To the best of my knowledge, this is one of the very first, if not the very first time that teacher’s from a single school were asked to help put together a Wish List – three items per class – for the Fall Semester. They were thrilled, it’s a dream come true for them.

There are only 23 items on the list, this is a humble group of teachers.

Two things are exciting about this kind of list, apart from the obvious.

One is that it offers a fascinating window into the needs and minds of teachers in modern classrooms, especially those in a school committed to doing and with few resources to carry out their mission.

Another is that for the first time, the school has the right equipment to teach science, computing, music, and art again.

Some of these items are things the teachers at Bishop Maginn High School in Albany have been buying themselves, out of their own pockets. They make compelling reading on their own.

We do have some time, school resumes at the beginning of September, but that’s only four weeks away.

My idea was to let the teachers speak directly to their own needs, each teacher was asked for three items.  Principal Mike Tolan jumped at the idea. Sue Silverstein helped gather the requests from the teachers.

There are now 23 items on the new list, ranging from $5.79 for dry eraser markers, chisel tip, to $66.96 for recycling bin containers. (For those who need it, the address for Amazon is Bishop Maginn High School, 75 Park Avenue, Albany, N.Y., 12202.

A copy of the Bill of Rights is only $9.99, so are reward stickers for diligent students.

There are posters for the new music, science, and computer rooms and a jumbo Period Table of the elements. I was also drawn to Carson  Dellosa’s Mark Twain Phases of the Moon Chart, it’s only $7.49.

The DNA & Heredity Poster Set is $14.99. My eye caught the Plato Inspirational Inspirational Motivational Decorative Print Poster.

Principal Mike Tolan told me today work is underway by school seniors for the new Science Lab, thanks to the 25 microscopes the Army of Good bought, and the new Computer Lab, made possible by the purchase of 26 laptops by the same group.

We were hoping to get through this list by September, when classes being, just a month away. Most of the items are single purchases, there is a request for four staplers with 8,000 staples, $14.95 each.

Thanks so much for helping this school, a haven for the poor neighborhood and refugee children. These items are the pleas from the teachers, deep inside of a school that is committed to doing good.

Thanks for checking out the new list. It feels good to do good.