{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Wedgewood Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":33.1,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":1668119,"projectId":9362535,"letterContent":"When our materials arrived, my students were thrilled to see the globes, flashlights, heat lamps, and supplies that would turn our classroom into a real science lab. We began using them right away as we started our unit on ocean currents and climate. Students used flashlights and globes to model how the Sun's light and Earth's tilt create temperature differences around the world. They were amazed to see how just a small change in the angle of light could affect the amount of heat received. Watching their curiosity spark as they experimented and shared observations was such a rewarding moment.\r\n\r\nNext, we used plastic bags to create \"water cycle in a bag\" experiments and flexible straws with glitter in tubs to model ocean currents. Students could actually see how warm and cold water moved, mixing and swirling just like real ocean currents. The heat lamps helped us explore the greenhouse effect and visualize how trapped heat influences global temperatures. These hands-on experiences made complex concepts like climate systems and global warming come alive for my students, helping them make meaningful connections between what they observe and what they learn in class.\r\n\r\nThank you for providing the tools that made this learning possible. Your generosity has helped my students engage in real scientific inquiry, testing ideas, making observations, and asking deeper questions about how our planet works. Because of your support, they are not only learning science but also developing the curiosity and critical thinking skills that will guide them far beyond this classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1758213523125,"projectUrl":"project/climate-in-motion-hands-on-science-in-a/9362535/","projectTitle":"Climate in Motion: Hands-On Science in Action!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kemmerling","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1668119_orig.jpg?crop=338,338,x0,y22&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724006729379","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1668119"},{"teacherId":1668119,"projectId":9502186,"letterContent":"When our incentives arrived, my students were immediately excited to see all the colorful pencils, stickers, Croc charms, and fidgets. We began using these rewards right away as part of our ALEKS math program. Students set their SMART Goals and started tracking their progress, working hard to master new math topics each week. Each time a student met a milestone, such as mastering a set number of topics or reaching a two-week goal, they proudly chose a reward and celebrated their growth. It has been amazing to see how these small incentives have sparked motivation and created such positive energy in our classroom.\r\n\r\nThe new rewards have helped me build a strong classroom culture centered on perseverance and effort. Students encourage each other, celebrate milestones together, and take ownership of their learning. The positive reinforcement has helped even my most hesitant learners stay focused and determined, especially when tackling challenging math skills. Every sticker, charm, and fidget represents real progress and effort, and students take pride in earning them.\r\n\r\nThank you for supporting this project and helping us start the school year on such a positive note. These materials have turned goal-setting into something exciting and meaningful for my students. Because of your generosity, they are learning that persistence pays off and that every bit of progress is worth celebrating.","fullyFundedDate":1757551626870,"projectUrl":"project/smart-goals-sweet-rewards/9502186/","projectTitle":"Smart Goals, Sweet Rewards","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kemmerling","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1668119_orig.jpg?crop=338,338,x0,y22&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724006729379","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1668119"},{"teacherId":1668119,"projectId":9364705,"letterContent":"When our supplies arrived, my students were so excited to unpack everything and couldn't wait to start using them. We began using the Crayola markers and highlighters the very first week of school! Students loved decorating and coloring their science and social studies notebooks, creating colorful tabs from cardstock to stay organized, and designing bright notebook labels that showed off their personalities. The new materials immediately made our classroom feel more vibrant and personalized, and students took great pride in making their notebooks truly their own.\r\n\r\nOne of our favorite activities so far was a STEM design challenge where students used pipe cleaners, metal fasteners, markers, and cardstock to create name tags that could also hold a pencil. The room buzzed with creativity as students tested different designs and shared their ideas with one another. It was a perfect mix of problem-solving, engineering, and hands-on fun.\r\n\r\nWe have continued using the supplies daily, from gluing notes into our notebooks with Elmer's glue to using highlighters for color-coding key vocabulary, graphing latitude and longitude, and highlighting important information in our notes. These materials have helped students stay organized, engaged, and excited to learn. We will continue using these supplies throughout the school year as we build projects and explore new science and social studies concepts. Thank you for making our classroom more colorful, creative, and inspiring!","fullyFundedDate":1755203823981,"projectUrl":"project/colorful-connections-bringing-science-a/9364705/","projectTitle":"Colorful Connections: Bringing Science and Social Studies to Life","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kemmerling","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1668119_orig.jpg?crop=338,338,x0,y22&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724006729379","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1668119"},{"teacherId":9850485,"projectId":9363549,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our classroom project! Because of your kindness, my students are using a vibrant array of creative supplies—including colorful paper, cardstock, glue, and washi tape—to transform the way they engage with their math notebook.\r\n\r\nThese materials have allowed us to build interactive math journals that are not only functional but also visually exciting. Students are using the supplies to personalize their notebooks, organize their thoughts, and creatively represent mathematical concepts. The process of designing and assembling their own learning tools has sparked joy, boosted confidence, and deepened their understanding in ways that traditional note-taking simply couldn't.