THUNDER BAY — Two local elementary schools are each getting $3,555 to use for school supplies and equipment, thanks to a school supply drive put on by Staples and the Kiwanis Club of Thunder Bay.
McKellar Park Public School principal Jo-Anne Giertuga said her school will use the money to enhance its iPad collection, adding she and her staff and students are over the moon to have been chosen as a recipient of this year’s fundraising effort, now in its 22nd year.
Giertuga said the school’s students, when informed of being chosen, immediately asked if it meant they’d be getting more tablets.
It was an easy decision to make, she said.
“I said yes, we’re going to be complementing the iPads we have in the school right now and it will specifically be used for Prodigy and math, as well as Lexia Core 5 in order to supplement our reading program,” Giertuga said.
“The Lexia Core 5 is an interactive program, and it basically assesses kids on a regular basis to see where they need support in reading. Teachers will emphasize what kids need in small reading groups or whole class lessons in order to support them in their reading so they can become fluent readers.”
Carol Pascuzzo, principal at Corpus Christi Elementary School, said she and her staff and students have yet to determine what they’ll do with the money, but it’s a tremendous honour and the decision won’t come lightly.
Students at her school come from a wide variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds and there are a lot of needs within the school community.
The money should help them address some of the shortfalls.
“We’re very pleased to have the access to the funding so that we can support our students,” Pascuzzo said.
“We’re not sure as a staff how we’re going to use the funds yet. We’d like to have a discussion together to support our deep-learning initiatives within our school.”
Staples and Kiwanis have been putting on the program locally for more than two decades, said Lisa Thoms, general manager at the company’s Thunder Bay location, and it’s all about giving a little something back.
“Community is a big part of what we do at Staples. We’ve been involved with this drive for 22 years with the Kiwanis Club. I’ve been a part of this for 14 years, and every year this is one of the most special days, when we can give back to our community, to our school boards and allow kids to thrive,” Thoms said.
“That’s what it’s all about, giving kids an opportunity to be able to have the resources necessary to get a good education.”
