Children at Antrim Elementary School got a treat this year when they returned to school: each student received a brand new backpack.
The backpacks were donated by the Rotary Peace and Environment Passport Club, a subsidiary of the Rotary Club for southern New Hampshire and Vermont.
The project was organized by Claudine Hessmer-Husainy, who is a paraprofessional at South Meadow Middle School and founder of the Passport Club.
“We are so grateful to the Rotary Passport Club for making this happen, ” said Antrim Elementary School Principal Beth Gibney. “The kids were super excited, and the parents were so grateful. This is just another way we can help families, especially when things are getting more and more expensive.”
Gibney said that the project started last fall, when the Rotary Passport Club donated 75 backpacks to AES.
“I was talking with Claudine, and she said, ‘We are choosing you again this year, and we would like to give you as many backpacks as you need.’ They gave us 150 backpacks, and they were really beautiful bags for kids to choose from. Everybody gets one,” Gibney said.
Hessmer-Husainy, who is the charter past president of Rotary Club 21-2022, founded the the first Rotary Passport Club in Rotary District 7870, which includes the Monadnock region. According to Hessmer, the Passport Club is “geared towards working individuals who are not able to attend traditional Rotary Clubs because of their work schedule and traveling.”
Hessmer-Husainy believes Passport clubs are “the wave of the future” for Rotary clubs.
“The Rotary Peace and Environment Passport Club is passionate about helping children in the community,” Hessmer said. “As stated in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, one cannot be at peace if their needs are not met. We have been doing this backpack project for five years in the ConVal school system and found Antrim Elementary to be the best fit with its needs.”
Each backpack was also filled with new school supplies. Gibney said parents who are new to the ConVal school district often don’t realize that ConVal does not have a required school supply list.
“This is a decision that ConVal has made. People pay enough in taxes; we are here to educate your children, we will provide the school supplies and everything you need for your learning,” Gibney said. “There is actually a ConVal district policy that we cannot require school supplies, for projects or for anything else.”
Gibney said many parents still donate supplies or ask how they can help, and while schools are grateful for any donations, it is never required.
“The backpacks are another way we can ease that lift for parents of getting kids back to school; of making sure no one feels like they have to come in unprepared. We have always had a few backpacks kicking around in case someone needs one, but this is a way to make sure every child starts off on the same foot with the new backpack, and they are really beautiful backpacks this year,” Gibney said.
Gibney, who was worked in many different districts, said she has never known another district without a school supply list.
“They just get completely out of control; you have these lists in some districts that are costing the families hundreds of dollars, and it just gets ridiculous,” Gibney said. “We want to make sure the playing field is even for every child.”
Gibney said she feels fortunate to have the Antrim community supporting AES.
“We just have so many people int he community helping us, and we’re just so grateful. It makes all the difference for these kids,” she said.
