BCPS seeks businesses to participate in school supply drive

June 19, 2017

FOR RELEASE: June 16, 2017   CONTACT:  Office of Communications, 443.809.5908

TOWSON, MD — One school year just ended, but for Baltimore County Public Schools, that means accelerating preparations for the 2017-18 school year. Part of that is inviting area businesses to participate in a school supply drive.

“School supplies can cost families more than $100 per child,” said Verletta White, BCPS chief academic officer. “And across Baltimore County, that can be a struggle for many of our families; about half of our students are eligible for free and reduced price meals. The school supplies that community members and businesses collected last year made a difference in more than 400 classrooms.”

The school supply drive officially runs from Tuesday, July 25, through Sunday, August 13.

To get involved, participating businesses can sign up by contacting Diana Spencer at dspencer4@bcps.org. Information and posters will be sent to them. (Businesses that need collection boxes are asked to indicate that by June 30, if possible. Collection boxes will be delivered from July 10 – 14.)

All school supplies are welcome and will be well used. The most needed school supplies are:

  • Folders
  • Composition books / notebooks
  • Pencils
  • Crayons
  • Highlighters / markers
  • Glue sticks
  • Scissors
  • Backpacks
  • Binders
  • Pens
  • Post-it Notes
  • Primary journals (composition books that include space for drawing)

Businesses can deliver donated supplies to the BCPS warehouse from Aug. 14 – 18, or BCPS will pick up the donated supplies on those same days. Once collected, the supplies will be sorted and organized, and then teachers can come to a one-day “store” to select the items most needed by their students. Last year, more than 400 teachers received school supplies as a result of the drive. Here are what a few of them said about the difference the supplies made in their classrooms:“The school supplies that were donated helped some of my neediest students. On the first day of school, quite a few of my students arrived with nothing more than themselves. Others brought backpacks with only a pencil or two. Thanks to the generous donations I received, I was able to provide these students with the supplies they needed and help them start off the school year ready to learn.”                         Kelly L. Nyman, Riverview Elementary School

 

 

“Thank you so much for doing this! Being able to get a few essential supplies to get the year started helped to make the opening of the school year run so smoothly! There are always students (first day or last, it doesn’t matter!) that are missing something or forgot to get something from their supply list. It was so nice to be able to offer a student a ream of paper, pens, pencils, crayons, folders, etc… It set them up for success! I look forward to participating in this again this year! Thank you!”

Ines F. Horlacher, Stemmers Run Middle School

 

“The supplies I received last year from the school supply drive went a long way when it came to being able to provide school necessities to students who did not have their own supplies. As a teacher, I purchase reward incentives all year for students to help keep them motivated, so as a result of getting school supplies from the drive, I was able to afford more reward incentives because I didn’t have to use money to buy as many supplies. I am sure the drive is a huge undertaking, but it is well worth it when a student who may not have access to supplies can suddenly have access and remain focused on learning.”

Shanee Monroe-Rice, Deer Park Elementary School

The school supply drive is part of the BCPS annual Back to School Involves You, Too! campaign in association with the Education Foundation of BCPS. Designed to garner community support for BCPS students and schools, the campaign this year includes National Summer Learning Day, Parent University workshops, a back-to-school festival, volunteer recruitment, BCPS Day at Camden Yards, and more.

The Education Foundation of BCPS, Inc., is a nonprofit organization established to attract and direct public financial contributions to programs and activities of the school system in support of quality education for all children.

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Baltimore County Public Schools, home to 2014 National Teacher of the Year Sean McComb, serves 112,000 students as the nation’s 25th largest school system. Dedicated to producing globally competitive graduates, BCPS is expanding world languages instruction to elementary grades and integrating technology into curriculum and instruction through S.T.A.T. – Students and Teachers Accessing Tomorrow.