{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Highlands Intermediate School","outOfStateSupporters":18.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8359470,"projectId":10103432,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generosity in encouraging our students to be positive contributors, productive scholars, and responsible students. Your donation allows our growing teens to visit our redemption center and redeem their points for their favorite prizes such as Takis, popcorn, and chips!\r\n\r\nThe snacks at our redemption center are so popular that what we had initially bought only lasted us one month! We were worried how we would be able to purchase more snacks to last us until at least the end of the school year. We are forever grateful for your donation. Middle school students are always hungry, and 95% of the time they choose food over a toy/gadget/school supplies!","fullyFundedDate":1771439067010,"projectUrl":"project/teenagers-practicing-positive-behaviors/10103432/","projectTitle":"Teenagers Practicing Positive Behaviors","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Higa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8359470"},{"teacherId":7928008,"projectId":9772749,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous support of our fashion program. Your donation of nail kits has made a meaningful impact on my students, giving them the opportunity to explore creative, hands-on learning in ways that many would not otherwise have access to. My students are curious and eager to express themselves, and your contribution allowed them to bring their ideas to life while building confidence and pride in their work.\r\n\r\nThrough these materials, students learned techniques for painting, shaping, and designing nails while connecting nail art to broader fashion and beauty trends. They developed important skills like patience, attention to detail, and collaboration, and many discovered new ways to express their individuality. Some even began to see new possibilities for future interests in cosmetology and fashion-related careers.\r\n\r\nThe highlight of this experience will be seeing their work featured in our end-of-year fashion show, where students will proudly show their nail designs alongside outfits they created and styled. Thank you for putting creativity at their fingertips and helping our students truly shine.","fullyFundedDate":1759225383999,"projectUrl":"project/creativity-at-our-fingertips-nail-kits/9772749/","projectTitle":"Creativity at Our Fingertips! Nail Kits for Fashion Class!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Cunningham","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/7928008"},{"teacherId":9789978,"projectId":9901287,"letterContent":"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible generosity. While many of us use technology at home for entertainment or chores, your gift is showing my students how technology acts as the \"invisible engine\" of a professional production.\r\n\r\nYour donations made such a meaningful impact on my classroom and brought so much joy to my students. They were incredibly excited to use the items that were purchased, and your contributions truly helped create lasting memories and support their learning.\r\n\r\nThe drama club students were especially thrilled to receive the new items as they could put it to good use for the upcoming play \"Willy Wonka Jr.\" My students were especially grateful for the snacks as it continued to motivate them to do their best in class.\r\n\r\nAs we head into the ending of the school year, these resources will continue to support my students' learning and help them start next school year on the right foot. Thank you again for helping to make these experiences possible—it truly means the world to both me and my students!","fullyFundedDate":1764702657873,"projectUrl":"project/fueling-confidence-in-the-classroom-and/9901287/","projectTitle":"Fueling Confidence in the Classroom and on Stage","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Y","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9789978_orig.jpg?crop=1080,1080,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1728360700247","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9789978"},{"teacherId":10339335,"projectId":9869928,"letterContent":"First and foremost, apologies for the late thank you letter. I am deeply appreciative of your patience as well as your donations. As a first-year teacher, it has been a whirlwind trying to keep track of it all. \r\n\r\nThe whiteboard space, as one might be able to imagine, is very limited in my classroom. While pen and pencil can certainly be an alternative (especially in a world as saturated with technology as ours tends to be these days), when simply doing example problems, that can be an issue of wasted paper. Plus, if the students realize their mistake prior to me pointing it out to them, erasing can quickly become a hassle.\r\n\r\nHaving whiteboards have removed such issues. It gives them the ability to follow along on their own WITHOUT having to get up and walk all the way to the board, OR to work on example problems individually for several moments before coming back together and sharing as a group. I also think there is a benefit in letting the students make their own mistakes and completely finish a math problem even if the eventual answer is wrong. The whiteboards kind of force some of the students to write bigger because the expo pens are typically fatter. It makes it easier to see their thoughts and quickly point out their points of confusion, not to mention the value in them seeing the simple mistakes they're making and then learning from them. It's quite rewarding to see them sit down for the test, make a mistake similar to the one they had on the whiteboard, and RECOGNIZING SAID MISTAKE and correcting it because they remember the tiny bit of embarrassment that comes with making those errors.