{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Hawaii Academy of Arts & Science Charter School","outOfStateSupporters":40.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9842276,"projectId":9643400,"letterContent":"When I started teaching 3 years ago, I entered mid-year on an emergency hire contract in a rural, hard-to-staff area. Student morale was low; they'd previously been experiencing a revolving door cast of teachers who, for various reasons could not continue to fill that role. Books were dusty and falling off shelves, attention spans were low, and student-teacher relations were relatively strained. \r\n\r\nI took great efforts outside of work hours for those first several months trying to create a comfortable space for the students to simply focus on stories and books. Ultimately, I realized I had to simply create MUCH more space to sit and read, and a proportional amount of time on reading independent books of the students' choosing. With help from my wife, a counselor of teens in her own profession, I realized that students really needed a corner of the room that felt like home. \r\n\r\nThus began the \"cozy corner.\" I saved up and bought a large square of unused rug from a local business and a few large cushion chairs, received book donations from parents, and made use of book sales in our neighborhood. Whereas I'd previously thought that this amount of comfort was reserved for elementary students--that my middle schoolers were \"too cool\" to take off their shoes and recline with a novel--I was pleasantly surprised to see that students rush into the corner during their free times just to get the chance to do exactly that. \r\n\r\nAt the same time, my new role as the union representative has put me in closer touch with the other teachers at other campuses within my non-centralized K-12 charter school. Other teachers who rely on carpeted reading spaces for focus and community moments were having frequent issues with spills and accidents on their campuses. With out maintenance staff working around the clock to ensure that our many buildings are basically taken care of, there was no immediate support for teachers who had to quickly sanitize a mess in the middle of their school day. Thus, I submitted my request for this very product--a simple wet vacuum to soak up and scrub out spills that could be shared between teachers as needed. \r\n\r\nNot only was I surprised and delighted to receive the donations necessary to get this vacuum, our administration caught wind and offered to purchase another for campuses that are far from my own. Teachers have been pleased with the availability of these machines. My own classroom has been the first to benefit, leaning up not one, but TWO complete tanks worth dirt from regular traffic through the ELA cozy corner. \r\n\r\nMy students, co-workers, and I give our sincere thanks to the donors of this project for making nice things such as rugs possible in these rooms we learn in each day. The opportunity for my students to develop a comforting and positive relationships with books and the classroom is priceless.","fullyFundedDate":1763400175718,"projectUrl":"project/clean-carpets-clear-minds/9643400/","projectTitle":"Clean carpets, Clear Minds","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Carlos","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9842276"},{"teacherId":10057095,"projectId":9782621,"letterContent":"The pencil is a technology that is used world wide. Artists use them extensively, to the point of excessive wear, from use and much sharpening, that becomes an art, in itself. Art students, grades K-12, generally use those yellow pencils with the pink eraser. Drawing, that includes shading, becomes a challenge using a single no.2 pencil. That's all most art programs can afford. Introducing a 12 pencil set ranging from hard to soft, light to dark was a whole new experience for my students and I, as far as teaching the use of such a variety of pencils. Instead of the pink eraser, students have 4 types of erasers; white, black, grey kneaded and a pencil style white eraser. Blending sticks, metal pencil erasers, and sandpaper. With a couple other shading pencils and a smart plastic case, to hold all the drawing tools, were added by the school.\r\n\r\nThe day the students were presented with the pencils and different erasers, they clearly showed a curiosity and excitement of what they had in front of them. They were not the yellow pencil with pink eraser. Students sat up and wanted to open up the pencil case, but had ask them to wait. I wanted them to know how, where, and who we got everything from! The actually opening of the case brought words of excitement. \"Wow!\", \"So many pencils!\", \"Why do they have numbers and letters?\", \"I have always wanted to use these different pencils!\", \"Oh, this is going to be fun!\" \"What are we going to draw with them?\" Introducing the erasers was fun. Of course, several started to play with the kneaded eraser due to its pliability. \r\n\r\nOur first dive into the pencils was testing them all out in a controlled manner, showing each pencil lightly and then heavily. For the students, it became clear the ease of showing value using all 12 pencil levels, compared to what they'd been using for years. It was a challenge to master the pressure of the yellow pencil on the paper. The second exercise was shading a cube and sphere. All students were happily surprised how successful they were using the different number pencils to appropriately shade to their pleasure. The third drawing was a still-life made of solid objects. As students worked their shading, the room remained quiet. It was evident they were totally focused on doing quality shading. \r\n\r\nThis experience showed the students just how to produce extraordinary work with the right tools, notably the professional level of drawing pencils and erasers. The confidence and continued interest that grew out of each student was what every art teacher hopes to witness with their students. Art is not a time filler. Art is about developing skills, exploring all available tools, expanding imagination, and displaying the best creativity possible. A simple yellow pencil can be affective with a drawing, but having an expansive drawing tool box can take that drawing to many levels of success. We appreciate all that you have done to help establish that 7th and 8th graders are able and capable to successfully achieve the highest level artistic achievement with the right tools. It can show them it is possible to one creative enough to have the chance to have a career in art. We are extremely grateful for your generosity.","fullyFundedDate":1759621869539,"projectUrl":"project/the-world-of-advanced-drawing-incorporat/9782621/","projectTitle":"The World of Advanced Drawing Incorporates a Variety of Pencils","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. William","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10057095_orig.jpg?crop=1404,1404,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750024085351","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10057095"},{"teacherId":10057095,"projectId":9485527,"letterContent":"Middle School students have mixed feelings about exploring art where they have to look within and find the passion to create something magnificent. Introducing a new tool, never used before, captures their attention and interest, and quite often will keep them interested to joyfully