{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"William Howard Taft High School","outOfStateSupporters":20.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9975884,"projectId":10127555,"letterContent":"When the boxes of fresh Expo markers, giant Post-it chart pads, and brand-new whiteboard supplies arrived, my students were genuinely thrilled. In an inquiry-based College Algebra OnRamps course, we don't just sit and listen to lectures—students are actively building math together in collaborative groups. When they unboxed the vibrant markers and massive sticky pads, the energy in the room shifted immediately. They couldn't wait to grab markers, claim a section of wall or board space, and start mapping out their ideas. Having high-quality visual tools made them feel like real mathematicians tackling real problems, instantly turning our classroom into an active problem-solving lab.\r\n\r\nThese resources have completely transformed our daily student-led presentations. During a recent lesson on modeling complex polynomial functions, small groups used the giant Post-it pads to draft multi-step algebraic proofs, color-coding their key transformations with different Expo markers so their peers could easily follow their logic. When it came time to present, groups stuck their giant charts around the room for a \"gallery walk,\" walking their classmates through their mathematical reasoning and making real-time edits directly on the board. Having bright, reliable markers and plenty of workspace meant students spent zero time fighting with dried-out supplies and 100% of their energy debating math strategies and defending their solutions.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, our class is diving into our next major unit on exponential and logarithmic functions, where students will collaborate on financial modeling projects. They will be using the giant Post-it pads to map out complex investment growth curves and pitching their data models to the rest of the class at the whiteboards. Your generosity gave my students the exact tools they need to take ownership of their learning, collaborate deeply, and build confidence in college-level mathematics. Thank you for making this active learning environment possible!","fullyFundedDate":1772649147925,"projectUrl":"project/math-presentations/10127555/","projectTitle":"Math Presentations","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mentzer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9975884"},{"teacherId":9454923,"projectId":10121087,"letterContent":"am incredibly grateful to the donors who made this project possible. I truly love how hardworking and kind my students are. They ask great questions, support one another, and continue to try even when the work gets challenging. Many of my students come to school tired from busy lives outside of the classroom, but they still show up ready to learn, and they deserve a classroom that feels clean, safe, comfortable, and welcoming.\r\n\r\nThe supplies from this project may seem simple, but they make a meaningful difference every day. Kleenex, hand sanitizer, and Lysol wipes help us maintain a clean and healthy classroom so students can stay focused on learning. Glue sticks help students create interactive notebooks and complete hands-on projects. Power strips allow students to keep their devices charged and ready to use for learning and lab activities. Cleaning and air-freshening supplies help keep our classroom comfortable and ready for students each day.\r\n\r\nMost importantly, these resources help me create the kind of classroom my students deserve. A place where they can learn, collaborate, ask questions, make mistakes, and keep trying. Thank you for investing in my students and helping make our classroom a place where they feel supported and ready to learn.","fullyFundedDate":1775090687698,"projectUrl":"project/clean-classroom-clear-minds/10121087/","projectTitle":"Clean Classroom, Clear Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Tapia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9454923_orig.png?crop=390,390,x1,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708625744156","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrtapia-warrenhs"},{"teacherId":9975884,"projectId":10142958,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the opportunity to provide my students with these supplies.\r\nStudents were excited the second they saw the bright, tactile math tools and manipulatives come out of the boxes. Their curious hands reaching out, and genuine excitement to dive in and play with the tools and games. For many of my students, high school math can feel intimidating, abstract, and disconnected from reality. Seeing these fresh materials right on their desks instantly shifted the energy in the room from anxiety to pure curiosity, making them feel valued and invested in before we even started the lesson.\r\n\r\nWe immediately put these tools to work, and the impact was instant. Recently, during a unit on geometric transformations and visual algebra, students used the new manipulatives to physically build, rotate, and manipulate shapes rather than just staring at 2D formulas on a whiteboard. One specific moment stands out: a student who had been struggling for weeks to visualize 3D spatial rotations suddenly had a \"lightbulb\" moment. She held the manipulative, physically flipped it, and yelled, \"Oh! That's why the coordinates change!\" The entire table cheered. These resources turned abstract, frustrating concepts into concrete, solvable puzzles, giving my visual and kinesthetic learners a way to finally grasp the material on a deeper level.\r\n\r\nLooking ahead, we are using these new tools as the foundation for our upcoming end-of-unit collaborative project. Students will be using the manipulatives to design their own geometric models and present their mathematical proofs to the class. Instead of just memorizing procedures for a test, they are using these resources to build real conceptual mastery that will support them through advanced math courses and beyond. Thank you so much for stepping into our classroom and making this transformative learning experience possible for my students!","fullyFundedDate":1778262112551,"projectUrl":"project/bridging-gaps/10142958/","projectTitle":"Bridging Gaps","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mentzer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9975884"},{"teacherId":9975884,"projectId":10127642,"letterContent":"I cannot thank you enough for your generous donation of tissues to our Algebra 1 classroom. While it may seem like a simple supply, it has made a profound difference in our daily momentum. When the boxes first arrived, my students were genuinely relieved; one student even joked that we finally had \"the good stuff\" to get us through flu season. It was a great moment that showed them there are people outside our school walls who care about their comfort and their learning environment.\r\nThese resources have been a lifesaver during our recent unit on solving systems of equations. In Algebra, a single distraction can cause a student to lose their place in a complex, multi-step problem. Because we now have tissues readily available at our supply station, students can handle a sneeze or a sniffle without getting up and breaking their \"math flow.