SPS Distributes $30K Of School Supplies
Support Public Schools [SPS.bm] is distributing over $30,000 worth of new school supplies to public primary schools across the Island.
A spokesperson said, “Celebrating their fifth year running in 2023, on June 13th, Support Public Schools [SPS.bm] is today distributing over $30,000 worth of new school supplies to public primary schools across the Island.
“For the latest distribution of ‘wish list’ supplies, SPS will be delivering to P1 and P4 classroom teachers, art and P.E. teachers and librarians. In addition to various supplies, sponsor Ariel Re is donating 250 new beautiful and reusable quality water bottles to three schools, including to every single student at Victor Scott School.
“Other sponsors that have made generous purchases of school supplies this term include lead sponsor the Butterfield [$20,000] as well as Ariel Re, Lancashire Re, Athens Life, BF&M and KPMG.
“In addition, 35 cases of printer paper, which is greatly appreciated by all teachers, have been generously donated by a range of supporters including reinsurance and local companies.”
SPS founder and Director of Canterbury Law Ltd. Juliana Snelling said: “There are never enough good quality supplies for the thousands of students who will be attending school in September.
“SPS.bm delivery days this school year were in January 2023 and now today, when our small team of dedicated volunteers will deliver school supplies purchased by our supporters to targeted classroom groups in the public primary schools.
“Sadly, there are not enough new supplies to also deliver to middle schools and senior schools, but we do donate second-hand supplies and office equipment to these other schools throughout the year.”
During SPS.bm’s first 5 years in operation, more than $465,000 in new school supplies have been purchased by our supporters and hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of second-hand office supplies and furniture, IT-ware and school supplies donated to public schools at all levels.
Ms. Snelling added: “The SPS.bm team are extremely passionate about the importance of a good education for our children who will be Bermuda’s future leaders. To them we say, you are important to us, we care about you, we are proud of you, and we are going to continue to help you.
“We are also passionate about the excellent work that our public school teachers do each and every day. Since SPS.bm’s inception in 2018, there is a growing appreciation from the private and corporate donor community and the giving gets better every year.”
Ms. Snelling added: “I would like to once again express my sincere and huge gratitude to our 2 biggest supporters this year, Butterfield who has given so generously every year since our inception and Ariel Re who has wholeheartedly joined the cause this year. The Butterfield has always encouraged other organisations to follow their lead and give and we see it happening with Ariel Re and are ecstatic.”
The spokesperson said, “Each year, SPS.bm asks primary school public teachers to submit their ‘wish lists’ of instructional resources they need to enhance their students’ learning experience in the classroom. These items are then made available for purchase at discounted prices by SPS.bm’s two retail suppliers, AF Smith Ltd. and Phoenix Group Ltd.
“The stores then deliver the supplies directly to the classrooms free of charge on designated delivery days overseen by SPS.bm volunteers twice a year including today. This year’s ‘wish list’ of 150 of the most popular requested supplies include chair pockets, clocks, fraction bars, bean bags, noise cancelling headphones, zipper homework folders, Elmers glue sticks, rulers, wobble cushions, desk nametags, composition notebooks and Expo dry erase markers.
“SPS.bm is proud to have been selected by The Bermudian magazine as the 2019 winner of the Public and Service Award in the category of Company Community Project.
“To learn more and to contribute to SPS.bm’s ongoing school programme, visit www.sps.bm or email SPSteam@sps.bm or tel. 296-8444 at Canterbury Law Ltd., another proud supporter.”
