{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Santiago Charter Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":14.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9873473,"projectId":9725527,"letterContent":"The new calculators you donated have truly changed the energy in our math classroom. Many of our students have only used simple calculators at home, so getting to use these in class has been a whole new experience for them. They're not just checking answers—they're exploring, trying out ideas, and taking risks they never would've taken before. Instead of getting stuck on long computations, they can finally focus on understanding what the math means, and that has opened up so many \"aha!\" moments.\r\n\r\nWhat the kids love most is the confidence the calculators give them. Suddenly, students who used to freeze up during multi-step problems are leaning in and giving things a real shot. They're double-checking their work, comparing strategies with friends, and celebrating when they realize, \"Hey, I actually get this!\" The calculators make the learning feel less scary and more like a puzzle they're excited to solve.\r\n\r\nA few students in particular have really blossomed. One student who usually shuts down during math now picks up his calculator with a little smile, ready to try. Another student who tends to work slowly has told me she loves being able to keep up with her group because the calculator helps her stay on track. These moments have been so special to see. Your generosity didn't just give us classroom tools—you gave my students confidence, independence, and a sense of pride they carry with them every day.","fullyFundedDate":1759512252342,"projectUrl":"project/count-on-us-calculators-for-confident-m/9725527/","projectTitle":"Count on Us: Calculators for Confident Math Learners","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Churney","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9873473_orig.jpg?crop=550,550,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1734123671710","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9873473"},{"teacherId":4583038,"projectId":9572235,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in donating to our project for Santiago's Culinary Kitchen. Your kindness is much appreciated. This year we will be baking, cooking, measuring, and cleaning for 39 weeks with close to 500 students. Our baking essentials and tools will be utilized every semester as our kids learn the basics in life skills, sanitation, and food service. \r\n\r\nAs we continue to grow in our culinary program at Santiago, students will get the opportunity to work more and more in a professional environment. They will be able to experience the process utilizing the tools from this project – beverage shakers, hand blenders, soap dispensers, ice cream scoops and frothers – are all instrumental to their success. Kids will have access to filtered water, the use of basic hand tools, and other essential supplies while finding success with the tools you helped provided. Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1755716687239,"projectUrl":"project/beverage-and-baking-basics/9572235/","projectTitle":"Beverage and Baking Basics","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kalman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4583038_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1501256606375","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-kalman"},{"teacherId":6692913,"projectId":9132628,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating to our classroom and giving us new resources and materials to be successful. New classroom supplies is hard to come by, so because of your generosity my students can save time sharpening pencils with an electric sharpener, have a clear and clean space to organize classroom supplies, and new colors for school projects. We also have new tissues that will help carry us through cold and flu season which is approaching shortly. \r\n\r\nOur class is also thrilled to have new fidgets and magnet blocks. As a special education classroom many students need time to use these, may use these during instruction to help with focus, and use the magnetic tiles as manipulatives. \r\n\r\nWe cannot thank you enough.","fullyFundedDate":1747503422663,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-supplies-for-a-great-surprise/9132628/","projectTitle":"Classroom Supplies for a Great Surprise!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Pasveer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6692913_orig.jpg?crop=389,389,x1658,y273&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1653231770746","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mspasveer"},{"teacherId":9170625,"projectId":8907204,"letterContent":"On behalf of my photography students, I want to sincerely thank you for your generosity in supporting our classroom through DonorsChoose. Because of your contribution, we now have a new camera that will allow students to learn hands-on, practice creative techniques, and capture their world with greater clarity and confidence.\r\n\r\nThis camera is more than just equipment—it's a tool that will help my students tell their stories, develop artistic skills, and explore new opportunities in visual arts. Already, their excitement and curiosity have grown as they experiment with settings, composition, and creative expression. Your gift will continue to impact them far beyond this school year.\r\n\r\nWe are so grateful for your kindness and belief in our program. Thank you for investing in my students' creativity and helping them see themselves as true photographers.","fullyFundedDate":1742931970619,"projectUrl":"project/picture-this/8907204/","projectTitle":"Picture This!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Mitchell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9170625_orig.jpg?crop=1814,1814,x756,y352&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1692035169556","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9170625"},{"teacherId":6692913,"projectId":7520112,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating to our classroom and giving students an accessible space to learn throughout the year. Students are now able to sit at the back table and receive the small group help they need and enhance learning. Students can now be grouped by need and get focused help on specific content areas by either the teacher or classroom aide. \r\n\r\nStudents were so excited to see that they no longer need to reconstruct the classroom every time a group needed help. We are so grateful for all of your support.","fullyFundedDate":1699370277096,"projectUrl":"project/an-accessible-space-to-learn/7520112/","projectTitle":"An Accessible Space to Learn!