Date: July 2024
School: Kershaw Intermediate School
Wish Delivered: Calming Classroom Center Supplies
Teacher Jackie Schwendiman says "These items will help my classroom because I want to use these items to increase engagement, create a calming corner, and make students feel valued and seen. I am just starting my 2nd year of teaching, but I am starting over in a brand-new grade. I am starting over from scratch, and I want to make this year a great one for my students. These items will be used to encourage hands on and concrete learning of math skills and reading skills. I want them to explore learning and not just memorizing how the steps go. These items help me create that learning environment for my students in a new and exciting way. They will allow students to communicate, and problem solve together as a class"
Wish Amount: $921.93
Date: July 2024
School: Sunnyside Elementary School
Wish Delivered: Storage bins and boxes
Teacher Nichole Jones says "I have taught kindergarten at Sunnyside for 10 years and have all of my books, file folder games, and logic puzzle games in random bins and boxes I have found up for grabs in the hallway. I haven't been able to spend that much of my own money to organize myself and it is a hodgepodge collection of storage containers that are being held together with sheer determination. Unfortunately, many times my bins don't actually fit the objects that are placed inside and even worse, they don't fit the shelves on which they are placed. Because, for the first time in years, I am moving from one room to another, it is my wish to be able to organize my supplies in a way that makes it easy for the children to access, put away, and feel ownership of. New organizational containers would make access to these items much easier and more manageable."
Wish Amount: $282.44
Date: July 2024
School: Adams Elementary School
Wish Delivered: Wiggle stools, reptile tank, and rug
Teacher Lisa Sutton says "I am writing today on behalf of myself and my first grade students. We are looking for financial assistance in improving our classroom environment in three ways. First, by helping us purchase 17 Storex Wiggle Stools. Second, by helping us purchase a home for our classroom pet, Sheldon, a box turtle who would really like to come to school. Third, a classroom rug for the additional students joining our class this fall...I purchased 3 Storex Wiggle Stools to see if this type of seating option would help my most active kiddos be able to focus while doing their work. I was amazed at the results. Many of my students who had previously struggled with their school work were able to focus by being given the option to move while studying...about a year and a half ago our class was given a very cute box turtle named Sheldon. Sheldon has been desperate to come to school. I know my students would love having him as a classroom pet particularly because Sheldon would be a hands-on way of interacting with our writing and science curriculum...our classroom we have a gathering spot. We currently can fit 16-18 students comfortably in this spot. Our school will be losing one of our first grade teachers next year. The position will not be replaced which means my class will be welcoming more students than ever before this fall. Our gathering spot is central to our classroom environment. I would like everyone to have a comfortable place of their own."
Wish Amount: $1,350
Date: July 2024
School: Mountain View Elementary
Wish Delivered: Classroom Centers Supplies
Teacher Stacy Evans says "This is my 1st year teaching and I do not have much for my room. These items would allow for me to have centers in my room."
Wish Amount: $714.89
Date: July 2024
School: Syringa Elementary School
Wish Delivered: Alternate seating, cubbies, table, and teaching tools
Teacher Misty Bayliss says "This year has been quite the adventure. I have had the privilege of having the largest class in our school. This is something that is becoming the norm. Starting next year, our classrooms will only grow larger as we are being reduced from 3 teachers per grade level to two teachers. It is quite difficult to accommodate space for 28 learners. I am hoping to create more space and a more fluid learning environment by eliminating desks and bringing in tables where we can also use flexible seating. Not only is our classroom size increasing, but we are also seeing an increase with kiddos who struggle staying focused. I am hoping to revamp my classroom to provide a refreshed, engaging, and comfortable environment where my students will thrive in their learning."
Wish Amount: $2,192.13
Date: July 2024
School: Washington, Green Acres, and Ellis Elementary Schools
Wish Delivered: 14 xylophones
Teacher Connie Irick says "I work at five elementary schools and many of the Orff xylophones at three of those schools are old, damaged, and play out of tune or not very well at all unless we use a really hard mallet! This makes it difficult for students to play correctly or get a decent sound out of the instruments. The xylophone lessons are one of my students favorite lessons so I would like to update/replace some of the really old instruments that do not play well and add a couple of extra instruments so that each school will have 6-7 good instruments. Currently I do not have the same number of instruments at each school and they are too large to haul around. These instruments would be distributed between three of my schools and will benefit over 700 students."
Wish Amount: $6,233.27
Date: July 2024
School: Homedale Middle School
Wish Delivered: Feminine products
Teacher Kimberly Morin says "We are a Title-1 school. Our poverty population is very high. I have girls coming to me all the time asking for feminine products. I was blessed to be able to participate in a grant that gave me products for six months. I was able to keep the girls bathrooms stocked and found that by them having these products available in the bathrooms they were missing less class time and they were at school more often. I had a few tell me that they miss because it was a bad period day. Knowing they can walk into the bathroom at any time and know there is something there helps them feel secure."
Wish Amount: $66.00
Date: July 2024
School: Weiser High School
Wish Delivered: Feminine products
Teacher Katie Maloney says "We are a high poverty area and so many of our girls do not have the availability to purchase period products AND often girls are caught off guard and don't have supplies with them. The "Days for Girls" got us started with the boxes and they have been very respectfully used over the past couple of months and we would like to keep the program going."
Wish Amount: $100.00
