El Paso Gridley Middle School in Gridley, Illinois on DonorsChoose

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In this unit, students will explore what it means to persevere through unexpected challenges, adapt to changing circumstances, and maintain hope in the face of adversity. Life As We Knew It invites readers to imagine how they might respond when their world is turned upside down, and it encourages thoughtful discussions about resilience, family, and the strength of the human spirit. These are powerful themes that resonate deeply with middle school students, especially as they navigate their own journeys of growth and self-discovery.\r\n\r\nHaving a full class set of this novel is truly transformative. Instead of sharing limited copies or relying on excerpts, each student will be able to hold their own book, read at their own pace, annotate the text, and fully engage with the story. This fosters not only stronger reading comprehension but also a sense of ownership and excitement about literature. The ability to provide every student with the same book creates a shared reading experience—one where we can have rich discussions, analyze characters and conflicts together, and build a classroom community united by a common text.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has made this possible. Many of my students do not have the means to purchase novels on their own, and school budgets often limit the resources we can provide. Because of you, my students will have access to a high-quality, thought-provoking book that they might not otherwise experience. You have helped remove barriers to learning and have shown my students that people outside of our school community care about their education and their future.\r\n\r\nI am excited to see the impact this novel will have on my students in the months to come. I know it will spark meaningful conversations, inspire critical thinking, and encourage them to consider their own inner strength. Thank you for believing in the power of books and for helping to create a classroom where curiosity and imagination can thrive.\r\n\r\nFrom the bottom of my heart, thank you for making this project a reality. Your support will be felt not only during this unit but for years to come, as this set of books will continue to benefit future classes. You have truly made a difference, and my students and I are so grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1752534802455,"projectUrl":"project/novel-request/9237569/","projectTitle":"Novel Request","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Jones","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-3_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9466884"},{"teacherId":9806139,"projectId":8884904,"letterContent":"Thank you so very much for donating to my classroom's Library Expansion Project! It warms my heart to know that your generous donation has provided my library with a huge assortment of books that were exactly what my students wanted and needed to grow their love of reading. We are ALL blown away by your generosity. \r\n\r\nI wish you could've seen my students' faces when the big box of books arrived at our school. They were SO surprised and even more delighted to open it. Many of my students were eager to get them on the shelves so they could be checked out and enjoyed. \r\n\r\nMy students have been using the new titles as independent reading material. I encourage all of my students to have a book on hand at all times to improve their reading levels, as well as grow their love of reading and learning new things. The books that arrived in our box from Donor's Choose have regularly been checked out of my classroom library--it is difficult to keep them on the shelves! 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About this school

El Paso Gridley Middle School is a rural public school in Gridley, Illinois that is part of El Paso-gridley Cusd 11. It serves 386 students in grades 5 - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 14.3:1. Its teachers have had 4 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades 5 - 8

386 Students

27 Teachers

303 McLean St.

Gridley, IL 61744 View local requests

https://www.unit11.org/schools

Evidence-based impact

Inspire teachers to stay in the classroom and boost student achievement.¹

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

Kindergarten teacher at PS81 - Robert J. Christen School in Bronx, NY

El Paso Gridley Middle School Teachers on DonorsChoose

Mrs. Jones

Mrs. Page

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El Paso Gridley Middle School Demographics

38%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

of students are Black, Latino, Native American, or Asian

Schools in districts that mainly serve students of color receive substantially less state and local support than similar districts that serve primarily White students. Learn more about this gap, why it exists, and how you can help close it.

El Paso Gridley Middle School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 5, 2025

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.