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Pasveer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6692913_orig.jpg?crop=389,389,x1658,y273&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1653231770746","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mspasveer"},{"teacherId":4583038,"projectId":9244994,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in donating to our project for Santiago's Culinary Kitchen. Your kindness is much appreciated. This year we will be baking, cooking, measuring, and cleaning for 39 weeks with close to 500 students. Our kitchen essentials will be utilized every day for these students who are learning the basics in life skills, sanitation, and food service. \r\nAs we continue to grow in our culinary program at Santiago, students will get the opportunity to work more and more in a professional environment. They will be able to experience the whole food process – from growing herbs and vegetables in our raised gardens, to using them in dishes, and then serving them on campus as well as delivering them to food pantries serving people experiencing food insecurity. Kids will have access to filtered water, the use of basic hand tools, and other essential supphave access to the best cookbooks because of your donation. Thank you!","fullyFundedDate":1744221727126,"projectUrl":"project/cooking-with-cookbooks/9244994/","projectTitle":"Cooking with Cookbooks","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kalman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4583038_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1501256606375","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-kalman"},{"teacherId":4583038,"projectId":9042455,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in donating to our project for Santiago's Culinary Kitchen. Your kindness is much appreciated. This year we will be baking, cooking, measuring, and cleaning for 39 weeks with close to 500 students. Our cookie essentials and cookbooks will be utilized every semester as our kids learn the basics in life skills, sanitation, and food service. We got to put those cookbooks to use with our cookie contest just last week. Kids loved having the hands on tools for creating their own special recipes and trying new things. Thanks again!","fullyFundedDate":1736983569683,"projectUrl":"project/cookies-and-cookbooks-for-culinary-arts/9042455/","projectTitle":"Cookies and Cookbooks for Culinary Arts","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kalman","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4583038_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1501256606375","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-kalman"},{"teacherId":1634101,"projectId":8844783,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping to fund my project! Our students will have wonderful adventures as they read the new fantasy books that were ordered. Included in this order were several graphic novels that our reluctant readers asked to add to our shelves. \r\n\r\nMiddle schoolers often enjoy reading graphic novels, as they offer high-quality visuals that add depth to fast-paced stories. Through the art and text that form the story, students can grasp large amounts of information within a short amount of time. This helps our students to gain a better understanding of new vocabulary, improve their reading comprehension and gain confidence in their reading skills.\r\n\r\nThank you again for your generous donations to our project!","fullyFundedDate":1735687057923,"projectUrl":"project/fantasy-and-adventure-await/8844783/","projectTitle":"Fantasy and Adventure Await!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Maude","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/dmaude"},{"teacherId":1634101,"projectId":8635963,"letterContent":"Thank you for funding our Spark Growing Minds and Imaginations Art Project. Our students have been having a wonderful time using the different sets to make ornaments, bracelets, and assorted art pieces. \r\n\r\nStudents created projects for themselves and shared their finished project with family and friends. It has been inspiring to see students as they encouraged each other to try different colors and mediums, especially those who were hesitant to begin a craft they had never tried before. Whether they worked independently or with their classmates, all participants gained confidence and learned from one another.\r\n\r\nThank you so much for giving our students the opportunity to express themselves with new craft materials. In working with these items, they developed problem solving skills, learned perseverance, and made new friends. This project has been one of the best activities for our seventh and eighth grade students.","fullyFundedDate":1726760424861,"projectUrl":"project/art-projects-to-spark-growing-minds-and/8635963/","projectTitle":"Art Projects to Spark Growing Minds and Imaginations","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Maude","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/dmaude"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_92674","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1098,"numTeachers":null,"percentFrplEligible":60,"percentAsian":5,"percentBlack":1,"percentWhite":16,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":71,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"7 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":null,"demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_MIDSIZE"},"inStateSupporters":86.0,"schoolId":92674,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Santiago Charter Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Santiago Charter Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/orange-unified-school-district/santiago-charter-middle-school/92674"}