With the new school year quickly approaching, we wanted to assist local teachers in spreading the word about their classroom wishlists, which are online lists of classroom items like notebooks, pencils, and cleaning products that teachers need help acquiring for the academic year. If you’re interested in supporting these Hudson, Bergen, and Essex County educators, read on to discover what their classrooms are in need of this year and donate an item or two!
Agnes Icker
School: Marshall Elementary School
Subject: General Education
Bio: I am very excited because my co-teacher and I are both dedicated to incorporating diversity, equity, kindness, and social justice into our teaching. We want our students to use their voices to speak up for what is right. We also want them to be accepting of others, learn how to work together with all different people, and develop a love for lifelong learning. Because this is my first time having my own classroom, I don’t have a lot of supplies and have already bought materials with my own money.
Wishlist found here.
Alaina Donohue
School: PS 27 Alfred Zampella School
Subject: 3rd grade Special Education
Bio: We are a high-need district that offers Title 1 programs and in turn need all of the help we can get to make school engaging, hands-on, and interactive for our kiddos. While it may seem minimal, it’s the little things that make all the difference. Please help make our transition back into a (hopefully) normal school year a memorable one!
Wishlist found here.
Alana Mele
School: Midtown Community School
Subject: Third Grade Math, ELA, Social Studies, and Science
Bio: I work in the Bayonne School District and teach third grade. This year is my sixth year teaching and will be my first year as an inclusion teacher. After not receiving a supply order for two years, my classroom really needs some help and I am thankful for platforms like yours that are looking to help us have the tools we need for the children in our community to succeed.
Wishlist found here.
Alexandra Alatzas-Arab
School: Mile Square Early Learning Center
Subject: Public Pre-K
Wishlist found here.
Angelica Juarez
School: Empowerment Academy Charter School
Subject: Kindergarten
Bio: My Wishlist has a few items I believe would benefit my classroom this upcoming school year. During the school year, I would normally work in small groups or work in more one-on-one settings. I also wanted to get a few items that the lead teacher would also see benefits for our classroom.
Wishlist found here.
Anna Groginsky
School: Florence Avenue Elementary School
Subject: Fourth Grade
Bio: I continually purchase supplies on my own for my student’s needs & engagement. It means the world to me to help my students love their classroom.
Wishlist found here.
Colleen Herlihy
School: Elysian Charter School
Subject: Fourth Grade
Bio: After previously teaching 1st grade in Newark, New Jersey, and 2nd grade in Baltimore, Maryland, I am in need of some age-appropriate materials for my 4th graders. Also, since last year was so abnormal, I was unable to obtain many of the supplies I would love to have to teach my students in an engaging and hands-on way.
Wishlist found here.
Elizabeth Thode
School: Livingston Avenue School
Subject: Fourth Grade
Bio: This past year and a half has been really tough for my students and me. This is only my 3rd year teaching 4th grade. I taught 2nd grade for 3 years prior to moving to 4th, so I am really trying to build my classroom library for older readers.
Wishlist found here.
Emily Killea
School: Elysian Charter School
Subject: Fourth Grade
Bio: I have taught in Hoboken for 4 years and love working in such a wonderful community.
Wishlist found here.
Emily Seiger
School: Beloved Community Charter School
Subject: First Grade
Bio: My name is Emily Seiger and I’ve lived in Hoboken for over 10 years. My students and I would appreciate any help with our classroom supplies this year!
Wishlist found here.
Gabriella Belthoff
School: John H. Walker Middle School
Subject: Seventh Grade – Language Arts
Bio: This upcoming school year is going to be my 7th year as a teacher. I absolutely love teaching at the middle school level, and it is my goal to make each day in my classroom exciting, engaging, and filled with learning. Outside of the classroom, I run the Ping Pong Club, where students are able to unwind after a long day of school and have some fun with their friends.
Wishlist found here.
Jennifer Martin-Melgarejo
School: Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy
Subject: High School English
Bio: This year will be my 12th year teaching High School English at Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy. I was born and raised in Hudson County and currently reside in Weehawken.
Wishlist found here.
Jessica Taboada
School: Livingston Park Elementary School
Subject: First Grade
Bio: I am a first-grade teacher and a part of my school’s dual-language program. This means my students are learning both English and Spanish. The goal of the program is for our students to be bilingual by the time they graduate the program!
Wishlist found here.
Lauren Beloff
Subject: Reading, Writing, Social Studies
Bio: I have taught in an inner-city school district not too far from Hoboken for 18 years. I love every minute of it even when we were virtual teaching for an entire school year. My students are always eager to learn even with the challenges they face every day.
Wishlist found here.
Leslie Baez
School: Anna C. Scott Elementary School
Subject: Special Education
Bio: I am entering my 10th year of teaching! My students love to read and I love making cozy reading nooks in my room to encourage independent reading. My students struggle with confidence and working on a growth mindset can help them understand their own power of learning. Over the years I’ve spent a lot of my own money building classroom libraries, getting flexible seating, and ordering subscriptions to valuable educational tools like Scholastic News. Getting help with making my classroom a warm and safe place for my students is very much appreciated.
Wishlist found here.
Meghan Banach
Subject: Sixth-Eighth Grade Special-Ed
Bio: I teach the 6-8 grades in a self-contained autistic class, in Edison, NJ. I’ve lived in Hoboken for 2 years now!
Wishlist found here.
Monica Inhulsen
School: Wallace Elementary School
Subject: Third Grade
Bio: I always find myself entering Targets and Michaels during this time of year and spending so much money because my classroom is a special place where my students call their ‘home away from home’ for the next 10 months. I take so much pride in making it a vibrant and inviting environment where learning and magical things happen.
Wishlist: Wireless color printer; thermal laminator machine; a gift card to Target, Michael’s, or Walmart; and 20 one-inch binders
Sarami Soler
School: Wallace Elementary School
Subject: Project Lead the Way Teacher for 2nd-4th grade
Bio: I absolutely love this city and serving the community as a teacher. I teach a STEAM program called Project Lead the Way (PLTW) at Wallace Elementary School to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. PLTW is a project-based learning program where students have hands-on experiences to solve real-world problems.
Wishlist found here.
Stephanie Lanza
Subject: Pre-K
Bio: Teaching is my dream job! The only downside is the amount of our own money we have to spend just to do the job. During the pandemic, my team and I moved schools from Wallace to the new Mile Square 770 Jackson site. Unfortunately, I had to leave a lot of my classroom supplies behind since I did not have enough storage in my one-bedroom apartment.
Wishlist found here.
Tiffany Kane
School: PS 16
Subject: Second Grade
Bio: I was last year’s Jersey City teacher of the year! This year I’m moving classrooms so there are a ton of extra things I’ll need.
Wishlist found here.
Zoe Anthony
School: Mile Square Early Learning
Subject: Pre-Kindergarten
Bio: There is nothing better than teaching in the same town you live in, from seeing my little kiddos every time I go to Trader Joe’s to having my former students come to take photos with me on my wedding day in two weeks (in Hoboken, of course) I am so blessed to have this job!
Wishlist found here.
