{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Kalihi Waena Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":59.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9657600,"projectId":10659290,"letterContent":"Aloha and mahalo nui loa for your incredible generosity! Because of your support, our special education resource room has come alive with new decoding books and hands-on math materials that are making a world of difference for our 3rd–5th grade students.\r\nIn our classroom, reading is an active, multi-sensory journey. With our new decoding books, reading time looks like small groups of eager learners using explicit phonics tools to sound out vowel teams, break down multi-syllable words, and build fluency. These texts give our students the exact scaffolding they need to move from single-syllable words to reading full passages with pride. It is pure joy to watch a student's eyes light up when they independently decode a word that used to feel impossible!\r\nOur new math resources have been equally transformative. Many of my students are visual and hands-on learners who need concrete models to understand place value, regrouping, and multi-step word problems. Having structured math tools allows them to physically manipulate numbers, map out equations, and connect abstract math concepts to real-world problem solving. Your gift has given my students the confidence to say, \"I can do this!\" Thank you for believing in our classroom family and investing in their potential.\r\naloha,","fullyFundedDate":1789828715396,"projectUrl":"project/growing-with-aloha-read-write-and-sol/10659290/","projectTitle":"Growing With Aloha: Read, Write, and Solve","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Gigi Wong","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9657600"},{"teacherId":8978261,"projectId":10365519,"letterContent":"I am so appreciative of your generosity! My students and I have sincerely enjoyed reading our new books, especially because they tie into our social studies lessons! We have been learning about the different creation stories, including Kumulipo, Pele, and Maui, and these stories have brought excitement and understanding to my students. It has made the stories even more real to them, and they had plenty of questions after I read the books to them! In fourth grade, we do a lot of Hawaiian studies, so these materials have been a great help!\r\n\r\nThe dividers have also helped to create safe, quiet spaces for my students, when needed, so they can have better focus. They are easy to set up for my students when they need it. \r\n\r\nAll in all, I am so grateful for your help in adding to my classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1783476668352,"projectUrl":"project/reading-in-hawaii/10365519/","projectTitle":"Reading in Hawaii","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ahn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8978261"},{"teacherId":8978261,"projectId":10252063,"letterContent":"My students use our seat cushions daily! They like to sit around the classroom to work with their partners or to work independently. They might choose to sit at a couple different tables, but they also enjoy sitting on the floor with the cushions! Because of your donations, my students are able to be more comfortable as they complete their work. They are more focused now because they can choose a different space around the classroom! Additionally, some of my students use the cushions on their desk chairs to be more comfortable there and to help them to focus better at their desks. My students love the flexibility. Thank you for making our classroom more enjoyable!","fullyFundedDate":1778780072461,"projectUrl":"project/comfortable-learning/10252063/","projectTitle":"Comfortable Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Ahn","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8978261"},{"teacherId":10537770,"projectId":10350931,"letterContent":"I am very grateful for the generous support that made my project possible. My students were excited to start using these materials, especially the double sided whiteboards and dry erase pocket sleeves. One of my favorite moments has been watching students use the whiteboards to practice forming letters over and over again. These materials have created more opportunities for hands-on learning.\r\nThe new resources have also helped our classroom run more smoothly and give students more independence. Our baskets for math manipulatives make it easier for me to organize and distribute materials during math, literacy, and small group activities. The 100s pocket chart helps us count the number of days we are in school in a visual and interactive way. The large pocket charts provide spaces where I can show vocabulary words and heart words so students can reference and use them in their learning. Our mesh zipper pouches are especially meaningful because they allow me to send books and reading opportunities home with students so that they can continue practicing and enjoying books outside of the classroom. The dry erase pocket sleeves have become a flexible resource that I can use throughout the day. I can easily switch out worksheets, letter practice, word work, or other activities without needing to print something new every time. These resources can seem simple, but they have helped me create a classroom where students can learn through movement, practice, repetition, and hands-on experiences.