{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Thomas Starr King Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":12.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9026329,"projectId":10296641,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in funding our project, \"Roller Coaster Challenge: Our Students Will Become Engineers and Scientists!\" Your support has brought physics, engineering, and pure excitement directly into our classroom.\r\n\r\nThe Impact in Our Classroom\r\nWe are currently using these new resources to bridge theoretical physics with hands-on engineering principles. During a recent classroom challenge, students worked in small teams to design a coaster that included a functional loop-the-loop and a final safety hill. A standout moment occurred when one team's marble kept getting stuck in the loop track. Instead of getting frustrated, the students began debating about Potential and Kinetic Energy. They carefully adjusted the angle of their track, calculated the necessary height drop, and erupted into cheers when the marble successfully completed the entire course. These tools have turned abstract concepts into tangible, solvable problems.\r\nNext Steps\r\nNow that the students have mastered basic track designs, our next step is to introduce constraints that mirror real-world engineering challenges. In our next lesson, they will be tasked with optimizing their roller coasters for cost and material efficiency, using mathematical models to calculate potential and kinetic energy at various points of their tracks.\r\nYour contribution did more than just buy educational kits; it sparked a passion for discovery and gave my students the confidence to view themselves as real future engineers and scientists. We are profoundly grateful for your investment in our classroom.\r\nWith deepest gratitude,","fullyFundedDate":1787008358292,"projectUrl":"project/roller-coaster-challenge-our-students-wi/10296641/","projectTitle":"Roller Coaster Challenge Our Students Will Become Engineers and Scientists!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ortiz","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9026329_orig.jpg?crop=1206,1205,x0,y277&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683339349624","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9026329"},{"teacherId":9026329,"projectId":10523025,"letterContent":"When I showed my students their new notebooks, my 8th graders were genuinely excited to unbox them. In a world dominated by digital screens, having their own physical notebooks created an immediate sense of ownership and curiosity. \r\n\r\nWe immediately put them to use during our science lessons, shifting entirely from typing on devices to taking handwritten notes. A standout moment occurred last week when we were analyzing a complex science concept. Instead of staring blankly at a screen, students were actively sketching out diagrams, and mapping out ideas by hand. \r\nThe room was focused, and you could practically feel the deeper connection they were making with the material as they put pen to paper.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, students will be using these notebooks to use for our upcoming lab units, unit tests and science projects. They will be tracking data, writing hypotheses, and reviewing their own handwritten progress over time. This simple shift away from screens has completely transformed their focus and engagement. Thank you for investing in our 8th graders!","fullyFundedDate":1788378400530,"projectUrl":"project/from-screens-to-notebooks-hands-on-scie/10523025/","projectTitle":"From Screens to Notebooks: Hands-On Science Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ortiz","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9026329_orig.jpg?crop=1206,1205,x0,y277&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683339349624","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9026329"},{"teacherId":9813376,"projectId":10444547,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contributions!! Students have been elated to get their notebooks. This way, they have all of their work in one place. They can see their progress over time and easily show parents/guardians what we have been working on. \r\n\r\nWhen students saw the new art supplies, excitement was palpable. They made some incredible artistic responses to articles we have read in class, and they were so grateful to have new supplies. They were so touched by your gift - knowing that strangers care so much about their education has really motivated them.","fullyFundedDate":1787223529197,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-essentials-for-the-new-year/10444547/","projectTitle":"Classroom Essentials for the New Year","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sijoatmojo","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9813376_orig.jpg?crop=640,640,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1793120850720","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9813376"},{"teacherId":791028,"projectId":10412666,"letterContent":"Thank you again for the essential supplies you provided to our classroom. It was so nice to start the school year prepared. Some say preparation is the key to success. I agree. \r\n\r\nWe are prepared for the new school year and the supplies you provided have been put to good use. The notecards, pencils and paper are being used for our assignments and projects. \r\n\r\nWe especailly have been enjoying the History readers you provided about our new unit on the Medieval Ages. We have learned a lot and the pictures and descriptions in the books have been great. \r\n\r\nAgain, we are forever thankful.","fullyFundedDate":1787164927598,"projectUrl":"project/a-fresh-start/10412666/","projectTitle":"A Fresh Start","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Alexovics","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp791028_orig.png?crop=282,282,x1,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1753997370433","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/791028"},{"teacherId":3610530,"projectId":10450461,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting