If while up in the attic pulling down Christmas decorations you happen to see a box of outgrown clothing, Richmond County Intermediate Literacy and Math Center would love to be a new home to those items. The school is requesting new or gently used clothing for students age 6 – 12 (sizes small, medium, and large) for both genders. Although the winter season in Augusta is mild, there are plenty of kids that could use winter coats, gloves or scarves to keep warm while traveling to school. “Students can’t learn when they are worried about things like shoes that fit or clothes to keep them warm in the winter,” explains Judi Wilson, dean of Augusta University’s College of Education, whose department is partnering with Richmond County’s ILMC to provide these needs to students in Augusta.
The second way to help children at ILCM during the holiday season is to donate new or gently used books, appropriate for all elementary reading levels. Research has found that in lower-income communities the lack of books per student is staggering, about one book per 300 children. Books provide simple ways to keep students learning over the holiday break. The school will accept fiction and non-fiction/new or used, as long as the content is age-appropriate.
The ILMC composes students in grades 3 – 5, however, most students are at least two grade levels behind in literacy and math. The school’s principal, Mrs. Stacey R. King, is committed to making a difference in the lives of her students and is dedicated to helping them improve academically so they can succeed. Her vision includes home-school communications, which she believes is tantamount to a student’s success inside and outside the classroom. Hard work coupled with opportunity is how she hopes to help her “Eagles soar” this year.
Items for donation can be brought to the school during business hours. There is also an angel tree available for donations. Contact Dr. Stacy Artis at 706.737.7266 for more information.
Aimee Serafin, editor of the Augusta Family Magazine.
