{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Independence Senior High School","outOfStateSupporters":29.6,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6908119,"projectId":10388957,"letterContent":"Thank you for the Upfront Magazine donation. It is been very helpful as our school improvement goals include academic writing and critical thinking skills that will enhance every subject they study. \r\n\r\nThe skill builders that are present in each issue are terrific add-ons, stand-alone assignments and relevant stories that teens should be learning about in today's new cycle. We often utilize the political cartoons, the debates in addition to the articles and visual supports provided on the website. These also are offered to other teachers in the school for incorporation into their classes or to be used with a sub. \r\n\r\nHopefully I will be able to get these again next year.","fullyFundedDate":1787585180024,"projectUrl":"project/academic-reading-and-writing-with-upfron/10388957/","projectTitle":"Academic Reading and Writing with Upfront Magazine from NY Times","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Del Valle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6908119_orig.jpg?crop=1367,1367,x0,y50&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1571862934662","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/rockandtalk"},{"teacherId":589037,"projectId":10717848,"letterContent":"The students were so excited when we got the materials for the the living skills/sensory room! The first item to arrive was the vacuum cleaner. The students helped unpack, followed the assembly directions, and used it for the first time! We are now offering to vacuum area rugs in classrooms and offices as a school service. This gives students opportunities to learn about scheduling and customer service as well as the skill of vacuuming. \r\n\r\nA day later, the remaining materials arrived. The floor tiles were an enormous hit! The students took off their shoes and played with them. We played a cooperation game with the floor tiles that was a big hit! Then we put on the assembly video for the mini-trampoline. Everyone participated in helping find the parts and following the directions.\r\n\r\nThe light covers and bubble tank add the most impact on the mood of the room. It is so calming and engaging. It makes everyone entering the room enjoy just being in there.","fullyFundedDate":1791669552472,"projectUrl":"project/living-skills-and-self-regulation/10717848/","projectTitle":"Living Skills and Self-Regulation","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Lake","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp589037_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1479410481497","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/ann-lake"},{"teacherId":1679708,"projectId":10361074,"letterContent":"Thanks so very much for funding this project! I've been so excited to have new supplies for students to start the school year. Kids have been so excited to be able to come by and select the supplies they need for their courses. They also enjoy being able to run by and grab a healthy snack when they need some nourishment. The connection you can make with students when they stop in for a few minutes can be so meaningful and lets kids know we care. \r\n\r\nI appreciate your amazing generosity! It makes such a difference for students to have the supplies they need to succeed in school. Your support has helped ensure that students will be able to rock this school year.","fullyFundedDate":1787585238047,"projectUrl":"project/equipping-students-for-success/10361074/","projectTitle":"Equipping Students for Success","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fedrick","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1679708_orig.jpg?crop=2400,2400,x0,y304&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683027597142","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1679708"},{"teacherId":1679708,"projectId":10464865,"letterContent":"Thank- you! Thank- you! And, thanks again for helping my students to know that caring people are there to support and rally around them as they strive to be successful in the classroom. You have helped me in equipping my students with the supplies they need to be successful in the classroom. \r\n\r\nThe new file cabinet has helped me house school supplies and snacks for students that will allow for easy access. Students in need have been able to visit my office and \"shop\" for what they need to stay organized and ready for their classes. Your generosity has help ensure the kids in my school know that adults care and are there to help support them. Often, just taking the time to help a student meet what seems to us to be a small need can make a huge difference in boosting their confidence and in enabling them to concentrate on learning.","fullyFundedDate":1787585236020,"projectUrl":"project/equipped-for-success/10464865/","projectTitle":"Equipped for Success!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fedrick","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1679708_orig.jpg?crop=2400,2400,x0,y304&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683027597142","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1679708"},{"teacherId":1679708,"projectId":10243983,"letterContent":"Thank- you! Thank- you! And, thanks again! I am full of gratitude for your support of my project. My students have been so excited to use the sensory putty, sensory manipulatives, and access the snacks from the new assortment in my snack drawers. Several students have already benefitted from the journals and coloring books you have provided. These new materials have helped me continue to provide a calm, welcoming space for my high school students. I am thankful to be able to support overwhelmed students with a safe place to land as they work to become grounded and ready to tackle the rest of their day. Your amazing generosity is so appreciated! I look forward to continuing to use these fun and engaging materials with my students.\r\n\r\n\r\nThanks for supporting my amazing students as they work to be successful learners!","fullyFundedDate":1787585027030,"projectUrl":"project/safe-spaces-and-strong-connections-help/10243983/","projectTitle":"Safe Spaces and Strong Connections Help Teens to be Resilient","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fedrick","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1679708_orig.jpg?crop=2400,2400,x0,y304&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683027597142","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1679708"},{"teacherId":1679708,"projectId":10321148,"letterContent":"Thanks so much for supporting my project. I'm so appreciative of your generosity and kindness in helping to supply my students with counseling materials/ sensory tools and snacks. Sometimes, kids just need a snack, a warm smile, or a safe place where they can get re-grounded before tackling the rest of their day. And, you helped me supply that support for my awesome students. Thank-you! Your support has definitely made a positive impact in the lives of my students.