making art like they've never done before. \r\n\r\nSixteen Table Top Easels were that magic that sold them to expand on the pictorial ideas and trust the process to complete a beautiful painting. When introducing the easels I noticed how most students literally sat up straight without have to show/train them the proper and healthy way to paint on a canvas that is supported by the angle of the easel. With preparing to paint, there was a small discussion on where to place their hand while painting, a standard practice. Anchoring the hand with the brush is a practice that changes to floating hand in the air as painting takes place. Once those techniques are established, painting proceeded. \r\n\r\nAs the students painted I noticed how quiet it was in the room. I noticed students fully engaged and concentrating on creating their best art. Each class period we spent on painting, students, knowing and seriously enjoying the project, came in and without announcing any thing, they automatically picked up easel, paints, brushes, water, and newspaper to set their painting station up, ready to paint as soon as teacher's instruction for the day was given. No one complained of being tired sitting up straight and/or holding the brush in the air. \r\n\r\nWith this painting experience, and due to using an easel, the students thoroughly enjoyed painting to completion. I noticed how much personal connection each student made with their painting that wasn't observed when students painted on a canvas flat on the table. This brought out a lot of talk with their neighbors. Miraculously, easel painting did not give them a chance to chat with friends, as they spent their time sitting up, concentrating and focusing on a process of producing their best art piece. Their excitement about the easels motivated some students to express using the easels to draw and shade using a variety of pencils. The students displayed a similar attitude about creating art with pencils only to draw, utilizing the Table Top Easels.\r\n\r\nWe sincerely appreciate all that you, the donors, and what you have done to make this dream of painting like professional artists to come true. Both the 7th and 8th graders have greatly appreciated and positively responded to using the Table Top Easels to paint, and draw. Blessed to permanently have easels for HAAS Middle School Art Students this year, and every future school year moving forward, we hopefully prepare our students to step into the world with their art for all to enjoy. \r\n\r\nDonors, YOU ROCK!!!","fullyFundedDate":1758125340592,"projectUrl":"project/tabletop-painting-easels-can-develop-st/9485527/","projectTitle":"Tabletop Painting Easels Can Develop, Strengthen Beneficial Painting Posturing Habits!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. William","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10057095_orig.jpg?crop=1404,1404,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1750024085351","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10057095"},{"teacherId":9005673,"projectId":9780908,"letterContent":"Securing the Nintendo Switch 2 represents a transformative leap for our program, moving our students from reactive participants to proactive leaders in the competitive scene. While our current hardware has served us well, the evolution of the Mario Kart franchise onto a new platform will introduce entirely new physics, mechanics, and technical nuances that will define the next era of tournament play. By integrating this technology early, our players can begin the deliberate practice required to master these changes before they become the industry standard. This ensures that when the first official competitions launch, our team isn't just learning the ropes—they are already setting the pace for the rest of the league.","fullyFundedDate":1759594377177,"projectUrl":"project/lets-switch-it-up-with-a-nintendo-switc/9780908/","projectTitle":"Let's Switch It Up With a Nintendo Switch 2!","teacherDisplayName":"Coach Jordan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9005673_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1682757998125","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9005673"},{"teacherId":9005673,"projectId":9208937,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to our DonorsChoose project, \"Help to \"Ready Up\" HAAS Esports for the 25/26 seasons!\" My students and I were absolutely thrilled when the box of headphones and Xbox One wired controllers arrived. Your support has truly made a significant impact on our program, and I wanted to share with you how these tools are helping my students learn and grow as we prepare for the competitive seasons ahead.\r\n\r\nHow Technology is Helping Students Learn\r\n\r\nIn our esports program, technology is our primary classroom tool. The new headphones and Xbox One wired controllers you provided have elevated our learning to a professional level. While you might use headphones for music, for my students, they are the key to effective team communication and strategic gameplay. Before this donation, we had a few working pairs, which made it nearly impossible for our teams to communicate clearly during matches. Now, every student can hear their teammates' \"callouts\" and game audio without distraction, allowing them to focus on the intricate layers of strategy and coordination that are essential to competitive play.\r\n\r\nThe Xbox One wired controllers, which resemble those used by professional players, are also incredibly powerful teaching tools. While they might seem like a toy, the wired connection is a crucial detail for competitive gaming. It provides a more stable connection and, most importantly, reduces \"input lag.\" This is a term used by gamers for the tiny delay between pressing a button and seeing the action on the screen. For competitive esports, every millisecond counts. By using professional-grade, wired controllers, my students are learning to play with the same precision and responsiveness as professional athletes. This hands-on approach makes abstract concepts like team coordination and resource management much easier to understand. Students aren't just playing games; they're actively building and shaping a strategy, giving them a deeper understanding of teamwork and problem-solving.","fullyFundedDate":1746786423951,"projectUrl":"project/help-to-ready-up-haas-esports-for-the/9208937/","projectTitle":"Help to \"Ready Up\" HAAS Esports for the 25/26 seasons!","teacherDisplayName":"Coach Jordan","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9005673_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1682757998125","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9005673"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_70829","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":738,"numTeachers":41,"percentFrplEligible":86,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":39,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":22,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"18.0:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_REMOTE"},"inStateSupporters":60.0,"schoolId":70829,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Hawaii Academy of Arts & Science Charter School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Hawaii Academy of Arts & Science Charter School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/hawaii/hawaii-school-district/hawaii-academy-of-arts-science-cs/70829"}