The
Amherst, Pelham and Regional Public Schools in collaboration with
community partners: Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, Amherst Club,
Amherst College, Amherst Education Foundation, Amherst League of Women
Voters, Amherst Lions Club, Amherst Media, Amherst Police Department,
Amherst Rotary Club, Art Alive Amherst, Comcast Internet Essentials,
DeMaio Orthodontics, Family Outreach of Amherst, Hampshire College,
Interfaith Opportunities Network (ION), Jones Library, Know Your
Neighbor Coalition, Lexalytics, Inc., Safe Seats of Western
Massachusetts/Baystate Children’s Hospital, Soundscape Imaging LLC.,
State Representative Ellen Story, United Way of Hampshire County and
University of Massachusetts Police Department, Youth Action Coalition are proud to announce Project Backpack & Safe Seats for Kids 2014.
Project Backpack
supports income-eligible students in Grades PreK-12 to acquire
necessary and grade-appropriate school supplies and is designed around
the social justice commitment of the Amherst-Pelham and Regional Public
Schools. Project Backpack aspires toward equity of access,
inclusion, respect and community-building. New backpacks and school
supplies will be accepted from June 1-August 1 and can be dropped off at the locations listed below. Back packs and supplies will be distributed on August 11-12. The ARPS Family Center staff will oversee the distribution process.
In addition, Safe Seats for Kids
is supported by the Amherst Police Department, University of
Massachusetts Police Department and Safe Seats of Western
Massachusetts/Baystate Children’s Hospital. Officers will distribute and
install new infant and toddler car seats on August 11-12.
“Our
goal is to help ease the financial burden the start of the school year
can mean for many families,” states Superintendent Maria Geryk. “Project Backpack
is a great success due in part to the generosity of individuals and
community partners. In 2013, over 400 backpacks with supplies were
distributed. I am deeply grateful for the community’s support of this
initiative.”
School Supplies List
Pre-K- 5th Grade: new backpacks, spiral notebooks,
erasers, 2-pocket folders, glue sticks, markers, crayons, pencils, pens
(blue/black/red), colored pencils, pencil sharpeners, pencil cases,
bookmarks, rulers
6th -12th Grade: new backpacks, assignment
pads, notebooks, loose leaf paper, 2-pocket folders, 3-ring binders,
3-ring pencil cases, highlighters, post-it notes, index cards,
calculators (basic, scientific, or graphing), flash drives, pens
(blue/black/red), pencils, combination locks for lockers
Drop Off Locations
ARPS Family Center 170 Chestnut St. DeMaio Orthodontics 23 Pray St.
Jones Library 43 Amity St.
The
mission of the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools is to provide all
students with a high quality education that enables them to be
contributing members of a multiethnic, multicultural, pluralistic
society. We seek to create an environment that achieves equity for all
students and ensures that each student is a successful learner, is fully
respected, and learns to respect others.
