{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Shepard IB Magnet Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":17.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10464905,"projectId":10159108,"letterContent":"I am incredibly grateful for the support Donors Choose provided to my Purrfect Pitch Choir at James E. Shepard IB Magnet Middle School during the 2025–2026 school year.\r\nThrough Donors Choose, I was able to provide snacks for my students during our after-school rehearsals. Although providing snacks may seem like a small contribution, it made a meaningful difference in the lives of my students and in their ability to participate fully in our choir program.\r\nPurrfect Pitch Choir is about so much more than singing. I created this program to give my students opportunities to experience things they may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience. Last school year, our students traveled to the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, where they had the opportunity to perform and experience a historic cultural landmark. They also traveled to Dollywood to compete, where they received a Superior rating and earned 2nd place in their competition.\r\nThese experiences gave my students the opportunity to travel, perform, compete, build confidence, and see possibilities beyond their everyday environment. For many of them, these are memories and accomplishments they will carry with them for years to come.\r\nHowever, opportunities like these require tremendous preparation. Our students spent many hours after school rehearsing, learning music, developing their vocal skills, and preparing for performances and competitions. Because rehearsals took place immediately after a full school day, many students were hungry and tired by the time rehearsal began.\r\nThe snacks provided through Donors Choose helped address that simple but important need. Students could grab something to eat, recharge, and return their attention to rehearsal. It allowed them to have the energy and focus necessary to work together and strive for excellence.\r\nBut the impact went beyond the food itself. It told my students that someone believed they were worth investing in.\r\nAs a teacher, I want my students to know that their circumstances do not have to determine the size of their dreams. Purrfect Pitch Choir gives them a space to discover their voices, develop discipline, work as a team, and experience opportunities that expand their view of what is possible.\r\nThe support we received through Donors Choose helped make that possible.\r\nWhen I watched my students perform at the Biltmore House and later stand proudly after earning a Superior rating and 2nd place at Dollywood, I was reminded of why these opportunities matter so much. They were not simply students attending a field trip—they were young performers representing their school, their community, and all the hard work they had put into becoming better musicians.\r\nThank you for helping me provide not only snacks, but support, encouragement, and access to experiences that can shape my students' lives. Your generosity helped my students show up, work hard, perform with confidence, and discover that they are capable of achieving more than they may have imagined.\r\nI am deeply grateful for your investment in James E. Shepard IB Magnet Middle School's Purrfect Pitch Choir and the young people we serve.","fullyFundedDate":1774050575597,"projectUrl":"project/purrfect-pitch-choir-competition-prepara/10159108/","projectTitle":"Purrfect Pitch Choir Competition Preparation","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Ledbetter","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10464905"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_1444","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":420,"numTeachers":32,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":1,"percentBlack":62,"percentWhite":2,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":30,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":3,"gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"13.1:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":82.6,"schoolId":1444,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Shepard IB Magnet Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Shepard IB Magnet Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/north-carolina/durham-public-schools/shepard-magnet-school/1444"}