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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Derouche from Lewiston, ME is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Derouche is requesting

Seeing Ourselves in the Books We Read

Help me give my students series books that better represent who we are as a community.

  • $293 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Mrs. Derouche has another project! Donate to Calm and Collected Classroom to help her classroom.

$394 - complete this project and be a hero
Help Mrs. Derouche

Mrs. Derouche has another project! Donate to Calm and Collected Classroom to help her classroom.

$394 - complete this project and be a hero

My Students

My students are inquisitive, motivated, and excited about learning. They work hard and are dedicated to their education and their teachers.

They are members of a Title I school in Maine with over 30% of them being from refugee Somali families.

We have English Language Learners that operate with a wide range of abilities, fully integrated into the general education classroom. Because of their low socioeconomic status, all students receive free lunch and fresh fruit and vegetable snacks, while some bring home bags of food for their families on the weekend.

In order to bridge the gap, our school has employed multiple guidance counselors and social workers to meet the needs of our students. We have also implemented an Extended Day and Extended School Year Program where students have access to further learning with regard to social/emotional needs, as well as enrichment and STEM activities. Teachers with no classroom budget spend money out of pocket to provide students with essentials like winter coats, hats, mittens, and school supplies that their families can't afford. In our school we definitely live by the motto "It takes a village" to raise our children.

My Project

During a school library trip where I was gathering materials for my own teaching, I was drawn to a section of the library I hadn't seen before. We had an entire shelf system dedicated to series books that better represent the faces at our school- faces of our English Language Learning children. I was very drawn to the character illustrations, the titles, and the series in general where readers could develop relationships with the characters over the course of many books.

My struggling readers in class need characters and series to latch onto and develop an interest in.

If those characters represent the students themselves, it builds that much stronger of a bond. An added bonus to this is that my other students, who aren't English Language Learners, will be learning about new characters and themes that aren't in a majority of the series books we currently have. My school is working really hard to include more diverse themes and characters in our students' reading choices and I want to help motivate that change in my classroom as well.

Mrs. Derouche Montello Elementary School Grades 3-5

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. Derouche

Lewiston, ME View local requests

More than three‑quarters 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

16 students impacted 5donors

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

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse (King & Kayla, 3) • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
King & Kayla and the Case of the Gold Ring (King & Kayla, 7) • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code (King & Kayla, 2) • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats (King & Kayla, 1) • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
King & Kayla and the Case of the Unhappy Neighbor (King & Kayla, 6) • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth (King & Kayla, 4) • Amazon Business $6.98 1 $6.98
Sadiq and the Perfect Play • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
King & Kayla and the Case of Found Fred (King & Kayla, 5) • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Sadiq and the Ramadan Gift • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Sadiq and the Pet Problem • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Sadiq and the Explorers • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Sadiq and the Desert Star • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Sadiq and the Fun Run • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Sadiq and the Green Thumbs • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Sadiq and the Bridge Builders • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Give It a Try, Yasmin! • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Friend • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Superhero • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Painter • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Teacher • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Zookeeper • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin in Charge • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Explorer • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Gardener • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Chef • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Librarian • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Fashionista • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
You Can Do It, Yasmin! • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Writer • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Builder • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Meet Yasmin! • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
Yasmin the Soccer Star • Amazon Business $5.89 1 $5.89

Materials cost

$205.57

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $10.28

3rd party payment processing fee

$3.08

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$248.93

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$43.93

Total project goal

$292.86

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $292.86

2 Donors

-$284.04

Donations toward project cost

-$248.93

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$35.11

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$8.82

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. Derouche and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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