\r\n\r\nTo be clear, of course they still have worksheets to complete. It is a math class after all, but I typically like to follow the pattern of \"I do, We do, You do,\" the \"You do\" part being the worksheets on their own either toward the end of class or as homework. The \"We do\" section typically involves the whiteboards in an effort to build their confidence to do the problem WITHOUT me having the loom over them. Students these days seem to lack the resilience to try the problems if they are unsure of the slightest step forward. \r\n\r\nNext step is to help them REMEMBER they have homework in the first place! But that's an ongoing problem, and at this point, something I can focus on fixing next year with the next group of kids to the best of my ability. Back to the whiteboards, though, they are yet another tool to improve the... mathematical success of my students, and I am forever thankful.","fullyFundedDate":1762691832462,"projectUrl":"project/more-math-tools-to-tackle-a-challenging/9869928/","projectTitle":"More Math Tools to Tackle a Challenging Core Subject","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Kanemura","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10339335_orig.jpg?crop=907,907,x1401,y987&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1762462469512","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10339335"},{"teacherId":3641210,"projectId":9780656,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your very generous donations of 10 rainbow parachutes and 6 rubber balls for my middle school team. The items listed have been used for team bonding activities as well as extra play time. Building and maintaining friendships are very vital for middle school students as they grow into their identities and discover their interests and passions. Incorporating games and team activities help students build understanding of how their identities and experiences impact others. In addition, we got to have fun! As much as we want to teach students social emotional learning, we should always remember to have fun and loosen up. \r\n\r\nThe students really enjoyed using the rubber balls to play games, but we will plan on using the parachutes in a more organized manner next year. Again, I truly appreciate your help and support with these items.","fullyFundedDate":1759590853231,"projectUrl":"project/lets-get-team-bonding/9780656/","projectTitle":"Let's Get (team) Bonding!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Yco","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3641210_orig.jpg?crop=387,387,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1700248105543","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3641210"},{"teacherId":3251860,"projectId":9782697,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation to my classroom project: \"Nourishing Minds: Snacks for English Learners Success.\" Your contribution has made a tremendous difference in the lives of my English learner students. Thanks to your support, I was able to stock our classroom with nutritious snacks that will sustain our students through the end of Quarter 3.\r\n\r\nThe Impact You've Made:\r\n\r\nOver the past weeks, I have witnessed remarkable changes in my students' engagement and focus during tutoring sessions. With access to healthy snacks, my English learners are:\r\n\r\n- Staying focused longer during intensive tutoring and small-group instruction\r\n- Participating more actively in lessons and discussions\r\n- Building confidence as they prepare for yearly assessments\r\n- Creating a more inclusive classroom community where all students feel valued and cared for\r\n\r\nIt's remarkable how something as simple as a snack can remove barriers to learning. When students' basic needs are met, they're able to concentrate on mastering English language skills, comprehension strategies, and assessment preparation.\r\n\r\nYour investment in my students goes far beyond snacks—it communicates to them that their education matters, that their success is valued, and that there are people in the community who believe in their potential.\r\n\r\nI am deeply grateful for your compassion, generosity, and commitment to educational equity.","fullyFundedDate":1759607547235,"projectUrl":"project/help-give-english-learners-snacks/9782697/","projectTitle":"Help Give English Learners Snacks","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Dingal","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/t2channel"},{"teacherId":10349359,"projectId":9893259,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your support of my classroom. Because of you, my students now have access to whiteboards, Expo markers, composition books, and a printer among many other resources that are already making a meaningful difference in how we learn every day.\r\n\r\nWe have been using the whiteboards and markers for quick checks for understanding, vocabulary games, and review activities where every student can actively participate at the same time. One standout moment was during a recent vocabulary review when students excitedly held up their boards to share their drawings and answers, sparking discussion, laughter, and lots of learning. The composition books have become student learning journals, giving them a dedicated space to organize their thoughts, reflect on lessons, and practice writing skills. \r\n\r\nThanks to your generosity, our next steps include expanding our interactive lessons and project-based learning. Students will continue using their composition books to track progress on current units, while whiteboards will support collaborative problem-solving and review activities. These tools are helping create a classroom environment where students feel engaged, confident, and excited to learn.","fullyFundedDate":1763105491952,"projectUrl":"project/we-move-into-the-future-by-looking-to-th/9893259/","projectTitle":"We Move into the Future by Looking to the Past","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Condello","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-10_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10349359"},{"teacherId":9672297,"projectId":9893365,"letterContent":"My students and I were able to use our brand new digital scales that have transformed our lab atmosphere from being \"close enough\" to true scientific inquiry. When students first saw the new equipment, they were excited and treated the lab space with more respect and professional curiosity. One specific moment that stands out was during a recent thermal energy lab. Students were measuring 2.0 grams of calcium chloride and 2.0 grams of baking soda, and their faces showed pure focus as they tried to measure the exact amount of each. They were practicing the meticulous habits of real-world chemists.\r\n\r\nOur next steps are to use more of the materials provided from the donation. We have an upcoming lab where students will explore cell transport using the dialysis tubes and paper cups to hold liquids. We will be filling the dialysis tubes with a starch and glucose liquid to see which food molecules can move through a semi-permeable membrane. These kinds of labs that require these materials help students visualize microscopic concepts using hands-on learning.","fullyFundedDate":1763001186144,"projectUrl":"project/science-in-action/9893365/","projectTitle":"Science in Action","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Nguyen","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9672297"},{"teacherId":8804793,"projectId":9777136,"letterContent":"It is a joy to share our progress with you! Our students have been working passionately to memorize lines, choreography, and build awesome sets. Like always, opening boxes of goodies makes our club members feel like it's the holidays!