect on how their rockets improved. These materials have strengthened their understanding of physics and math concepts while building collaboration, confidence, and curiosity.\r\n\r\nThank you for making this experience possible. Your generosity gave my students the chance to learn in a way that inspires them to explore, question, and dream like real scientists and engineers. Your support has launched something powerful in our classroom: joy, wonder, and a love for learning.","fullyFundedDate":1757986314993,"projectUrl":"project/ready-set-launch-rocket-science/9360827/","projectTitle":"Ready, Set, Launch - Rocket Science!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jourjine Sab","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8255630_orig.jpg?crop=1868,1868,x0,y498&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746398631797","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/jourjine-sab"},{"teacherId":6925744,"projectId":9565556,"letterContent":"Thanks to your kind contribution, our book \"vending\" machine is fully stocked and ready for deployment. We have a plan in place where every staff member will be able to gift a different student one token to use with the machine, for students to choose a book for them to keep! As you may have noticed, the book selection is relevant to middle schoolers and includes teen fiction, as well as athlete, celebrity, and historical figure biographies, and classics in both English and Spanish. Everyone is so excited!\r\n\r\nWe are actually planning a ribbon cutting event for the machine on the morning of October 22nd, at around 10:20am, featuring student leaders and the partners who made it possible for us to fully enact this initiative. We would love to invite you to the occasion. If you are in the area and have availability at this time, we would love to share our gratitude in your support. Please feel free to reach me at our school main number (571-434-4520, ask for Dr. G) if you would like to learn more about this event. Looking forward to connecting!","fullyFundedDate":1755712353287,"projectUrl":"project/book-rewards-for-academic-behavior-ach/9565556/","projectTitle":"Book Rewards for Academic & Behavior Achievement","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. G","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6925744"},{"teacherId":10037267,"projectId":9361088,"letterContent":"The Impact of New Classroom Resources\r\n\r\nMy students and I are absolutely loving the new resources! We're using them to bring our lessons characteristics of living things and cells unit. One of our most exciting projects has been students are begging to start the cell but where they are going to bud there ow model of an animal or plant cell for the project. Students have really enjoyed the dry erase and different markers for their groups activities they are always excited to learn and do new things. It has really help with small groups that ways every one has there own supplies and each person can add values. Next step like I said is the cell structure model.","fullyFundedDate":1747881688940,"projectUrl":"project/scientific-experts/9361088/","projectTitle":"Scientific experts","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Smith","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10037267_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753202863845","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10037267"},{"teacherId":10041838,"projectId":9374013,"letterContent":"I'm writing with immense gratitude to thank you for funding our classroom project. Your generosity has brought transformative tools into our hands-on math environment—resources that are helping my students feel and see math in ways that were previously out of reach.\r\n\r\nFrom manipulatives that bring abstract concepts to life, to visual aids that support deeper understanding, every item has made a tangible difference. My students are more engaged, more curious, and more confident. They're not just solving problems—they're exploring patterns, building models, and discovering the joy of mathematical thinking.\r\n\r\nYour support has empowered us to create a space where learning is active, inclusive, and full of possibility. Thank you for believing in our classroom and investing in our journey. We're so grateful to be part of a community that champions equity, creativity, and student voice.","fullyFundedDate":1749411410375,"projectUrl":"project/math-that-moves-hands-on-minds-on/9374013/","projectTitle":"Math That Moves-Hands-On, Minds-On!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Desai","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10041838_orig.jpg?crop=1512,1512,x356,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1747929341071","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10041838"},{"teacherId":8255630,"projectId":9318486,"letterContent":"I am deeply grateful for your generous support of my project, Colorful Science. Thanks to you, my middle school students now have access to a variety of coloring materials and art supplies that have brought our science lessons to life. These resources have allowed them to create detailed charts, diagrams, and collaborative posters, transforming abstract concepts into vibrant, visual projects that make learning more engaging and memorable.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the supplies, their faces lit up with excitement. They immediately began brainstorming ways to use the markers, colored pencils, and posters in our science activities. Since then, the materials have played an important role in several projects: creating collaborative posters for their weather instruments presentations, illustrating food chains and food webs, designing and labeling their soda bottle rocket STEM projects, drawing charts and graphs during the Rock Pocket Mouse Lab on natural selection and evolution, and developing imaginative \"Create-Your-Own Species\" projects to showcase structural and behavioral adaptations in plants and animals. Their creativity, teamwork, and pride in their work have grown stronger because of the tools you provided.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, my students will continue to use these resources for upcoming projects, including group posters and visual models that help them communicate complex scientific ideas in engaging ways. Your contribution has not only provided tools for creativity but has also strengthened collaboration, critical thinking, and communication in my classroom. Thank you for making such a meaningful impact on my students' learning journey.","fullyFundedDate":1747063271140,"projectUrl":"project/colorful-science-tools-to-empower-young/9318486/","projectTitle":"Colorful Science: Tools to Empower Young Scientists","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jourjine Sab","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8255630_orig.jpg?crop=1868,1868,x0,y498&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746398631797","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/jourjine-sab"},{"teacherId":10084285,"projectId":9478683,"letterContent":"When my students walked into the SWAS room and saw the new flexible seating and STEM toys, their reactions were priceless. Some immediately rushed to floor seats and desk while others gravitated magnet tiles, it was clear they felt a sense of ownership and comfort in their learning space.\r\n\r\nOne of our first moments with the STEM toys was during a team challenge where students worked together to build coolest shape tower . I watched students who don't usually interact become problem solvers, cheering each other on and laughing when their creations worked. It was such a joyful, collaborative moment.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to keep integrating the flexible seating into small group learning, allowing students to choose spaces where they feel most focused, and to use the STEM toys during problem solving lessons that build critical thinking and teamwork. I'm so excited to see how these resources continue to foster creativity and confidence in my students.","fullyFundedDate":1755712352503,"projectUrl":"project/safe-space-for-sped-student/9478683/","projectTitle":"Safe Space for Sped Student","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cordon","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10084285_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752865488031","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10084285"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_34298","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":968,"numTeachers":92,"percentFrplEligible":84,"percentAsian":8,"percentBlack":4,"percentWhite":8,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":76,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"10.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":66.1,"schoolId":34298,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Sterling Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Sterling Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/virginia/loudoun-county-public-schools/sterling-middle-school/34298"}