Free school supplies to all Tupper students, thanks to Adirondack Foundation
by Dan McClelland
When they return to school next month students in the Tupper Lake Central School District will be supplied with free school supplies.
That’s very good news for families here.
At this month’s board of education meeting the free school supplies announcement was made.
Among the many items in her long report to the board that evening, Superintendent Jaycee Welsh said that Principal Chris Savage this year again applied for the grant for school supplies to the Adirondack Foundation. Principal Elizabeth Littlefield apparently helped her administrative colleague.
She said the application won an even larger amount from Adirondack Foundation this year. The increased amount permits the district to furnish free school supplies to all students this year.
“We had some very savvy work done by the administrators and their staffs to get the costs of all supplies covered for every school student in our district this year. Consequently there will be no supply lists going out “to parents this year.”
“Worst case is we may need some paper and pens from parents in the middle of the year...but that is minor compared with past years.
She noted that some of those elementary school supply costs in the past with crayons, scissors and glue, etc. that parents needed to buy, can be costly.
She joked that some of those requests required some clever “Amazon scouring and other skillful shopping techniques.”
“We are very excited by this great news!”
“It was really Principals Elizabeth (Littlefield) and Chris (Savage) who made this happen!”
“How does the distribution work? Board President Jane Whitmore asked. “First day of school or as needed?
Principal Savage said last year people were invited in to pick up the free supplies. “This year we want to try something different! We are looking for the best way to do it.”
“This year the high school students will supply a bag and they will find them” filled with supplies when they arrive for their first class of the first day!”
He said some of the staff members at the high school have already developed a plan to fill the bags.
“Congratulations, guys,” Mrs. Whitmore told the principals. “That is a very happy thing for our children and their parents!”