{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Armstrong Junior Senior High School","outOfStateSupporters":53.5,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":6890291,"projectId":10650765,"letterContent":"I am so thankful for this generous grant and for the opportunity to provide my Culinary Arts and Integrated Family and Consumer Sciences students with hands-on experiences that can make a real difference in their everyday lives. The Aerogarden Bounty, food chopper, and vacuum food sealer will allow my students to grow fresh herbs and produce, prepare food, and learn how to preserve it for later. Students will be able to dry herbs to take home, prepare fresh produce, and vacuum seal and freeze foods that can be used for future meals. These are practical skills that students can use at home and share with their families. Since we just planted the herbs a few days ago, we used the chopper and the vaccume sealer for our breakfast casserole lab. Students made a 9x13 breakfast casserole where they ate half and class and then sealed the other half and took it home for a quick breakfast. Once the herbs grow, I will show students how to dry them and make homemade seasoing mixes that they will take home or use in class. \r\n\r\nThank you for helping me teach my students that food is something we can grow, prepare, preserve, and share. I love giving my students opportunities to learn skills that go beyond the classroom, especially skills that can help families stretch their food budgets, reduce waste, and have nutritious food available when they need it. Your generosity will allow my students to learn by doing and then take those skills home to help care for themselves and their families. I truly appreciate your support of our classroom and our students!","fullyFundedDate":1790952065829,"projectUrl":"project/grow-prepare-preserve-food-skills-fo/10650765/","projectTitle":"Grow, Prepare & Preserve: Food Skills for Life","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McFarland","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6890291"},{"teacherId":8726840,"projectId":10681142,"letterContent":"This project helped make our art room a place where students could receive practical support while learning and creating. Snacks, bottled water, popcorn, and warm drinks provided nourishment for students who came to class hungry, while sketchbooks ensured students without their own materials could still participate fully.\r\n\r\nThe supplies also gave students opportunities to care for themselves and others through art. Students used ceramic glazes to create useful pieces such as cups and bowls, while glue and clothing irons helped with repairing, pressing, and improving clothing. These materials gave me more ways to support students' everyday needs while helping them feel welcomed, cared for, and ready to learn.","fullyFundedDate":1791032046241,"projectUrl":"project/providing-comfort-care-and-creativity/10681142/","projectTitle":"Providing Comfort, Care, and Creativity","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kovalovsky","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8726840_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1791243489718","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsksartroom"},{"teacherId":8726840,"projectId":10569217,"letterContent":"This project helped create greater equity in our art room by giving students reliable access to materials they needed to participate fully. Students used canvas boards, acrylic paint, colored paper, cardstock, wood-burning tools, and other supplies to explore a variety of artistic processes without having to worry about limited materials.\r\n\r\nHaving these supplies available allowed students to work more independently and try new techniques. Storage supplies helped keep materials organized and accessible, while items like sticky notes supported planning and reflection. The additional materials gave students more choices and helped ensure that access to supplies did not determine who could participate or what they could create.","fullyFundedDate":1789558300331,"projectUrl":"project/equal-tools-equal-opportunities/10569217/","projectTitle":"Equal Tools, Equal Opportunities","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kovalovsky","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8726840_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1791243489718","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsksartroom"},{"teacherId":8475476,"projectId":9992717,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our food preservation unit by providing us with canning supplies! My students use the jars, lids, rims, pectin, and magnetic lid lifters to make homemade jelly from start to finish. During our lesson, I teach students the process of making jelly, including preparing the ingredients, filling the jars, and properly sealing them. The best part is that each student gets the opportunity to make jelly that they can take home and share with their families. This turns a classroom lesson into something meaningful that they can enjoy and share at home.\r\n\r\nMost of my students had never canned or preserved food before, so they were especially interested in learning how the different supplies were used. The magnetic lid lifters were a particular curiosity! It was exciting to see their enthusiasm grow as they realized they weren't just learning about food preservation—they were going to get to do it themselves.\r\n\r\nOur next step is to put our new knowledge into practice as we make our own batches of homemade jelly. Students will work through the process together, following the recipe and practicing safe food-handling and preservation techniques. They will then take their finished jelly home to share with their families, giving them the opportunity to be proud of something they created themselves. Thank you for helping make this hands-on learning experience possible and for giving my students a skill they can use beyond the classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1778201051556,"projectUrl":"project/canning-supplies/9992717/","projectTitle":"Canning Supplies","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Haponski","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8475476_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1727991902364","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8475476"},{"teacherId":6890291,"projectId":10286217,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for awarding me this grant! I truly appreciate the opportunity to add an iPad to my classroom and professional toolkit. I currently use the iPad to grade student work when I am on the go and to access different apps that my students use in class. This iPad will give me even more flexibility to stay organized, connected, and engaged with my students while they are learning.