\r\n\r\nIn a time when many students are still recovering from disrupted learning experiences, your support has helped us create a classroom environment that feels welcoming, hands-on, and student-centered. Math is becoming more accessible and meaningful for my students, and they are taking pride in their work like never before.\r\n\r\nThank you for helping us turn math into a creative, empowering experience. Your impact is felt every day in our classroom, and we are truly grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1755710477411,"projectUrl":"project/crafting-confidence-creative-notebooks/9363549/","projectTitle":"Crafting Confidence: Creative Notebooks for Math Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Barnhouse","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9850485_orig.png?crop=355,355,x0,y5&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1732915513096","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-barnhouse"},{"teacherId":9805243,"projectId":9720179,"letterContent":"Students were so excited to see the boxes arriving to the school! There is an obsession with blue raspberry in middle school so the Airheads and Ring Pops are always quickly selected as prizes. I can't put too many out at once or they would all be gone! The kids are also loving Zotz, which are a throwback to my own childhood. None of them had ever eaten Zotz, but they quickly came to love the sour fizz inside the candy. \r\nStudents are VERY motivated to work on their ALEKS math program because they set bi-weekly goals and if they meet the goal, they get to select from one of the prizes that you donated. I regularly update students on their progress so they know how close they are to a prize. We've been using ALEKS for several years, and this is the most motivated that I have seen students!!! Thank you for your help with this!","fullyFundedDate":1759265043145,"projectUrl":"project/moolah-for-mathletes/9720179/","projectTitle":"Moolah for Mathletes","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Telzrow","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9805243_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1729020034654","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9805243"},{"teacherId":9805243,"projectId":9540182,"letterContent":"Students are so excited with all of the new prizes!! Takis are the #1 hit but students are also enjoying the candy necklaces (a throwback to my own childhood), and they love ring pops and Airheads. A fun prize has been the mini hands that they wear on their fingertips. I saw a student that had put sunglasses on the hand! So cute! \r\nStudents are VERY motivated to work on their ALEKS math program because they set bi-weekly goals and if they meet the goal, they get to select from one of the prizes that you donated. I regularly update students on their progress so they know how close they are to a prize. We've been using ALEKS for several years, and this is the most motivated that I have seen students!!!","fullyFundedDate":1760650414826,"projectUrl":"project/prize-patrol/9540182/","projectTitle":"Prize Patrol","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Telzrow","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9805243_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1729020034654","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9805243"},{"teacherId":9805243,"projectId":9536308,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the donation of non-fiction science books! Students have been reading them as they finish classwork. They are enjoying the imagery of the Seymour Simon books! Grossology is a favorite because middle school students just love all of that disgusting body information! I've also been reading a few pages at a time of the Weird but True books. This has sparked some great discussion about science in our every day lives! \r\nWith the recent landfall of Hurricane Melissa, we have read the book Hurricanes and talked about the geography of Jamaica and Cuba. Students have a natural curiosity about storms so this book has been a good companion to those discussions.\r\nIn the spring, I am hoping to have students select books to read and then create a multimedia presentation based on what they read which can be shared with peers.","fullyFundedDate":1756311326972,"projectUrl":"project/science-literature-is-lit/9536308/","projectTitle":"Science Literature is LIT!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Telzrow","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9805243_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1729020034654","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9805243"},{"teacherId":9805243,"projectId":9536697,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the materials to support our interactive notebooks. Students have had fun personalizing their notebooks with stickers, colorful tape, and tab dividers. We use the markers and colored pencils daily as students color notes and diagrams. This makes the notebook more engaging for students and I think it helps them stay focused especially when we are taking notes. Students are taking pride in their notebooks, and it shows in the organization of the materials. My students and I can't thank you enough!!","fullyFundedDate":1756128638177,"projectUrl":"project/inside-ian-interactive-notebooks/9536697/","projectTitle":"Inside IAN (Interactive Notebooks)","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Telzrow","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9805243_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1729020034654","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9805243"},{"teacherId":1668119,"projectId":9317280,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, one of our seventh graders was able to receive a Chromebook as part of our classroom incentive project. This student earned the reward by scoring at the advanced level on her state achievement test, an accomplishment that reflects her dedication and hard work. She was very excited and grateful to receive this prize, especially since she did not have her own device at home. She shared that she plans to use the Chromebook to complete schoolwork, which will make it much easier for her to continue learning outside of the classroom.\r\n\r\nWhat makes this even more impressive is her strong academic record. She has already completed two math courses above her grade level in the ALEKS program and currently maintains a 4.0 grade point average. Having her own Chromebook gives her the tools she needs to keep challenging herself and reaching new goals. It has also motivated other students to work hard, knowing that their effort and achievements can be celebrated in such a meaningful way.