PTOs Holding School Supplies Drive for Sandy Hook Students

An empty unfamiliar school awaits the children of Sandy Hook Elementary School, displaced by Friday’s tragic shooting. Repairs are being made to the vacant Monroe middle school building and smaller desks are being brought in. Gov. Dannel Malloy is speeding the process to approve the school’s use so that the children can return to a sense of normalcy.

The children, and their teachers from Sandy Hook, could be moved to the school as early as Wednesday and Farmington PTO members have started a drive to ensure the familiar tools of learning - crayons, pencils, etc. - are also there to meet them.

East Farms PTO President Carri Roux and parent Amanda Sirica were among the many looking for a way to help the Sandy Hook community when Sirica suggested the school supplies.

“We brainstormed and she touched base with the Newtown superintendent’s office and they thought this was a wonderful idea because no one had offered this up before,” Roux said.

Roux said she was struck by the response the Newtown superintendent’s office sent: “Think of what your child uses at school – that is what they will need.” 

Farmington Superintendent Kathleen Greider approved the effort and Roux got in touch with PTOs at Farmington’s other schools. A notice went out to East Farms parents Monday and parents of children at the other schools should receive word Tuesday.

Roux said that UPS in Farmington donated boxes to help transport the school supplies and that Sirica’s husband will drive the supplies down – first on Wednesday and again after Friday. The drive ends Friday but the pair wanted to get the school supplies there as the children were arriving.

The PTO is asking for donations including crayons, markers, erasers, pencils, lined paper, scissors, glue sticks, teacher supplies and similar items the students and teachers might need.

Drop-off at East Farms will be in front of the office. Locations for the other schools have not yet been announced.