{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Katherine Edwards Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":14.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9682892,"projectId":9627042,"letterContent":"My education philosophy has always been focused on having the students experience hands-on projects and learning in order to nurture their academic achievement. The largest hindrance to this is that I do not have the materials in order to provide those opportunities. The materials purchased in this Donors Choose helped in 2 major ways: materials for Science Olympiad and for Engineering/Robotics.\r\n\r\nEvery year our school competes in a Nationwide STEM focused competition called Science Olympiad. This year we have had a large amount of students interested and because this project got funded so swiftly, we were able to confidently sign up 2 teams knowing that all the kids would have materials to make their build. They were so excited to hear that they could all try their preferred projects this year, whereas in previous year we had to limit that since we did not have enough materials. I have also been able to prepare for different events using the materials like the potentiometers for a circuits lab\r\n\r\nThe first project that we have just completed in Engineering was the Boomilever. The project was essentially using balsa wood, bass wood, wood glue, and super glue to create a cantilever and have it carry a bucket of sand at the end of it. The kids were so happy that they were not limited to the materials and have a wide variety of materials to use in order to iterate and improve their builds. With the materials provided, we have been able to service over 100 students at our school and without it, there would have been no way I could have given these students these experiences.","fullyFundedDate":1755731692457,"projectUrl":"project/science-olympiad-engineering-materials/9627042/","projectTitle":"Science Olympiad Engineering Materials","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Chapeta","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9682892"},{"teacherId":8660411,"projectId":9424524,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our Zen Den has been fully restocked with calming tools and sensory materials that give students a safe space to pause and recharge when they are experiencing big emotions. Our Zen Den has quickly become a trusted part of our classroom routine, allowing students to regulate themselves and return to learning with a clearer mind.\r\nAlready, I've seen students independently choose the Zen Den when they need a break, use the tools to calm down, and then rejoin the group ready to participate. It has not only given them a sense of ownership over their emotional regulation but has also built a stronger classroom community where everyone feels supported. Moving forward, we are practicing strategies like mindful breathing, helping students take the skills they learn there and apply them in their daily lives. Your contribution has truly made a difference in creating a classroom environment where every student can thrive","fullyFundedDate":1758636650664,"projectUrl":"project/help-us-refresh-our-calming-area/9424524/","projectTitle":"Help Us Refresh Our Calming Area","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hernandez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8660411_orig.jpg?crop=3522,3522,x0,y316&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750605718240","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8660411"},{"teacherId":10204204,"projectId":9633953,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support in funding the Sphero robots for our 6th grade STEAM class! Your donation has made a tremendous impact on our students, and I'm excited to share how this project has transformed our learning environment.\r\nThe Sphero robots have brought coding, engineering, and creativity to life in a way that textbooks simply can't. Many of our students are used to using technology for entertainment at home, but this project introduced them to the idea that they can create with technology—not just consume it. They've learned to write code, test it, make adjustments, and see the results instantly through hands-on, interactive projects.\r\nWhat excites our students the most is the opportunity to bring their ideas to life. Whether they're programming Sphero to navigate a maze or complete a challenge, they are completely engaged. The room buzzes with energy, teamwork, and curiosity every time we bring the robots out.\r\nOne student, who typically avoids participating, has truly found their spark through this project. They've become deeply engaged—troubleshooting code, encouraging their peers, and even teaching others new Sphero skills. Watching that kind of confidence and growth blossom has been one of the most rewarding parts of this experience.\r\nBecause of your kindness, our students are developing essential 21st-century skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration—all while having fun. Thank you for helping us inspire the next generation of engineers, designers, and innovators.,","fullyFundedDate":1755965851697,"projectUrl":"project/rolling-into-stem-with-sphero-robots/9633953/","projectTitle":"Rolling into STEM with Sphero Robots","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Warwick","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10204204"},{"teacherId":8660411,"projectId":9092025,"letterContent":"I wanted to personally thank you for your generous donation to our classroom project. Because of your support, we were able to build a dedicated charging station for our students—a simple but powerful addition that is already making a big impact.\r\n\r\nHaving a place where students can charge their iPads as needed has helped reduce stress and interruptions during learning time. It ensures that every student stays connected and ready to engage with their lessons throughout the day.\r\n\r\nYour contribution has not only provided a practical solution but has shown our students that there are people who care about their success. Thank you for believing in our classroom and for helping create a more supportive and efficient learning environment.","fullyFundedDate":1742925008685,"projectUrl":"project/powered-up-for-learning/9092025/","projectTitle":"Powered Up for Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hernandez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8660411_orig.jpg?crop=3522,3522,x0,y316&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750605718240","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8660411"},{"teacherId":2159028,"projectId":8657234,"letterContent":"Thank You for Supporting Our Student Artists!\r\n\r\nSorry it took longer to complete this project than anticipated! My father has been sick this year, which has made things a bit more difficult. I took some time off when he went into the hospital. I truly appreciate your patience.