\r\n\r\nYour generosity is making a real difference by providing technology that supports student success while also serving as a powerful incentive. Thank you for helping us recognize and reward hard work, and for giving our students the tools they need to continue growing. We are so appreciative of your kindness and investment in their futures.","fullyFundedDate":1746567849536,"projectUrl":"project/scoring-big-in-math-the-heissman-chrome/9317280/","projectTitle":"Scoring Big in Math: the Heissman Chromebook Grant #2","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kemmerling","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1668119_orig.jpg?crop=338,338,x0,y22&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724006729379","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1668119"},{"teacherId":1668119,"projectId":9079545,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, one of our sixth-grade students was able to receive a brand-new Chromebook as part of our classroom incentive project. This student earned the reward by achieving a perfect score on her state achievement test, a tremendous accomplishment that demonstrates her hard work and dedication. When given the choice between a scooter or a Chromebook, she immediately chose the Chromebook, knowing it would help her continue learning outside of school. Until now, she did not have a device at home to use for schoolwork, so this gift is already making a big difference for her.\r\n\r\nIn addition to her test success, she worked incredibly hard last school year completing ALEKS math topics. Through her effort and persistence, she advanced to completing math work that was three grade levels above her own. The Chromebook is helping her continue to access assignments, complete projects, and practice important skills with online resources like ALEKS. Having her own device at home has created new opportunities for independence and responsibility in her learning. She was overjoyed and very grateful for the chance to use this technology not just for fun, but to continue building on her academic success.\r\n\r\nYour support is giving our students more than just rewards. It is opening doors and showing them that their effort and achievements matter. Thank you for making this possible and for believing in the power of incentives to motivate and inspire. You are helping create lasting change in our students' learning journeys, and we are so grateful for your kindness.","fullyFundedDate":1746233361622,"projectUrl":"project/scoring-big-in-math-the-heissman-chrome/9079545/","projectTitle":"Scoring Big in Math: the Heissman Chromebook Grant #1","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kemmerling","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1668119_orig.jpg?crop=338,338,x0,y22&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724006729379","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1668119"},{"teacherId":9805243,"projectId":9058625,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for all of the school supplies. This helped me start the year fully stocked with materials for my students. Students have been in school two weeks, and we have been using the supplies daily. In science, we had a STEM challenge to design nametags. In math, we decorated composition books for notes. and then color coded notes. \r\nSome students have their own supplies, but approximately three-quarters of the students do not. The supplies you purchased allow the students without materials to have equal opportunities and to enhance their classroom experience.\r\nThank you so much for your generosity! I cannot tell you how much it means to have things donated. Teachers spend a lot of money on their classrooms, but there is a limit to what we can afford to do. Community support is essential. It takes a village!","fullyFundedDate":1746999809892,"projectUrl":"project/supply-me-with-supplies/9058625/","projectTitle":"Supply Me With Supplies","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Telzrow","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9805243_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1729020034654","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9805243"},{"teacherId":2192066,"projectId":9308525,"letterContent":"The new school year is underway and my students are already flourishing as a community. They were excited and motivated by the idea of earning tickets into our weekly raffle and I wanted to celebrate their diligent work on our beginning of the year reading diagnostic. This tradition set a positive tone and helps motivate us when we have a lot of work on our plates!\r\n\r\nWe use the resources each week as part of our classroom raffle system. Students earn tickets for showing kindness, working hard, following expectations, and helping their peers. Every Friday, they get to drop their tickets into the bucket for the raffle. It has become a moment the whole class looks forward to, not just for the prizes, but for the celebration of good choices and community. One student even said, \"It feels like we're all rooting for each other,\" which was exactly the type of atmosphere I hoped to build with your support.\r\n\r\nThe next steps for my students are to continue strengthening their sense of responsibility, teamwork, and self-motivation as we move into bigger projects this year. The raffle prizes are helping them stay engaged and focused, but more importantly, they've become a tool for reinforcing positive classroom culture. Thanks to your generosity, my students are learning that hard work and kindness are noticed, appreciated, and celebrated.","fullyFundedDate":1746713695098,"projectUrl":"project/motivation-matters-help-fuel-student-su/9308525/","projectTitle":"Motivation Matters: Help Fuel Student Success With Raffle Prizes","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Brickman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2192066_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1731600162634","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2192066"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_84067","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":482,"numTeachers":32,"percentFrplEligible":90,"percentAsian":5,"percentBlack":28,"percentWhite":30,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":29,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"15.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":66.9,"schoolId":84067,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Wedgewood Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Wedgewood Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/ohio/columbus-city-school-district/wedgewood-middle-school/84067"}