Castroville Elementary School in Castroville, California on DonorsChoose

{"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"callToActionDisplayName":"Castroville Elementary School","outOfStateSupporters":20.4,"allowSchoolLevelGiving":true,"hasFundedProjects":true,"projectGratitudeData":[{"teacherId":9087466,"projectId":9362662,"letterContent":"It is incredible what a change these tools have made in our classroom! We are still in the first few weeks of school, but we are already building a strong positive testing culture!\r\n\r\nStudents love our new privacy folders! They are sturdy, easy to use, and make it so much easier to set up in \"testing mode!\" Some students even grab a privacy folder during normal classwork so that they aren't distracted by classmates!\r\n\r\nThe sign hangs on my wall and I've refered to it already. \"If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.\" My students need reminders that it's their job to do thier best work, and my job to help them get there! This is the perfect way to ask them to re-engage in their own learning!\r\n\r\nThank you again for adding to our classroom culture and for giving us the tools we need to be successful and make testing more bearable!","fullyFundedDate":1750774673151,"projectUrl":"project/emotional-test-prep/9362662/","projectTitle":"Emotional Test Prep","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fletcher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9087466_orig.jpg?crop=2448,2448,x0,y236&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689269651597","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9087466"},{"teacherId":9087466,"projectId":9075140,"letterContent":"How incredible it is to have books for all students now! As a 5th grade teacher I was supplied with a set of 5th grade level books and yet my classroom of students contains readers ranging from a 1st grade level all the way to a 6th grade level! Now, thanks to you, I have books at ALL levels in my classroom, and I can use these high interest chapter books to help everyone find a book to love! \r\n\r\nBefore, students would resort to graphic novels because they are easier and more fun to read. We realized that students were being tested and taught using \"chapter book\" style text, but they weren't practicing that work in a chapter book so it wasn't sticking!\r\n\r\nNow, I am excited that these books are finally in my classroom library and in the hands of student readers. We are building excitement for summer reading challenges and I hope that they will carry this love of chapter books forward into the rest of their reading lives. \r\n\r\nThank you for making it happen!","fullyFundedDate":1744256466327,"projectUrl":"project/keep-those-pages-turning-a-chapter-book/9075140/","projectTitle":"Keep Those Pages Turning! A Chapter Book Story","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fletcher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9087466_orig.jpg?crop=2448,2448,x0,y236&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689269651597","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9087466"},{"teacherId":9087466,"projectId":8811764,"letterContent":"What an incredible shift I've seen in these kids! Now that they have something challenging at their level, they are EXCITED to learn about reading! I have a small basket of these materials off to the side in my room. I taught my small group of English language learners how to use the tools. Now, whenever they feel overwhelmed by the work we are doing in class during ELA, they know they can go quietly and work on any tool in the basket! \r\nI love supporting early literacy work with students who are learning English as a second language, but this set of resources has taken our work to a new level. My students are now empowered to do independent work, just like all the other 5th graders in the classroom! In addition, the social and emotional shift for these students is palpable because they feel like they are now seen as just another student in the classroom despite their differences and challenges!\r\nThank you again for making this possible for my students. I am so grateful to now have this arsenal of tools at my disposal so that every student who comes through my door will have exactly what they need to feel successful!","fullyFundedDate":1737414280530,"projectUrl":"project/phonics-for-5th-graders/8811764/","projectTitle":"Phonics for 5th Graders","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fletcher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9087466_orig.jpg?crop=2448,2448,x0,y236&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689269651597","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9087466"},{"teacherId":9087466,"projectId":8422466,"letterContent":"I am so grateful for your support in helping to create kinder and more resilient kids! There is such a need for social and emotional support and education for children, especially after the pandemic, and all of these tools are going to help me meet the needs of my students.\r\nOur growth mindset poster is up on the wall and I see students reading it throughout the day. They have all enjoyed the books we've read and they have meaningful thoughts about the themes and meanings! There are definitely a few students who have really benefited from this conversation around growth mindset and I can see them engaging in their learning differently because of it. \r\nI am really looking forward to diving in deeper to some of the teacher books over the next few months and really working on the best ways to create an environment that lends itself to kind and resilient kids. Thank you for helping make this possible!","fullyFundedDate":1726075441154,"projectUrl":"project/kindness-empathy-and-growth-mindset-to/8422466/","projectTitle":"Kindness, Empathy, and Growth Mindset Tools","teacherDisplayName":"Mrs. Fletcher","teacherPhotoUrl":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp9087466_orig.jpg?crop=2448,2448,x0,y236&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689269651597","teacherClassroomUrl":"classroom/9087466"},{"teacherId":9087466,"projectId":8753814,"letterContent":"Thank you so much for helping us get our new projector screen and accessories! My students are now able to see what I project from wherever they are seated in the classroom because there is no more glare! Thanks to your donation and support we are able to watch videos, examine images closely, and see text more clearly!\r\n Before when I would try to project something for my class it was very difficult for students to see! 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About this school

Castroville Elementary School is a town public school in Castroville, California that is part of North Monterey County Unified School District. It serves 596 students in grades Pre-K - 6 with a student/teacher ratio of 23.8:1. Its teachers have had 49 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

596 Students

25 Teachers

11161 Merritt St

Castroville, CA 95012 View local requests

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

Castroville 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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Castroville Elementary School Demographics

95%

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.

Castroville 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.