{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"callToActionDisplayName":"John Steinbeck Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":51.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":10537771,"projectId":10350922,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for supporting our classroom library! These new books have made such a meaningful difference in our first-grade classroom. Having a wider variety of books allows my students to see themselves, their families, and different experiences represented in the stories they read.\r\n\r\nWe use these books to introduce and practice important reading skills such as identifying characters and setting, sequencing events, making predictions, asking and answering questions, retelling stories, identifying the lesson or message, and making connections between the text and our own lives. The books also help us build vocabulary and strengthen comprehension while encouraging students to explain their thinking and share their ideas with others.\r\n\r\nOur social-emotional books have been especially valuable. We use them to have age-appropriate conversations about identifying and expressing feelings, managing big emotions, showing empathy, being a good friend, solving conflicts, respecting differences, and making positive choices. These stories give my first graders a safe and relatable way to talk about emotions and situations they may experience at school or at home. They help us turn everyday classroom experiences into meaningful lessons and give students language they can use when navigating friendships and challenging emotions.\r\n\r\nReading is becoming an exciting part of our daily classroom routine. Students have opportunities to listen to stories read aloud, read independently, read with partners, and choose books that interest them. During independent reading, I love seeing students explore the shelves, make their own book choices, and proudly share something they discovered or enjoyed with a friend.\r\n\r\nSome of my students who were initially hesitant to pick up a book are now becoming more confident and excited about reading. I have especially enjoyed watching students find books that match their personal interests and then return to them again and again. Our social-emotional books have also become favorites because students recognize situations and feelings that are familiar to them and enjoy talking about how the characters handle them.\r\n\r\nYour generosity has given my students more than just books—it has given them opportunities to build confidence, curiosity, vocabulary, comprehension, empathy, and a genuine love of reading. Thank you for helping create a classroom where my students can learn important academic and social-emotional skills while discovering that reading can be something they truly enjoy every day!","fullyFundedDate":1783782634997,"projectUrl":"project/first-grade-classroom-library/10350922/","projectTitle":"First Grade Classroom Library","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Zuno","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp10537771_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1782267205964","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/10537771"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_62574","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":637,"numTeachers":31,"percentFrplEligible":95,"percentAsian":15,"percentBlack":7,"percentWhite":7,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":65,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","percentHawaiianImputed":0,"percentMultiracialImputed":2,"gradesServed":"Pre-K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"20.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":48.6,"schoolId":62574,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about John Steinbeck Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"John Steinbeck Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/central-unified-school-district/john-steinbeck-elementary-school/62574"}
Join the 177 supporters who believe in this school.
About this school
John Steinbeck Elementary School is
an urban public school
in Fresno, California that is part of Central Unified School District.
It serves 637 students
in grades Pre-K - 6 with a student/teacher ratio of 20.5:1.
Its teachers have had 65 projects funded on DonorsChoose.
Supporting this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.
Public School
Title 1
Data about Title 1 status comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education.
Grades Pre-K - 6
637 Students
31 Teachers
3550 N Milburn AveContact info is sourced from our partners at MDR Education, and DonorsChoose updates our site ahead of each school year.
Share and help support John Steinbeck Elementary School
Boost support for this school! Share this page with friends, family, alumni, and fellow supporters. Every connection helps teachers get the supplies they need and shows how much your community cares about its students.
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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.
of students receive free or reduced price lunch
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
Source: the National Center for Education Statistics
87%
of students are Black, Latino, Native
American, or Asian
Data about school demographics comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. The numbers in this chart may not add up to 100% because of limitations in the available data.
John Steinbeck Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose
Last updated Sep 30, 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.
John Steinbeck Elementary School
$28,281
raised using DonorsChoose
65
projects
funded
19
teachers
funded
177
donors
6
projects
for
basic supplies
8
projects for
technology
12
projects for
books
1
project
for
art supplies
John Steinbeck Elementary School has received support from
86 individuals from California and
91 individuals out-of-state.
