You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
Donate
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Your school email address was successfully verified.

See this teacher's page

This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Cady from Schenectady, NY is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Cady is requesting

Lunch Bunch Book Club

My students need 5 copies each of The Maze Runner, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Divergent, Cinder, Thirteen Reasons Why, and The Fault in our Stars.

FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Cady's classroom raised $281

This project is fully funded

My Students

Author George R.R. Martin said, "a reader lives a thousand lives." Many of my students do not have the opportunity to travel; books allow them to experience life outside of there own.

Our school is an inner-city school with over 70% of students receiving free or reduced lunch, and living below the poverty line.

My students are 7th and 8th graders who are trying to figure out who they are as teenagers and as readers. Less than 17% of them passed the New York State English Language Arts test last year. Many are more than 2 full years below grade level in reading, and come from homes with parents who have a high school degree at most. These hurdles have created low reader self-esteem for many of these children. Many don't value reading, and are embarrassed to been seen as struggling readers. My students also come from diverse backgrounds. Many have overcome amazing obstacles to make it to our country from other impoverished countries such as Guyana, and even struggles at home to make it to school each day. Like all children, they crave knowledge. They are extremely resilient, and they rise to the challenge when given the support and supplies they deserve.

My Project

These sets of books will be used two ways. Firstly, they will be used to run lunchtime book clubs with the students. In middle school, the lunchroom is commonly the a stressful place for the students. They are oftentimes overwhelmed by the loudness, smells, and unstructured nature of the cafeteria; it can also be a common place where students experience bullying from their peers. Kids are always asking to come eat in teachers' rooms. In the past I have had great success running book clubs during this time with high interest books. The format is simple. Students bring their lunches and read. We stop and talk when we are inspired to do so. No tests. No essays. Just reading to read. Secondly, I will use them in Silent Sustained Reading time daily. This is 20 minutes of our day when everyone-staff included reads a text of their choice. The goal is to have multiple copies of the same text so that students will inspire other students to read and discuss books they are enjoying.

This project has the potential to change the reading culture in our building and possibly, some day, the community as a whole.

We live in a social world. As educators, it is our responsibility to "update" the way students read by creating opportunities to share texts through conversation and technology. The end goal is that by making reading more fun, and less high-stakes, our students will leave us with a new respect for reading.

Ms. Cady Jessie T Zoller Elementary School Grades 6-8

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.

Schenectady, NY View local requests

Nearly all 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

110 students impacted 6donors

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

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

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
The Perks of Being a Wallflower • Amazon Business $7.50 5 $37.50
Divergent (Divergent Series) • Amazon Business $6.91 5 $34.55
Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles • Amazon Business $6.87 5 $34.35
Thirteen Reasons Why • Amazon Business $6.79 5 $33.95
The Maze Runner (Book 1) • Amazon Business $6.49 5 $32.45
The Fault in Our Stars • Amazon Business $6.49 5 $32.45

Materials cost

$205.25

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$3.08

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$238.33

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$42.06

Total project goal

$280.39

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $280.39

4 Donors

-$237.92

Donations toward project cost

-$217.08

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$20.84

match offer

-$25.00

Match offer toward project cost

-$21.25

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$3.75

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$17.47

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

View complete list Show less

Give the most requested basic supplies

See teacher requests

Give back to your community

Find opportunities to impact local needs by exploring a map of classroom projects near you.

See local area

Project Activity

Project Activity
Back to top

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 Ms. Cady and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"NY","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":3,"name":"Middle School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/lunch-bunch-book-club/1734815/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":110,"isEquityFocusV1":true,"teacherScreenName":"Ms. Cady","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"71281610","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"photosPublished":true,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"shouldTrackEquityFocusV2":true,"schoolCity":"Schenectady","teachersOnPage":[3197576],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":true,"proposalId":1734815,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"schoolId":22462,"schoolName":"Jessie T Zoller Elementary School","authorIds":{"3197576":{"owner":"Ms. Cady","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[1734815],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp3197576_orig.jpg?crop=1440,1440,x0,y0&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1602096125173","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":20664282,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":["MzIzNTQ5MA==","MzIzNTkzNQ==","MzIzNTgyOQ==","MzIzNTg3OQ==","Mjk2Nzg4Mg=="],"teacherId":3197576,"schoolCounty":"Schenectady","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"NY","name":"New York"}}