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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Oswalt from Creedmoor, NC is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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Fully Funded

Mrs. Oswalt's classroom raised $945

The Magic of the First Chapter

Help me give my students exciting new chapter books to spark a lifelong love of reading through "First Chapter Fridays" gathered around our rug.

Classroom photo
Mrs. Oswalt profile photo
Mrs. Oswalt Mount Energy Elementary School
Creedmoor, NC Grades 3-5

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

As I prepare to step into my very first year of teaching 5th grade, I am filled with excitement. As students arrive on that first day, I anticipate that some will already have their favorite book or current read in their backpack; on the flip side, others will stare blankly at the classroom library shelves, uninterested. That is the gap I want to bridge. I want to show students the magic hidden within the pages of a book. That is why I am so passionate about starting "First Chapter Fridays."

The idea is simple: every Friday, we will take time out of our routine, gather together on the carpet, and immerse ourselves in the opening chapter of a brand-new book.

No quizzes to worry about, no writing to connect, just pure storytelling designed to hook their imaginations. I hope to hear a collective groan of disappointment when I close the book on a cliffhanger: "Wait, what happens next?!"

That is the spark I want to create. My ultimate hope is that by experiencing these opening chapters, students who might never have picked up a book on their own will become genuinely enticed to read more. To make this routine sustainable and vibrant week after week, as I build my classroom from the ground up, our library needs a diverse collection of gripping first chapters spanning different genres, cultures, and perspectives.

By supporting our "First Chapter Fridays" fund, you aren't just helping buy books; you are helping ignite a lifelong passion for reading in a child who might otherwise never discover the joy of getting lost in a story.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Nearly all students from low‑income households

50 students impacted 2 donors
Mrs. Oswalt Mount Energy Elementary School Grades 3-5

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Creedmoor, NC 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

50 students impacted 2donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Flagship Carpets Daisies on Black Criss-Cross Applesauce Educational Area Rug for Kids Room, Children's Classroom, Play Carpet for Teaching and Playroom, 7'6" x 12', Seats 32 • Amazon Business $319.99 1 $319.99
11 Birthdays • Amazon Business $18.80 1 $18.80
The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777 (Dear America) • Amazon Business $15.76 1 $15.76
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $14.59 1 $14.59
The Name of this Book Is Secret • Amazon Business $6.99 2 $13.98
Rez Dogs • Amazon Business $6.62 2 $13.24
Rookie Detective: A Mystery Adventure Chapter Book for Kids to Boost Critical Thinking, Courage, and Confidence (Chapter Books for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Graders) • Amazon Business $12.90 1 $12.90
Series of Unfortunate Events - A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $11.67 1 $11.67
Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation • Amazon Business $11.15 1 $11.15
Ferris: (A Heartfelt and Humorous Middle-Grade Coming-of-Age Novel About Family, Ghosts, and Growing Up - For Kids Ages 8-12 in Grades 3-7) • Amazon Business $10.66 1 $10.66
The Academy (The Academy Series) • Amazon Business $9.98 1 $9.98
Wonder • Amazon Business $9.59 1 $9.59
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn (The Samurai Mysteries) • Amazon Business $8.99 1 $8.99
Treasure Hunters • Amazon Business $8.56 1 $8.56
A Place at the Table: A Heartwarming Middle Grade Novel About Pakistani American and Jewish Girls Finding Friendship Through Food • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Stowaway: A Captivating Space Adventure for Children (Ages 8-12) about Aliens, Pirates, and a Boy's Quest to Save His Father (The Icarus Chronicles, 1) • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Refugee • Amazon Business $7.87 1 $7.87
Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Dealing with Dragons - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $7.29 1 $7.29
Root Magic - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $7.29 1 $7.29
From the Desk of Zoe Washington - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $7.29 1 $7.29
Stella by Starlight - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $7.29 1 $7.29
Chasing Vermeer (Scholastic Gold) • Amazon Business $7.19 1 $7.19
The Boy at the Back of the Class • Amazon Business $7.19 1 $7.19
The Secret of Platform 13 • Amazon Business $7.02 1 $7.02
Fast Pitch • Amazon Business $7.00 1 $7.00
Julie of the Wolves (HarperClassics) • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Gregor the Overlander • Amazon Business $6.89 1 $6.89
Out of My Mind (The Out of My Mind Series) • Amazon Business $6.82 1 $6.82
Fish in a Tree • Amazon Business $6.72 1 $6.72
The Indian in the Cupboard - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $6.56 1 $6.56
Holes - Holes - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $6.56 1 $6.56
The Mighty Miss Malone - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $6.56 1 $6.56
The Parker Inheritance (Scholastic Gold) • Amazon Business $6.50 1 $6.50
Bridge to Terabithia: A Story About Friendship, Imagination, and Loss • Amazon Business $6.37 1 $6.37
Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism: An Orphan Discovers a Hypnotic Secret While a Sinister Stranger Watches - For Kids (Ages 8-12) • Amazon Business $6.32 1 $6.32
Keeper of the Lost Cities • Amazon Business $6.25 1 $6.25
Number the Stars: A Newbery Award Winner – An Inspiring Story of Courage and Friendship during the Danish Resistance for Children (Ages 10–12) • Amazon Business $6.16 1 $6.16
Amari and the Night Brothers: An Exhilarating Fantasy Adventure About Magic, Secrets, and Finding the Truth (Supernatural Investigations, 1) • Amazon Business $6.12 1 $6.12
Rick Riordan Presents: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe-A Sal and Gabi Novel, Book 1 • Amazon Business $6.09 1 $6.09
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Classic Fantasy Tale for Kids • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
One Crazy Summer: A Newbery Honor Winner―A Moving Novel About Family, Activism, and Self-Discovery in 1960s America • Amazon Business $5.93 1 $5.93
The One and Only Ivan: A Gentle Friendship Story About Patience, Kindness, and Everyday Adventures Together • Amazon Business $5.91 1 $5.91
Linked - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $5.83 1 $5.83
Masterminds: A Suspenseful Mystery Adventure About Secrets in a Perfect Town • Amazon Business $5.64 1 $5.64
Story Thieves • Amazon Business $5.41 1 $5.41
Serafina and the Black Cloak-The Serafina Series Book 1 • Amazon Business $5.35 1 $5.35
Restart • Amazon Business $5.24 1 $5.24
Esperanza Rising (Scholastic Gold) • Amazon Business $4.87 1 $4.87
A Wrinkle in Time: (Newbery Medal Winner) • Amazon Business $4.78 1 $4.78

Materials cost

$707.05

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $55.15

3rd party payment processing fee

$10.61

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$802.81

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$141.67

Total project goal

$944.48

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $944.48

2 Donors

-$938.60

Donations toward project cost

-$802.81

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$135.79

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$5.88

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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Project Activity

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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 Mrs. Oswalt and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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