By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

The New York Mills Parent Nest Parent Teacher Organization is gearing up to sell school supply kits for all school age students in the NY Mills School District. This new program aims to provide both parents and students an easier alternative to that last-minute school shopping that often takes place the weekend before school starts.

Stephanie Von Ruden, director of the organization, said that there are neighboring school districts in the area that also provide a similar service each year and that was one of the reasons that the Parent Nest decided to make that opportunity a reality in NY Mills.

“I’ve heard other parents say, ‘oh it’s so great we don’t have to go school supplies shopping,’ so that’s kind of what sparked it,” said Von Ruden. “The Parents Nest is spearheading it, we just worked with the school to figure out what each grade level needs in their boxes.”

School supply kits are available from preschool to 12th grade and will be sold both online and by order form during the beginning of May through mid-June. Checks can be written out to the Parents Nest organization. Once purchased, the supply kits will be ready to go on each student’s desk during open house night.

“Each kit has a different price level,” said Von Ruden. “Some classrooms need more supplies. The high school ones are pretty standard with notebooks and pens and pencils and thing like that, but there are also specialized art kits with what they’ll need if they’re taking art classes. Some classrooms might need four boxes of crayons versus some just needing one.”

Von Ruden said that she wanted the community to know about the school supply kits both in time to purchase one for their own student as well as to know that there is also an opportunity to sponsor students in need this coming school year with what the Parents Nest dubs “Angel Kits.”

Angel Kits are also available through the Parents Nest organization and community members are able to provide funds by sponsoring a student or simply donating monies to pay for school supply kits that will go to students that could use a helping hand when it comes to yearly school supply costs.

“We’re working with the school to see if they can get an estimated number per grade,” said Von Ruden of students in need. “The backpack program is a starting point, so we’re utilizing that to know how many kindergartners, first graders, etc. so we don’t have to worry about that.

“So if somebody knows that they want to sponsor a child, or even if they wanted to put money towards the kits but didn’t want to purchase a full kit, we’re happy to work with that too,” she continued. “They can certainly reach out to me and I would be happy to help them sponsor.”

Von Ruden said that parents who feel that they are in need of the extra help that the Angel Kits can provide to get in touch with social worker Kristen Draeger at the school. She also said that this program fits well into the Parents Nest’s vision and mission.

“It’s definitely a perk and it coincides with our mission of making sure all students have an equal playing ground here,” she said.