Rolling wish lists: What Leon County teachers need – and how you can help

Every August, teachers decorate classrooms and prepare for students to return to school. As a rite of passage for the new year, teachers create lists of items they'd like to get to enhance and nurture students.

Most of the time, wish list expenses end up coming out of pocket and can be expensive, said Lesa Wrinkle, a 10-year teacher at Springwood Elementary School, who said she has spent a large amount of money in her classroom over the years.

Marcy Grauer, a 20-year veteran teacher at Killearn Lakes who is currently fighting stage 4 colon cancer, is hoping to get fun and cool new gear for her new students. But the costs of medical bills on top of extra classroom expenses have been taxing, she said.

Prices have skyrocketed, making some materials unaffordable. As a result, teachers are calling out to the community for help.

In collaboration with the Leon Classroom Teachers Association, the Tallahassee Democrat has identified Amazon wish lists from teachers like Wrinkle and Grauer so residents can help support teachers and students:

Here's a list of teachers' needs

To buy items off of a wish list, go to the online version of this story on tallahassee.com and click on the teacher's name.

Alaina Davis is a fourth-grade teacher of "reading superheroes" at Bond Elementary. Davis is looking for hero themed paper lanterns, teacher stamps and Lysol disinfectant wipes.

Alexis Singletary is a first-grade teacher at Fort Braden K-8 School. Singletary is looking for cooperative seating items like chairback storage pockets, stools and floor cushions to "help build a more welcoming and accommodating learning environment," with choice seating.

Alexandra Kidd is an art teacher at Ruediger Elementary. Kidd is looking for scented markers, paint sticks and erasers.

Alli Dippolito is a first year ESE teacher at DeSoto Trail Elementary. She is looking for sensory mats, picture books and sight word flashcards.

Amanda Atkins is a fifth-grade teacher at Ruediger Elementary. Atkins is looking for Skittles and Starburst candies for rewards, engaging paperback novels for reading and dry erase markers.

Amanda Leanillo is a first-grade teacher at Oak Ridge Elementary. Leanillo is looking for tools to "create a more engaging and nurturing learning environment," like craft projects and easel pads.

Amy Taylor is a first-grade teacher at Gilchrist Elementary. Taylor is looking for phonics reading books, a zipper pouches and privacy shields.

Amy Walker is a fourth-grade teacher at Hawks Rise Elementary. Walker is looking for filters for the class turtle's tank, plastic spoons and candy.

Anita Agan is an ESE Pre-K teacher at Fort Braden. Agan is looking for snacks, assorted party favors and disinfectant wipes.

Ardieth Davis is a second grade ESE teacher at Conley Elementary. Davis is looking for motivational throw pillows, a sensory pad and a bean bag chair.

Arrie Williams is a second-grade teacher at Oak Ridge Elementary. She is looking for math themed reading books, a paper cutter, and place value blocks.

Atricia Goode is a third-grade teacher at Canopy Oaks Elementary. She is looking for chapter books, headphones and puzzles.

Brittany McInerney is a third-grade teacher at Killearn Lakes Elementary. McInerney has been teaching for 10 years and is looking for erasers, fraction circles and Ziploc bags.

Brittany Roseborough is an ESE paraprofessional at Roberts Elementary School. She is looking for therapy putty, toddler toys, and a sensory chair.

Carol Hurst teaches third grade at DeSoto Trail Elementary. She is looking for scented pencils, read aloud books and jigsaw puzzles for her students.

Cheryl Frazier is a media specialist at Sabal Palm Elementary. Frazier is looking for microfiber cleaning cloths, LEGO toys and hand sanitizers.

Cliff Walker is a physical education teacher at Hawks Rise Elementary. Walker is looking for sunscreen spray, air freshener, and bug repellant spray.

Colleen Nottingham is an art teacher at Chaires Elementary. She is looking for a Bob Ross party in a box kit, Crayola wall hanger decor, and activity books that highlight famous artists.

Corneisha Bruce is a third-grade teacher at Springwood Elementary. Bruce is looking for liquid chalk markers, cleaning wipes and pencil top erasers.

