{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"August Ahrens Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":39.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9869590,"projectId":10663296,"letterContent":"These resources will have a lasting impact on my students by giving them more opportunities to learn through hands-on experiences. Instead of simply learning about agriculture and natural resources from a book or presentation, students will be able to plant, grow, observe, experiment, and care for living things themselves.\r\n\r\nThe materials will be used across multiple grade levels and will help hundreds of students develop important skills such as responsibility, teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance. Students will also gain a better understanding of where their food comes from, how we can care for our natural resources, and why agriculture is so important to Hawaiʻi.\r\n\r\nMy goal is for students to leave Natural Resources class excited about agriculture and more connected to the ʻāina around them. These resources will help create experiences they can remember long after they leave the classroom—and may even inspire some of them to pursue careers in agriculture and natural resources in the future.","fullyFundedDate":1789861986520,"projectUrl":"project/growing-the-next-generation-hands-on-ag/10663296/","projectTitle":"Growing the Next Generation: Hands-On Agriculture in Our Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Napier","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9869590"},{"teacherId":4912309,"projectId":9154290,"letterContent":"Mahalo for your generous donations! The impact you have made in my classroom has been daily! The stickers allow for students to have a sense of pride and accomplishment in tasks they have worked hard to complete. The mini whiteboards are a classroom supply that is used across content areas, though often in Reading and Math. Students express their ideas, show their work, and share their thinking with peers through it. Head Banz seems to be a class favorite! They reacted with glee when I first unboxed it. And they take such good care of it. Students often pull it out and have fun describing a variety of word to their classmates during indoor recess. Thank you for the joy you have built into my student's learning through your donation!","fullyFundedDate":1741701694053,"projectUrl":"project/joyful-classroom-environment/9154290/","projectTitle":"Joyful Classroom Environment","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Knapp","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4912309_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1527909728090","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4912309"},{"teacherId":8824195,"projectId":10661806,"letterContent":"On behalf of my students, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generosity and support in helping us acquire materials that make our classroom more accessible and inclusive for all learners.\r\n\r\nThe sensory materials have been especially helpful in supporting students as they learn to regulate their emotions and behavior, remain engaged, and participate more successfully in classroom activities. The adaptive tools are also beginning to make a meaningful difference by providing students with the support they need to access instruction, build independence, and develop skills that are expected at their grade level.\r\n\r\nThese materials are not only helping students participate more fully in learning, but they are also creating more opportunities for them to feel successful, confident, and included in the classroom.\r\n\r\nThank you from the bottom of our hearts for investing in our students and helping us create a learning environment where every child has the opportunity to grow and succeed. Your kindness and support truly mean so much to us.","fullyFundedDate":1789861623409,"projectUrl":"project/creating-an-inclusive-udl-classroom/10661806/","projectTitle":"Creating an Inclusive UDL Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Pagdilao","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8824195"},{"teacherId":7928995,"projectId":9772188,"letterContent":"Thank you for the opportunity of giving my students a chance to experience other roles in a production. I taught my students about careers in performing arts that are not often highlighted in a show such as lighting technicians. In this lesson, I was able to have students try to function flood lights to color a room. I gave students emotions of a scene, and their job was to figure out what lighting would match it. Students learned that the appearance of a scene impacts the feeling of what the scene should be. With that, they learned that background work matters in a production. A few of them sparked interest in having this as a potential career. \r\n\r\nMy next steps for my students on a current classroom lesson would be for students to actually give my students a script with lighting cues and actually function the lights during a mini production. My hope is to get to a point where I am able to assign roles in a production where there are students who are performers, and some students who are lighting technicians, making use of the lights from this donation. My other next steps would be to introduce other roles in a production like audio, stage managing, prop preparation, etc. \r\n\r\nEquipment like this does not come easy. These are great donations that can help give students a glimpse of what a future career in lighting technician in performing arts could be like.","fullyFundedDate":1759622298292,"projectUrl":"project/other-roles-in-a-production/9772188/","projectTitle":"Other Roles in A Production!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Quilos","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7928995_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1704751539879","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7928995"},{"teacherId":8822735,"projectId":9772996,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for providing these wonderful small-group supplies for our classroom! We are using the new resources during small-group instruction to give students more opportunities to work collaboratively, practice important skills, and receive focused support. One special moment was watching students engaged in reading using the highlighter trackers! It is definitely a favorite of theres.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the new materials, they were immediately excited and curious. They wanted to explore everything and began asking questions about how we would use the supplies. Their excitement quickly turned into enthusiasm for learning, and it was wonderful to see their smiles and eagerness to participate. Your generosity has brought new energy into our classroom. Thank you for investing in our students and helping them learn, grow, and succeed!","fullyFundedDate":1759353249081,"projectUrl":"project/small-group-tools/9772996/","projectTitle":"Small Group Tools!