{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Hilo High School","outOfStateSupporters":46.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":7929249,"projectId":9162183,"letterContent":"Mahalo nui loa for supporting our project, Building a Culturally-Rich Classroom Library for Special Education Students. Your generosity is helping us create a space where every student can see themselves, their community, and their experiences reflected in the books we read together.\r\n\r\nFor many of my students, having access to engaging, culturally relevant texts makes reading feel more meaningful and approachable. These books open doors to important conversations about identity, resilience, family, and place, while also helping students build confidence in their literacy skills. When students feel represented, they are more willing to take risks, share their voices, and connect with learning.\r\n\r\nBecause of you, our classroom library is becoming a welcoming environment where students can explore stories that honor diverse perspectives — including those rooted in our local culture — and discover the joy of reading in a way that feels personal and empowering.\r\n\r\nYour support truly makes a difference in the daily experiences of our students. Thank you for investing in their growth, their voices, and their futures.","fullyFundedDate":1742047885630,"projectUrl":"project/building-a-culturally-rich-classroom-lib/9162183/","projectTitle":"Building a Culturally-Rich Classroom Library for Special Education Students","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Aiona","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-heather-aiona"},{"teacherId":8355025,"projectId":8217176,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your kind generosity. With the equipment and tools provided, my students have been able to learn a very important skill within the culinary industry: how to make ice cream. They've been able to successfully create projects that help them to gain a better understanding of how to create ice cream from scratch and in a safe manner. \r\n\r\nWe have used them consistently since we received them to create projects to share with the school. This has truly been a game changer.\r\n\r\nWe can't thank you enough for your generous donation.","fullyFundedDate":1711652703333,"projectUrl":"project/i-scream-you-scream-we-all-scream-for/8217176/","projectTitle":"I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Pang","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8355025"},{"teacherId":8073135,"projectId":9092001,"letterContent":"The impact of healthy snacks on my student's performance and enjoyment begins with the biological \"fuel\" for their brains! Unlike processed snacks that trigger a rapid spike and subsequent crash in blood sugar, nutrient-dense foods provide a steady stream of glucose. This sustained energy is crucial for maintaining cognitive function, as they have either 3 or 4 looong 80 min periods per school day. When their brains are consistently fueled, they can remember more and more efficiently process information which produces better behavior and better grades!\r\n\r\nBeyond the grade book, healthy snacking is a morale booster! Here in Hawaii, food is the love language for many of us and it's yet another way to show I care about my physical and emotional well-being. Ultimately, shifting toward nutritious options turns study breaks into genuine moments of restoration, fostering a more positive and resilient mindset throughout the school year.","fullyFundedDate":1739368029982,"projectUrl":"project/powering-up-with-healthy-snacks/9092001/","projectTitle":"Powering UP With Healthy Snacks!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Liz Laliberte","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8073135_orig.jpg?crop=1160,1160,x0,y320&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1667076987277","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8073135"},{"teacherId":8355025,"projectId":8035305,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your kind generosity. With the equipment and tools provided, my students have been able to learn a very important skill within the culinary industry: deep frying. They've been able to do it safely because of your thoughtfulness. \r\n\r\nStudents have also been able to use the equipment to learn how to make marshmallows: a skill that is difficult to learn because of the patience needed to accomplish this. \r\n\r\nWe have used them consistently since they've arrived and have really saved my students time (so they are not going to high or too low in temperature for frying). I truly appreciate all that you have done for my classroom. This has truly been a game changer.","fullyFundedDate":1700352785469,"projectUrl":"project/culinary-is-awesome/8035305/","projectTitle":"Culinary Is Awesome!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Pang","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8355025"},{"teacherId":7929249,"projectId":9654069,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support in providing a Nintendo Switch for my special education classroom. Because of you, my students now have access to an engaging and motivating tool that supports learning, connection, and positive behavior in a meaningful way.\r\n\r\nFor many of my students, school can feel overwhelming or discouraging at times. The Nintendo Switch has already become a powerful incentive and community-building tool in our classroom. It helps students practice teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and self-regulation while also giving them a chance to relax, reset, and experience success.\r\n\r\nSeeing my students cheer each other on, take turns, and celebrate small wins together has been incredibly rewarding. Your kindness has helped create a classroom environment where students feel supported, motivated, and excited to come to school.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and for investing in their growth, joy, and well-being. Your generosity truly makes a difference every single day.","fullyFundedDate":1759234056912,"projectUrl":"project/fuel-fun-and-sel-snacks-sensory-tool/9654069/","projectTitle":"Fuel, Fun, and SEL: Snacks, Sensory Tools, a Nintendo Switch","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Aiona","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-heather-aiona"},{"teacherId":6974110,"projectId":9775643,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for your generous donation of paint and high-quality paper to our classroom. In a time when school budgets are often stretched thin, having these essential art supplies means the world to both me and my students. Your support ensures that every child in my room has the tools they need to explore their imagination without limits.\r\n\r\nWith these new materials, my students are able to create vibrant, full-color masterpieces. The heavy-duty paper allows them to experiment with different techniques without worrying about tears or bleed-through, giving them a true sense of pride in their finished work. Thank you for investing in our classroom and for believing in the importance of creativity in education.","fullyFundedDate":1759439934051,"projectUrl":"project/from-blank-pages-to-bold-creations/9775643/","projectTitle":"From Blank Pages to Bold Creations!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Zanetos","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6974110_orig.jpg?crop=2691,2691,x0,y836&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1675885561860","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6974110"},{"teacherId":6262059,"projectId":9772341,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the generous donation of snacks for my students. The snacks were the perfect number to get us through the rest of the first semester. Students felt very seen and cared for knowing that there were people out in the community who cared enough to donate snacks for them. \r\n\r\n We had enough for each student to have a snack each class period. There was definitely a heightened level of awareness and engagement in class because having snacks elevated the period from something to get through to a place of family and belonging. Of course, many other factors go into creating that classroom climate, but having consistent snacks really contributed to students' sense of belonging.","fullyFundedDate":1759202522926,"projectUrl":"project/snack-lab/9772341/","projectTitle":"Snack Lab","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Baum","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6262059_orig.