Crystal Williamson is an algebra teacher at Rickards High School. Williamson is looking for algebra study flash cards, whiteboard erasers and composition notebooks.

DaBra Lofton is an ESE teacher at SAIL High. She is looking for snacks, mechanical pencils and composition notebooks.

Donna Schiffer is an ESE teacher at Oak Ridge Elementary. She is looking for STEM learning cards and reward cards for students.

Elaine Owens is a kindergarten teacher at DeSoto Trail. Owens is looking for scratch and sniff stickers, colorful Sharpies and sticky notes.

Elizabeth Greiner is a third-grade teacher at W.T. Moore Elementary. Greiner is looking for an electric pencil sharpener, scented bookmarks and Dum Dum lollipops.

Elizabeth Register is an algebra teacher at Rickards High. Register is looking for feminine hygiene products for students who need them and an electric hole puncher.

Emily Baker is a fifth-grade teacher at Buck Lake Elementary looking for materials to help with hands-on science activities, like test tubes, balloons and STEM study flash cards.

Hilary Parsons is an English teacher at Chiles High School. Parsons is looking for hand sanitizer, Chromebook chargers and whiteboard dry erase wipes. See the rest of the wish list here:

Jaime Cox is an ESE Pre-K teacher at Roberts Elementary. Cox is looking for washi tape, gems for crafting and watercolor paper, to "create art while developing fine motor skills."

Jalia Monsanto is a first-grade teacher at Chaires Elementary. Monsanto is looking for multicultural crayons, stress balls and math themed picture books.

Jasmine Tubig is a third-grade teacher at Sealey Elementary. Tubig is looking for privacy folders for her students, treasure box toys for classroom prizes and happy birthday rubber bracelets.

Jennifer Metcalf is a first-grade teacher at Fort Braden. Metcalf is looking for educational learning dice, biodegradable pots for plants, and crayons.

Jennifer Topper is a fourth-grade teacher at W.T. Moore. Topper is looking for math games, science education posters and fluorescent light covers.

Julianne Stewart is a fourth-grade teacher at DeSoto Trail Elementary. Stewart is looking for bean bag chairs, division whiteboards and assorted candy.

Karen Kimel is a first-grade teacher at Pineview Elementary. Kimel is looking to get composition notebooks, carpet markers and reading books.

Kawanis Washington is a kindergarten teacher at Apalachee Elementary. Washington is looking for puzzles, headphones and a math mat.

Kenneth Edwards is the agriculture teacher at Woodville K-8 School. He is looking for Ace Hardware and Tractor Supply gift cards.

Kristin Auter is a second-grade teacher at Woodville School. Auter is looking for butterfly and frog cut outs, crayons, and shaggy rugs.

Krystena Hutchins is a civics teacher at Raa Middle. Hutchins is looking for poster boards for projects, washable markers and mechanical pencils.

Laci Moore is a third-grade teacher at Ruediger Elementary. Moore is looking for snacks, file folders and cleaning wipes.

Lara Hiemforth is a third-grade teacher at Springwood Elementary who recently moved to Florida from California. She is looking for dry erase markers, a rotating bookshelf and grammar posters.

Larina Cornileus is an eighth-grade teacher at Fairview Middle. Cornileus is looking for Mickey Mouse decor, highlighters and a Dabble Word Game.

Lauren Colangelo is a third-grade teacher at Canopy Oaks Elementary. Her list is filled with glow party items, to help keep her students engaged during "high stakes" testing season.

Lauren Hayman is an ESE teacher at Chaires Elementary. Hayman is looking for craft rolls, popsicle sticks and STEM learning materials.

Leigh Schrieber is a first-grade teacher at Ruediger Elementary. Schrieber is looking for snacks and homework folders for her students.

Lesa Wrinkle is a second-grade teacher at Springwood Elementary. She is looking for zebra striped decor and plushies and glitter for her zebra themed classroom.

Lindsey Threadgill is a first-grade teacher at Buck Lake Elementary School. Threadgill is looking for hand sanitizer, reading books for her students and file holders for storage.

Lisa Fernbach is a third-grade teacher at Roberts Elementary. Fernbach is looking for chapter books for her students, reading comprehension cubes, and assorted food coloring.