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gmei Eugenio","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8822735"},{"teacherId":9805188,"projectId":10105323,"letterContent":"The funding of this project had a meaningful impact on my classroom by creating a fun, engaging, and communication-rich environment where all of my students were able to participate and succeed. The books, crafts, and play-based activities provided meaningful opportunities for students who use AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices to practice vocabulary, comprehension, early literacy, and expressive language skills. By pairing books with hands-on activities, students were able to use their AAC devices to request, comment, answer questions, make choices, sequence events, and share ideas in ways that felt natural and motivating.\r\n\r\nOne of the most significant impacts was that my students increased their ability to engage in classroom activities while using their AAC devices. They became more comfortable using their devices to participate in shared reading, crafts, play, and other learning experiences rather than relying on them only during structured communication activities. These repeated opportunities helped students generalize their communication skills beyond the therapy setting. They were able to take their AAC devices outside of the classroom and use their communication skills in practical, everyday settings, allowing them to interact more independently with peers, teachers, and others throughout their school environment.\r\n\r\nThe project also helped create a welcoming and well-equipped space that encouraged communication and participation. The resources supported students in becoming more confident and independent communicators while helping them recognize that their AAC devices were valuable tools for expressing themselves in a variety of situations. Overall, the project gave my students more opportunities to communicate, connect with others, participate meaningfully in their education, and use their voices across both academic and everyday settings.","fullyFundedDate":1771638194378,"projectUrl":"project/a-communication-rich-space-books-craft/10105323/","projectTitle":"A Communication-Rich Space: Books, Crafts, and AAC Learning","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Benavente","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9805188"},{"teacherId":9869590,"projectId":10063622,"letterContent":"This project has already made a meaningful difference in my students' learning by giving them hands-on resources they can use to explore Natural Resources and agriculture in a more engaging, meaningful way. My students are using the new materials to learn through hands-on activities rather than simply reading about concepts. One of our current projects has students exploring agriculture in Hawaiʻi and thinking about where our food comes from, why agriculture is important, and how we can create a more sustainable future.\r\n\r\nWhen my students first saw the new materials, they were immediately excited and curious. They wanted to touch, explore, and figure out how everything worked. Their excitement showed me how powerful it is to give students resources that make learning feel real and connected to their everyday lives.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to continue using these materials as we build our Natural Resources program. Students will apply what they are learning to hands-on projects in our garden and continue exploring sustainability, agriculture, and Hawaiʻi's natural resources. I am especially excited to see students take more ownership of their learning as they grow, experiment, ask questions, and connect what happens in our classroom to the world around them.\r\n\r\nI am incredibly grateful to the donors who helped make these experiences possible. Your support is giving my students opportunities to learn by doing, build curiosity, and develop a deeper connection to the ʻāina.","fullyFundedDate":1771777020674,"projectUrl":"project/natural-resources/10063622/","projectTitle":"Natural Resources","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Napier","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9869590"},{"teacherId":4564793,"projectId":10104740,"letterContent":"The resources funded through your project have already begun transforming your classroom into an interactive, highly engaging literacy hub. The addition of the Reader's Theater scripts and Scholastic task card sets gives your students hands-on, collaborative tools that make mastering complex reading skills—such as context clues and analyzing literary text—feel like play rather than work. By bringing fluency and comprehension to life through group activities and storytelling, these dynamic materials build confidence, encourage teamwork, and keep your 43 students energized and eager to participate in their learning journey.\r\n\r\nBeyond high-energy group activities, the new privacy desk dividers and basic supplies have created a balanced, stress-free environment for independent work and assessments. The desk dividers give students their own quiet \"private offices,\" helping them minimize visual distractions, regain focus, and approach testing with self-assurance. Coupled with fresh erasers and pre-sharpened pencils, students can comfortably work through challenges and correct mistakes without unnecessary frustration.\r\n\r\nOverall, blending active literacy resources with dedicated tools for focus provides your classroom with the well-rounded structure needed to support diverse learning styles. These foundational materials ensure your students have both the excitement to explore new language concepts together and the quiet space required to demonstrate their individual growth.","fullyFundedDate":1771558467177,"projectUrl":"project/read-play-stay-focused/10104740/","projectTitle":"Read, Play, Stay Focused","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Siclot","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/siclot"},{"teacherId":8974962,"projectId":10105155,"letterContent":"The math games provided by your generous donation has helped my students practice building their math fluency skills as well explore new ways of learning through games. They really enjoyed challenging themselves and their peers with the card games and asked multiple times after playing it when the next time they will get to use it. Games like these that help students build their math fluency skills are beneficial to learning of new concepts. Once again, we are very appreciative for your donation and support of students' learning in fun ways.","fullyFundedDate":1771777509939,"projectUrl":"project/math-games/10105155/","projectTitle":"Math Games","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Dingal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8974962_orig.jpg?crop=373,373,x444,y35&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1677830818490","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8974962"},{"teacherId":7937515,"projectId":10105202,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to upgrade our library space! The class is so in love with the area and is a coveted spot for many different blocks during the day. Whether we are partner reading, silent reading, centers, or just during indoor recess, students will ask if they can sit in the library!