\r\n\r\nBuilding relationships with trusted adults help students feel connected and supported at school. Likewise, having safe spaces to go when feeling stressed or overwhelmed support students in successfully recovering from uncomfortable situations. Thanks for supporting my awesome students as they work to be successful learners!","fullyFundedDate":1782834844080,"projectUrl":"project/strong-connections-and-safe-spaces-help/10321148/","projectTitle":"Strong Connections and Safe Spaces Help Support and Empower Teens","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fedrick","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1679708_orig.jpg?crop=2400,2400,x0,y304&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683027597142","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1679708"},{"teacherId":10336290,"projectId":9865756,"letterContent":"Hello, I would like to thank your generous donation and your patience. I have been in a little bit of a tough spot trying to explain my lack of progress in completing my vision. So i will give you the whole story and explain how the future of this project is looking even better than before.\r\n\r\nWhen I posted my request with donor's choose in the fall of 2025, it was on the suggestion of my current Principal, Amy. She mentioned donor's choose when I mentioned using the unused tennis courts (damaged), for a pickleball club. My Principal was all in, she just did not have the money for everything. I immediately made a scale model of the tennis courts with the cracks and other impurities to see how many pickleball courts I could fit (they are smaller), the model is in the pictures. \r\n\r\nAs plans were being made for the purchase of dividing nets and paint, sponsors were being sought and flyers were accumulating interest, my principal resigned from Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. The new boss, Dennis, has not been as receptive to seeing my vision through. After much effort to get my Principal on board, I received a job offer from Union Preparatory Academy. Having just completed my 30th year in North Carolina, I had the ability to start receiving my pension and go to work teaching outside of the Department of Education of North Carolina for a raise.\r\nMy new boss already has one court and is excited to add more. She has encouraged me to start both a club for the students, and for the staff as well. I am hoping you will continue to support me as my plan changes venues, but will still have the impact first intended. \r\n\r\nI have included pictures of the equipment sent (I did open one to check it out), the plan to utilize all ten nets, and the flyer used to verify interest. All of these strategies will be implemented at my new school with your consent. I am hoping to continue to work towards seeing my vision through and helping impact students.","fullyFundedDate":1769648659277,"projectUrl":"project/pickleball-for-the-youth/9865756/","projectTitle":"Pickleball for the Youth","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Bucka","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10336290"},{"teacherId":1679708,"projectId":10141833,"letterContent":"I want to thank you for funding my project for engaging and innovative counseling materials. The new materials I have received have enabled my students to learn about effective coping skills and cognitive behavioral techniques within an interactive group setting or during individual counseling sessions. The students have seen the materials from this funded project and the new materials have increased their motivation to learn productive ways to manage their feelings of worry and anxiety.\r\n\r\nI have met with several students already and introduced these materials within individual sessions. Several students have needed to work on strategies to manage feelings of worry, anxiety, or depression. They have found the journals, workbooks, and games to be very beneficial. In many cases, they are able to return to class refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of their day. \r\n\r\nNext school year, I am planning on facilitating a group to work on helping students combat negative thinking patterns with more positive, empowering thoughts. I plan to utilize the workbook, Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens: A Workbook to Break the Nine Thought Habits, as a framework for the group. Students will also learn to reduce anxiety through utilizing healthy coping and midfulness strategies and CBT techniques. Students will then be encouraged to use these techniques at home and in school and to report back their success stories. I hope the techniques and strategies learned will become life-long skills for these students. \r\n\r\nThanks so much for helping to fund this project. These engaging materials will be so helpful for my students as they work to learn life changing coping and stress management skills.\r\n\r\nThanks again for your amazing generosity.","fullyFundedDate":1778130919181,"projectUrl":"project/learning-healthy-coping-skills-for-tackl/10141833/","projectTitle":"Learning Healthy Coping Skills for Tackling Stress","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fedrick","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1679708_orig.jpg?crop=2400,2400,x0,y304&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683027597142","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1679708"},{"teacherId":6908119,"projectId":10199534,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting our Entrepreneurship classroom through DonorsChoose. Your donation gave my students access to real, hands-on materials — and in a course built around design thinking, that's not a nice-to-have, it's the point. Prototyping doesn't translate to a screen. Students need to cut, build, and rebuild ideas with their hands to actually understand where a concept works and where it doesn't. Your gift made that possible.\r\n\r\nSince the supplies arrived, I've seen a real shift in how students approach problem-solving. Instead of describing an idea, they're testing it — building a rough version, getting feedback, and revising it before they ever pitch it to the class. That iterative process is where the real skill-building happens, and it's hard to replicate with digital tools alone.