\r\n\r\nI'm also so grateful for all you have done to help and support my students this year. With all of the trials and tribulations my family has been through, it is my art class that has really been the heART and inspiration for us. My dad loves to look at what my students are creating — it keeps him going!\r\n\r\nThanks to the canvases you generously donated, the art students worked in groups to determine a theme to paint together. Some chose mystical creatures, others painted horses, dragons, cats, waterlilies, folklore, tropical sunsets, and more. There were so many diverse themes and collaborative artworks. We finished them around Mother's Day — and some students even gave their paintings to their moms as gifts. It was a wonderful way for them to present their talent in a meaningful way!\r\n\r\nThe students were so excited when they saw the canvases! They're used to drawing on paper, so this was a new and enriching experience for many of them. Thank you for giving them the opportunity to work with real artist-grade materials — it made them feel like REAL ARTISTS!\r\n\r\nOftentimes, we don't have access to high-quality paper for our projects. I usually have to use regular copy paper, even for watercolor assignments. Having watercolor paper allowed students to create poignant pieces when painting. When we do tessellations, the students paint them to be bright and colorful — and quality paper makes a huge difference!\r\n\r\nFor the Day of the Dead Art Show, we used the plaster cloth belly casting rolls to create 3D masks that required more structure. These masks ended up being displayed at the Historic Whittier Art Gallery — and they were even awarded for their craftsmanship. Without the plaster rolls, our artists wouldn't have been able to create such refined work.\r\n\r\nArtists are making amazing art at KEMS because of your donations. I am so incredibly thankful. The students are always thrilled when I tell them, \"HEY GUESS WHAT? WE GOT A DONATION!\" They love looking in the boxes — it's like Christmas for them! Thank you for making Christmas happen for my kids!","fullyFundedDate":1723692875788,"projectUrl":"project/painted-heart/8657234/","projectTitle":"Painted HeART","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Vincent","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2159028_orig.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1723666486263","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2159028"},{"teacherId":8660411,"projectId":8717934,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous donation to this project. As the school year comes to an end, I would like to share the impact your donation has made. With the colored ink, I was able to create visuals for my students across all content areas. I was able to print vocabulary words with definitions and images that were displayed throughout the classroom. Having access to vocabulary word walls improves student comprehension and learning. In addition to the ink, the sweet treats were a delight to have on hand to reward students for positive behavior and participation. My students were always so happy when they received a sweet treat. Who new that something so small as a Jolly Rancher could bring so much joy. Once again, thank you donor for your donation. I truly share the success and accomplishments achieved this academic school year with you.","fullyFundedDate":1726704404369,"projectUrl":"project/sweeten-lives-and-brighten-pages/8717934/","projectTitle":"Sweeten Lives and Brighten Pages","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hernandez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8660411_orig.jpg?crop=3522,3522,x0,y316&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750605718240","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8660411"},{"teacherId":2159028,"projectId":8657216,"letterContent":"Artists made 3-D wire projects in collaborative groups. Groups came up with a theme of what they wanted to create out of wire. Such as Mystical creatures, dragons, dinosaurs, horses, farm animals, cats/dogs, people, and mermaids. \r\n\r\nAfter the group determined the theme that they were going to create their wire projects, they then used their ipads to draw out the designs of the base structure of the wire design. They had 3 different sizes of wire, so the design process in Sketchbook utilized 3 differed layers and colors. The skeleton layer (the thickest wire), the basic shapes of the creature/person (medium wire), and details such as: hair, contours in body, scales, etc...(details wire). \r\n\r\nWhen their planning was completed on their ipads, they were then able to draw the design on paper for the outline of the wire. Next, they got the bigger wire for the base of their structure. As a team they used needle nose pliers to help bend the wire to create the form and connect it together. It was fun to watch them team work together handling the wire. They realized, that as a team it was much easier working with wire to bend it. Also, just wrapping an object with wire didn't make it stronger! You had to sew the wire and then go the opposite direction!\r\n\r\nThe artists loved this project, their parents did as well, plus when we showcased it in the Historic Whittier Gallery viewers were amazed at the quality and variety of work. This will be a project that I will do again in the future.","fullyFundedDate":1724367190564,"projectUrl":"project/3-d-wire-mannequins/8657216/","projectTitle":"3-D Wire Mannequins","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Vincent","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2159028_orig.png?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1723666486263","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2159028"},{"teacherId":9676070,"projectId":8950525,"letterContent":"Thank you, Donors, so much, this thank you comes with a huge hug! Our projects were more beautiful using the colorful project boards YOU donated, but I really feel that it encouraged some (less motivated) students to WANT to do the assignment! I had 98% turn in ON TIME! A few more students need to complete the project, and I am confident we will have 100% turned in today! I am so grateful for this program, I could not have afforded to purchase 150 boards for my students on my own. The pride on my student's faces was worth the small amount of effort that this took. Thank you a million times over!","fullyFundedDate":1733253091239,"projectUrl":"project/honors-world-politics-project/8950525/","projectTitle":"Honors World Politics Project","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Madden","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9676070_orig.png?crop=354,354,x3,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1723697942868","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9676070"},{"teacherId":9676070,"projectId":8783557,"letterContent":"Thank you, Donors, so much, this thank you comes with a huge hug! Our projects were more beautiful using the colorful project boards YOU donated, but I really feel that it encouraged some (less motivated) students to WANT to do the assignment! I had 98% turn in ON TIME! A few more students need to complete the project, and I am confident we will have 100% turned in today! I am so grateful for this