Tewinkle Intermediate School in Costa Mesa, California on DonorsChoose

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This project not only encourages reading but also helps students develop critical thinking and writing skills. We are excited to see their creativity and insights come to life.\r\n\r\nThank you once again for your incredible support. Your contribution has made a significant difference in our students' educational journey, and we are deeply grateful.","fullyFundedDate":1735682145554,"projectUrl":"project/bean-bags-for-the-library-making-readi/8740700/","projectTitle":"Bean Bags for the Library! Making Reading Fun and Cozy","teacherDisplayName":"Ms. Misenhimer","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4909415_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1547664707131","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/4909415"},{"teacherId":9129051,"projectId":8638665,"letterContent":"Thank you, again, for your support of our visual art program at TeWinkle Middle School. Your generous gift has already been put to good use, and my students and I want to be sure you know how much we appreciate your support.\r\n\r\nPrior to the arrival of our new gel plates, brayers, and paint, I began building excitement and anticipation by showing my students the types of prints produced on these tools. They were aware of the cost and why we needed the support of generous donors like yourselves, and I periodically updated them on our progress towards our funding goal. When we hit our target number, my students were beyond thrilled! We began learning about printmaking in anticipation of the arrival of our new \"toys,\" and we unboxed them the second they arrived. Our first step was simply to engage in creative play. We learned how to roll on paint with our new brayers, and we experimented with different colors, textures, and designs. Once we had a bit of experience with our new plates, we got to work! My students are currently creating collagraph plates, which are used to stamp designs into the wet paint. Once the design is dry (3-5 minutes), they choose a contrasting color and \"pull\" their print. The excitement and pride in the finished product is amazing! We've learned how to sign our prints like professional printmakers, and we are keeping track of how many images each student creates in their \"series.\" One of my students even gave her first print to one of my colleagues, which made his day. \r\n\r\nThe impact your gift has had on my students is significant. Engagement and excitement for learning something new is high, and I am seeing real growth. Students are taking risks - this process can be tricky and will sometimes yield surprising results - and we are learning from our \"happy mistakes.\" We are truly grateful.\r\n\r\nThank you, again, for your generosity! 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About this school

Tewinkle Intermediate School is an urban public school in Costa Mesa, California that is part of Newport Mesa Unified School District. It serves 514 students in grades 7 - 8 with a student/teacher ratio of 16.6:1. Its teachers have had 92 projects funded on DonorsChoose.

Equity Focus School

Support towards this school will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Public School

Title 1

Grades 7 - 8

514 Students

31 Teachers

3224 California St

Costa Mesa, CA 92626 View local requests

http://www.nmusd.us

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

Tewinkle Intermediate School Teachers on DonorsChoose

Mrs. Carolina Giraldo

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Tewinkle Intermediate School Demographics

75%

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.

Tewinkle Intermediate School Support on DonorsChoose Last updated Dec 5, 2025

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