Posted 10:04 pm Sunday, July 29, 2012
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PATH School Supply Train Gives Directly To Area Schools
When I was a kid — many, many years ago — the school supply list wasn’t that big of a deal.
We would need pencils with good erasers, a Big Chief writing tablet, glue (glue sticks had not been invented), crayons, scissors (the kind without out the sharp point) and perhaps a package or two of colored construction paper.
It wasn’t that complicated or expensive.
That’s clearly not the case anymore.
School supplies for one Tyler ISD elementary school includes the following not-so-traditional items: plastic bags in quart and gallon sizes, five large boxes of tissue, bottle of hand sanitizer, package of sanitary hand wipes, package of dry eraser markers, index cards, sticky notes, 24-count package of crayons, package of colored pencils and a backpack. Fifth-graders must have a package of CDs.
This doesn’t even include the expenses of the mandatory school uniforms and the new shoes junior needs before heading off to class.
And the school supplies, uniforms, laptops, equipment etc. get more expensive as they grow older.
Wow.
For parents who have several children in school or are challenged to make ends meet, back to school represents pain in the pocketbook.
We would need pencils with good erasers, a Big Chief writing tablet, glue (glue sticks had not been invented), crayons, scissors (the kind without out the sharp point) and perhaps a package or two of colored construction paper.
It wasn’t that complicated or expensive.
That’s clearly not the case anymore.
School supplies for one Tyler ISD elementary school includes the following not-so-traditional items: plastic bags in quart and gallon sizes, five large boxes of tissue, bottle of hand sanitizer, package of sanitary hand wipes, package of dry eraser markers, index cards, sticky notes, 24-count package of crayons, package of colored pencils and a backpack. Fifth-graders must have a package of CDs.
This doesn’t even include the expenses of the mandatory school uniforms and the new shoes junior needs before heading off to class.
And the school supplies, uniforms, laptops, equipment etc. get more expensive as they grow older.
Wow.
For parents who have several children in school or are challenged to make ends meet, back to school represents pain in the pocketbook.
PATH is trying to ease that pain a bit with its annual School Supply Train drive. About 22,000 children in Smith County are on the free and reduced lunch program. Through School Supply Train, PATH hopes to provide these children with the majority of their school supplies.
A list of items being collected is on the PATH’s website pathhelps.org. Supplies can be dropped off at the PATH office at 402 W. Front St., city of Tyler fire stations and the fire administration office at 1718 W. Front St.
PATH distributes school supplies directly to schools and not to individuals. Volunteers are needed to sort and count the school supplies being collected.
For more information about School Supply Train, to volunteer or hold a school supply item drive, contact Becky Duncan at 903-617-2820.
Danny Mogle: dmogle@tylerpaper.com or 903-596-6256.
A list of items being collected is on the PATH’s website pathhelps.org. Supplies can be dropped off at the PATH office at 402 W. Front St., city of Tyler fire stations and the fire administration office at 1718 W. Front St.
PATH distributes school supplies directly to schools and not to individuals. Volunteers are needed to sort and count the school supplies being collected.
For more information about School Supply Train, to volunteer or hold a school supply item drive, contact Becky Duncan at 903-617-2820.
Danny Mogle: dmogle@tylerpaper.com or 903-596-6256.
