Scarlet Oak Teacher Surprised With $1K Worth of School Supplies

It's no secret that many school teachers dip into their own pockets to buy supplies so their students have the best classroom experience. In fact, studies estimate that educators can spend about $1,000 a year stocking their own classrooms.

That's why OfficeMax created its A Day Made Better program to help eliminate teacher-funded classrooms. Since 2008, the national office supply chain chooses one day to surprise 1,000 teachers around the country with $1,000 worth of school supplies for their classrooms.

This year, Shari Alt, a fourth-grade teacher at Scarlet Oak School, received that unexpected visit Tuesday, Oct. 1.

"I'm overwhelmed," said Alt, who has taught at the school for 13 years. "I feel very grateful."

Alt was nominated by Principal Andrea Sala, who pointed to the teacher's ability to home in on the specific educational needs of her students as one of the reasons she deserved the distinction.

Fourth grade is the most evaluated time for students with the variety of standardized tests they must take, Sala said. That's why it takes a special kind of teacher, such as Alt, who can prepare students for those exams, as well as provide them with the proper educational tools to help them succeed at the next level, she added. 

And along with giving her all to her kids in the classroom, she's doing the same at home as the new mother of twins, Sala said.

"She does juggle it all, and I have a lot of respect for her," Sala said.

This is the second consecutive year a fourth-grade teacher from Scarlet Oak School was chosen to be part of OfficeMax's A Day Made Better event. Erica Amoni was honored in 2012.

Watch the video to see Alt's and her students' reaction to Tuesday's unexpected visitors.