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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Johnstone from NJ is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Johnstone is requesting

Mindful Moments: Boosting SEL With Puzzle Power!

Help me give my students stress relief through the power of puzzles! These books will support our SEL time and brain breaks with fun, calming challenges.

  • 2 donors
  • $158 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

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

Help Mrs. Johnstone

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

My Project

I teach amazing high school students in an urban arts-focused school. These students are talented, creative, and expressive—but they also face stress, anxiety, and challenges balancing school, life, and their dreams. Many of them benefit greatly from structured social-emotional learning (SEL) moments throughout the day.

This project will provide a collection of puzzle books—crosswords, logic puzzles, sudoku, word searches, and brain teasers—as tools to support SEL practices.

Puzzle-solving helps students manage stress, improve focus, and develop perseverance.

We'll use the books during:

Brain breaks

SEL Fridays

Independent calming time

Each student will be able to pick a puzzle that fits their mood and challenge level. Completing a puzzle gives a sense of accomplishment and a quiet moment for the brain to recharge.

By blending fun and focus, these puzzle books become tools for emotional regulation, cognitive growth, and joy.

This project supports multiple SEL competencies:

Self-awareness: Students learn to identify when they need a break or reset.

Self-management: Puzzles offer a calming, independent activity.

Responsible decision-making: Choosing puzzles that fit their needs helps students reflect and respond to stress.

Social awareness and relationship skills: Some puzzles can even be done with a partner, encouraging collaboration and positive interactions.

Let’s give students a screen-free, stress-reducing outlet to boost their emotional well-being and sharpen their minds—one puzzle at a time!

Mrs. Johnstone Cicely L Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts Grades 9-12

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

Equity Focus

At this school, more than 50% of students are Black, Latino, and/or Native American, and more than 50% come from low-income households. Learn how your donation to this school supports a more equitable education.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Mrs. Johnstone

East Orange, NJ View local requests

More than half 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

200 students impacted 2donors

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

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Movie Crossword Puzzles: Fun Film Trivia Book • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
Stay Positive! Large Print Word Search: Interesting Wordfind Puzzles and Simple Coloring Pages for Adults and Seniors to Relax and Have Fun • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
The Ultimate Book of Mixed Puzzles: More than 450 Puzzles for Adults Including Word Searches, Crosswords, Sudoku, Mazes and More! (Part of the Brain Busters Puzzle Collection) • Amazon Business $9.89 1 $9.89
Anxiety Relief Word Search For Adults: Inspirational Puzzles Book for Adults, Teens & Seniors, Mindful and Good Vibes WordFind Activities To Soothe Anxiety and Keep Mind Relaxed • Amazon Business $8.99 1 $8.99
Brain Games Large Print Sudoku • Amazon Business $8.62 1 $8.62
Tricky Logic Puzzles for Adults: 130+ Difficult Puzzles to Challenge Your Brain • Amazon Business $8.62 1 $8.62
50 Logic Grid Puzzles | Hours of challenging fun | Logic Puzzle Book for Adults: Fun and Challenging Logic Grid Puzzle Book • Amazon Business $8.50 1 $8.50
Brain Games - Large Print Crossword Puzzles (Purple) • Amazon Business $8.39 1 $8.39
USA TODAY Crossword: 200 Puzzles from The Nation's No. 1 Newspaper (USA Today Puzzles) (Volume 2) • Amazon Business $8.03 1 $8.03
Montague Island Mysteries and Other Logic Puzzles (Volume 1) • Amazon Business $7.79 1 $7.79
1000+ Sudoku Puzzles for Adults: A Book With More Than 1000 Sudoku Puzzles from Easy to Hard for adults. • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Brain Health Puzzles for Adults: Crosswords, Sudoku, and Other Puzzles That Give the Brain the Exercise It Needs • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95

Materials cost

$102.71

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$1.54

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$134.25

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$23.69

Total project goal

$157.94

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $157.94

1 Donor

-$78.96

Donations toward project cost

-$67.12

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$11.84

match offer

-$78.98

Match offer toward project cost

-$67.13

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$11.85

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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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. Johnstone and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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