\r\n\r\nYou also have made my life easier with your donation, I was able to place storage crates for storing student work as well as have a \"fun work\" bin for early finishers!\r\n\r\nWithout you, these moments would be almost impossible to create. Thank you again.","fullyFundedDate":1771624178058,"projectUrl":"project/library-space-upgrade/10105202/","projectTitle":"Library Space Upgrade","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Cadiz","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7937515"},{"teacherId":4912309,"projectId":10105763,"letterContent":"When my students first saw the materials, there was a collective gasp of excitement! Particularly among the new boardgames that you all generously contributed to! They are well loved and care for them well by collecting all of the pieces and bagging them up to ensure they can play next time. Some of the favorites that are often selected during indoor recess are Guess Who, the chess sets, and the magnetiles. \r\n\r\nThe counters and decks of cards are nearly daily used. I use them to randomize student groupings during group learning activities, especially during math. Our school has lately adopted the Building Thinking Classrooms pedagogy, which encourages collaboration amidst problem solving a variety of math problems. Students become used to working with different peers and the way they think. They practice patience, teamwork, and perseverance through a very collaborative style of learning. The card decks are also used for fluency games for addition and subtraction. \"Eleven minus\" is one of the games. A student places one card on their forehead facing their partner. The partner has to subtract that number from 11. The one holding the card then has to guess which number they are holding up. The counters are typically used as game pieces for learning games as well. We play games like \"BINGO\" during morphology, and math fluency boardgames as well. \r\n\r\nThe globe was a helpful tool this year. The focus of our social studies PBL project this semester was on animal habitats. Students learned their animal traits, habitats, reproductive processes, and diets. They also learned where their animals live geographically. Having a globe in the classroom gave them a clear visual so students could make connections with the locations of their animals relative to where we live in Hawaii.\r\n\r\nAs we close up the school year, the shredder will be used to discard with confidence various documents I filed away throughout the school year. Documents like field trip forms, assessments, etc.\r\n\r\nWhiteboard erasers and the spray bottle cleaner is a staple in my classroom. Daily, students are often required to keep a mini whiteboard and Expo marker on their desks or on their laps while seated on the floor. They answer prompting questions prior to the start of a lesson by writing their responses on their whiteboards, then sharing their ideas with their elbow buddies. To prevent students from using their palms and fingers to wipe away the ink afterwards, the whiteboard erasers are an available tool to keep hands and whiteboards cleaner.\r\n\r\nCard stock and blue tape are used with versatility in our class. Card stock has been used for posters, learning tools, and learning games I have created and laminated for students to reuse year after year. Blue tape is typically used to post anchor charts and student work on our walls for display. \r\n\r\nAs for the pipe cleaners, paper cups, and plastic cups will be utilized for future science lessons. One in particular, which we did in the fall semester, was a lesson on pollination and the parts of a flower. Students pretended to be pees pollinating flowers across the classroom and noticing the transfer of pollen.\r\n\r\nThank you again for generously allocating funds to the great needs of my classroom. My students and I are so grateful and look forward to the continual opportunities of creativity and academic rigor these materials will help provide!","fullyFundedDate":1771618145280,"projectUrl":"project/all-hands-on-deck-for-hands-on-learning/10105763/","projectTitle":"All Hands on Deck for Hands-On Learning!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Knapp","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4912309_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1527909728090","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4912309"},{"teacherId":8357582,"projectId":10103450,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your support in helping my student's academic journey. They are so grateful of the kindness you have given them for providing more supplies to help them in class. Many of them expressed joy in being able to easily access things like pencils or paper in an easily accessible way so they are prepared for the lessons of the day. \r\nI look forward to my upcoming class being able to use the same resources and materials to better their academic journey. I am so thankful for the donation you have given us and the opportunity that it was grated my students.","fullyFundedDate":1771687529557,"projectUrl":"project/efficient-classroom-organization/10103450/","projectTitle":"Efficient Classroom Organization","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Gabriel","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-2_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8357582"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_50788","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1105,"numTeachers":75,"percentFrplEligible":59,"percentAsian":73,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":0,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":8,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":6,"percentMultiracialImputed":11,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"14.7:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":60.6,"schoolId":50788,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about August Ahrens Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"August Ahrens Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/hawaii/leeward-oahu-school-district/august-ahrens-elementary-school/50788"}