{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Eckstein Middle School","outOfStateSupporters":9.3,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":8804354,"projectId":9416719,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, my 8th graders engaged in one of the most memorable and meaningful learning experiences of our school year. The opportunity to dissect sheep eyes brought our evolution and comparative anatomy unit to life in a way no textbook, worksheet or video ever could.\r\n\r\nAs students explored each structure of the eye with their own hands, they began making real, concrete connections between evolution, natural selection, and the ways organisms adapt to different environments over millions of years. Many students who are typically hesitant in science felt empowered by the hands-on nature of the work. They asked deeper questions, collaborated closely with their peers, and showed genuine curiosity as they compared the structures they found to the eyes of other animals we studied.\r\n\r\nOne of the most impactful moments was seeing students realize that the same basic structures appear across species because of shared ancestry. Many commented that the dissection helped them understand how small changes over time can lead to the incredible diversity of life we see today.\r\n\r\nBeyond the academic gains, this experience gave my students a sense of pride—they felt like real scientists. Several students told me this was their \"favorite lab ever\" and that they felt lucky to have the chance to do work they know not every school can offer.\r\n\r\nYour support didn't just give us materials; it created an experience my students will remember long after 8th grade. Thank you for making this hands-on, minds-on learning possible.","fullyFundedDate":1759252809179,"projectUrl":"project/exploring-the-exciting-evolution-of-eyes/9416719/","projectTitle":"Exploring the Exciting Evolution of Eyes","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mosko","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8804354_orig.jpg?crop=614,614,x149,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1745274311386","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8804354"},{"teacherId":8132687,"projectId":9396833,"letterContent":"I wanted to thank you again for your amazing support of our school and classrooms! The purchase of these earthworms will allow all 350+ students at our school to dissect an earthworm during our evolution lab this spring. The wonder and amazement on their faces when they cut open the earthworm to reveal the multiple hearts, and their discovery of the complicated internal anatomy is gratifying. \r\n\r\nStudents will leave Eckstein with a strong understanding of evolution because their final lab will be to look for homologous structures between earthworms and humans, and then to put together a final argument proving that we are related. Students need to use the powers of observation to make these conclusions, and their work is always very convincing due to the fact that they have the opportunity to dissect these earthworms.","fullyFundedDate":1757552124630,"projectUrl":"project/biology-materials-for-urban-middle-schoo/9396833/","projectTitle":"Biology Materials for Urban Middle School in Seattle","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Haakanson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8132687_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x510,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746572228268","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8132687"},{"teacherId":8804354,"projectId":9264200,"letterContent":"Thanks to generous donors, my teaching partner and I, now have complete classroom sets of electric scales. They are battery powered which is essential now that we have access to less outlets. The scales have proved to be indespensible in just the first few weeks of school. \r\n\r\nEach team of students can efficiently measure mass with accuracy to ensure their experiments provide reliable results. In addition, not having to spend time to beg and borrow from 5 other classroom teachers allows us to spend more time preparing curriculum and working with students. Furthermore, being able to use up-to-date and functional science tools helps students to explore science concepts like density and chemical reactions in a hands-on way.\r\n\r\nOur classes have benefited so much from the consistant support of our community- we could not provide outstanding science curriculum without your support. Students will be able to take advantage of these scales for years to come.","fullyFundedDate":1749136771919,"projectUrl":"project/measuring-mass/9264200/","projectTitle":"Measuring Mass","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mosko","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8804354_orig.jpg?crop=614,614,x149,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1745274311386","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8804354"},{"teacherId":8804354,"projectId":9033111,"letterContent":"This exciting dissection project has significantly contributed to my student's understanding of the evolution of the eye and evolutionary history. This proposal involved incorporating eye and worm dissections into our curriculum, providing students with hands-on experiences that most certainly enhanced their comprehension of these complex biological concepts. \r\nThis practical and exciting approach also allowed students to witness firsthand the variations in eye structures among various organisms, reinforcing the concept of natural selection and adaptation. This will likely be the only dissection opportunity these students have and they LOVED it, as usual! Many students remarked that they were scared and nervous about handling something like an eye or a worm. They thought it would be \"gross\" and \"bloody\", but soon were asking when they could do another dissection. They even took pictures to document their dissection progress.