Woodmore fourth-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. Demeka Moorer, a third-grader in Marquess Johnson's classroom, said, "I like that the teachers got supplies for us. It makes today really special."Jubilant screams usually don't accompany back-to-school time, but they did last Tuesday at Woodmore Elementary.
Cheers and clapping filled Woodmore Elementary's cafeteria as teachers and administrators opened a 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.
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.
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. Sometimes, I've waited until after payday to teach a certain lesson because it required me buying supplies," said single mother of two.
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.
Contact Kendi A. Rainwater at krainwater@timesfreepress.com or 757-6592.