Washington Elementary students receive backpacks

By CHARITY SMITH

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Bessemer — Just under 70 students who attend Washington Elementary School, will receive a backpack this year from the Washington School Adopt-A-Backpack program.

Approximately half of those took advantage of an opportunity to pick out their own bag on Saturday morning at the VFW Post 3673 hall in Bessemer.

The program, which is now in its seventh year, selects three grades to assist each year, along with all special needs students, according to Al Gaiss, one of the group’s organizers.

Students in those grades who meet the “pre-pandemic” guidelines for free lunch were selected to receive a backpack filled with all the supplies required for the students by his or her teacher, said Gaiss.

Teachers and volunteers took two hours to stuff the backpacks with the items on Friday afternoon and some of them returned Saturday to help hand them out. Elementary School Principal Mark Switzer, fifth grade teacher Gene Goss, kindergarten teachers Isabelle Williams and Megan Wilson, lower elementary special needs teacher Laura Miller and school secretary Sue Rakovich were amoung those handing out backpacks.

“It’s so nice that our children get to go back to school,” Gaiss said. “Even if they have to wear masks in the intial settings, hopefully this thing will pass by Christmas or something.”

Students and or their parents began arriving to the VFW at 9:15 a.m. and the bags were handed out until 11 a.m. Backpacks that were not “adopted,” on Saturday were taken to the school by school staff and will be distributed today.

“With an anticipated 190 students looking to attend Washington School beginning next week, approximately three in every eight students adopted a backpack Saturday or will (today) when their school doors open,” Gaiss said. “We’re at about 37%.”

The supplies were provided thanks to the donations of 37 local, state and national companies and organizations. According to Gaiss those companies “love Bessemer and recognize the importance of education and in providing every student with the tools of learning.”