\r\n\r\nI am especially excited to put the new iPad to work during the second semester when my high school Child Development students run the 6 week preschool for our community. My Child Development students will be teaching lessons and working directly with young children, and I will be moving around the preschool classroom supervising, helping students, and supporting their teaching. The iPad will allow me to stay connected to email, attendance, grades, schedules, and other school responsibilities while my students use my desktop computer to teach their lessons using our connected smart board. It will also give me another way to use educational and child development apps to make learning more interactive and meaningful for my high school students.\r\n\r\nThis grant will have a real impact on both my teaching and my students' experiences. I am grateful for the support that makes it possible to bring more technology and hands-on learning into my classroom. I know this iPad will get plenty of use throughout the school year, especially once our preschool is up and running. Thank you for investing in my students and helping me provide them with real-world experiences that prepare them for their futures!","fullyFundedDate":1788187801811,"projectUrl":"project/staying-connected-while-teaching-future/10286217/","projectTitle":"Staying Connected While Teaching Future Educators","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McFarland","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6890291"},{"teacherId":8726840,"projectId":10289787,"letterContent":"Thank you for supporting our unified art classroom and helping provide these ceramic materials for our students. The clay, glazes, and storage supplies have already made a meaningful impact on our classroom experience. Students in our unified classes have been creating sculptures, pottery, and collaborative ceramic projects while exploring texture, color, and hands-on creativity in ways that are engaging and accessible for all ability levels. Many students were especially excited to work with clay because it allowed them to express themselves through touch and process-based learning.\r\n\r\nThe storage containers and bags have helped students safely store works in progress between classes, allowing them to revisit projects over time and work more independently. The variety of glazes gave students opportunities to personalize their work and take pride in their finished pieces. These materials have helped create a more inclusive, supportive, and creative classroom environment where all students can participate, communicate, and succeed through art. Thank you again for making these experiences possible for our students.","fullyFundedDate":1779102246089,"projectUrl":"project/unified-art-clay-and-creativity/10289787/","projectTitle":"Unified Art: Clay and Creativity","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kovalovsky","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8726840_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1791243489718","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsksartroom"},{"teacherId":6890291,"projectId":10156764,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our \"Family Game Time\" classroom project! I was incredibly excited to learn that our grant had been funded, and I truly appreciate your generosity and support of our students.\r\n\r\nBecause of your kindness, our classroom now has engaging board games that encourage teamwork, communication, critical thinking, patience, and sportsmanship. These games are already making a positive impact in our classroom. My students each seem to have a favorite new game, and Catch Phrase and Scrabble are currently at the top of the list!\r\n\r\nThese materials will also support our preschool program, where high school students work with younger children through play-based learning activities. This experience helps both age groups grow socially and academically while building meaningful connections.\r\n\r\nThank you again for helping create opportunities for students to unplug from screens, connect with one another, and learn important life skills through play. Your generosity is truly appreciated.","fullyFundedDate":1778225486191,"projectUrl":"project/building-connections-through-family-game/10156764/","projectTitle":"Building Connections Through Family Game Time","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McFarland","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6890291"},{"teacherId":8726840,"projectId":10230787,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our art classroom and helping provide these important supplies. The new brushes, paint, glazes, storage buckets, tape, and printmaking materials have already been used in painting, ceramics, and mixed media projects across multiple grade levels. Students were excited to see fresh supplies available and immediately began using them to experiment, create, and improve their work. The new buckets have especially helped us store clay properly so it stays fresh and usable for future classes and projects.\r\n\r\nThese materials have helped make our classroom more organized, creative, and efficient. Students are spending more time focused on learning and creating instead of sharing limited supplies or working around missing materials. We will continue using these resources throughout the year for ceramics, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and collaborative projects. Your generosity has made a real difference in our classroom, and we truly appreciate your support of our students and their creativity.","fullyFundedDate":1778068504702,"projectUrl":"project/refill-restock-and-reimagine-our-art-r/10230787/","projectTitle":"Refill, Restock, and Reimagine Our Art Room","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Kovalovsky","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8726840_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1791243489718","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrsksartroom"},{"teacherId":6890291,"projectId":10196834,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our grant and helping make this project possible. Your generosity truly means a lot to us and to the students we serve. The supplies arrived right in time for us to use the last few weeks of this years playschool and we will reuse them for the years to come. Because of your donation, my high school students are able to lead a meaningful, hands-on service project right here in our community. They are running a free 6-week preschool program where they get to teach, mentor, and connect with younger children while building their own confidence and leadership skills.