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1550456196497","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6262059"},{"teacherId":5886073,"projectId":9824709,"letterContent":"This project was so much fun! My students were able to connect with their spirit animal-hybrid. They made their Alebrijes with black clay, painted on white slip, then scratched through the surface with tribal designs and patterns. Then they embellished their pieces with underglaze colors and an overglaze gloss.\r\nThey came out so beautiful! We were able to emulate the Alebrijes represented in the movie Coco, with a little Polynesian flare for some of my local students. \r\nThese little sculptures were so much fun to make, they had a great time in ceramics class!","fullyFundedDate":1761333600312,"projectUrl":"project/celebrate-alebrijes/9824709/","projectTitle":"Celebrate Alebrijes!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mant","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5886073_orig.jpg?crop=1512,1512,x255,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1726813635606","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-mant"},{"teacherId":5886073,"projectId":9774217,"letterContent":"What a wonderful way to help us fire more of our artwork ceramics! Thank you all so much for helping us buy new shelves for our kiln. We used these kiln shelves for several of our projects. Most notable were the Christmas ornaments and our Alebrijes sculptures. We were able to fire everything before break, thanks to you folks!\r\nThe colors were outstanding!\r\nThe kiln shelves are necessary to fire all of our ceramics. Having more shelves gives us the freedom to stack our work in the kiln. \r\nMy students love being able to do ceramics, and you folks helped a lot.\r\nThank you so much!","fullyFundedDate":1759387835037,"projectUrl":"project/shelves-to-fire-ceramic-artwork/9774217/","projectTitle":"Shelves to Fire Ceramic Artwork","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mant","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5886073_orig.jpg?crop=1512,1512,x255,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1726813635606","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-mant"},{"teacherId":5886073,"projectId":9758123,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for the wonderful gift of new underglazes! My students loved being able to color their ceramics with bright, beautiful colors!\r\nWe used these underglazes for several of our projects. Most notable were the Christmas ornaments and our Alebrijes sculptures. The colors were outstanding!\r\nThey loved being able to paint on glaze that doesn't run, and comes out like it is supposed to. They are bright, clear, and even colors. \r\nThe colors are bold, then we brushed on a clear coat of glossy glaze that really makes the artwork pop! Thank you so much!","fullyFundedDate":1758824288934,"projectUrl":"project/glorious-glazing/9758123/","projectTitle":"Glorious Glazing","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Mant","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5886073_orig.jpg?crop=1512,1512,x255,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1726813635606","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-mant"},{"teacherId":9530449,"projectId":9711333,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for your incredible generosity. Thanks to your support, our classroom is now filled with the rich, warm sounds of brand-new classical guitars.\r\n\r\nBefore this project was funded, many of our students were sharing instruments or using older gear that was difficult to keep in tune. Now, every student in our guitar class has a high-quality instrument in their hands. This has completely changed the energy in our room—there is a new sense of pride and ownership that wasn't there before.","fullyFundedDate":1757891746545,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-guitar-ensemble/9711333/","projectTitle":"Classroom Guitar Ensemble","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Yoshimoto","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9530449"},{"teacherId":2846899,"projectId":9772275,"letterContent":"Your donation impacted learning and teaching in my classroom in numerous ways. The class set of Atlas of the Heart by Breneʻ Brown contributed to studentsʻ social emotional learning as well as academic skills, and it was also an integral part of my own professional development and personal growth.\r\n\r\nStudents spent time honing their close reading skills and being able to cite evidence for their analysis of the assigned readings. They acquired more understanding of the nuances of vocabulary to describe emotions concisely. The philosopher Wittgenstein said \"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.\" Thus, if we expand the language skills of students, we open up their possibilities. Explicit instruction, small group and whole class discussions of targeted vocabulary words and their meanings and contexts made an enormous difference in the precision of their writing, evidenced through their reflections after each lesson. They were also able to apply what they learned to other readings of literature and informational texts.\r\n\r\nThis book was also used as part of a professional development course I was enrolled in through the Hawaii DOE, a course titled \"Language of the Heart,\" which was designed to help teachers explore effective ways to teach vocabulary and lessons in social emotional learning. I was able to utilize Brownʻs list of \"87 Human Emotions and Experiences\" and readings from the book to design lessons that were engaging and effective by trying out the new teaching strategies I was learning in the professional development course. \r\n\r\nI have noticed that now more than ever many of my stāudents now have emotional challenges. They are encountering difficult situations and sometimes lack the ability to name and navigate their emotions. It was enriching for me to see students suddenly gain insight and more control over understanding themselves and others. \r\n\r\nYour donation has made a profound difference. Mahalo for your generous contribution toward making a better people for a better world.","fullyFundedDate":1759625118980,"projectUrl":"project/leaning-into-the-language-of-the-heart/9772275/","projectTitle":"Leaning into the Language of the Heart","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Crowl","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2846899_orig.jpg?crop=2063,2063,x131,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1729148162108","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ms-crowl"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_50760","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1170,"numTeachers":78,"percentFrplEligible":60,"percentAsian":14,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":7,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":21,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"9 - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"15.0:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"TOWN","ncesMetroType":"TOWN_REMOTE"},"inStateSupporters":53.8,"schoolId":50760,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Hilo High School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Hilo High School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/hawaii/hawaii-school-district/hilo-high-school/50760"}