{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Chester Area School","outOfStateSupporters":38.0,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":1423376,"projectId":9651927,"letterContent":"Electricity and magnetism are always a fascinating topic when it comes to middle school sciences. This year was our first attempt to build paper speakers. We feel we were very fortunate and successful on what we accomplished.\r\nOur students learned about the basics of both electricity and magnetism beforehand. This meant that we spent a couple class periods learning about electrons and how they flowed through wire and how wire coil acts as an electromagnet: when electrical current travels through it, it generates a magnetic field. This magnetic field, in this paper speaker, interacts with the magnetic field of the permanent magnet inside the coil. The resulting magnetic forces push and pull the cone of the speaker up and down, causing a vibration. This vibration is what causes molecules to move and generate a sound wave. \r\nOur students were totally amazed by how this speaker was able to perform and it was so awesome to see the different ways and styles that were engineered. We had many different sizes, which produced different decibels levels of sound.","fullyFundedDate":1757555082821,"projectUrl":"project/rocking-into-wiring/9651927/","projectTitle":"Rocking Into Wiring","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. O'Connell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1423376_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1599171512015","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1423376"},{"teacherId":1423376,"projectId":9585813,"letterContent":"My students have really enjoyed the various snacks and incentives from this proposal. Each time students get caught doing something great, I throw out a snack for them. This has really been great and it has cleaned up a lot of behavior issues that we've dealt with in the past. It's funny how a simple snack can trigger better behavior.\r\n\r\nMy students really have been trying to be better people. Anytime I can help them I will always do my part. I know some of my students never get an opportunity to get praise or to get an award. This is something I hope I can carry on the rest of my teaching career. I want them to feel comfortable and safe in my classes. It's my job to make sure this happens. I want every child to have an opportunity to get some type of incentive by the end of the school year. \r\n\r\nStudents were excited to see all of the materials coming into my classroom. They now know what they're for and how they can get one. Do your best each day and always try to be better than yesterday. We're hoping we build a great group of citizens. We thank you for your generosity and support.","fullyFundedDate":1756395472317,"projectUrl":"project/classroom-incentives-for-2025/9585813/","projectTitle":"Classroom Incentives for 2025","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. O'Connell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1423376_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1599171512015","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1423376"},{"teacherId":1423376,"projectId":9310156,"letterContent":"The impact on this project has been evident so far. My typing students have been able to use headphones as a form of learning and also engagement tools. My students get to hear the instructions and lesson content, directly from the typing program. The headphones provide a much more quiet environment. This being said, the distractions are limited and they're able to focus and stay on task.\r\nMy students were excited to have easy access to headphones now. Before the previous class, my students weren't able to have they're own headphones. This caused noise issues and more discipline issues in my typing classes. Now I feel my students are more focused and are typing and not messing around. Students are able to listen to music as an incentive. This has also been a great addition to my classes. Students are more apt to stick with the typing and not explore other games and issues that would cause them to lose their computer privileges. \r\nI was able to assign headphones to my lower ended students. This allowed them to take them out of class and use them in other classes that required a quiet environment. This has been an awesome addition to our technology curriculum.","fullyFundedDate":1746492917298,"projectUrl":"project/learning-with-headphones/9310156/","projectTitle":"Learning with Headphones","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. O'Connell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1423376_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1599171512015","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1423376"},{"teacherId":2170007,"projectId":7032039,"letterContent":"On behalf of my first-grade classroom, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks for your generous donation to purchase decodable readers. Your support has made a meaningful difference in my students' learning journey. With these new books, my young readers now have access to engaging, skill-appropriate materials that help build their confidence and foundational reading skills. Watching their eyes light up as they decode each word and complete a story is a powerful reminder of how impactful your gift truly is.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has created more than just an academic resource — it has opened doors for lifelong learning and fostered a love of reading in our students. These books will continue to benefit countless children in our classroom for years to come. Thank you for investing in their future and for being a valued partner in my mission to support early literacy development.","fullyFundedDate":1669770151263,"projectUrl":"project/first-graders-desire-decodables/7032039/","projectTitle":"First Graders Desire Decodables","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Baumberger","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2170007_orig.jpg?crop=2400,2400,x0,y120&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1752290055919","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mrs-baumberger"},{"teacherId":1423376,"projectId":9107063,"letterContent":"This new racing system has brought so much joy to my students. The equipment is designed and intended for my students and is very user friendly. This new EZ start Gate allows us to still set up this system in my classroom. This has been so cool and it allows my students easy setup and tear down for our race.\r\n\r\nOur race this year we had a smooth transition. Our track was ran right off the tables that the students use everyday for science class. Our race used to take us 2 full forty-five minute classes. This system cut down our race in half and was so much more efficient. My students were able to utilize the system and understand how to manage it.\r\n\r\nThis race system requires no tools and it was so easy to use. We will be able to host local, regional, and state competitions in the future. I want to extend our local races and build interest in our area. STEM Education is on the rise and our students are going to be the trailblazers, because of this new technology.","fullyFundedDate":1742947448477,"projectUrl":"project/co2-cars-and-alternative-fuels-start-yo/9107063/","projectTitle":"CO2 Cars and Alternative Fuels: Start Your Engines in 2025","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. O'Connell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1423376_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1599171512015","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1423376"},{"teacherId":1423376,"projectId":8941523,"letterContent":"I want to take the time a share that our CO2 car race was an awesome event this year. Our students engineered 12 cars this year. With the help of engineering, math, science, and technology, we worked hard and built some great prototypes.\r\n\r\nOur curriculum covers alternative fuels and how we can change the use of fossil fuels. We know someday that our fossil fuels will no longer exist, so we need to instill in our students that there are different ways to do this. CO2 is just one that we feel is something that our students have used to counterbalance our thoughts.\r\n\r\nOur race took about two hours and we had the opportunity to have each student race two different times. We averaged the two different times, going 20 feet. We took the four top averages and progressed through the semi-finals and then the finals. Our top speed was close to 33 mph. We offered trophies for the champions and ribbons for the second and third-place finishers. We also had categories for the best of design. This was an eventful day that our students will cherish for the rest of their lives.","fullyFundedDate":1735685022693,"projectUrl":"project/start-your-engines-2024/8941523/","projectTitle":"Start Your Engines 2024","teacherDisplayName":"Mr. O'Connell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp1423376_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1599171512015","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/1423376"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_91941","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":328,"numTeachers":9,"percentFrplEligible":14,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":98,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":0,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"K - 12","studentTeacherRatio":"36.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":false,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_DISTANT"},"inStateSupporters":62.0,"schoolId":91941,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Chester Area School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Chester Area School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/south-dakota/chester-area-school-district-39-1/chester-area-school/91941"}