Date: January 2024
School: Sandpoint High School
Wish Delivered: Tech Update
Teacher Derek Dickinson says "currently the library is a ghost town of wasted space basically used for storing textbooks. So far this year, I have been working hard to weed out books and to problem solve different storage solutions for our many textbooks we have. As space starts to open up, I want to start adding items which will appeal to students and get kids in this great space. Technology is proven to help engage students in the classroom, so why not use technology to draw students in the library. I have chosen a few items which can help get us started. A smart TV and cart to allow the flexibility to move it around for use throughout the library. How cool would it be to live stream events or find educational programs programs for students to view?"
Wish Amount: $2,346.36
Date: January 2024
School: Middleton Middle School
Wish Delivered: School Foods and Finance Class Supplies
Teacher Anne Gigray Kinley says "I have been teaching Culinary Arts, sewing and Finance to approximately 400-500 7th and 8th graders every year for the past 5 years. This program has grown tremendously in need and student popularity. I operate on a very limited budget. The budget I am given barely provides the money to purchase the food items needed for the cooking labs to take place for students. For the program to grow I have relied on getting "creative" to find extra funds to purchase the items needed for the cooking and teaching of finance. We are desperately in need of kitchen remodels for all 3 kitchens that I have, but I know that will be terribly pricey ($80-$100K)... In the mean time I am looking for other ways to help continue to grow the program and keep things up to date in my kitchens. In my district, sadly, there are not other funding sources besides finding grants to write... If this grant were to be funded it would help improve the current program and give us a little breathing room to wait and look for funding sources to do the kitchen remodels. We love to show off all our hard work. These students would definitely put all items on this list to good use right away as soon as items were to be received. We would love to have a way to share/show you all that we are doing with these amazing gifts!"
Wish Amount: $6,200
Date: January 2024
School: Frontier Elementary
Wish Delivered: Book Repair Machine
Librarian Carolyn Knam says “In an aging library and with little money to replace books, repairing books is sometimes the only option I have to ensure our students are reading what they like to read. When I glue books back together with book glue, after the pages fall out, it usually takes a few days to dry and most times there will be more than one repair for that book. By the time I can get it to the student after the repair, they have lost interest, or moved on to something else. Often that popular book makes a difference whether a student reads what they check out.
A Cover One machine would help reduce repair time and allow our library books, whose spines need repair, to be fixed quickly. This will get books back in the hands of our students faster and keep them reading.”
Wish Amount: $1,877.98
Date: January 2024
School: Hawthorne Elementary
Wish Delivered: 3D Printer, string lights and WIFI speaker
Teacher David Tilley says "The primary goal of this project is to enhance the learning environment in our special education classroom by introducing modern technology that fosters creativity, problem-solving skills, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. Due to behaviors driven by disability, many of our students do not have access to the general education environment where they would be exposed to this technology. The secondary goal of this project is to enhance the classroom’s atmosphere. Our special education classroom serves a diverse group of students with varying emotional and sensory sensitivities. To better meet their needs and promote engagement and comfort, the use of colored lights and a more flexible sound system can help meet that need."
Wish Amount: $523
Date: January 2024
School: Wendell Elementary
Wish Delivered: Books
Books for Paula Chapman. Teachers are reading books related to a monthly social emotional theme like: empathy, friendship, respect, etc.. Students also do other activities related to the character word like writing, art, and discussions.
Wish Amount: $2,205.25
Date: January 2024
School: Mountain Valley Elementary
Wish Delivered: Phonics Reader sets
Teacher Courtney Marshell says "The decodables I am requesting are highly engaging, fun stories that correlate with the phonics skills students need to learn in order to read. Every first grade teacher (there are 3 classrooms with 20 students each, this year) will be able to use these decodables within their classrooms every week. Not only will this impact the entire first grade, but kindergarten through third grade students can also benefit from using these books when working within reading intervention groups. Students receive phonics instruction all the way through third grade, and none of these grade levels have decodable readers that align with phonics instruction."
Wish Amount: $6,640.20
Date: January 2024
School: Twin Falls High School
Wish Delivered: Folding Chairs with tablet arm
Teacher Brittany Nielson says " My current desk chairs are getting to the point that students are asking to trade seats and hoping the seat they are trading for isn't ruined as well. My current desk chairs are over 20 years old and the desk parts tip so far in that students can't comfortably write or type on their Chromebook. As a theater teacher, I need the freedom that desk chairs like this provide to move chairs easily to make space for performances, but we do more than perform. Students need a comfortable place to work."
Wish Amount: $1,740.20
