Woodmore 4th grade math and science teacher Cherri Sehrick holds her hands high after Amazon General Manager Travis Maynard, far right, called her name to receive a gift box for her class Tuesday morning during an assembly in the cafetorium. Since she started teaching at Woodmore Elementary School four years ago, Tanya Victor estimates she's spent more than $4,000 of her own money on supplies for her classroom and students.
"It's just what teachers do," Victor said. "Sometimes, I've waited until after payday to teach a certain lesson because it required me buying supplies."
Looking ahead to this year, Victor, a single mother of two, said she wasn't sure how she was going to afford even basic needs such as paper for her classroom.
But Victor no longer has to worry, as she and her fellow teachers at Woodmore were surprised Tuesday with large brown boxes filled with school supplies.
Cheers and clapping filled the school's cafeteria as teachers and administrators opened the mountain of boxes containing $10,000 in supplies, courtesy of Amazon.
Students in Olivia Medlin's first-grade class could not wait to see what their teacher received, and started chanting: "Open the box! Open the box!"
As Medlin began holding up supplies including a large pad of charting paper, pencils and bright plastic organizers, the students squealed.
"We're going to get to use all of this," one girl exclaimed.
Sheryl Randolph, director of iZone schools for Hamilton County, shared in the excitement while walking among the students huddled around their teachers and the new supplies.
"See how much people care about you and what you learn?" she asked a group of students.
The Hamilton County Schools' iZone contains the district's five priority schools, which rank in the bottom 5 percent of schools statewide - and include Woodmore Elementary.
Teachers at the school said their students, who nearly all come from families that qualify for free or reduced-price meals, often do not come to school with even the basic school supplies, meaning the teachers must supply them.
Nationally, research shows teachers spend more and more each year on supplies, and in 2014 it was estimated by the Education Market Association that the average teacher spent $500 out-of-pocket on his or her students. All told, it's estimated that about $1.6 billion in school supply costs has shifted over the years from parents and cash-strapped school districts onto teachers.
Here in Hamilton County, classroom teachers each are given $100 a year for supplies, and most agree it's never enough.
Before the surprise announcement Tuesday, Interim Superintendent Kirk Kelly addressed the school, expressing thanks for the donations.
Travis Maynard, senior manager for Amazon's Chattanooga fulfillment center, told the school how excited the company was to celebrate the school's teachers and students.
"We wanted to help alleviate some of the financial burden teachers face to ensure that they and all of y'all sitting here in the room today have the resources you need to create, invent and imagine to the best of your potential," he said, before pulling a curtain back and showing all the boxes.
Hamilton County Board of Education member Karitsa Mosley, who represents Woodmore, said the donation demonstrates how members of the business community care about the success of schools.
"It's a huge encouragement for us," she said.
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke and state Sen. Todd Gardenhire also were there for the surprise.
Principal Brenda Cothran said community support is vital to the success of Woodmore Elementary.
"We've already had amazing support for years," she said. "And we want it to continue."
This is Cothran's first year as principal at Woodmore, and she said she is excited about it, as the community is supporting the school's hardworking students and dedicated teachers.
Demeka Moorer, a third-grader in Marquess Johnson's classroom, said she and her classmates had no idea this was going to happen.
"I like that the teachers got supplies for us," she said. "It makes today really special."
Contact staff writer Kendi A. Rainwater at 423-757-6592 or krainwater@timesfreepress.com. Follow on Twitter @kendi_and.