\r\n\r\nThe awesome educational potential of working on a musical production is the amount of problem solving students need to do. Our purchase of the inflatable ballerina suit is perfect to help shape our Ms. Violet Beauregarde but our next challenge is costuming around the inflating suit. We can't wait for the solutions our students design around this challenge!","fullyFundedDate":1759453704977,"projectUrl":"project/creating-a-world-of-pure-imagination/9777136/","projectTitle":"Creating a World of Pure Imagination","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kajiwara","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8804793"},{"teacherId":9812848,"projectId":9775022,"letterContent":"Thank you for your kind contribution.\r\n\r\nOur drama club students dug into the new supplies to create many different things for upcoming production of Willy Wonka Jr. \r\n\r\nOne of the big innovations this year was our use of styrofoam as a new medium to build with. In addition to the many different styrofoam pieces funded int he project, we also purchased giant sheets of styrofoam insulation. Styrofoam has proved to be a light yet durable building material. \r\n\r\nSome applications include a candy cart and a giant boat.\r\n\r\nStudents were challenged to create the scene where several children are about a boat on a chocolate river. Students came up with a near scale sized boat to create immersion in that scene. They created drafts and eventually turned their idea to life. The styrofoam cutting tool from the campaign made things so easy as they were able to cut and mold the Styrofoam to their desired shape. We've tried scissors in the past and it makes such a mess. They used the pool noodles for the edge of the boat. \r\n\r\nOur students worked with the fashion club at our school to first design a candy cart shape and have the fashion club take care of the aesthetic design while the crotchet club helped to make crochet candy for the cart.","fullyFundedDate":1759424203854,"projectUrl":"project/the-sweetest-scenery-craft-supplies-to/9775022/","projectTitle":"The Sweetest Scenery: Craft Supplies to Make Theatre Magic","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Esteban","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-5_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9812848"},{"teacherId":9818126,"projectId":9773337,"letterContent":"The impact of new scientific calculators, white board markers, fans, and various classroom supplies has been tremendous. \r\n\r\nFirst off, students are learning how to use their tools and it closes previous achievement gaps (of not being proficient at fractions, decimals, and integers) and allows students to still work toward grade level standards like solving equations and systems of equations. \r\n\r\nThe white board markers allow more pair and group thinking. Students feel significantly more comfortable making mistakes on a whiteboard than on paper. More practice, mistakes, ahas happen on the board and thus, more learning.\r\n \r\nLastly the various supplies like kleenex and paper towels encourage students to practice good hygiene. The fans maintain a tolerable classroom temperature in a hot Hawaii classroom with no air condition.","fullyFundedDate":1759243017185,"projectUrl":"project/8th-grade-math-classroom/9773337/","projectTitle":"8th grade Math Classroom","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Takamori","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9818126"},{"teacherId":8978962,"projectId":9780212,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, my students are already using our new resources in meaningful, hands-on ways every day. We've incorporated them into collaborative lessons and creative projects that weren't possible before, and the level of engagement has been incredible. When the materials first arrived, students were thrilled and eager to dive in right away, asking questions and exploring how they could use them. Several students even commented that it made learning feel more \"real,\" which was a powerful moment to witness.\r\n\r\nBecause of your support, we're able to continue building momentum through deeper, project-based learning. Students will use these resources to strengthen skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity as we move forward with upcoming lessons. Your contribution didn't just provide materials — it created opportunities, confidence, and excitement for learning in our classroom. Thank you for investing in my students and making this experience possible.\r\n\r\nThe Highlands Intermediate Student Council is a 2024 NatStuCo National Gold Council of Excellence operating out of Pearl City, Hawai'i! Our Vision is to make Highlands Intermediate an awesome place to learn through our exciting nationally recognized student activities program. With your donation of the several rolls of banner roll paper all 40 Student Council members were able to save time, be more efficient and get the job done faster! We can't thank you enough ; ). You can see the results of your donation via our blog (every single activity from the last 19 years via pics) and our YouTube Channel (every single activity from the last 5 years via video)....\r\n\r\nhttps://highlandsintermediate.blogspot.com/\r\nhttps://www.youtube.com/@HighlandsColts","fullyFundedDate":1759543402952,"projectUrl":"project/big-paper-big-impact-bringing-events/9780212/","projectTitle":"“Big Paper, Big Impact: Bringing Events to Life”","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. White","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8978962_orig.jpg?crop=1005,1005,x359,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1678168364894","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/highlandscolts"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_50792","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":824,"numTeachers":58,"percentFrplEligible":31,"percentAsian":37,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":3,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":18,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"7 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"14.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":82.0,"schoolId":50792,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Highlands Intermediate School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Highlands Intermediate School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/hawaii/leeward-oahu-school-district/highlands-intermediate-school/50792"}