\r\nI am confident that incorporating eye and worm dissections into the 8th-grade curriculum not only met the required educational standards but also provided a unique and enriching experience for my students. Being able to neatly pin each specimen made the whole process easier and allowed the students to be more successful. We greatly appreciate your generosity!","fullyFundedDate":1744150741065,"projectUrl":"project/exploring-evolutionary-history-through-d/9033111/","projectTitle":"Exploring Evolutionary History Through Dissection","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mosko","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8804354_orig.jpg?crop=614,614,x149,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1745274311386","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8804354"},{"teacherId":8132687,"projectId":9300311,"letterContent":"I wanted to reach out to tell you what an amazing help your support has been as we attempt to design a program for our very large middle school that is challenging, engaging and multi-modal. Where we were lacking was with hands-on manipulatives and visual aides to help genetics come alive. Through your support we were able to purchase eye models to be able to better visualize the parts of the eye during our eye dissection, and posters to help students better understand genetics, heredity and DNA.\r\n\r\nWe truly appreciate all of the support that you provide and look forward to another wonderful year- our biggest class yet (I have 166 this year)!","fullyFundedDate":1748016995549,"projectUrl":"project/genetics-lab-materials-for-urban-middle/9300311/","projectTitle":"Genetics Lab Materials for Urban Middle School","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Haakanson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8132687_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x510,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746572228268","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8132687"},{"teacherId":9338391,"projectId":9170844,"letterContent":"When the boxes arrived, our students' excitement was contagious—one even said, \"I can't believe these are for us!\" Backpacks and water bottles were distributed to students who needed them most, and you could immediately see the pride on their faces. Students who had been carrying their supplies in grocery bags now walk through the halls more confidently, and the reusable bottles have encouraged more hydration and fewer disposable plastics around campus.\r\n\r\nThe hygiene supplies have been a quiet but powerful gift. Many students now have access to deodorant, shampoo, and laundry detergent at home—basic items that help them feel clean and comfortable at school. One student shared that having these items \"makes it easier to come to school every day,\" and that's exactly the impact we hoped for.\r\n\r\nThanks to your generosity, students are showing up to class more prepared, comfortable, and ready to learn. You've helped create a sense of dignity and care in our school community that goes beyond physical items—it's a reminder that kindness and compassion make a difference. We're so grateful for your support and belief in our students.","fullyFundedDate":1746786989761,"projectUrl":"project/confidence-success-hygiene-backpacks/9170844/","projectTitle":"Confidence & Success: Hygiene, Backpacks, and Supplies for Students","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Torres","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9338391_orig.png?crop=500,500,x109,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1697857540398","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mgtorres"},{"teacherId":8132687,"projectId":8958833,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your support of our laboratory needs at Eckstein Middle School. Being at such a large school it would be easy to let the lab experiments slide, as setting up labs for 5 classes of 34 kids each is time-consuming and exhausting. However, we value these experiences as a way to 'hook' kids into science and school in general. \r\n\r\nYour support of our work and our kids warms my heart. Thank you so much for all that you are doing to keep our schools strong and focused on quality academics.","fullyFundedDate":1735269233384,"projectUrl":"project/lab-equipment-for-large-urban-middle-sc/8958833/","projectTitle":"Lab Equipment for Large, Urban Middle School","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Haakanson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8132687_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x510,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746572228268","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8132687"},{"teacherId":8132687,"projectId":8926054,"letterContent":"I want to thank you for your support of our school and my classroom. This year's 157 students will benefit from scales for their physics work, as well as thousands of future classes and students, as this purchase fully stocks our 8th grade science lab so all students have access to quality scales.\r\n\r\nJust last month we used them to weigh materials for an egg drop physics experiment and the pride on the student faces as they independently took care of their business was apparent. \r\n\r\nI very much appreciate your support.","fullyFundedDate":1731787404129,"projectUrl":"project/physics-equipment-for-large-urban-middle/8926054/","projectTitle":"Physics Equipment for Large Urban Middle School","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Haakanson","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8132687_orig.jpg?crop=3024,3024,x510,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1746572228268","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8132687"},{"teacherId":8804354,"projectId":8927958,"letterContent":"Hands-on experiences are crucial for 8th grade science students because they allow students to engage directly with the concepts they are learning, making abstract ideas more concrete and easier to understand. \r\nBecause of your generous donation to this project, students were able to actively participate in 5 different experiments to see firsthand how scientific principles work in the real world. Students built and tested wind generators, 3 types of oil-based generators, chemical batteries, solar generators and human powered generators. These experiences allowed students to learn more about energy, their efficiency, drawbacks and even their impacts on climate change. Student's became an expert in an assigned energy type, completed research inspired by their experiments then participated in round-table discussions to decide which form of energy was \"best\" and which had the most negative impacts.