Date: June 2025
School: Greenacres Elementary
Wish Delivered: Sensory Supplies
Teacher Kristine Willard says "I will be teaching moderate to severe, non-verbal kindergarteners and 1st graders with Autism in the Fall. I plan on making a sensory room for these students who have high behavior/sensory needs. I also need the IPads for communication (there are free communication app's that I will install). This will be a new class and there is very little items in this class for the students. The Sensory area will be used daily depending on the sensory needs of the students (hence why I will need options for the students). Providing for the communication needs of the students in this classroom is also important. I will have 14 students, but I will be able to use low tech communication aids for some of the students, which is why I only want 5 IPads."
Wish Amount: $2,327
Date: May 2025
School: Idaho Arts Charter
Wish Delivered: Desks
Teacher Erin Bass says "My students don’t have desks. Instead, they sit at oversized trapezoid-shaped tables designed for three students per group. These tables are bulky, inflexible, and simply not made for a modern elementary classroom—especially one with diverse learners. They dominate the room, limit movement, and offer little to no individual space for students. There’s no option to turn, shift, or separate the tables to meet different learning needs. Students can’t face the front of the room at the same time. No matter how I arrange them, at least one or two students in each group end up with their backs to the board. That’s a huge instructional barrier."
Wish Amount: $1,782
Date: May 2025
School: Sagle Elementary School
Wish Delivered: Reading Phones
Teacher Jen Corneelius says "Whisper phones allow students to hear themselves reading aloud clearly during small group reading intervention time when there may be other noises in the classroom. Listening to themselves read aloud in a quiet way will aid students in self-correcting their errors and boosting comprehension while not adding to the noise in the classroom."
Wish Amount: $65.00
Date: May 2025
School: Kellogg Middle School
Wish Delivered: Essential needs supplies
Teacher Sandie Houston says "I run what we call The Den at Kellogg Middle School in Kellogg, Idaho. We have a large percentage of students and families below the poverty level and many who are also homeless, living in campers etc. The Den is a safe place for students who may not do as well in a normal classroom, need to eat, toiletries, clothes, shoes and other items needed. Right now, I do all of this out of my own pocket. Students are able to come to The Den for all kinds of things, makeup work if they were absent, a place to be if they are stressed, a place to feel safe, accepted, and comfortable. I try to fill as many needs as I can."
Wish Amount: $7,000
Date: May 2025
School: Canfield Library
Wish Delivered: Books
Teacher Sarah Holcomb says "I have many students who are needing dyslexia font books for free reading time and projects. Many students who are dyslexic are hi-lo readers; meaning they need books that are printed in a friendly font and are high interest and low reading level. We currently do not have any of these books in our library. These books would be available to all of our 750 students at the Canfield Middle School Library. These book will help students that are struggling with dyslexia or other comprehension issues. Many students are wanting to check out books from our library for free reading a class projects. At this time, I am unable to provide these books for this vulnerable population. Our students would like to have access to hi-lo books that would hold their interest and meet classroom project needs."
Wish Amount: $282.00
Date: May 2025
School: Cardinal Academy Public Charter
Wish Delivered: Computers
Teacher Amber Abercrombie says "We are a high school for pregnant and parenting teens. When our school opened 4 years ago, money was so tight that we gladly accepted the old discarded laptops another local school was retiring so they could get new ones. Those old laptops are now 4 years older than they were when we got them and they glitch, do not hold charges, are broken, or in disrepair. We do not have a budget to replace, so we are slapping a "bandaid" on them and carrying on. Because of our population, our students are often on bedrest, maternity leave, or home with sick babies. We have to have a working device for each of our students in case they have to do their coursework from home."
Wish Amount: $9570.00
Date: May 2025
School: Eagle Hills Elementary
Wish Delivered: Special Education supplies
Teacher Zuzana Ludvik says "All of these items will allow our special education department to set up a social skills room for our students. This room is a little different than a sensory room because we focus on social skills, specifically for our students on the autism spectrum. The beanbags, rug, plants, bookshelf, wall decor, baskets, lamps, and wall sensory decor will allow us to set up a calm, neutral space for the students. The additional items such as legos, play doh, weighted stuffed animals, board game, and sensory stones will provide students with activities and sensory items. Students will be grateful for a calming space we can hold our daily social skills groups in."
Wish Amount: $1290.08
Date: May 2025
School: Pillar Falls Elementary
Wish Delivered: Classroom Books
Teacher Heather Cardinale says " Listen While You Learn is a reading program introduced by the school librarian during the fall of the 2022-2023 school year, thanks to the generous support of the Twin Falls Education Foundation. The program is available to Kindergarten through 4th-grade students at Pillar Falls Elementary School. My wish list will support the growth and continuation of the Listen While You Learn program, which engages students and promotes a love of reading. This will be achieved by purchasing resources such as VOX Books and Immersive Reality (IR) Books. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts and a lack of funding, we have not been able to complete the purchase of all necessary materials to reach as many students as desired."
Wish Amount: $1903.42
