Sunkist Elementary School in Port Hueneme, California on DonorsChoose

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One of my goals each year is to support kids becoming lovers of reading.","fullyFundedDate":1755734460137,"projectUrl":"project/discover-nonfiction-books-reading-to-l/9529019/","projectTitle":"Discover Nonfiction books - Reading to Learn","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Shows","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp787830_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1482170085817","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/cynthia-goodwin"},{"teacherId":787830,"projectId":9481073,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for your kindness and donations! Today was my students' first day back to school and they are so excited to start reading chapter books this year!\r\n\r\nThird grade is when students start to read longer books such as the chapter books in this project. I showed them the books we got in and my students already know which book series they want to try out first when they pick out chapter books next week.\r\n\r\nStudents typically have some time to read their chapter book in class during the school day. They are also encouraged to read their book at home each day.\r\n\r\nWith these added books, my classroom library is much improved.","fullyFundedDate":1753919229189,"projectUrl":"project/chapter-books-in-3rd/9481073/","projectTitle":"Chapter Books in 3rd","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Shows","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp787830_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1482170085817","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/cynthia-goodwin"},{"teacherId":9652210,"projectId":8963666,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting reading in my classroom. I strongly believe in easy access to high interest books for all students regardless of their zip code. That is exactly what you were able to provide. Seeing the joy of my students, as we got a new shipment of books was priceless. My students are truly learning to love reading. I am carefully monitoring their reading level to ensure they are reading books that are appropriate and interesting to them, so they can love reading and it not feel like a daunting task. Before your donation, I had 5-6 students every morning come into my classroom asking me to go to the school library because they had finished their books the night before. In the morning, the library is open only for a short period of time until classes visit and then it's closed during those blocks, so at times my students had to wait a while to get a book. Now with the selection of books we have, my students can easily wait until our weekly scheduled library day because we have books in our classroom library they really enjoy. \r\n\r\n\r\nObtaining the National Geographic collection was very helpful. 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My students are free to sit in bean bags, a couch or a comfy spot on the floor to get cozy as they read. Once our reading time is up, they are marking where they stopped reading with their magnetic bookmarks provided by you. Thank you! Thank you!\r\n\r\nLastly, thank you so much for the class set of headphones. Only a third of my students are reading at grade level or above. I am aware many of my students need help with fluency. One of the things that can help is having my students be read to as they follow along with their book. Unfortunately, I can't sit and read with each of my 28 students, but I can help them find audiobooks in SORA and in You Tube. We had earbuds that kept breaking down every other week. I'm so happy to have durable, quality headphones so my students can continue to listen to their books without interruptions. \r\n\r\nThese are the glimmers of hope that keep me moving forward. This donation meant the world to me because I strongly believe that being a proficient reader can lead to a life of choices. As an educator, if we are not producing proficient readers, we are actively perpetuating poverty, violence, and generational trauma. I would like for all of the children in our community to be proficient readers. I would like for all of our students to have the opportunity to choose their path. 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About this school

Sunkist Elementary School is a suburban public school in Port Hueneme, California that is part of Hueneme Elementary School District. It serves 528 students in grades Pre-K - 5 with a student/teacher ratio of 19.6:1. Its teachers have had 39 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades Pre-K - 5

528 Students

27 Teachers

1400 Teakwood St

Port Hueneme, CA 93041 View local requests

http://www.huensd.k12.ca.us/sunkist/site/default.asp

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

Sunkist Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. Each classroom request for funding was created by a classroom teacher and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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Sunkist Elementary School Demographics

90%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

96%

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.

Sunkist Elementary 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.