my classroom. Your generous contribution has helped my students feel more comfortable in their learning environment and be able to exercise autonomy and learn about what best suits their physical needs, especially in a classroom setting. \r\n\r\nChairs and desks can be hard to sit at for extended periods of time, and I've tried to foster alternatives to sitting at a desk. In addition to our current standing workspaces, my students were very excited to know that they could also take a lap desk and turn their preexisting workspace into an elevated surface, or take them to the floor, or take tatami chairs and create impromptu study circle. \r\n\r\nThank you again for supporting my classroom. It's been a joy watching my vision of a math learning space for everyone unfold.","fullyFundedDate":1788378400143,"projectUrl":"project/sit-here-stand-there-be-anywhere/10450461/","projectTitle":"Sit Here, Stand There, Be Anywhere!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Catherine Tran","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3610530_orig.jpg?crop=662,662,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1697087099604","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/trantastic"},{"teacherId":583721,"projectId":9612057,"letterContent":"Thank you for funding this project. These materials reach every part of our music program: the doorway, the string section, the printer, and the daily cleanup that keeps instruments and students safe.\r\nThe extra-large door mats matter more than they look. Students arrive from outside with wet or dusty shoes, and the music room is full of instruments that should not sit in grit. Cleaner floors mean cleaner cases, cleaner bows, and a classroom that stays ready for rehearsal.\r\nThe student violin bows and Everest shoulder rests go straight into students' hands. A bow that will not hold hair, or a shoulder rest that slips, stops a beginner from making a good sound. With these, more students can hold the violin correctly, draw a straight bow, and practice without fighting the equipment. That is the difference between frustration and progress.\r\nCopy paper keeps music, worksheets, seating charts, and concert materials in students' folders. Rosin for violin, viola, cello, and double bass keeps bows gripping the string. Without rosin, even a good bow produces almost no sound. These small supplies are what let the orchestra actually play.\r\nThe disinfectant spray helps us wipe shared surfaces, stands, and high-touch areas after class. In a room where many students use the same space, that care protects both the instruments and the people who play them.\r\nBecause of you, beginners have working bows and comfortable shoulder rests, the orchestra has rosin and printed music, and the room itself is cleaner and safer. Thank you for investing in the details that make a music class work.","fullyFundedDate":1755749074873,"projectUrl":"project/necessary-supplies-needed-for-music-clas/9612057/","projectTitle":"Necessary Supplies Needed for Music Classes!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Anton Boktor","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp583721_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1513787127094","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mr-boktor"},{"teacherId":583721,"projectId":6352733,"letterContent":"Thank you for funding the power, printing, and connection supplies our music classroom needed. These are not glamorous items, but they keep the class running every day.\r\nWe now have surge-protector power strips with USB ports at student stations. In piano lab, each keyboard, tablet, or charging device needs a safe outlet. Before this project, we were short on power and stretching cords in ways that were neither safe nor practical. With these strips, more students can plug in at once, charge what they need, and stay at their stations instead of waiting for an open outlet.\r\nThe toner cartridges keep our classroom printer working. Students need printed music, practice charts, theory worksheets, concert programs, and permission forms. When the printer is down, those materials stop. Because of you, I can print what the class needs without delay.\r\nThe heavy-duty outdoor extension cord and USB printer cables close the last gaps: reaching outlets that were too far away, and connecting printers so they actually work when we need them. Together, these materials mean more working stations, fewer interruptions, and more time spent making music instead of troubleshooting equipment.\r\nOn behalf of my students, thank you. You funded the quiet infrastructure that lets a music classroom function.","fullyFundedDate":1649343025330,"projectUrl":"project/necessary-supplies-for-piano-lab/6352733/","projectTitle":"Necessary Supplies for Piano Lab","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Anton Boktor","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp583721_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1513787127094","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mr-boktor"},{"teacherId":583721,"projectId":8601975,"letterContent":"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for funding our classroom headphones. Because of you, every student in piano class now has a pair of headphones to use with their own keyboard. That gift is not a small convenience. It is what makes this class work.\r\nIn our piano lab, each student sits at an individual keyboard. With headphones on, the room becomes quiet enough for real practice. One student can work on scales while another works on a song. I can listen in, give feedback, and move from station to station without twenty instruments sounding at once. Students hear themselves clearly. They stay focused. They take more risks because they are not performing for the whole room every time they press a key.\r\nHeadphones are indispensable in this setting. Without them, the class cannot function as independent practice. With them, beginners grow into confident players who compose, practice theory, and prepare pieces at their own pace. Your support turned that from a hope into a daily reality.