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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Mandler-Smith from San Jose, CA is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Mandler-Smith is requesting

Notes to Live By--Concert Percussion

My students need a marimba and new mallets. We are a growing band and we have eight percussionists this year. We don't have enough instruments to cover all parts yet.

  • $2,556 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Ms. Mandler-Smith for her next project!

Help Ms. Mandler-Smith

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Ms. Mandler-Smith for her next project!

My Students

Our school has been without a significant band for many years. The band was resurrected by my colleagues several years ago, but the program has never really gotten off the ground. I took over last year with 45 students. The largest it's been since it was restarted.

This year, my students, from all areas of expertise have joined together in a band of 38.

Our school, because of our increased visibility at school events, is now starting to be aware of the fact that we have a band. Something I would love to increase. However, with restarting a band, we are lacking in resources. We have leftover instruments from the early 90s. We are missing bits and pieces of other instruments. They want to succeed, but we are lacking proper tools.

My Project

My students need a marimba and new mallets. My percussion section--all eight of them--have been improvising with equipment that is broken, in need to replacement or making do with what we have. With new mallets, my students can begin to learn mallet percussion instruments in the way that they are intended to be played rather than playing with what they have which is not always correct. Adding a marimba to what we have--a xylophone and a set of bells--will allow at least two more students to participate at a time. Many of our other schools have a full set of mallet percussion to accommodate all of the parts that standard band music requires where mine have improvised.

My students often refer to their section as "ghetto" because they are using equipment that is broken, in need of repair, or incorrect for the instruments they need.

I also added in a bass drum mallet because my students have been using a marching bass drum mallet on our concert bass drum because that is all that we have. A new marimba would help broaden the percussion section by allowing more students to participate, proper mallets to play their instruments and improve morale.

Ms. Mandler-Smith Silver Creek High School Grades 9-12

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Ms. Mandler-Smith

San Jose, CA View local requests

More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

38 students impacted 7donors

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Mandler-Smith is requesting.

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
MSPVJ30 Soloist Series 3-Octave Padouk Marimba • Woodwind and Brasswind $1,849.99 1 $1,849.99
M131 / M132 Rubber Xylophone Mallets • Woodwind and Brasswind $31.99 1 $31.99
Payson Concert Bass Drum Mallet • Woodwind and Brasswind $28.99 1 $28.99
M131 / M132 Rubber Xylophone Mallets • Woodwind and Brasswind $24.99 1 $24.99

Materials cost

$1,935.96

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $177.14

3rd party payment processing fee

$29.04

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$2,172.14

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$383.32

Total project goal

$2,555.46

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $2,555.46

5 Donors

-$2,537.82

Donations toward project cost

-$2,159.39

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$378.43

match offer

-$15.00

Match offer toward project cost

-$12.75

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$2.25

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$2.64

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Mandler-Smith and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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