Apple Valley Middle School in Hendersonville, North Carolina on DonorsChoose

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This structure encourages them to share ideas, justify their reasoning, and learn from one another in real time.\r\nSince implementing BTC with your help, I have already seen remarkable growth in my students. They are more eager to take risks, more confident in explaining their thinking, and more willing to work together to solve complex problems. The vertical whiteboards have transformed my classroom into a space where students are constantly moving, discussing, and thinking deeply.\r\nYour generosity has directly contributed to this transformation. Thank you for investing not only in my project, but more importantly, in my students' learning and growth. The skills they are developing now—collaboration, communication, and critical thinking—will benefit them for years to come.\r\nWith sincere appreciation,\r\nMerritt Sumner\r\nApple Valley Middle School","fullyFundedDate":1752009428730,"projectUrl":"project/building-thinking-classrooms-in-7th-grad/9449499/","projectTitle":"Building Thinking Classrooms in 7th Grade","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sumner","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10009211"},{"teacherId":9877719,"projectId":9013368,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for providing books for my mystery book clubs. The book clubs are an important part of our larger mystery reading and writing unit. This unit focuses on several important reading skills including understanding point of view and perspective, analyzing the impact of setting on the plot, attending to details as readers look for clues, making and supporting inferences, and synthesizing information. \r\n\r\nTo begin the unit, students learn the elements of and vocabulary associated with mysteries. We read several short stories together as we practice recognizing these elements and using the vocabulary. We also learn and practice the reading strategies and language arts standards previously mentioned as we read whole group. The book clubs begin about two weeks into the unit and serve as an opportunity for students to practice the skills and strategies from our whole group experiences on their own in books they have chosen. The element of choice encourages students to take ownership of their learning and gives them a say in what they read. 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About this school

Apple Valley Middle School is a rural public school in Hendersonville, North Carolina that is part of Henderson County Public Schools. It serves 819 students in grades 6 - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 14.4:1. Its teachers have had 16 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades 6 - 8

819 Students

57 Teachers

43 Fruitland Rd

Hendersonville, NC 28792 View local requests

http://www.hendersoncountypublicschoolsnc.org/avm/

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

Apple Valley Middle School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. Each classroom request for funding was created by a classroom teacher and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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Apple Valley Middle School Demographics

64%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

44%

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.

Apple Valley Middle School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 5, 2025

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