Palomar Elementary School in Chula Vista, California on DonorsChoose

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One of the biggest highlights was participating in yoga and mindfulness activities, where students learned how movement, breathing, and quiet reflection can help them feel calm, focused, and ready to learn. It was inspiring to watch students fully engage in these experiences and share their own ideas about how they manage stress and big emotions. Many students left feeling empowered with new tools they could use both at school and at home.\r\nTo extend the learning beyond the event, each student received a self-care kit to take home that included a stress ball, bubbles, and a motivational sticker. These items serve as reminders to practice the self-care strategies they learned and encourage continued conversations about mental wellness with their families. Thank you for helping create a memorable experience that taught our students that taking care of their mental health is important, empowering, and even a little bit of fun. 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This has made Literacy in TK a great way for young learners to read alongside other students, in a small group, or individually.\r\nWe will continue to add additional characters and story to our collection, so the donation you made will be giving for many years to our young readers. The ability to have and use this new technology in our classroom will encourage many young students that come through our classroom!","fullyFundedDate":1769178086166,"projectUrl":"project/literacy-in-tk/9760387/","projectTitle":"Literacy in TK","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vasilev","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-7_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/8467672"},{"teacherId":9839574,"projectId":9952189,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous donation to our Stay Warm Kit. Our students received beanies, mittens, and socks contributing to the kit for 6th grade camp. I partnered with our school PTO to also design custom water bottles with the student logo and drawstring bags. We had our Panther Pals (student leadership club) help put them all together. On the morning before they left for 6th grade camp, Panther Pals got together to distribute them to 6th grade students. 6th grade students were so excited and happy to see the bags full of goodies they received. \r\n\r\nI was able to visit the students at 6th grade camps at saw students wearing the mittens and gloves, and using the custom items. They loved them!","fullyFundedDate":1767250166610,"projectUrl":"project/stay-warm-camp-kit/9952189/","projectTitle":"Stay Warm Camp Kit","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Vanessa","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9839574_orig.jpg?crop=959,959,x1393,y1642&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1731703993261","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9839574"},{"teacherId":9839574,"projectId":9487512,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your support in donating to our outreach materials. We are so thankful for your contribution to our school. These items are especially helpful with our initiative of increasing family and community engagement. Often times having a little cafecito or some light breakfast items are a huge help in helping break bread and connect. The wagon is also so helpful when doing the food distributions. Thank you so much for all your help. 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These lessons help them practice language in meaningful contexts while also reinforcing positive behaviors that they can apply in real life situations.\r\n\r\nIn our classroom, reading is an interactive experience. I read aloud to my students and adapt the books with hands-on activities, visuals, and simplified language to make the content accessible for all of my students. This approach breaks down information into manageable steps and allows students to engage using all modalities whether that be speaking, signing, pointing to pictures, or using communication devices. It's not just about listening. Instead, it's about participating and connecting with the story.\r\n\r\nSome of my students in the extensive support needs classroom have shown incredible enthusiasm for these books. They love exploring the pictures, responding to questions with their devices, and acting out parts of the story during activities. For many of them, these books provide a rare chance to fully engage in literacy experiences, and their excitement shows in their smiles and eagerness to interact. These moments remind me how powerful inclusive and adapted reading can be. Thank you once again for your support!","fullyFundedDate":1755701914695,"projectUrl":"project/read-aloud-speak-proud-empowering-youn/9609910/","projectTitle":"Read Aloud, Speak Proud: Empowering Young Communicators","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Joy","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10100331_orig.jpg?crop=857,857,x384,y620&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1754678486580","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10100331"},{"teacherId":2086992,"projectId":9398707,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your generous contribution to our classroom project, \"Creative Calm: Art Rewards for Students with Special Needs.\" Because of you, our students now have access to a variety of calming and creative materials. \r\n\r\nThese art supplies and sensory manipulatives have already started making a big difference. After working hard on their academic tasks, my students now look forward to choosing a relaxing art activity as their reward. 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About this school

Palomar Elementary School is an urban public school in Chula Vista, California that is part of Chula Vista Elementary School District. It serves 315 students in grades Pre-K - 6 with a student/teacher ratio of 18.5:1. Its teachers have had 22 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Supporting this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades Pre-K - 6

315 Students

17 Teachers

300 E Palomar St

Chula Vista, CA 91911 View local requests

http://schools.cvesd.org/schools/palomar/

Direct, proactive support

Empower teachers at Palomar Elementary School to request what their students need.

Give to this school

Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

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

Palomar Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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Every donation funds real needs — pencils, books, lab equipment, art supplies, and more — helping students learn and thrive. We ship supplies directly to the school, and you'll see exactly where each dollar goes.

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Palomar Elementary School Demographics

78%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

88%

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.

Palomar Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Jul 22, 2026

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.