program, I could not have afforded to purchase 150 boards for my students on my own. The pride on my student's faces was worth the small amount of effort that this took. Thank you a million times over!","fullyFundedDate":1726772223396,"projectUrl":"project/projects-spotlighting-abolitionists-afr/8783557/","projectTitle":"Projects spotlighting Abolitionists, African Americans, Native Americans, and Women Suffragettes","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Madden","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9676070_orig.png?crop=354,354,x3,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1723697942868","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9676070"},{"teacherId":9671519,"projectId":8675989,"letterContent":"I want to extend my gratitude for your generous support through DONORS CHOOSE. Thanks to your contributions, my students received awesome materials that helped bring a difficult, abstract science concept to life. They created a chromosome model that helped explain the relationship between cells, chromosomes, DNA, and genes. Creating a visual model is a great way to explain science concepts and this was excellent! You could see the \"lightbulbs\" come on as students grasped the concept. Thanks so very much for your kind donation- they did awesome on their test!! There is nothing better than getting students EXCITED and INTERESTED in science through interactive/hands-on activities. This project certainly did that- My students and I are so grateful and appreciative.","fullyFundedDate":1725925809210,"projectUrl":"project/science-inquiry-project-essentials/8675989/","projectTitle":"Science Inquiry Project Essentials","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Velasquez","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9671519_orig.png?crop=1118,1118,x0,y182&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1724718279223","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9671519"},{"teacherId":8054271,"projectId":8705575,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, my students have been able to take their coding skills to the next level with wired computer mice and Micro:bit starter kits. These resources have transformed our classroom, making coding more efficient, engaging, and hands-on.\r\n\r\nThe wired mice have made a noticeable difference in my students' ability to write and debug code efficiently. No longer struggling with the limitations of laptop touchpads, they can now focus on coding with precision and ease. This has reduced frustration and allowed them to experiment more freely with complex programming concepts.\r\n\r\nThe Micro:bit starter kits have introduced an exciting, hands-on element to coding. Students are building and programming real-world projects, reinforcing their understanding of computational thinking in ways that go beyond the screen. By interacting with physical components like LED displays, buttons, and sensors, they're not only improving their coding skills but also developing creativity and problem-solving abilities.\r\n\r\nThe biggest excitement in the classroom comes from seeing immediate results. Whether it's programming a Micro:bit to create an animated display, designing a simple game, or building a functional step counter, students are thrilled to see their code come to life. These hands-on experiences make abstract coding concepts tangible and rewarding.\r\n\r\nOne student, who used to feel overwhelmed by coding syntax, gained confidence after successfully programming a Micro:bit to display custom messages and animations. This small success led to a bigger curiosity, and now he's experimenting with sensor-based projects that interact with the environment. Another student, who struggled with debugging, found that using a wired mouse made the process much smoother, allowing him to focus on problem-solving instead of fighting with a touchpad.\r\n\r\nYour support has truly empowered my students. With these resources, they are coding with confidence, thinking critically, and embracing creativity in ways that will benefit them well beyond the classroom. I am incredibly grateful for your generosity and for believing in my students' potential.","fullyFundedDate":1725242585426,"projectUrl":"project/empower-future-coders-essential-tools-f/8705575/","projectTitle":"Empower Future Coders: Essential Tools for Advanced Programming Excellence","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Arce","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8054271_orig.jpg?crop=1935,1935,x584,y1068&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1725035281603","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/kems-ms-arce"},{"teacherId":8054271,"projectId":8712479,"letterContent":"When our new materials arrived, my students' excitement was immediate. They rushed to explore the supplies, and I'll never forget the moment one student exclaimed, \"This is like a real science lab now!\" The room instantly filled with energy and curiosity as they began imagining what they could build, test, and create. Having these resources transformed the atmosphere from just \"class time\" to a space where they could truly see themselves as scientists and engineers.\r\n\r\nSince then, we've already put the resources to work in hands-on projects. In engineering, students used the new supplies to design and test structural towers, cheering each other on as they competed to see which one could hold the most weight. In science, they've begun using the organizational materials and lab supplies to set up group experiments, practicing collaboration while applying concepts we've been studying. These moments have not only boosted engagement but also deepened their understanding, giving them pride in their work.\r\n\r\nBecause of your generosity, my students can take their learning to the next level, and they see that people beyond our classroom believe in them. Thank you for helping bring these experiences to life; your support has made a lasting impact.","fullyFundedDate":1727138019208,"projectUrl":"project/hands-on-science-bringing-life-science/8712479/","projectTitle":"Hands-On Science: Bringing Life Science to Life!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Arce","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8054271_orig.jpg?crop=1935,1935,x584,y1068&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1725035281603","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/kems-ms-arce"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_27624","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":894,"numTeachers":26,"percentFrplEligible":73,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":2,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":93,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"34.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":85.6,"schoolId":27624,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Katherine Edwards Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Katherine Edwards Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/whittier-city-school-district/katherine-edwards-middle-school/27624"}