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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Zelaya from Castaic, CA is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Zelaya is requesting

Our Classroom is a Family

Help me give my students each the book Our Classroom is a Family to take home!

  • $577 goal

This project expired on December 15, 2025.

This project expired on December 15, 2025.

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Project

At the beginning of every school year, I read my students the book Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen, to encourage a family/community feel, help foster social-emotional well-being, a relationship-driven school/classroom environment, and student connectedness. This promotes so many positive outcomes for our school/classroom community (i.e. acceptance of differences) and student learning/achievement. This is essential in an inclusive school setting in which all my students are special education students within general education classrooms.

I instill in my students and other learners within the classrooms (where I provide special needs services) that "We are a Family," and I would love to gift each of my students a copy of the book to share with their families and as a keepsake/reminder throughout the school year.

We are a school of which more than half of our students are from low-income households and purchasing books for families can be a challenge with all the essential things they need to provide. This means that reading engagement for most of my students occurs during the school day or through the books I gift them. Like most teachers, I come out-of-pocket to provide book gifts for my students to keep at home about 3 times a school year. I would love for this book to be a part of their reading collection at home, as well as, share a copy of this book with each of the educators I teach with at my school to add to their classroom libraries.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Mrs. Zelaya Scvi Ilead's Founding School Grades PreK-2

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.

Castaic, 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

Never Before Funded 30 students impacted

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

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Our Class is a Family (The Classroom Community Collection) • Amazon Business $10.39 40 $415.60

Materials cost

$415.60

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $38.03

3rd party payment processing fee

$6.23

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$489.86

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$86.45

Total project goal

$576.31

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

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Project Activity

Project Activity
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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. Zelaya and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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