{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Evergreen Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":35.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9587030,"projectId":9493320,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my classroom library. My class starts with 8 minutes of quiet reading every day. I have increased that time from 5 minutes over time. Studies have found that more than half of K-12 students read for less than 15 minutes a day. Many of my students are multiple grade levels behind in their reading skill and comprehension. Not only do these books help them reach the 15 -20 minutes of reading needed for significant academic improvement, they get to learn new things about science through story, poetry, facts and images every day. \r\n\r\nNot only does this reading time help with building reading skills, it also helps with emotional regulation. I focus on trauma-informed classroom management practices in my classroom because so many of my students have experienced trauma and lack the emotional regulation skills they need to function when things get stressful. These few minutes of reading at the beginning of class gives my students a buffer of quiet to calm themselves, reorient towards learning and get ready to do their best in my class. There have been many fights in the 6th grade hallway this year. My students come into class after those incidents on high alert and with high anxiety. Our quiet reading time makes it possible for all of us to reset and prioritize learning.\r\n\r\nThis reading time also helps me build relationships with students because while I walk around, students often stop me to show me a cool thing in their book or ask a question. \"Ms. Cheever, look at this cool bug!\" \"Ms. Cheever, what does this word mean?\" \"Someone told me that when all the ice in Antarctica melts, the world will end. Is that true?\". These moments allow me to connect with my students one-on-one, laugh with them, wonder with them, and celebrate their questions. \r\n\r\nNone of this could happen if not for these books. I often get requests for more books - \"Ms. Cheever, can you get the one about tornadoes next?\" \"Did you get more books yet?\" \"You should get more books like these, I like the illustrations.\" I see students showing each other cool things they see in the books, I see students who speak the same native language reading together. \r\n\r\nThere is magic in those books. Our reading time gives us a chance to touch the magic of science and the magic of reading everyday, even if it is only for 8 minutes.","fullyFundedDate":1754423478359,"projectUrl":"project/science-is-for-everybody/9493320/","projectTitle":"Science is For Everybody!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cheever","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9587030_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752864528390","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-cheever"},{"teacherId":9587030,"projectId":9478584,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my classroom library. My class starts with 8 minutes of quiet reading every day. I have increased that time from 5 minutes over time. Studies have found that more than half of K-12 students read for less than 15 minutes a day. Many of my students are multiple grade levels behind in their reading skill and comprehension. Not only do these books help them reach the 15 -20 minutes of reading needed for significant academic improvement, they get to learn new things about science through story, poetry, facts and images every day. \r\n\r\nNot only does this reading time help with building reading skills, it also helps with emotional regulation. I focus on trauma-informed classroom management practices in my classroom because so many of my students have experienced trauma and lack the emotional regulation skills they need to function when things get stressful. These few minutes of reading at the beginning of class gives my students a buffer of quiet to calm themselves, reorient towards learning and get ready to do their best in my class. There have been many fights in the 6th grade hallway this year. My students come into class after those incidents on high alert and with high anxiety. Our quiet reading time makes it possible for all of us to reset and prioritize learning.\r\n\r\nThis reading time also helps me build relationships with students because while I walk around, students often stop me to show me a cool thing in their book or ask a question. \"Ms. Cheever, look at this cool bug!\" \"Ms. Cheever, what does this word mean?\" \"Someone told me that when all the ice in Antarctica melts, the world will end. Is that true?\". These moments allow me to connect with my students one-on-one, laugh with them, wonder with them, and celebrate their questions. \r\n\r\nNone of this could happen if not for these books. I often get requests for more books - \"Ms. Cheever, can you get the one about tornadoes next?\" \"Did you get more books yet?\" \"You should get more books like these, I like the illustrations.\" I see students showing each other cool things they see in the books, I see students who speak the same native language reading together. \r\n\r\nThere is magic in those books. Our reading time gives us a chance to touch the magic of science and the magic of reading everyday, even if it is only for 8 minutes.","fullyFundedDate":1754431438358,"projectUrl":"project/using-books-to-connect-students-to-scien/9478584/","projectTitle":"Using Books to Connect Students to Science","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cheever","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9587030_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752864528390","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-cheever"},{"teacherId":9587030,"projectId":9977097,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for funding my classroom grow light project! My classes recently studied plant