18 AUGUST 15, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
5 ways to have a happy school year
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
With the new school year just
around the corner, Queens
Borough President Melinda
Katz is urging borough residents to
contribute backpacks and other school
supplies as part of her sixth annual
Project: Back to School initiative
organized by the Coalition for the
Homeless. The drive provides homeless
children with the items they need to
succeed in the classroom.
“According to the Coalition for the
Homeless, nearly 115,000 New York
City schoolchildren experienced
homelessness at some point last year,”
Katz said. “Let’s make sure all kids
have a chance to get the school year off
to a good start with the supplies they
need.”
Borough Hall is accepting donations
of new backpacks and other school
supplies now through Wednesday, Aug.
28. Donations will be accepted on the
fi rst fl oor at 120-55 Queens Boulevard
in Kew Gardens, in a box just inside the
front entrance in the main lobby.
In addition to the backpacks, the
Coalition for the Homeless says supplies
that can be donated include No. 2 pencils,
hard and soft pencil cases, pencil
sharpeners, crayons, colored pencils,
washable markers, Elmer’s glue, glue
sticks, composition notebooks, binders,
ruled paper, safety scissors, pocket
folders and scientifi c calculators.
The Coalition for the Homeless
provides food and clothing, eviction
prevention, crisis services, permanent
housing, job training and youth
programs to thousands of homeless
New Yorkers each day. The Coalition
also advocates for proven, housingbased
solutions to end homelessness.
“The Coalition for the Homeless has
been thrilled to partner with Queens
Borough President Melinda Katz in
Project: Back to School for the past
six years,” Coalition for the Homeless
Executive Director Dave Giff en said.
“The backpacks and school supplies so
generously donated by the people of
Queens help level the playing fi eld for
homeless girls and boys, allowing them
to walk into that fi rst day of school fully
equipped and ready for class. More
than 21,000 children will sleep in NYC
homeless shelters tonight, and so we
are truly grateful to BP Katz for her
dedication to helping so many of them
start the new school year off right.”
Donations dropped off at Borough
Hall are anonymous and are not taxdeductible
and all donated items will
be distributed to homeless children
throughout the city. Borough Hall can
be easily reached by mass transit by
taking the E or F subway lines to the
Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
For kids, the start of a new school
year is like New Year’s Eve: a
chance to start fresh and set
intentions for the year ahead. It’s a
time to reboot, make new friends, get
new clothes and gear, and fi nd new
opportunities to fuel their passions.
As parents, you can help your
children have a Happy School Year
by encouraging them to set and
accomplish their goals - or school year’s
resolutions.
Whether they want to join math club,
improve their fi nger-painting skills, or
just make the bus on time every day,
Amazon has the resources and tips to
help kids achieve their goals this year.
1) Record school year’s resolutions.
Take the time to sit down and chat with
your children about what they hope
to accomplish in the new year and
how they envision getting there. This
is a great way for you to learn more
about your kids’ dreams - the answer
may surprise you! Plus, it’s even a
great time for you to make school
year’s resolutions. A new school year
represents a fresh start for parents too.
By setting goals with your child, you
can lead by example and bond over the
journey of seeing your goals through.
2) Celebrate school year’s eve. Help
your child avoid a case of the “Sunday
scaries” before the fi rst day of school by
hosting a School Year’s Eve Party! Make
the new school year something that
is fun and celebrated, not feared and
dreaded. Include festive decorations
and party props, a Happy School Year
playlist on Amazon Music, and your
kid’s favorite foods and treats. There
are a lot of sweet school-themed snacks
you can make too. Grab some fun cookie
cutters or check out Pinterest for tips
on how to use what you already have in
your kitchen to make fun treats.
3) Get organized. New school year,
new schedule. Develop a system to keep
yourself and your family organized,
ensuring resolutions don’t fall by the
wayside. Use an Amazon Wish List to
keep track of supplies needed for the
year, a personalized planner to track
projects and activities, and sticky notes
to keep everyone posted (literally) on
family whereabouts. To help your
family track progress, you can even
create and decorate a family “Happy
School Year” cork board.
4) Stock up for success. Every new
school year comes with classroom
supply lists and new wardrobe needs.
A one-stop shop retailer like Amazon
lets you complete your shopping on
your own schedule and have items
shipped to you, allowing more time to
soak up those last bits of summer as a
family. You can also sign up for a Prime
membership to get deals and free
shipping to save on the essentials. Plus,
the incredible selection makes it easy
to fi nd everything from the classroom
must-haves to those special items your
kids need to achieve their school year’s
resolutions - whether that’s art supplies
to become a better artist or rainbow
socks to be more colorful every day.
Radio personality and co-founder of Lil’
Libros Patty Rodriguez likes to browse
in Spanish on the storefront, which she
says gives parents the convenience of
shopping at any time in their language
with just the click of a button.
5) Ease into the year. To give your
children the best chance of having a
Happy School Year, try easing into the
school year by adjusting your routine a
week or more in advance. For example,
if your child’s resolution is to make
it to school on time, Patty Rodriguez
suggests setting the morning alarm a
full week before the fi rst day of school.
Find school year essentials
and fun supplies at amazon.com/
happyschoolyear.
Courtesy BPT
Boro Hall hosts donation drive
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