\r\nWhile debate was spirited and no one answer was best, students learned a lot about the complexities of energy and climate issues and were able to support their arguments using data aquired utilizing the supplies this Donors Choose grant so generously supported.\r\nBy continuing a classroom centered on hands-on learning, not only makes learning more interactive and memorable but also helps students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for understanding and addressing the challenges of the future. We plan to continue using this lesson and materials as described and are considering expanding the lesson to include a study of hydrogen energy.","fullyFundedDate":1731787404142,"projectUrl":"project/harnessing-energy-solutions-for-enviro/8927958/","projectTitle":"Harnessing Energy: Solutions for Environmental Challenges","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Mosko","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp8804354_orig.jpg?crop=614,614,x149,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1745274311386","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8804354"},{"teacherId":3066503,"projectId":8850005,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for donating the books that students requested! This allowed me to get multiple copies of books for students, which means that they are not waiting for months on end to read a book that they are interested in. This is particularly meaningful for students whose families can't afford books and don't live close to a nearby public library. \r\n\r\nIn a district with 12 middle schools, the circulation data indicates that I'm the school with the second-most circulations. This is in part due to you because it means I'm getting books that students actually want to read directly to their hands. \r\n\r\nThank you again!","fullyFundedDate":1727960431961,"projectUrl":"project/revive-our-reads-help-students-get-the/8850005/","projectTitle":"Revive Our Reads: Help Students Get the Books They Want!","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Sterling","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3066503_orig.jpg?crop=2525,2525,x194,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1620236977658","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/3066503"},{"teacherId":9338391,"projectId":8967485,"letterContent":"Thanks to your incredible generosity, my counseling office has been transformed into a warm, inviting, and clean space where students feel safe and supported. The new resources have made an immediate and tangible impact. The robot vacuum and cordless vacuum cleaner are already keeping the space tidy and alleviating the workload on our custodial staff, ensuring my office remains welcoming every day. The area rug and meditation floor pillows have created a cozy, comfortable environment that students absolutely love—some have even called it their \"calm corner.\" These additions make it easier for students to relax, open up, and feel at home during our sessions.\r\n\r\nWhen the students first saw the new setup, their smiles and excitement said it all. They were drawn to the pillows and instantly made themselves comfortable, expressing how much they appreciated having a space where they could take a breather from their busy school day. The window privacy film adds a soft touch of color while creating a sense of security, helping students feel protected and at ease. The laminator kit has already been put to use for creating durable, professional materials that help keep the office organized and visually appealing.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has not only provided my students with a physical space where they feel valued but has also shown them the power of community and kindness. Thank you for making this possible and for believing in my students. Together, we've created a haven where they can thrive, and I cannot wait to see how this space continues to support their growth and success.\r\n\r\nWith heartfelt gratitude,\r\nMaria Torres","fullyFundedDate":1734549452293,"projectUrl":"project/a-clean-and-cozy-haven-where-students-th/8967485/","projectTitle":"A Clean and Cozy Haven Where Students Thrive","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Torres","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9338391_orig.png?crop=500,500,x109,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1697857540398","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/mgtorres"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_35948","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":1027,"numTeachers":50,"percentFrplEligible":15,"percentAsian":11,"percentBlack":4,"percentWhite":58,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":8,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"6 - 8","studentTeacherRatio":"20.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":false,"titleOne":false,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":90.7,"schoolId":35948,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Eckstein Middle School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Eckstein Middle School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/washington/district-one-seattle-public-schools/eckstein-middle-school/35948"}