My students need 21 copies of "The Cay", by Theodore Taylor, and 1 audio book copy.
FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Bencic's classroom raised $209
This project is fully funded
Hi! I’m a 4th grade teacher in a tiny rural middle Tennessee school. I have 18 students in a self-contained classroom—I teach all the subjects and really get to know my students because we spend the whole day together. This is challenging, but it’s great, too because I can make educational decisions based on the overall progress of individual students. I also get to know parents of my students very well. Preparing now for my 3rd year of teaching is probably a good idea—I spend so much time after school organizing activities and lessons, it’s difficult to find time to write proposals like this throughout the school year. I will be working through the summer preparing lessons and activities that will be used beginning in August—I need your help to purchase some crucial resources so that these lessons/units can actually happen.
First, I want you to know that my class thoroughly enjoyed reading “Number the Stars”, “Charlotte’s Web”, and “Because of Winn-Dixie” this year. All of these novels were compliments of caring donors like you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! My students would have never read these books without the help of Donorschoose donors. We even had a “pet day” to wrap up our Winn-Dixie week! Fun! Fun! Fun! (Yes, that was a very crazy day!) My students have such an evident sense of accomplishment after completing a novel. Many of them have never read anything other than their basal readers, so providing opportunities to read in the classroom, participate in activities, and have discussions while reading the books is a real treat (for me and them, too!)
Next year, I want to add “The Cay” by Theodore Taylor to our list of books to read. “The Cay” is one of my favorite childhood books. It is the story of Phillip, a boy living on the island of Curacao off the island of Venezuela during World War II. As he and his mother are trying to escape the war and head back to their home in Virginia, the ship they are riding on sinks. Phillip survives the boat accident only to be trapped on an island with a black man and a tabby cat—plus the accident leaves Phillip blind. Not only does he have to learn adjust to his blindness, but he must learn to survive on the barren island in the Caribbean Sea. This book gives the reader a better understanding of how to survive and how to develop a lasting relationship with someone you never dreamed you could truly care for.
I'd like to have 3 extra copies so that if a student TOTALLY loves the book, I can give it to them. I don't often do that, but a teacher once gave me the book "Little Women," because I didn't have a copy--I will always remember that. I also would like to have the book on CD for students to use who need to catch up quickly if they have been absent. I've found that this is a great extra resource to have.
It will mean a lot for my class to read this book together—I teach 4th grade, and from my experience, I've seen that 10 year-olds love the challenge of reading a “real book.” Plus I already have the sequel to this book, which is “Timothy of the Cay” for my class. I was fortunate to get an entire class set free with my scholastic bonus points. I really need your help! I can’t use my free set (which is the sequel to “The Cay”) until I get this set of books. It's a wonderful story, and please know that the books will be used by future classes. Kids love to read—oftentimes they simply don’t have anything to read—or they don’t have the encouragement to dive into a quality book. Your consideration for this project is greatly appreciated!
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
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Mrs. Bencic and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
