Lipscomb employees give backpacks, supplies to Glendale students
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NASHVILLE (Sept. 12, 2002)--Nearly 30 Glendale School students will go home today better equipped for the rigors of classes this fall, thanks to the school’s PENCIL partnership with Lipscomb University. Lipscomb employees contributed nearly 40 new backpacks full of school supplies for distribution to Glendale students who could benefit from the assistance as determined by Glendale teachers, said Dr. Carol Hutson, principal of the school. Backpacks that were not distributed this morning will be distributed during the school year as needs arise, she said. “I was a principal [in Metro schools] for 20 years, and I know there are always students who can benefit from the gift of school supplies and backpacks at the first of the year,” said Dr. Junior High, director of the Graduate Studies in Education program at Lipscomb. “So I asked if we could have a drive at the beginning of the year and allow [Lipscomb employees] to contribute school supplies and backpacks, then we would distribute them at the school,” he said.
The backpacks ranged from a Tennessee Titans motif to NASCAR racer Jeff Gordon to the unadorned, and contained such supplies as pencils, highlighters, paper, composition books, erasers, scissors, crayons, pencil boxes, markers, High said.
The first two backpacks were presented ceremonially to sixth-graders Sameera Durani and Michael Schmidt, who represented the Glendale Advisory Board, which is similar to other schools’ student councils. Durani and Schmidt had spoken to the Lipscomb University faculty in August to demonstrate the impact of the Glendale-Lipscomb partnership and to express appreciation for last year’s activities, High said. “It was encouraging to get the whole university involved in our PENCIL partnership,” he said. Lipscomb and Glendale have been PENCIL Partners for 19 years. PENCIL partnerships are created through the PENCIL Foundation, a non-profit organization established in 1982 by area business and community leaders to encourage involvement in public education. PENCIL Partners are Nashville-area businesses, organizations and faith communities who partner with a Metropolitan Nashville Public School. PENCIL Partners provide classroom readers, reading or math tutors, support for art and music, transportation for field trips, volunteers for field days, and more.