\r\n\r\nThank you for investing in a classroom where students get to practice entrepreneurship, not just study it. It's already showing up in the quality of their thinking and the confidence they bring to presenting their work.","fullyFundedDate":1776698775479,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-project-materials/10199534/","projectTitle":"Classroom Project Materials","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Del Valle","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6908119_orig.jpg?crop=1367,1367,x0,y50&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1571862934662","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/rockandtalk"},{"teacherId":1679708,"projectId":9809377,"letterContent":"Thanks so much for helping to fund this project. These engaging materials will be so helpful for my students as they work to learn life changing coping and stress management skills. I have already shared many of these resources (including stress balls, bubbles, silly putty) with students needing support during stressful situations. Students appreciate being able to leave a crisis situation with materials they can utilize when coping with similar stressors in the future.\r\n\r\nI can't wait to be able to share these materials with teachers next Fall so that they can equip their classroom with materials that support social/ emotional learning. I have created a staff presentation on helping students cope with stress and anxiety and plan to allow teachers to create a resource bag at the conclusion of the presentation. I can't wait to get the materials into our classrooms so kids can practice healthy coping techniques with the support of caring educators. \r\n\r\nI am so thankful for your generosity and support.","fullyFundedDate":1769104253583,"projectUrl":"project/helping-to-equip-students-with-coping-an/9809377/","projectTitle":"Helping to Equip Students with Coping and Stress Management Skills","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fedrick","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1679708_orig.jpg?crop=2400,2400,x0,y304&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683027597142","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1679708"},{"teacherId":10173400,"projectId":9678877,"letterContent":"I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude and to share the impact of your generous support on my Multilingual Learners (MLs). Through your funding, we were able to acquire a classroom printer that made it possible to produce colored journals, transforming traditional writing tasks into more engaging and meaningful learning experiences. Instead of using standard black-and-white materials, students now interact with vibrant, visually appealing journals that encourage creativity, participation, and confidence in using the English language.\r\n\r\nThe impact on my students has been truly remarkable. They were able to compare the traditional format with the new colorful journals and overwhelmingly expressed greater enjoyment and motivation with the latter. One student shared, \"I enjoy doing the task because it gets me excited every week of the possible surprises that the teacher might have,\" while another said, \"I feel valued that my teacher goes through great length just to help us learn English, so I must rival his effort.\" These responses reflect not only increased engagement but also a deeper sense of appreciation, responsibility, and connection to learning.\r\n\r\nYour donation has done more than provide a printer—it has helped create a classroom environment where students feel inspired, valued, and excited to learn. The ability to consistently produce high-quality, colorful materials has made a meaningful difference in how my students view their work and their growth in English. We are incredibly thankful for your kindness and generosity, and we are truly grateful for the lasting impact you have made in our classroom.","fullyFundedDate":1767710975946,"projectUrl":"project/journals-in-color-unlocking-language-g/9678877/","projectTitle":"\"Journals in Color: Unlocking Language Growth\"","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Penaso","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-1_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10173400"},{"teacherId":1679708,"projectId":9726189,"letterContent":"Thank- you! Thank- you! And, thanks again! I am full of gratitude for your support \r\nof my project.\r\n\r\nMy students have been so excited to use the sensory putty, sensory manipulatives, and \r\nto access water and snacks/ drinks from the new assortment in my snack drawers. These\r\nnew materials have helped me continue to provide a calm, welcoming space for my \r\nhigh school students. I am thankful to be able to support overwhelmed students with a \r\nsafe place to land as they work to become grounded and ready to tackle the rest of their day.\r\n\r\nYour amazing generosity is so appreciated! I look forward to continuing to use these \r\nfun and engaging materials with my students.\r\n\r\nBuilding relationships with trusted adults help students feel connected and supported at\r\nschool. Likewise, having safe spaces to go when feeling stressed or overwhelmed \r\nsupport students in successfully recovering from uncomfortable situations. I want my \r\nstudents to always know that my office is a welcoming place where they can safely land \r\nno matter what may be happening in their lives. Sometimes, they just need encouragement \r\nthat they can do tough things and make it through the difficult task successfully. \r\n\r\nThanks for supporting my amazing students as they work to be successful learners!","fullyFundedDate":1768406466510,"projectUrl":"project/safe-spaces-and-strong-connections-help/9726189/","projectTitle":"Safe Spaces and Strong Connections Help Build Resilient Teens","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Fedrick","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp1679708_orig.jpg?crop=2400,2400,x0,y304&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1683027597142","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1679708"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_1619","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":2022,"numTeachers":134,"percentFrplEligible":73,"percentAsian":5,"percentBlack":29,"percentWhite":16,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":45,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":2,"gradesServed":"9 - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"15.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"SUBURBAN","ncesMetroType":"SUBURB_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":70.4,"schoolId":1619,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Independence Senior High School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Independence Senior High School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/north-carolina/charlotte-mecklenburg-school-district/independence-senior-high-school/1619"}