\" Just yesterday, I noticed a student grab a tissue and jump right back into their graphing without missing a beat—that kind of uninterrupted focus is vital for mastering these foundational skills.\r\nNow that we are fully stocked, we can continue to push through some of the most challenging parts of the year, requiring a lot of stamina and concentration as we learn. Your support ensures that our classroom remains a clean, focused, and high-functioning space. Thank you for clearing the distractions so my students can focus on the variables!","fullyFundedDate":1776471702472,"projectUrl":"project/tissue-help/10127642/","projectTitle":"Tissue help","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mentzer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9975884"},{"teacherId":9454923,"projectId":9902476,"letterContent":"I just want to start by saying thank you. Because of you, my classroom feels completely different—in the best way. The first day I handed out the chalk markers, the energy in the room shifted right away. Students who normally sit back were up, writing, drawing, and talking through ideas with their groups. One moment that stuck with me was watching a group work through a tough concept together on their table—they were explaining it to each other, correcting mistakes, and actually enjoying the process. That's the kind of learning you hope for as a teacher, and it's happening because of your support.\r\n\r\nThe aquarium and grow lights have also been a big win. My students take real ownership of the fish, they check on them, ask questions, and make sure everything is taken care of. It's been cool to see that sense of responsibility grow. With the plant lights, we've started growing in the classroom, and now students are able to actually see the concepts we talk about instead of just reading about them. They're tracking growth, making observations, and starting to ask deeper questions, which is exactly what I want.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, we're building on this by having students design their own small experiments and track their results over time. I'm also using the Teachers Pay Teachers resources to keep things fresh and engaging so they don't lose that momentum. At the end of the day, your donation didn't just buy supplies, it gave my students opportunities to be involved and confident in their learning. I really appreciate it.","fullyFundedDate":1768330238854,"projectUrl":"project/chalk-it-up-to-science/9902476/","projectTitle":"Chalk It Up to Science!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Tapia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9454923_orig.png?crop=390,390,x1,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708625744156","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrtapia-warrenhs"},{"teacherId":9454923,"projectId":9850979,"letterContent":"From the moment the aquarium supplies arrived, my students were immediately engaged. When we set up the tank together, students were eager to help add the colorful GloFish gravel, check the digital thermometer, and carefully install the submersible heater. For many of them, this was their first experience being responsible for a living environment, and they took that role seriously. I watched students who normally struggle with focus slow down, observe quietly, and ask thoughtful questions as they saw the fish settle into their new home.\r\n\r\nWe now use the aquarium as part of our daily classroom routine. Students take turns monitoring the temperature, checking water conditions with the API starter kit, and recording observations about fish behavior. Beyond academics, the tank has become a calming presence in the room. Several students choose to sit nearby during independent work because it helps them regulate their emotions and stay focused. Caring for the aquarium has also encouraged teamwork, patience, and accountability in ways that traditional lessons cannot.\r\n\r\nNext, students will begin tracking changes in the tank over time and connecting what they observe to broader ideas about environments and living systems. They will create simple observation logs, reflect on how care routines affect the fish, and discuss why consistency and responsibility matter. Thanks to your generosity, my students now have a meaningful, hands-on learning experience that supports both their academic growth and social-emotional well-being every single day.","fullyFundedDate":1762035174169,"projectUrl":"project/calm-currents-building-a-sensory-aquari/9850979/","projectTitle":"Calm Currents: Building a Sensory Aquarium for Science and SEL","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Tapia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9454923_orig.png?crop=390,390,x1,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708625744156","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrtapia-warrenhs"},{"teacherId":9454923,"projectId":9409814,"letterContent":"Since receiving these resources, my classroom has become an even more engaging and welcoming place for students to learn. The technology and tools from this project allow students to interact with science instead of just reading about it. Writing directly on tables with chalk markers has transformed group work and labs into active problem-solving sessions where students can think out loud, make mistakes, and revise together in real time. The indoor grow lights and aquarium lighting have turned our classroom into a living laboratory, giving students daily opportunities to observe growth, care for organisms, and connect lessons to real life.\r\n\r\nWhat excites students most is seeing science happen. Watching plants grow under the lamps or checking on the aquarium has become part of our daily routine and provides natural moments for discussion, responsibility, and reflection. These tools also support social-emotional learning by giving students calming, hands-on experiences in a safe classroom space.\r\n\r\nSome of my quieter students have especially thrived with this technology. Students who may not always speak up during lectures feel more comfortable contributing when they can write, draw, or observe alongside their peers. These resources have helped every student feel more involved, confident, and excited about learning science.","fullyFundedDate":1757423436913,"projectUrl":"project/bright-boards-clean-hands-a-fresh-sta/9409814/","projectTitle":"Bright Boards & Clean Hands: A Fresh Start","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Tapia","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9454923_orig.png?crop=390,390,x1,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1708625744156","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrtapia-warrenhs"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_10082","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":2531,"numTeachers":160,"percentFrplEligible":55,"percentAsian":2,"percentBlack":8,"percentWhite":17,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":66,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":4,"gradesServed":"9 - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"15.8:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":79.4,"schoolId":10082,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about William Howard Taft High School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"William Howard Taft High School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/texas/northside-independent-school-district/william-howard-taft-high-school/10082"}