Marcy Grauer is a third-grade teacher at Killearn Lakes Elementary. She is looking for colored pencils, LED strip lights and colored clothes pins.

Melissa O'Brien is a first-grade teacher at Gilchrist Elementary. She is looking for telling time teaching clocks, phonics books, and building toy sets.

Melissa Olson is the STEAM and gifted teacher at DeSoto Trail Elementary. She is looking for clipboards, "The Eleventh Hour" by Graeme Base, and stem books.

Melissa Zoghbi is a first-grade teacher at Chaires Elementary. She is looking for poetry tiles, Skip-A-Line print paper and reusable makeup remover pads to use as whiteboard erasers.

Mindy Shaffer is a fifth grade English teacher at Sealey Elementary. She is looking for books to add to her classroom library and ink cartridges for her printer.

Nathan George is a social studies teacher at Deerlake Middle. He is looking for fidget toy sets, social studies posters and motivational stress balls.

Rachel Rainbolt is a third-grade teacher at Riley Elementary. Rainbolt is looking for dry erase markers, folders and snacks for her students.

Randi Lundgren is the theater teacher at Godby High. She is looking for hand sanitizers, snacks for her students and movie star themed decorations.

Randy Baez is a music teacher at DeSoto Trail Elementary. Baez is looking for fluorescent light covers, recorder instrument tools and music themed picture books.

Rebecca Bertoch is an ESE teacher at Riley Elementary. She is looking for triangular sensory tiles, a 24-pack of microwavable movie theater popcorn bags and other sensory toy sets to help her students learn in their own unique ways.

Sabrina Oven is a Pre-K teacher at Wesson early childhood campus. Oven is looking for chunky toddler puzzles, sidewalk chalk and finger puppets.

Sally Cutchins is a sixth-grade math teacher at Deerlake Middle. Cutchins is looking for pocket calculators, graph paper sticky notes, and inspirational stickers.

Samantha Bouie is a third-grade teacher at Buck Lake Elementary. She is looking for reading books, an electric pencil sharpener, and candy mixes.

Sarah Williams is a first-grade teacher at Chaires Elementary. She is looking for reading books, craft pom poms and watercolor paint.

Shaneka President is a guidance counselor at Sabal Palm Elementary and is looking for motivational bulletin board borders, character building card games and motivational stress balls.

Shari Gewanter is a kindergarten teacher at Springwood Elementary. Gewanter is looking for picture books, phonics kits and sight words flash cards.

Shraddha Patel is a U.S. history teacher at Godby High. Patel is looking for hand sanitizer, dry erase markers and snacks.

Stacy Fabrega is an English teacher at Leon High School. Fabrega is looking for highlighters, colorful banners and pencil top erasers.

Susan Vinson is a third-grade teacher at Killearn Lakes. Vinson is looking for rulers, glow sticks and gardening gloves for her students.

Tabitha Lovett is a second-grade teacher at Springwood Elementary. Lovett is looking to get copy paper, classroom scissors and more.

Tiffany Thompson is a fifth-grade teacher at Oak Ridge Elementary. Thompson is looking for inspirational stamp sets, a label maker machine, and assorted candy mixes.

Tricia Reed is a Pre-K Teacher at Sabal Palm Elementary. Reed is looking for picture frames for Mother's Day gifts, a gumball machine to celebrate the first day of school and disinfectant wipes.

Vicki Price is a first-grade teacher at Sealey Elementary. Price is looking for Play-Doh, a 'happy birthday' chair cover and mini plush animals.

Vineta Woodum is a fourth-grade teacher at Springwood Elementary. Woodum is looking to get golf pencils, dry erase markers and hype buttons for class time motivation.

Whittnie Merlau is an ESE teacher at Fort Braden K-8 School. Merlau is looking to get pocket folders with prongs, pre-sharpened pencils and stackable bins with lids.

Are you a local teacher with an Amazon wish list? Email information to abrown@tallahassee.com for it to be featured in this rolling list.

Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3 .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Rolling wish lists: What Leon County teachers need – and how you can help