McNary High School in Keizer, Oregon on DonorsChoose

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I have 2 little kids at home, and the idea of outfitting a 30 person class with board games that smuggle learning into the players' experience was financially outside of my abilities. \r\nBut you came into my life and helped. \r\nLet me tell you about a real student of mine who I will call Abe though his real name is different. Abe is a senior who is ranked in the lowest 10% of his class. First semester this year he attended class but literally would not take his face off the desk. He would come in, hood up, sit down and place his forehead on the desk. Nothing could get him to attempt a day's work. No video on the tv could get him to watch, no activity, no real-world problem. I was losing my mind! (Hence I was watching TedTalks over break).\r\nSecond semester the games came in and Abe is a different person in this classroom. He is alive. Even on days where we are primarily working, Abe is here, he is awake, he is talking, joking, laughing and engaging with the peers around him, with me and with the academic content. He is still a terrible student. But he is significantly better than he was last semester, and he has been able to recover last semester's grade, and pass this semester. Abe will graduate this year with a full credit of math under his belt, and I am absolutely convinced these games were the change that woke him up. Thank you. Thank you so, so much.","fullyFundedDate":1739559753163,"projectUrl":"project/teaching-kids-to-visualize-math-with-gam/9067753/","projectTitle":"Teaching Kids to Visualize Math With Games!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Kirkwood","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9891852"},{"teacherId":9891852,"projectId":9048846,"letterContent":"This is my 9th year teaching high school math and my 3rd year teaching a credit recover class like this one. It is quite honestly emotionally taxing in a way teaching typical classes cannot compare with. Seniors who have struggled in school their entire lives are not typically kind or easy to deal with. Their attendance is atrocious, their behavior and language are sometimes even worse, let alone their engagement with academic content. \r\nOver Christmas break I watched a TedTalk with an educational professional who discussed the value to games, and gamify-ing learning, and how math is the subject which is the worst at implementing games. I have 2 little kids at home, and the idea of outfitting a 30 person class with board games that smuggle learning into the players' experience was financially out of my abilities. \r\nBut you came into my life and helped. \r\nLet me tell you about a real student of mine who I will call Abe though his real name is different. Abe is a senior who is ranked in the lowest 10% of his class. First semester this year he attended class but literally would not take his face off the desk. He would come in, hood up, sit down and place his forehead on the desk. Nothing could get him to attempt a day's work. No video on the tv could get him to watch, no activity, no real-world problem. I was losing my mind! (Hence I was watching TedTalks over break).\r\nSecond semester the games came in and Abe is a different person in this classroom. He is alive. Even on days where we are primarily working, Abe is here, he is awake, he is talking, joking, laughing and engaging with the peers around him, with me and with the academic content. He is still a terrible student. But he is significantly better than he was last semester, and he has been able to recover last semester's grade, and pass this semester. Abe will graduate this year with a full credit of math under his belt, and I am absolutely convinced these games were the change that woke him up. Thank you. Thank you so, so much.","fullyFundedDate":1739375878667,"projectUrl":"project/teaching-math-to-credit-deficient-studen/9048846/","projectTitle":"Teaching Math to Credit Deficient Students and Make It Fun!","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. Kirkwood","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9891852"},{"teacherId":9398305,"projectId":8806962,"letterContent":"I hope this letter finds you well. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation of classroom supplies. Your kindness and support mean so much to both me and my students, and we are truly appreciative of your generosity.\r\n\r\nThese supplies will make a significant impact in our classroom, allowing my students to have the necessary tools to engage in their learning effectively. Whether it's notebooks, pencils, or fidgets, your contribution ensures that my students have what they need to succeed. 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About this school

McNary High School is a suburban public school in Keizer, Oregon that is part of Salem - Keizer School District 24J. It serves 1,995 students in grades 9 - 12 with a student/teacher ratio of 23.5:1. Its teachers have had 11 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Grades 9 - 12

1,995 Students

85 Teachers

595 Chemawa Rd N

Keizer, OR 97303 View local requests

http://mcnary.salkeiz.k12.or.us/

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

McNary High 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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McNary High School Demographics

66%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

43%

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.

McNary High School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 5, 2025

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.