Johnson Traditional Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky on DonorsChoose

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It was like playing on a new instrument! \r\n\r\nWe are preparing for our December concert next, and a field trip to perform for a retirement home. The new strings on our Violins will help us sound great for the performances, and allow us to bring joy to the community as we perform for the retirement home. \r\n\r\nThank you for helping our instruments sound the best they can so we can be successful and give back to the community!","fullyFundedDate":1752586466572,"projectUrl":"project/string-ing-along/9331352/","projectTitle":"String-ing Along","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wallis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5288420"},{"teacherId":5288420,"projectId":9331299,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous donation of German-style bass Bows for my Orchestra Bass students! Bass players use two different types of bow, the French-style bow is similar to the cello bow, and the other requires a different hand position. Because of the large size of the bass instrument, often students feel more comfortable holding the bow with the German-style bow. \r\n\r\nThe students were so excited to see the new bows and be able to use them! Their sound changed dramatically, as their older bows were missing hair or the hair was worn out and not sounding right. \r\n\r\nOur bows have seen their share of wear and tear over the past few years, and it was time to replace the bows, thus your donation came at the perfect time! We just had our Fall Concert performance last week and my bass players were able to play with clear tone and precise bow articulation with these nice, new bows.\r\n\r\nWe look forward to preparing for our December concert having new tools that make practice sound better so we have the motivation to keep playing!","fullyFundedDate":1752586466864,"projectUrl":"project/back-to-bass-ics/9331299/","projectTitle":"Back to Bass-ics!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Wallis","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5288420"},{"teacherId":5288420,"projectId":9355376,"letterContent":"Thank you for your generous donation of music stands for my Orchestra students. These new stands are sturdy and dependable, and allow each of my students to place their music without fear of it falling down. This helps our class rehearsal time go smoothly! \r\n\r\nOur middle school music programs have grown over the past year, so that I knew we would not have enough stands for the start of the school year. Between Band and Orchestra, we were able to scrounge what we needed to start school, but many of our old stands are wobbly, unstable, and spin easily. These new stands enable all of our students across the music programs to have what they need, and the Orchestra students feel special to have the nice new ones! \r\n\r\nWe had our Fall Concert last evening and were able to use these nice stands. The students were well prepared because they have been able to practice using these new stands to hold their music. They had a beautiful performance and did very well! 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It was heartwarming to see their faces light up with wonder as they uncovered bones and learned about the digestive system of owls and various animal bones.\r\n\r\nGiven the new state curriculum, opportunities for hands-on activities like this are unfortunately limited, so I am especially grateful for the chance to provide such an engaging and memorable experience. It was truly inspiring to watch the students start with doubts—many saying, \"No way,\" or \"I don't want to do this\"—and end the activity eager to do it again, asking, \"When can we do this again?\" and \"What can we dissect next?\" Their transformation from apprehensive to excited learners was a powerful reminder of how meaningful hands-on activities can be in fostering curiosity and a love for science.\r\n\r\nIn my classroom, I believe that incorporating these kinds of tactile, interactive experiences is vital for creating an engaging and dynamic learning environment. 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About this school

Johnson Traditional Middle School is an urban public school in Louisville, Kentucky that is part of Jefferson County Public Schools. It serves 516 students in grades 6 - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 11.2:1. Its teachers have had 15 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades 6 - 8

516 Students

46 Teachers

2509 Wilson Ave

Louisville, KY 40210 View local requests

Evidence-based impact

Inspire teachers to stay in the classroom and boost student achievement.¹

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

Johnson Traditional Middle School Teachers on DonorsChoose

Mr. Claussen

Ms. Koontz

Mrs. Wallis

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Johnson Traditional Middle School Demographics

67%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

68%

of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

Johnson Traditional Middle School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 4, 2025

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