Joseph Casillas Elementary School in Chula Vista, California on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Joseph Casillas Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":7.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":5881826,"projectId":9378608,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generosity, our classroom has been filled with excitement, imagination, and joyful learning! The new kitchen and table from our project have completely transformed our dramatic play center and given my kindergartners new ways to explore, create, and learn together.\r\n When the materials first arrived, my students' eyes lit up and their excitement could not be contained! They couldn't wait to dive in and start exploring. It is incredible to see how naturally they practice teamwork, communication, and problem-solving — all while building early literacy skills during their time in the dramatic play center.\r\n These resources have made learning feel like play, which is exactly how young children learn best. We're continuing to use the kitchen and table daily as we build on our social-emotional lessons, practice language development, and explore themed units throughout the year. Next up, my students will be using the materials to create a \"Pumpkin\" play center, where they can imagine themselves as farmers, bakers, and store clerks — all tied to our fall science unit on pumpkins!\r\n Your kindness has made such a difference in helping my students fall in love with learning. Thank you for believing in our classroom and for giving my students the chance to learn through creativity, curiosity, and play.","fullyFundedDate":1753895685228,"projectUrl":"project/dramatic-play-is-a-okay/9378608/","projectTitle":"Dramatic Play Is A-okay!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hasley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5881826_orig.jpg?crop=1060,1060,x1468,y1095&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1748157797974","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5881826"},{"teacherId":5881826,"projectId":9370430,"letterContent":"Thanks to your generous support, our \"Let's Go Lego\" project has brought an incredible spark of creativity and collaboration to our kindergarten classroom! The fully-stocked LEGO table has become a cornerstone of our play-based learning centers- which we call \"Imagination Stations\". Students are using the bricks to explore early math concepts like patterns and counting, as well as practicing storytelling through imaginative builds. They proudly share what they've built and often work together to design new creations.\r\n\r\nSchool started five days ago and the Lego table was one of the first things my students noticed in their new classroom! The excitement on their faces when the cover was lifted off the table and colorful LEGO bricks were revealed was truly priceless. Watching them collaborate, negotiate, and express themselves through their creations is such a joy.\r\n\r\nAs we move forward, students will continue to use the LEGO station as part of our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) learning. It will be used in design thinking units that focus on curriculum about animals, weather, and forces & motion. Next up, students will work collaboratively to design a class garden using LEGO. We can't wait to see the creativity and teamwork that emerges, and we are so grateful to our donors for making this kind of hands-on learning possible!","fullyFundedDate":1748021074585,"projectUrl":"project/lets-go-lego/9370430/","projectTitle":"Let's Go LEGO!","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Hasley","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp5881826_orig.jpg?crop=1060,1060,x1468,y1095&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1748157797974","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/5881826"},{"teacherId":644254,"projectId":8882030,"letterContent":"The first day my students saw the sensory table ready for center time, they were beyond excited. They could not wait to get their hands in the kinetic sand and start to create and explore. \r\n\r\nThe students sorted snowflakes by shape and color. They counted to see how many snowflakes each student could find before the time was up.\r\n\r\nAs we continue to use our sensory table, the kids get so excited to see what new materials are in the table. After the winter snowflake sorting. The kids were able to decorate Valentine cupcakes using kinetic sand. They really enjoyed all the little decorations. The also sorting the materials many different ways. We moved from Valentines to Shamrocks. The kids were able to hunt for 3 different leprechauns. they found treasure. They thought that the leprechaun left his treasure. They have a great time counting, adding, and sorting. \r\n\r\nCurrently we have spring colored rice, carrots, plastic eggs, and little chicks. Later this week I will be adding some sorting trays.","fullyFundedDate":1735574852794,"projectUrl":"project/sensory-center/8882030/","projectTitle":"Sensory Center","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Faucher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-8_272.png?auto=webp","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/644254"}],"pageName":"schoolpage_67401","usesDonorsChoose":true,"infoPageType":"school","demographicsInfo":{"numStudents":468,"numTeachers":24,"percentFrplEligible":49,"percentAsian":11,"percentBlack":5,"percentWhite":9,"percentIndigenous":0,"percentLatinx":61,"showFreeAndReducedPriceLunchInfo":true,"showDemographicsInfo":true,"sourceTooltipString":"the National Center for Education Statistics","gradesServed":"Pre-K - 6","studentTeacherRatio":"19.5:1","demographicsDataSource":"MDR School","equityFocus":true,"titleOne":true,"metroType":"URBAN","ncesMetroType":"CITY_LARGE"},"inStateSupporters":92.6,"schoolId":67401,"financialInfo":null,"twitterShareText":"Learn more about Joseph Casillas Elementary School on @DonorsChoose:","schoolName":"Joseph Casillas Elementary School","canonicalPageUrl":"schools/california/chula-vista-elementary-school-district/joseph-casillas-elementary-school/67401"}

About this school

Joseph Casillas Elementary School is an urban public school in Chula Vista, California that is part of Chula Vista Elementary School District. It serves 468 students in grades Pre-K - 6 with a student/teacher ratio of 19.5:1. Its teachers have had 24 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

468 Students

24 Teachers

1130 E J St

Chula Vista, CA 91910 View local requests

http://schools.cvesd.org/schools/casillas/

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

Joseph Casillas Elementary School Teachers on DonorsChoose

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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.

See how DonorsChoose works

Joseph Casillas Elementary School Demographics

49%

of students receive free or reduced price lunch

Source: the National Center for Education Statistics

77%

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.

Joseph Casillas 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.