\r\nI wish you could see the first day the new headphones arrived: students plugging in, putting them on, and immediately settling into their work. The room got quieter. The music got better. That is the gift you gave.\r\nOn behalf of every student who will put those headphones on this year, and in the years after, thank you. You invested in their concentration, their musicianship, and their chance to hear themselves grow.","fullyFundedDate":1723703878025,"projectUrl":"project/headphones-for-piano-lab/8601975/","projectTitle":"Headphones for Piano Lab","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Anton Boktor","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp583721_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1513787127094","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mr-boktor"},{"teacherId":583721,"projectId":7634948,"letterContent":"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for funding the printer, ink, cardstock, and classroom supplies for our music program. Your gift did not sit in a box. It went straight into the hands of students who now have the sheet music, parts, and classroom materials they need to learn, rehearse, and perform.\r\nI teach beginning band, beginning strings, advanced orchestra, and piano at Thomas Starr King Middle School. In a typical week I work with more than one hundred students who play flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba, violin, viola, cello, and piano. Music is a performing art, which means students cannot practice what they cannot see. Before this project was funded, I was constantly stretching limited school copies, reprinting damaged parts, and sending students home with incomplete or hard-to-read music. That problem is gone.\r\nThe Brother wireless color all-in-one printer and the 11-by-17 cardstock have changed daily life in this room. I now print full conductor scores and individual parts for Advanced Orchestra so every stand has a clean, readable copy. Beginning band students receive their own parts instead of sharing a smudged photocopy. Piano students leave with printed repertoire, theory worksheets, and their own compositions. When a student loses a part two days before a rehearsal, I print a replacement in minutes instead of asking them to wait. That sounds simple. In a music classroom it is the difference between a student who can practice at home and a student who cannot.\r\nThe quality of the print matters as much as the quantity. Music notation is small. Ledger lines, accidentals, dynamics, and bowings have to be clear or students guess. The new printer produces sharp black notation and, when we need it, color for cues, highlighted sections, and classroom posters. Heavier cardstock holds up in folders, on music stands, and in backpacks. Parts last through a unit instead of tearing after a week. Students treat the music more carefully because it looks like real professional parts rather than a last-minute copy.\r\nThe impact shows up in rehearsal. Students follow along more confidently. Sectionals run faster because everyone has the same page. Beginning players can mark fingerings and articulations on their own copies. Advanced orchestra students can take home extra parts to prepare for concerts. Piano students who are writing original songs can print drafts, revise, and print again—the same feedback loop composers use in the real world. I have watched students sit down with a freshly printed page and immediately start working instead of asking, \"Do you have another copy?\" That moment is the gift you gave them.\r\nThe printer also helps families stay connected. I print newsletters, concert information, practice reminders, and permission forms so parents who prefer paper can stay informed. Music is a partnership between school and home. When a family can put a concert date on the refrigerator and a practice chart on the piano, students show up more prepared. Your support made that communication easier and more reliable.\r\nThe other items in the project have supported the same goal. Disinfecting supplies help us keep shared instruments safer. Velcro lets us display posters, rehearsal reminders, and student work without damaging walls. Together, these materials make the room function like a working music studio instead of a space that is always short on the basics.\r\nWhat I want you to know most is this: your donation did not buy a machine. It bought access. It bought practice time. It bought the chance for a beginning flutist to take home a part she can actually read. It bought the chance for an orchestra student to mark bowings on a clean page. It bought the chance for a piano student to hold a printed copy of a song he wrote himself. Those are small, daily moments, and they add up to musicians who feel taken seriously.\r\nI have taught music for many years. I have learned that students rise to the quality of the materials we put in front of them. When the music looks professional, they sit taller. When they can take a part home, they practice. When they can print a revision of their own composition, they start to see themselves as creators, not only as students completing an assignment.