\r\nOur next step is to continue building strong foundational literacy skills. Students will use their whiteboards to learn and practice more letters, strengthen letter formation, and start using the letters they know to write words and eventually sentences. I am excited to watch them move from practicing individual letters to using their growing knowledge to show their own ideas through writing. The baskets will continue helping us organize and give out manipulatives for math and literacy activities. The mesh pouches will continue to help us expand our home-reading opportunities. The dry erase pocket sleeves will continue to be used throughout the school day when we move from one learning activity to the next. Thank you for investing in my first classroom and, most importantly, in my students.","fullyFundedDate":1782342451607,"projectUrl":"project/building-my-first-classroom/10350931/","projectTitle":"Building My First Classroom!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lei","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10537770_orig.jpg?crop=2688,2688,x0,y349&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1782272217971","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10537770"},{"teacherId":7931620,"projectId":10107119,"letterContent":"Your support brought our writing project to life! With the new whiteboards and dry-erase markers, my students transformed from passive listeners into enthusiastic authors. They are actively engaged in daily brainstorming, drafting, and sharing, making their item stories. \r\n During our phonics and sight-words lessons, I gave each student their own whiteboard to practice writing newly learned letters. When I first passed out the materials, their eyes lit up, and immediate, excited smiles spread across their faces—they were absolutely thrilled to have their own \"magic writing boards.\"","fullyFundedDate":1771699238149,"projectUrl":"project/lets-start-writing/10107119/","projectTitle":"Lets Start Writing!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kaneshiro","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7931620"},{"teacherId":7930135,"projectId":10105140,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous investment. Post-pandemic recovery requires addressing the whole child. \r\nYour funding has made a difference for our attendance reward system. By using our \"Lion Kala\" school currency to reward daily attendance, students are excited to come to schol. The items they purchase at our school store result in positive routines that ensure our students are present for core instruction.\r\nThe project has helped to instill values from our Choose Love curriculum—courage, forgiveness, compassion, and gratitude. These values have become concrete when rewarded with Lion Kala.\r\nFinally, you are helping us close the opportunity gap by ensuring our students receive quality tier 1 instruction. Funding for professional texts, data binders, and coaching tools allows me to provide quality support to our teachers.","fullyFundedDate":1771658058067,"projectUrl":"project/choosing-love/10105140/","projectTitle":"Choosing Love","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Lee","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7930135_orig.png?crop=432,432,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1692057512462","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7930135"},{"teacherId":9432848,"projectId":10110816,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom through DonorsChoose! Because of your generosity, we received our writing templates, sequence cards, dry erase boards and many more treasures for our students to use. These materials have already made a meaningful difference in our daily lessons.\r\n\r\nOur students have been excited to use these new resources. The writing templates and sequence cards have helped them organize their ideas with greater confidence, while the dry erase boards have made learning more interactive and fun. Students have been engaged, eager to participate, and have truly enjoyed learning with these hands-on tools.\r\n\r\nYour kindness and investment in our classroom have created new opportunities for our students to grow and succeed. Thank you for believing in our learners and for helping make our classroom an even more engaging place to learn!","fullyFundedDate":1771780319459,"projectUrl":"project/making-learning-fun/10110816/","projectTitle":"Making Learning Fun","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Rego","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9432848"},{"teacherId":10193152,"projectId":10105584,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donations to our classroom. Your support has brought joy and vibrant energy into our learning space. The students were thrilled to dive into the brand-new markers. They enjoy using them to express their imaginations and engage in our creative art activities.\r\n\r\nThese tools have transformed the daily rhythm of our classroom. The new speaker has become an essential tool for our routine, allowing us to implement smooth music transitions, energizing movement breaks, and a calming, focused environment during independent work. This addition has shifted how our days flow, helping students regulate their energy and stay engaged throughout each lesson.