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Mrs. Sommarstrom's Classroom

  • Toppenish Middle School
  • Toppenish, WA
  • Nearly all students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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We'll charge your card today and send Mrs. Sommarstrom a DonorsChoose gift card she can use on her classroom projects. Starting next month, we'll charge your card and send her a DonorsChoose gift card on the 17th of every month.

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Make a donation Mrs. Sommarstrom can use on her next classroom project.

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Past projects 4

  • Providing STEAM Enrichment Activities for Middle Schoolers

    Funded Dec 3, 2024

    Thank you so very much for helping this project get funded. Our school staff looks forward to providing our students with opportunities to learn and grow in different ways. We look forward to using these items in social emotional learning small groups, as well as for rewarding students who struggle with behaviors. Thank you again for your support!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Sommarstrom

    This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 4 other donors.
  • Mental Health Break Room for Middle Schoolers

    Funded Nov 10, 2024

    Thanks to everyone who helped support this project. I am very excited to get this space up and running for students who need mental health breaks. In a post pandemic world, we have seen an increase in behaviors of all kinds. Having a dedicated space for our students to calm down and get back to class is going to help more than you know.

    Thank you from all of the TMS staff and students.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Sommarstrom

    This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and 7 other donors.
  • Graphic Novels to Engage Readers

    Funded Mar 16, 2021

    Many of our middle school students struggle in the area of reading, showing skills that are 2-4 grade levels below their current grade. When offered a book at their level, they often get embarrassed because it looks like a children's book or they avoid the task altogether. With the new graphic novel library, students have the opportunity to pick a book at their level that has content closer to their age range.

    I have created an online library through Booksource.com for teachers and students to see what books are available and what level they are. They can then check out a book of their choice or reserve an already in-use book.

    One of my favorite parts of the library is all the series I was able to purchase. This has already helped encourage a few students to continue reading as they want to know what happens next.

    Thank you again for helping make this library happen so more students can get excited about reading.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Sommarstrom

    This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 3 other donors.
  • Help! We can't learn until we are calm!

    Funded Dec 3, 2019

    Thank you for your kindness and generosity in helping our students!

    To tie the baskets into our school, I used our "I know I can..." moto to create the phrase "I KNOW I CAN...Use these tools to help myself be ready to learn." The items in the baskets were presented by each advisory teacher through a lesson on Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation. Students were taught to begin to recognize triggers at school that may result in heightened emotions. They were then introduced to the items as "tools" to help them focus, take a break, or calm down. I created laminated sheets to demonstrate how to use the lavender, as well as providing them with breathing and distracting techniques.

    School staff members have already begun to share the impact they have seen for the students:

    "One of my students with ADHD who is always fidgeting used the marble tool and was calm and quiet the whole class period." -7th grade reading teacher

    "STUDENT often comes to my office with an upset stomach, she told me the lavender helps calm her stomach and stay in the classroom." -School nurse

    Without your help, these students would continue to lose class time for themselves and potentially others. Thanks for helping our students further their education!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Sommarstrom

    This classroom project was brought to life by An anonymous classroom supporter and 7 other donors.
While supplies like paper, pencils, and markers are necessary basic classroom supplies for academic needs, students with social/emotional struggles require other basic supplies to be at a level to access their academics. We are seeing an increased amount of students in my school building that cannot access academic learning until their emotions are regulated. Many of my students struggle with stress and anxiety that is heightened in the classroom setting. We need basic classroom supplies that will target social/emotional learning so that students can decompress and prepare themselves for the academic environment within their classroom. Without these supplies, students would likely require removal from the educational setting to calm themselves and be learning ready. My goal is to put a toolkit of sensory and stress relieving items in every classroom to help students self-regulate and remain calm while still in the educational environment. Each kit will consist of stress balls, fidgets, sensory tools, and lavender scents to reach the various needs of our students. With this toolkit, teachers will be able to help students in their classrooms.

About my class

While supplies like paper, pencils, and markers are necessary basic classroom supplies for academic needs, students with social/emotional struggles require other basic supplies to be at a level to access their academics. We are seeing an increased amount of students in my school building that cannot access academic learning until their emotions are regulated. Many of my students struggle with stress and anxiety that is heightened in the classroom setting. We need basic classroom supplies that will target social/emotional learning so that students can decompress and prepare themselves for the academic environment within their classroom. Without these supplies, students would likely require removal from the educational setting to calm themselves and be learning ready. My goal is to put a toolkit of sensory and stress relieving items in every classroom to help students self-regulate and remain calm while still in the educational environment. Each kit will consist of stress balls, fidgets, sensory tools, and lavender scents to reach the various needs of our students. With this toolkit, teachers will be able to help students in their classrooms.

About my class

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