{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Somerton Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":43.2,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9926305,"projectId":9707359,"letterContent":"The donation of file drawers, organizers, and headphones has made a meaningful and immediate impact on our students' success in the classroom. The drawers and organizers have greatly improved our classroom structure, helping students keep their materials neat, accessible, and easy to manage. With a more organized environment, students are better able to stay focused, transition smoothly between tasks, and take greater responsibility for their learning.\r\n\r\nThe headphones have also become an essential tool, especially during testing and independent work. They help students minimize distractions, concentrate more effectively, and feel more confident in completing assignments that require audio or quiet focus.\r\n\r\nThese contributions have not only supported academic success but have also helped create a calm, efficient, and student-centered learning space. We are truly grateful for your generosity and commitment to our classroom. Your support shows our students that their learning matters and that they are surrounded by people who believe in their potential. Thank you for making such a positive difference.","fullyFundedDate":1761404488827,"projectUrl":"project/focused-and-organized-helping-students/9707359/","projectTitle":"Focused and Organized: Helping Students Succeed","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Laxamana","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9926305_orig.jpg?crop=2047,2047,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752626246311","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9926305"},{"teacherId":9887406,"projectId":9030709,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your donation. We are in the process of getting water to the area and getting a supplier approved by the district for the trees. We are running a little behind. \r\nIn the area we are going to use, It is also being used as an RC track so we are going to join forces and get the students from both programs to participate. Permaculture is a way to conserve resources and also teach the students about planting in a way that allows the plants work together to help each other grow. Using edible plants gives the area the added benefit of being able to eat the fruit from the trees.\r\nWe are also learning about energy and I am using the white boards to have the students create roller coaster designs so they can understand when the roller coaster cart has potential energy and when it has kinetic energy. When they are done drawing their design we will make a paper roller coaster that the students will put together and try to keep the rubber ball on the track with out falling off.","fullyFundedDate":1746786020913,"projectUrl":"project/plant-science-for-middle-school-organic/9030709/","projectTitle":"Plant Science for Middle School (Organic).","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Roberts","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9887406_orig.jpg?crop=1976,1976,x200,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752725331280","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9887406"},{"teacherId":9926305,"projectId":9118564,"letterContent":"I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for your generous donation of printer and pencils. The printer and the pencils has made a big difference in the learning activities of the students. Your support has made a meaningful impact on our learning environment.\r\n\r\nThanks to your gift, we are now able to provide students with high-quality, colored printed materials that enhance their learning experience and bring lessons to life. From visual aids to creative projects, the printer has become an essential tool in our classrooms. I also had less problems with pencils because everyone has been responsible using it and try not to lose it whenever they borrow it.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has not only improved our resources but also shown our students the value of community support. We are truly grateful for your kindness and investment in their education.","fullyFundedDate":1749658031733,"projectUrl":"project/learning-history-made-fun-thru-colored-g/9118564/","projectTitle":"Learning History Made Fun Thru Colored Graphics and Evidences","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Laxamana","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9926305_orig.jpg?crop=2047,2047,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752626246311","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9926305"},{"teacherId":5955932,"projectId":9008951,"letterContent":"Dear Sir or Ma'am, \r\nMy name is Deana Salter, and I am a Science Teacher at Somerton Middle School in Somerton, AZ, we are a border town, next to Mexico.  We are a title 1 school which means, most students are experiencing poverty. \r\nSchools have budgets but little for diverse activity items.  I wanted to bring a different type of science experience to my students, so I created a Police Science and Investigations Club.  Since the club was created, leadership allowed me to do Forensic Science 1 day a week in my 6 classes. When I saw my project fully funded, I couldn't believe my eyes, and when I told the kids they became thrilled. I had told no one about my submission, so it was a great piece of news.\r\n\r\nWe were so excited upon receiving the first package.  I started right away implementing the items in my lesson plans. The first week we started a murder case they had to solve.  This case forced the students to think critically and out of the box. We are still working on it; it is a very rigorous process.     In the meantime, I am teaching the students how to create a slide for the microscope so we can start using the microscope and science lab. \r\n\r\nPart of the items that I had chosen were a lot of trace evidence that go to different mystery case and exposes the students to experience what a scientist, forensic scientist does in the lab. In addition, they are required to research and discover evidence to find the offender. Involved with these experiences the students are learning a lot about the law which prepares them to think twice before making a bad choice. \r\nOur school has an SRO school resource officer, and he has been helping me introduce some topics that I know nothing about and or work on learning about he's very supportive and I think he's having an enjoyable time with this process. My undergraduate is in Criminology with a dual minor of sociology and psychology, I wanted to go to law school, but plans changed over the years. I have the knowledge and I feel comfortable with my colleagues and leadership supporting me that it will be successful and fun. \r\n\r\nSome people might think that I'm exposing the students to things that might be inappropriate and I'm really working to be careful on how things are presented, but I believe with the students learning the law and how law-enforcement utilizes science to not only solve crimes but to do more investigations for research later on this is a good exposure to the real world and they'll go in the college or even high school first with more real world knowledge that may just sway them from making bad decisions when it comes to the law.\r\n\r\nDuring the summertime Somerton Police Department is going to help me create a rigorous crime scene for one of the murder cases that we have and allow the students to go in and investigate and see if they can solve the murder by just what they get from the crime scene. We're also going to take a step further and expand this into a summer school program, with the same plan and framework. starting with introduction to law and processes law enforcement has in place that science is involved. \r\n\r\nI must thank you for your generous, generous contribution, and express to you how excited these students are and because of your contribution in funding my project the students can experience something different that they wouldn't otherwise, plus I am having a great time.\r\n\r\nThank you from the bottom of our hearts! I hope you enjoy the thank you letters and pictures. \r\n\r\nRespectively\r\nDeana L Salter","fullyFundedDate":1734470299014,"projectUrl":"project/forensics-science-curious-ms-students-i/9008951/","projectTitle":"Forensics Science: Curious MS Students Investigating & Solving Mysteries","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Salter","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5955932_orig.jpg?crop=1242,1242,x0,y252&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1734133504184","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/dsalter5109"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_45314","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":650,"numTeachers":39,"percentFrplEligible":88,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":1,"percentIndigenous":2,"percentLatinx":94,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"7 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"16.7:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"TOWN","ncesMetroType":"TOWN_FRINGE"},"inStateSupporters":56.8,"schoolId":45314,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Somerton Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Somerton Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/arizona/somerton-school-district-11/somerton-middle-school/45314"}