{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"North Fork Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":26.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9028845,"projectId":10087799,"letterContent":"I truly cannot begin to put into words how grateful my students and I are that this project was funded. Your generosity has brought so much more than new items into our classroom—you have helped create a space where my students can feel safe, comfortable, understood, and ready to learn.\r\n\r\nMy students may not be the \"average\" student, and that is one of the things I love most about them. They learn differently, experience the world differently, and sometimes need a little more support to feel successful at school. For many of my students, sitting still at a traditional desk for an entire class period can be incredibly difficult. They need to wiggle, fidget, move, and find a position that helps their brains focus. The flexible seating provided through this project has given them the freedom to learn in a way that works for them. It has made our classroom feel more welcoming and has helped my students feel like they truly belong in the space where they spend so much of their day.\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite moments was when my students first discovered the breathing koalas. They had absolutely no idea what they were or what they were supposed to do with them! Within minutes, though, they had gathered in our calming corner, holding the koalas and following their breathing patterns. It was such a simple moment, but it meant so much to me.\r\n\r\nI have students who walk into my classroom carrying much more than their backpacks. Some arrive upset, overwhelmed, angry, frustrated, or in tears. Sometimes they are experiencing all of those emotions at once. Before they can learn, they first need to feel safe and calm. Having a breathing koala to hold has given my students a tangible way to slow down, take a breath, and begin to regain control of their emotions.\r\n\r\nWhat touches my heart most is watching students begin to use these tools independently. They are learning that it is okay to need a break. They are learning that their feelings are okay and that they have strategies they can use to work through those feelings. They are learning how to take care of themselves so that they can eventually return to learning. Those are skills that will stay with them far beyond my classroom.\r\n\r\nThank you for seeing the needs of students like mine and choosing to invest in them. Thank you for giving them flexible seating, calming tools, and—perhaps most importantly—a classroom that tells them, \"You are welcome here. You belong here. You can learn here.\"\r\n\r\nMy students and I are incredibly grateful for your kindness and generosity. You have made a difference in our classroom, but more importantly, you have made a difference in the lives of the students who call it home each day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.","fullyFundedDate":1772633512970,"projectUrl":"project/wiggle-breathe-learn/10087799/","projectTitle":"Wiggle, Breathe, Learn!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Kraemer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9028845_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746566705723","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/misskraemer"},{"teacherId":2564150,"projectId":9707499,"letterContent":"I am writing to share the very real impact your gift has had on our 6th graders. Because of your generosity, I was able to provide my students with multiple copies of several picture books specifically chosen to help them navigate the social challenges of middle school.\r\n\r\nHaving multiple copies was vital because these books were used across the entire grade level. It wasn't just the English teachers who participated: Math, History, and Science had a small group, and even our Art and Music teachers led small group discussions as well. These smaller groups were essential to our success, as students are much more likely to speak up in an intimate setting.\r\n\r\nOne of the most powerful books you provided was The Invisible Boy, written by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by Patrice Barton. In the story, the main character, Brian, is drawn as a translucent, gray sketch because he is quiet and overlooked by his peers. As he makes a friend and begins to feel included, he gains color and becomes \"solid.\" For 11 and 12-year-olds, this is a profound way to understand a complex lesson. It's easy for a teacher to tell students to \"be kind,\" but seeing Brian's transformation helped my students truly see the \"unintended consequences\" of ignoring someone. It turned a vague concept into something they could see with their own eyes.\r\n\r\nWe also used Interrupting Chicken, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein, which was an immediate favorite. The kids laughed out loud at the story, but it served a serious purpose: seeing a chicken who cannot stop interrupting was a lighthearted, effective way to talk about their own habits of interrupting one another.\r\n\r\nThe \"So What?\" factor of this project is simple: my students are learning that their actions have the power to help someone else feel \"visible.\" You didn't just buy books for a shelf; you provided a template for my students to learn empathy. Thank you for helping them see the value in one another.","fullyFundedDate":1767027838950,"projectUrl":"project/picture-books-for-middle-school-kindness/9707499/","projectTitle":"Picture Books for Middle School Kindness","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Phillips","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-6_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/2564150"},{"teacherId":10030648,"projectId":9339591,"letterContent":"I am so thrilled that I have the resources of the Scholastic magazines for my students to use to gain knowledge of the world, practice reading skills and improve their critical thinking.\r\nI have used the magazines as a combination with the decoding program and my students have enjoyed the monthly magazines and the combination of many different genres within one magazine.\r\nI am so appreciative of the generosity of you and the opportunity it provides for my students. Without your assistance my students would not have this opportunity.","fullyFundedDate":1747139703795,"projectUrl":"project/reading-to-learn-about-the-world-and-gro/9339591/","projectTitle":"Reading To Learn About the World and Grow","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Harrell","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10030648_orig.jpg?crop=2316,2316,x0,y663&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1786630918652","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10030648"},{"teacherId":573355,"projectId":9287243,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution to getting well-sourced, authentic current events into my classroom. Because of your contribution to get Junior Scholastic magazines for my classroom, my students are able to read about the real world and what is happening in their world. The text is focused on teen readers and is accessible to them in a way that other news stories are not. In addition, I can be confident that they are getting unbiased, well-reported news that means something to them.\r\n\r\nSome of the skills that we have utilized the magazines for are recognizing text features, close reading and analyzing, and validating answers with text evidence. Students are engaged and eager to read these magazines. \r\n\r\nThank you so much for the support of my classroom and for enabling me to get high-interest, non-fiction texts for my students.","fullyFundedDate":1746547780998,"projectUrl":"project/high-interest-accessible-current-events/9287243/","projectTitle":"High Interest, Accessible Current Events for Middle Schoolers","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Voigt","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp573355_orig.jpg?crop=271,271,x88,y193&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1715172966246","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/573355"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_34530","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":352,"numTeachers":34,"percentFrplEligible":83,"percentAsian":0,"percentBlack":0,"percentWhite":72,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":22,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":3,"gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"10.4:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"RURAL","ncesMetroType":"RURAL_DISTANT"},"inStateSupporters":73.6,"schoolId":34530,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about North Fork Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"North Fork Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/virginia/shenandoah-county-public-schools/north-fork-middle-school/34530"}