\r\nThank you for believing that our students deserve that. Thank you for closing the gap between what this classroom needed and what we could provide on our own. Every concert, every rehearsal, and every printed page this year carries your generosity on it. Our students may never meet you, but they are playing better music because you chose to help.","fullyFundedDate":1692635541842,"projectUrl":"project/a-printer-for-the-classroom/7634948/","projectTitle":"A Printer for the Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Anton Boktor","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp583721_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1513787127094","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mr-boktor"},{"teacherId":107631,"projectId":10253030,"letterContent":"Last year after learning about heat transfer, I had my students design and build solar ovens, a popular science project that I had done in years past. First I had my students research solar oven designs and what is needed to capture the sun's energy. Following their research, students made a detailed drawing of their design that included the dimensions, materials, labeled components with an explanation of each component's purpose before they began building. I wanted them to be able to explain their design choices. The project went well, and they cooked s'mores using their ovens. The one issue was that the thermometers we used were not very accurate and were difficult to read so the data was not satisfactory. This is when I thought it would be a good idea to ask for more accurate and easy to use thermometers. \r\n\r\nWe have just started the new school year, so we are not at the point of doing the solar oven project. However, I am excited to do this project with my new students. This year I would like for them to design an oven that can pasteurize water. This will connect our science project to our study of water related issues in our English class. The thermometers are an integral part of this project and will allow students to gather accurate data, which they will use to determine the effectiveness of their design. Their reward will be using the ovens to make s'mores! Thank you again for your generous support of this project.","fullyFundedDate":1778604664175,"projectUrl":"project/solar-oven-design-challenge-revamp/10253030/","projectTitle":"Solar Oven Design Challenge Revamp","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mitsuse","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp107631_orig.jpg?crop=674,674,x1523,y565&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1565670853038","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/rmitsuse"},{"teacherId":466587,"projectId":10258377,"letterContent":"Thank you for funding our DJI Action Cameras. You've given my students real tools to make the films they've been imagining, and it's already changing how they think and work in class.\r\n\r\nFilmmaking ties directly into the reading and writing skills I teach every day. When students plan a short film, they're making the same choices as any writer — building character, pacing a story, deciding what to reveal and when. The camera just makes those choices visible. A student who has trouble explaining \"show, don't tell\" on paper often gets it right away once they're behind a camera and realize there's no narrator to explain things for them. Students are excited just to have equipment that's actually built for what they're doing — durable, easy to carry around campus, simple enough that they can focus on the story instead of fighting with the gear.\r\n\r\nOne student in particular stands out. Earlier in the year, he was pretty checked out in class — not disruptive, just not engaged, rarely turning in written work. But once we started the filmmaking unit, that changed. Handed a camera and a real creative problem to solve, he came alive. He started making thoughtful choices — why a shot should be close instead of wide, how to order footage so the story made sense, what to leave out. It was the same kind of analytical thinking I'd been trying to get out of him all year on paper, except now it clicked. Watching a quiet, disengaged student suddenly have strong opinions about a project was a good reminder of why hands-on creative work reaches kids that traditional assignments sometimes don't.\r\n\r\nBecause of your generosity, filmmaking went from something we talked about to something my students actually do, start to finish. Thank you for making that possible.","fullyFundedDate":1778593024427,"projectUrl":"project/capture-the-moment-bringing-ideas-to-li/10258377/","projectTitle":"Capture the Moment: Bringing Ideas to Life","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Gloyd","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp466587_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1696092515873","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/gloydning"},{"teacherId":1907829,"projectId":10270508,"letterContent":"I am incredibly grateful to the donors who helped fund these supplies for my classroom. The portable chargers, classroom decorations, and graphing paper may seem like simple things, but they make a meaningful difference in creating a classroom that feels welcoming, organized, and inviting for my students.\r\n\r\nThe new decor helps make our classroom a space where students feel comfortable and excited to learn. The portable chargers ensure they can stay connected and ready to use technology when needed, while the graphing paper gives them the tools to organize their math notes and show their mathematical thinking clearly.\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in our classroom and helping create an environment where my students feel supported, prepared, and excited to learn. Your generosity has helped make our classroom a more inviting place for every student who walks through the door.","fullyFundedDate":1779913309899,"projectUrl":"project/inviting-classroom-environment/10270508/","projectTitle":"Inviting Classroom Environment","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Chen","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1907829_orig.jpg?crop=413,413,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1758469858673","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1907829"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_7350","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1464,"numTeachers":80,"percentFrplEligible":75,"percentAsian":14,"percentBlack":2,"percentWhite":17,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":60,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":4,"gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"18.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":87.6,"schoolId":7350,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Thomas Starr King Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Thomas Starr King Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/los-angeles-unified-school-district/thomas-starr-king-middle-school/7350"}