You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
Donate
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

See this teacher's page

This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Ortega from Staten Island, NY is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Ortega is requesting

A Good Book is a Friend for Life!

Help me give my students the gift of reading! Please help me put novels into their hands.

  • $529 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mrs. Ortega for her next project!

Help Mrs. Ortega

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mrs. Ortega for her next project!

My Students

I am in my 24th year teaching in the NYC Public Schools. This year I am teaching fully remotely 29 fourth grade students. I was a math cluster for 10 years before this one. I have never taught 4th Grade before.

I began the year terrified.

and unsure of where we were headed. These students are amazing. They come from a variety of backgrounds, and are in this class for many different reasons. Yet, every one of them is special. They are my reason to keep going.

They are tired of looking at computers. As a young teacher I used to teach through novels. This year I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH to them. Seeing how excited it made them gave me an idea. I purchased copies to Matilda to be delivered by our school aides to all of their homes. To see their joy, touching and holding the books was amazing. Some of their families have books and resources. Others have never had a book of their own.

I just purchased the first Harry Potter book for them and want to keep them reading through June!

My Project

Putting books in their hands allows them to read for the pure joy of reading. Working on-screen all day can deter even young eyes from wanting to do one more thing. Letting them hold their own books gives them a sense of connectedness to each other and to the characters. It also allows me to teach key literary concepts in such a way they barely notice they are working! They eagerly await our "novel time" each day, and many have told me it is their favorite part of all we do!

Mrs. Ortega PS 30 Westerleigh Grades 3-5

More about Mrs. Ortega

Staten Island, NY View local requests

More than a third of 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

30 students impacted 1donor

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mrs. Ortega is requesting.

See our finances

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2) • Amazon Business $6.98 30 $209.40
James and the Giant Peach: The Scented Peach Edition • Amazon Business $6.78 30 $203.40

Materials cost

$412.80

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$6.19

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$448.99

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$79.23

Total project goal

$528.22

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $528.22

1 Donor

-$528.22

Donations toward project cost

-$448.99

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$79.23

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

View complete list Show less

Give the most requested basic supplies

See teacher requests

Give back to your community

Find opportunities to impact local needs by exploring a map of classroom projects near you.

See local area

Project Activity

Project Activity
Back to top

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. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Ortega and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"NY","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":2,"name":"Elementary School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/a-good-book-is-a-friend-for-life/5453632/","mayHaveReplacements":true,"numStudents":30,"teacherScreenName":"Mrs. Ortega","isEquityFocus":false,"proposalHash":"-1368706755","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"schoolCity":"New York City","teachersOnPage":[7784311],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":false,"proposalId":5453632,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"authorIds":{"7784311":{"owner":"Mrs. Ortega","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[5453632],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp7784311_orig.png?width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1689711994567","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":21728531,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":7784311,"schoolCounty":"Richmond (Staten Island)","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"NY","name":"New York"}}