\r\n\r\nThe goodies/treasure box items have become a highlight and a powerful tool for positive reinforcement. The students have thoroughly enjoyed choosing prizes as rewards for their hard work and kindness. It was a joy to witness the community spirit it has fostered; students were so excited for each other whenever someone earned a reward. We are deeply grateful for your investment in our students.","fullyFundedDate":1771715561438,"projectUrl":"project/markers-music-and-motivation/10105584/","projectTitle":"Markers, Music, and Motivation!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Emmart","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10193152"},{"teacherId":7728088,"projectId":10105369,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your kind donations! My students ended their school year doing many art projects using different mediums. We worked on mosaics, watercolors featuring Georgia o Keefe, Keith Haring inspired graffiti art, and much more!\r\n\r\nWithout your donations, this wouldn't have been possible. Our students come from disadvantaged homes and do not have access to basic school supplies. Many of them show up on their first day without even a backpack. But with these supplies, I was able to provide them with hands on learning opportunities.","fullyFundedDate":1771611474100,"projectUrl":"project/school-supplies-for-successful-scholars/10105369/","projectTitle":"School Supplies for Successful Scholars","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Miyamoto","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7728088"},{"teacherId":10439007,"projectId":10111423,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our project, \"Organized and Equipped: Tools for Student Success.\" Your kindness has brought so much joy and structure to our classroom!\r\n\r\nThe new organizational supplies have made our daily routines seamless, giving us more time to focus on learning. The art materials have brought our lessons to life, giving every student a creative outlet to showcase their ideas. Additionally, the new educational games have made practicing math skills a favorite daily activity, blending play with rigorous learning.\r\n\r\nWe are so grateful for your belief in our students and your commitment to education. Thank you for making a lasting difference in our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1771785355616,"projectUrl":"project/organized-and-equipped-tools-for-studen/10111423/","projectTitle":"Organized and Equipped: Tools for Student Success","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Higa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10439007"},{"teacherId":2121372,"projectId":10103060,"letterContent":"The students were incredibly excited when they saw the various toys and prizes offered at our school store. It was a joy to watch them eagerly count their hard-earned money to see which items they could afford. I was also impressed to see some students already strategizing about how they could earn more money for their next visit.\r\n\r\nAs they walked around the store, it was great to see them interact with the different prizes. Some were so thrilled by the new inventory that they chose to spend their entire savings!\r\n\r\nI would like to express once again how grateful we all are for your generous donations. This gesture has reached many students who will long remember your kindness. Thank you for giving them the tools they need to succeed.","fullyFundedDate":1771658118194,"projectUrl":"project/spreading-fun-all-around/10103060/","projectTitle":"Spreading Fun All Around","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Shimamoto","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2121372"},{"teacherId":8832765,"projectId":10108998,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom project by providing a label maker and labels for our students. Your generosity will help create a more organized, welcoming, and efficient classroom environment where students can learn and thrive.\r\n\r\nWith these supplies, we will be able to clearly label classroom materials, student resources, and learning areas, making it easier for students to work independently and take ownership of their classroom community. Organization plays a huge role in helping our classroom run smoothly, and your kindness is making that possible.\r\n\r\nWe are truly grateful for your support and for believing in our students. Your contribution is making a meaningful difference in our everyday learning experience.","fullyFundedDate":1771719094273,"projectUrl":"project/small-labels-big-organization-a-label/10108998/","projectTitle":"Small Labels, Big Organization: a Label Printer for Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jones","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8832765_orig.jpg?crop=2227,2227,x796,y1542&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1668305558329","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8832765"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_50845","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":395,"numTeachers":35,"percentFrplEligible":65,"percentAsian":41,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":3,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":44,"percentMultiracialImputed":10,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 5","studentTeacherRatio":"11.3:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":40.6,"schoolId":50845,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Kalihi Waena Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Kalihi Waena Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/hawaii/honolulu-school-district/kalihi-waena-elementary-school/50845"}