\r\n\r\nYour support helps provide the supplies we need for lessons, crafts, and activities centered around books like How to Read a Story, Gratitude is My Superpower, and The Berenstain Bears. These materials allow our students to create fun, engaging experiences that help preschoolers grow their early literacy skills and develop a love of reading.\r\n\r\nIt also helps us create a warm, welcoming environment with snacks, organized materials, and even personalized tumblers for each child—small touches that make a big difference in helping every child feel special and included. Most importantly, your donation is helping students give back. They're not just learning in the classroom—they're stepping up, taking ownership, and making a real impact in their community.\r\n\r\nWe are incredibly grateful for your support and for believing in our students and this project. Thank you for helping us bring learning, leadership, and literacy to life.","fullyFundedDate":1776973514655,"projectUrl":"project/student-leaders-growing-young-readers/10196834/","projectTitle":"Student Leaders Growing Young Readers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McFarland","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6890291"},{"teacherId":6890291,"projectId":10113118,"letterContent":"I just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for supporting the \"Building Career-Ready Culinary Professionals Through Wellness and Workforce Skills\" project. Your generosity is making a real and meaningful difference for my advanced culinary students. \r\n\r\nIn the culinary world, students are preparing for careers that are physically demanding—long hours on their feet, working in fast-paced, high-heat kitchens, and staying focused and energized throughout it all. Because of you, we're able to go beyond just cooking skills and really help students understand how their health and wellness directly impact their performance and success on the job.\r\n\r\nWith your support, students have started to participate in numerous hands-on activities that make these concepts come to life. They have work-weighted vests while walking laps in the hallway and climbing stairs to experience the added physical strain of extra weight on the body. They have also explored strength and injury prevention as well as learning how nutrition fuels their bodies for long shifts. Just as importantly, they have built awareness of their own health through activities that promote personal responsibility and informed decision-making.\r\n\r\nWhat I love most about this project is that it connects real-world career skills with lifelong habits. Students aren't just learning for the classroom—they're gaining tools that will help them succeed in their future careers and take care of themselves along the way.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and investing in their future. Your support is helping them build confidence, knowledge, and skills that will last a lifetime.","fullyFundedDate":1773264188050,"projectUrl":"project/building-career-ready-culinary-professio/10113118/","projectTitle":"Building Career-Ready Culinary Professionals Through Wellness and Workforce Skills","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. McFarland","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/6890291"},{"teacherId":8475476,"projectId":10026274,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for getting us what we needed to make scarves. Students were given the volunteer/community service project opportunity to make handmade scarves for HAVIN. HAVIN in a local organization that provides shelter to victims of domestic violence. They provide the victims with housing, food, clothing, and everything that they need to for everyday living.\r\nKnitting was a skill that was taught to 9th graders in Family & Consumer Science class. So I made an announcemnt for my previous students to make scarves if they wanted to and some volunteered to.","fullyFundedDate":1768674516944,"projectUrl":"project/warmth-with-every-stitch-students-knitt/10026274/","projectTitle":"Warmth with Every Stitch: Students Knitting for Survivors","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Haponski","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8475476_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1727991902364","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8475476"},{"teacherId":9260246,"projectId":9595215,"letterContent":"I would like to extend my gratitude on behalf of my eighth grade reading students as we thank you, our anonymous donors, for generously providing a variety of snacks for our classroom. For many of our students, having access to a quick snack during the school day helps them stay focused, energized, and ready to learn. What may seem like a small gesture truly makes a meaningful difference in their daily lives.\r\n Because of your generosity, I was able to introduce an earned coupon system called \"Smart Snacks for Smart Students.\" When students achieve academic success, win a content area related game, or demonstrate exemplary behavior, they earn a coupon that they can use immediately or save for a time of need and choose a snack of their choice. Watching their excitement as they earn and redeem these coupons has been incredibly rewarding. Something as simple as a snack can brighten a student's day, lift their spirits, and remind them that someone cares about their well-being and success.\r\n Please know that your generosity is deeply appreciated by our students, staff, and families. Your support helps create a classroom environment where students feel encouraged, valued, and cared for. Thank you for making such a positive difference in the lives of our students and for investing in their well-being.","fullyFundedDate":1765086084523,"projectUrl":"project/smart-snacks-for-smart-students/9595215/","projectTitle":"Smart Snacks for Smart Students","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kovalovsky","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-4_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9260246"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_88793","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1447,"numTeachers":111,"percentFrplEligible":80,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":1,"percentWhite":96,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":1,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":0,"gradesServed":"7 - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"13.0:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"TOWN","ncesMetroType":"TOWN_DISTANT"},"inStateSupporters":46.5,"schoolId":88793,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Armstrong Junior Senior High School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Armstrong Junior Senior High School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/pennsylvania/armstrong-school-district/kittanning-junior-high-school/88793"}