cells and photosynthesis. It was really amazing to be able to grow plants right in the classroom to be able to see the process in action. We grew radish seedlings because they sprout very quickly. I invited students up in pairs to choose their soil block and plant their seeds. When they finished burying them, I congratulated them on starting a life! \r\n\r\nWith each baby radish adopted, my students were emotionally invested and many checked on their plants throughout the week. Once we got to the process of photosynthesis, I asked students to volunteer their plants for science (which many of them did!). Half of the volunteers were left under the growlights but no longer given water, and half of the volunteers were watered but put under a bucket so they wouldn't have light. My students got to see what happened to plants if they didn't get all of the ingredients for photosynthesis in a concrete and relevant way!\r\n\r\nAfter the experiment, students who were interested got to take a radish plant home at the end of the day. Many students from all of my classes remembered to come back and get them, even though it had been many hours since our science class. I have gotten many updates from students about how their plants are doing. I hope some of them will feel more interested or more able to grow more plants in the future!","fullyFundedDate":1768503379648,"projectUrl":"project/growing-knowledge-lights-to-support-stu/9977097/","projectTitle":"Growing Knowledge: Lights to Support Student Plant Labs","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cheever","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9587030_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752864528390","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-cheever"},{"teacherId":9587030,"projectId":9969879,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for funding my cell plushies project! My students were immediately intrigued by the bright colors and the silly eyes. I had a lot of questions like \"is that really what a muscle cell looks like?\" and \"why does the brain cell look like that?\" Students wanted to handle them and look at them right from the start. \r\n\r\nThe plushies were also very, very helpful when we were learning about the different parts of a cell. While students were writing notes, I walked around with the animal cell and showed each table what the parts looked like on the plushy. It helped make the names and shapes we were discussing more concrete. The plushies then acted as a kind of anchor chart when students wanted to remember content. A student was trying to remember how a plant cell was different from an animal cell, so she walked up to the board and looked at the two plushies to compare them! \r\n\r\nWe have also used them as talking pieces. When my class is having a discussion or playing a game, we use the cell plushy that is most relevant to the conversation. \r\n\r\nThank you again for making this project possible. I love that my classroom is filled with silly AND educational tools - because 6th graders are kids!","fullyFundedDate":1768274540408,"projectUrl":"project/science-plushies-what-does-a-cell-look/9969879/","projectTitle":"Science Plushies: What Does a Cell Look Like?","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cheever","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9587030_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752864528390","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-cheever"},{"teacherId":9587030,"projectId":9497108,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my students in learning more about science through stories about scientists who might share their backgrounds and stories. \r\n\r\nOne of my favorite moments was doing a read-aloud with Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet. It was a fun activity to celebrate Hispanic heritage month and introduce how science can shape the world around us in unexpected ways. My students thought they were too cool for a read aloud and tried to sit far away. Once, I got them all close enough, they were captivated by the story and kept asking to see the pictures better! \r\n\r\nOur classroom library is a great resource for students who are done with tests earlier or have completed their required work. It is a nice way to differentiate for students who don't need as much time or help as others, while still keeping them engaged and thinking about science. I have seen several students who would not be interested in books normally pick up books about people who share their identity - like famous Pacific Islanders or Middle Eastern architects. These books create a door that allows my students to access to science through their identity and culture, which has proven to be a powerful way to connect them to their learning.","fullyFundedDate":1754857473479,"projectUrl":"project/science-through-culturally-relevant-stor/9497108/","projectTitle":"Science Through Culturally Relevant Stories","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cheever","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9587030_orig.jpg?crop=2320,2320,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752864528390","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-cheever"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_35799","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":810,"numTeachers":41,"percentFrplEligible":86,"percentAsian":15,"percentBlack":16,"percentWhite":13,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":36,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":5,"percentMultiracialImputed":11,"gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"19.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":64.6,"schoolId":35799,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Evergreen Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Evergreen Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/washington/federal-way-public-schools/totem-middle-school/35799"}