(WTNH) — Our students have had to adapt to a lot of changes this year. Because of the pandemic, they have had to be flexible when it comes to learning. Many students and parents have gone from hybrid models to remote learning at this point of the school year.
Lauren Grogan has a daughter in second grade and tells News 8 when she was going to school on Mondays and Tuesdays, recess was a big change, “They’re unable to use the playscapes at the schools, I mentioned balls, frisbees other things they would typically do.”
Not only is Grogan a mother of two, but she owns North Haven Child Development Center. She made individual bags for her students at the center and decided to take that same idea and use it for her daughter’s class.
Grogan tells News 8, “I reached out to her classroom teacher and found out how many kiddos were in her class particularly and I just, I got to work.”
She made fourteen bags for her daughter’s second-grade classroom. After making the bags, she got in contact with a few people at the North Haven Education Foundation, “Asked them if they’d be willing to back this idea.”
From there, the project grew and local businesses donated money to help her fill 1,500 bags. Now making bags for every elementary-aged student in North Haven, from preschool to fifth grade.
She says another 30 community members donated through Facebook, Town PTA’s supported the idea and a small group of moms helped her stuff the rest of the bags over the course of a few weeks.
Grogan says they will hand the bags out to the children the next time they are back in the classroom. Right now, North Haven is following a completely remote learning model.
A list of businesses that supported the initiative can be seen below:
North Haven Child Development Center
North Haven Funeral Home
United Restoration and Cleaning
Anna Buono, Realtor
J&E Auto Sales
Mineri Services
Calcagni Real Estate
Partyka
The New Haven Group
Pellagrino Law Firm
New Haven Credit Union
Burzenski & Company
EBM Insurance
Jag & Sons Overhead Doors
Guilford Savings Bank
Ironman Fitness
Now Security
Advanced Investigations
