“Stuff That Bus!” brings in supplies for
the new school year
A shiny new Gaston County
Schools bus sat outside of Office
Depot on Franklin Boulevard in
Gastonia on Thursday, August
9. But instead of waiting for
students, it was there for people
to drop off school supplies.
With a new school year just
around the corner, Gaston County
Schools held its annual “Stuff That
Bus!” school supplies collection
to help prepare students for the
new school year, which began on
Monday, August 27.
Gaston County Family YMCA’s Leaders’ Club
attend YMCA Blue Ridge
Leaders’ School
North Carolina assembly hosts teen
training for all across the Southeast
Once school ended this past spring many
Gaston County teens attended a different sort of
school: Blue Ridge Leaders’ School.
Ti
Y
The YMCA offers After School
Blue Ridge is a week long event hosted at the YMCA Blue
Cost: Ridge Assembly
• School-based
in Black Mountain, North Carolina, just outside of Asheville.
The historic sites*:
$48/week
members, $6
Assembly was founded in 1910 and has played host to Leaders’
school for
since
• YMCA pick-up sites*:
1922.
$58/week for members, $7
* Schools more
listed in BOLD indicate DSS ch
Taking place this year June 16 - 23, Leaders’ School brings
than 800 teenagers from the entire southeast United States for a week of
Year Round Registration
leadership training, physical activity, and fellowship.
You have the option to register for
and 2014 Summer Camp. The weekl
Over the course of the week, Leaders take five classes
ranging
Please
Note: from
registration for this o
Leadership Theory and Character Development to Aquatics and Science of
See and
the knowledge
list below to in determine i
Fitness. The overall goal of the school is to foster the skills
704-865-85
teens to contribute positively to their home communities gastonymca.org
and YMCAs, as or
well
as live a healthy and active lifestyle.
ACTIVE TEENS
BRIGHT FUTURE
More than 4,400 items were collected for schools in Gaston County. Almost
every seat inside the bus was filled with everything from pencils, paper,
and notebooks to glue sticks, crayons, backpacks, and much more. People
donating supplies were able to “stuff the bus” by placing their items directly
on the bus.
“I served as a counselor this year,” says Naidelyn Cruz, 17. “I led a small
School-based
Pick
group of girls throughout the week. At first it was kind of weird
because sites:
we
For
Brookside
were pushed out of our comfort zone. We all really bonded and
I learned a lot
Gri
Carr
about myself.”
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Gardner Park
Sherwood
Throughout the week, teens have the opportunity to participate
in
other activities, such as sports, devotionals, and a dance. The
surrounding
* Schools
listed in BOLD indicate DSS chil
environment contributes greatly to the the school – nestled in the Blue Ridge
Mountains Leaders are able to sign up for hikes to the top of nearby peaks,
mountain bike, or visit on the on-campus lake.
School-based sites:
Cherryville
Cos
In order to attend Blue Ridge, teens must be active members of their
local YMCA’s Leaders’ Club, which works year round to volunteer at both their
local branch as well as in their broader communities.
School-based sites:
“Leaders School is a fantastic summation of everything we
New learn
Hope
Ha
throughout the year in the club,” says Des’Tri Martin, adviser Robinson
to Stowe
WA
Family YMCA’s club. “At the same time, every year we learn new things that
help inspire us for the future, and come together more as a club. It really is
something we look forward to.”
GASTON COUNTY FAMILY YMCA
“‘Stuff That Bus!’ is such an important event every August as our community
gears up for another school year,” said Valerie Yatko, director of business and
community partnerships for Gaston County Schools. “This program makes
sure that students in our schools across the county have the supplies they
need so they are ready to walk into their classrooms and begin learning.”
Amid a pep rally atmosphere,
contributors to the supplies drive
were greeted by cheerleaders from
Stanley Middle, Belmont Middle,
and East Gaston, marching band
drum lines from South Point and
Ashbrook, and the wildcat mascot
from Belmont Middle.
Special guests including Gastonia
Mayor Walker Reid, Sheriff Alan
School-based sites:
Cloninger, and Assistant Chief
To learn more about Leaders’ Club, please contact Des’Tri
Martin
at
Belmont
Central
Travis Brittain of the Gastonia Police [email protected]. During the 2018 - 2019 school year
Clubs will be
Lowell
available at both the Stowe and Warlick Family YMCAs.
Department as well as the Miss
Page Primary
Gastonia, Miss Gaston County, and Miss Mount Holly beauty queens joined in
Pinewood
For more information about Blue Ridge Leaders’ School, please visit their
to encourage people to donate supplies. Also participating in the collection
website at ymcabrls.org.
effort were Gaston County Principal of the Year Denise McLean of Highland
School of Technology and Gaston County Teacher of the Year Carmin Adams
of Belmont Central Elementary.
Gaston County Schools has partnered with Office Depot and the United Way
of Gaston County for the past three years to stage the “Stuff That Bus!”
collection. It is an event held in collaboration with the annual “School Tools”
drive organized by Channel 9.
People who missed “Stuff That Bus!” can still donate supplies at Gastonia
Nissan, which is hosting its “Fill the Frontier!” collection through the end of
August, or by contacting a school in your community.
Parent Teacher Magazine• September/October 2018• 3
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