Walter White Elementary School in Ceres, California on DonorsChoose

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Because of your generosity, our shelves are richer, our lessons are brighter, and our students are discovering the deep joy and power of reading in ways that stretch far beyond individual pages.\r\n\r\nWhat the new texts have introduced to our students\r\n\r\n-Expanded background knowledge and vocabulary: The new books cover a wider range of topics and perspectives, which gives students the language and context they need to discuss, compare, and analyze ideas more confidently.\r\n-Genre awareness and reading strategies: Through picture books, graphic novels, realistic fiction, biography, and multicultural texts, students are learning to identify genre features and select appropriate strategies (e.g., predicting, questioning, visualizing) to comprehend and enjoy different kinds of texts.\r\n-Critical thinking and close reading: New mentor texts let us model annotation, text-based inference, and evidence-citing. Students practice finding textual clues, making claims, and supporting them — skills they then apply in writing and classroom discussions.\r\n-Empathy and perspective-taking: Books that reflect diverse cultures and life experiences help students step into others' shoes, recognize nuance, and build social–emotional understanding.\r\n-Fluency, expression, and stamina: Repeated readings of familiar texts and exposure to new, engaging language improve oral reading fluency and build stamina for sustained independent reading.\r\n-Research and synthesis skills: Informational texts and short biographies have been ideal springboards for quick research projects where students gather facts, synthesize them, and present findings in short reports or posters.\r\n\r\nWhat reading looks like in our classroom now\r\n\r\n-Warm, purposeful routines: Each day includes a predictable mix of read-aloud (teacher-led modeling), shared reading (group decoding and discussion), guided reading (small-group instruction targeted to skill level), and independent reading (choice-driven time for practice and enjoyment).\r\n-Conferring with students: During independent reading, I meet briefly with individuals to set goals, teach a strategy, and celebrate progress — a practice made richer by the new books we can match to each student's interests and needs.\r\n-Book talk and response: Students regularly recommend titles to each other, write quick reflections or reading logs, and create one-minute \"book trailers\" to entice peers. -These low-stakes responses strengthen comprehension and build a reading culture.\r\nIntegrated literacy work: We pull text examples into writing lessons (mentor sentences, author craft studies), social studies, and science, so reading skills transfer across subjects.\r\n-Choice and agency: The donation allowed a wider, more relevant selection, so students can actually pick books that speak to them — which has been pivotal for motivation.\r\n\r\nStudents who have especially benefited\r\n\r\n-Emergent readers: New, high-quality picture books with strong predictable patterns have given beginning readers confidence. They are beginning to self-correct and read with expression because the texts are accessible, engaging, and full of supportive illustrations.\r\n-Multilingual learners: Books in translanguaging-friendly formats and culturally responsive stories have made class more inclusive. These students are participating more in discussions, sharing personal connections, and taking pride in seeing themselves reflected in literature.\r\n-Reluctant readers: Graphic novels, shorter chapter books, and narrative nonfiction hooked several students who previously avoided reading. Because these books are compelling and quick to reward, reluctant readers are now choosing extra reading time and asking for more titles.\r\n-High-achieving readers: Advanced readers are enjoying new complex texts that challenge them to analyze themes, compare authors' craft, and tackle richer vocabulary. Several have begun small peer-led literature circles to dive deeper into the stories.\r\n-Students needing social–emotional growth: Books that address feelings, friendships, and conflict resolution have opened important classroom conversations. A handful of students have used these stories as springboards to reflect on behavior and practice new social strategies.\r\n\r\nConcrete examples and small wins\r\n\r\n-One fourth-grader who rarely finished a book chose three novels in a single week after discovering a fiction series in the new collection; he wrote a multi-paragraph book recommendation and asked to start a reading log.\r\n-A bilingual student began bringing home picture books from our classroom library to read with family members; his fluency and confidence in class discussions noticeably improved.\r\n\r\n\r\nLasting effects\r\n\r\n-Increased engagement and improved habits: Students are choosing reading as their first free-time option more often than before, and our guided reading groups show stronger strategy use across sessions.\r\n-Stronger classroom community: Shared reading experiences and student book-talk have created new social bonds; students recommend books to each other and celebrate one another's progress.\r\n-Sustainable teaching: The variety of texts enables better differentiation and ongoing formative assessment. I can match students to appropriate challenge levels without relying heavily on one-size-fits-all materials.\r\n\r\nThank you again for believing in our students and in the transformative role books play in their learning. Your support has created immediate moments of joy, and long-term growth, for readers at every level. We'll keep you updated with more student stories and progress snapshots as the year continues.","fullyFundedDate":1755289819626,"projectUrl":"project/turning-pages-tuning-in/9498802/","projectTitle":"Turning Pages & Tuning In","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Vieira","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9058424_orig.jpg?crop=2936,2936,x716,y1629&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1684902965270","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9058424"},{"teacherId":9058424,"projectId":9304213,"letterContent":"I want to sincerely thank you for your generous support in providing books for my 4th grade students. Your kindness has made a lasting impact on our classroom. Because of you, my students have access to engaging, high-quality stories that not only build their reading skills but also spark their imaginations and deepen their love of learning.\r\n\r\nThe books have quickly become a treasured part of our daily routine. I've seen reluctant readers become more confident, enthusiastic readers ask for \"just one more chapter,\" and students eagerly share their favorite parts with each other. These books have helped my class grow not only academically but also in their curiosity, empathy, and joy for reading.\r\n\r\nThank you for believing in my students and giving them the tools they need to thrive. Your generosity has opened doors to new worlds, new ideas, and new confidence. 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About this school

Walter White Elementary School is a suburban public school in Ceres, California that is part of Ceres Unified School District. It serves 486 students in grades Pre-K - 6 with a student/teacher ratio of 16.2:1. Its teachers have had 17 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades Pre-K - 6

486 Students

30 Teachers

2904 6th St

Ceres, CA 95307 View local requests

Evidence-based impact

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Ms. Vero, a DonorsChoose teacher for 9 years.

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

Walter White Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

Mr. Silva

Ms. Stewart

Mrs. Vieira

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Walter White Elementary School Demographics

88%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

84%

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.

Walter White Elementary School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 5, 2025

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