Pilgrim High School in Warwick, Rhode Island on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"Pilgrim High School","outOfStateSupporters":41.2,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8595525,"projectId":10082804,"letterContent":"The students in our co-taught classroom are high school seniors who are on the verge of graduating. Of the fifteen students, eleven are special education students who typically do not enjoy reading (honestly, none of my students really do). My teaching partner and I were trying to find engaging material to pique the students' interest, and we thought that Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book would do just that. The novel, filled with illustrations by Neil Gaiman himself, met with the requirements of our curriculum (senior year is British Literature) but we didn't have the texts in our book room, nor any money left in the department budget. Not only is our school under-resourced, but many of our students come from economically challenged households, and thus buying their own books was not even a consideration. \r\n\r\nLike the protagonist, Nobody Owens, our students have had many struggles throughout their lives, particularly family issues, and they were able to identify with him throughout our reading experience. Because our students are always working on fluency, we read aloud, frequently stopping to discuss the important themes in the text. Some of those central ideas include: living life to the fullest; celebrating life rather than mourning loss; recognizing that family doesn't have to be blood; choosing empathy over judgment; facing and overcoming fear; embracing change. \r\n\r\nAlthough the text explores the aforementioned topics in a whimsical manner, these mature and important themes have really resonated with our students. They have enjoyed learning British colloquialisms, and comparing the live boy in the cemetery, Bod Owens, with the live boy in the afterlife in the film, Coco. They have watched a bit of the latter (we have yet to finish) and will write an essay comparing and contrasting the novel with the film. \r\n\r\nIn an attempt to make some cross-curricular ties, we asked students to design their own headstones. We purchased thick balsa wood, created a headstone template and traced an outline on each, and a social studies teacher generously volunteered to take them home and cut them out on his bandsaw. I gave them a nice gray coat with spray paint (we don't use that in school) and presented each student with a headstone to decorate. The results can be seen in the pictures that accompany this letter. Some of them are spectacular! The students weren't given much guidance - name, birth date, death date - and the rest was up to them. They learned what an epitaph is and were asked to write one on their tombstone. Some chose to be humorous, which illustrates that they understood Gaiman's message that death isn't solely fearful, but a natural part of life. \r\n\r\nIn closing, although we have not yet finished the text (we still have plenty of time to do so before finals) reading this book has been a wonderful experience for all of us. Nothing brings an English teacher more joy than hearing a student ask, \"Are we reading today?\" because they are excited to learn what happens next in the life of Bod Owens. Without the generosity of the DonorsChoose benefactors, these students would not have been exposed to such a powerful text that holds many valuable life lessons. Hopefully, this small spark will ignite a lasting love of reading. Thank you for supplying the matches - we are forever grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1770812169446,"projectUrl":"project/ink-insight/10082804/","projectTitle":"Ink Insight","teacherDisplayName":"Dr. Hainey","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8595525_orig.jpg?crop=2261,2261,x54,y293&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1770396556770","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8595525"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_91421","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1165,"numTeachers":126,"percentFrplEligible":39,"percentAsian":4,"percentBlack":4,"percentWhite":70,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":14,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"9 - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"9.2:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":false,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_SMALL"},"inStateSupporters":58.8,"schoolId":91421,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Pilgrim High School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Pilgrim High School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/rhode-island/warwick-public-schools/pilgrim-high-school/91421"}

About this school

Pilgrim High School is an urban public school in Warwick, Rhode Island that is part of Warwick Public Schools. It serves 1,165 students in grades 9 - 12 with a student/teacher ratio of 9.2:1. Its teachers have had 8 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Public School

Grades 9 - 12

1,165 Students

126 Teachers

111 Pilgrim Pkwy

Warwick, RI 02888 View local requests

Direct, proactive support

Empower teachers at Pilgrim High School to request what their students need.

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

Pilgrim High School Teachers on DonorsChoose

Dr. Hainey

Mrs. Zielinski

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for public school teachers.

Every donation funds real needs — pencils, books, lab equipment, art supplies, and more — helping students learn and thrive. We ship supplies directly to the school, and you'll see exactly where each dollar goes.

See how DonorsChoose works

Pilgrim High School Demographics

39%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

22%

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.

Pilgrim High School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated May 19, 2026

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.