Students help unload boxes of school supplies donated by LHJWL for LHHS kids: Elisabeth Martin, Helen Barton, Carol Fancher, Beth Arnold, Van Lian and Benjamin Stovall.

LHHS Instructional Coach Carol Fancher and Principal Kerri Jones welcomed boxes and boxes of school supplies Monday – donations from the Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League. The items, from colored pencils to USB flash drives, will be distributed by counselors and teachers to needy students.

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“This is amazing,” said Jones, in her first year leading LHHS. “We get lots of kids who show up with nothing – literally nothing at all, through no fault of their own. This will help so many of our students get off to a great start.”

The project is in its fifth year, but the LHJWL changed things up a bit in 2019.

“In previous years we collected for elementary students,” LHJWL board member Beth Arnold told me. “This year we focused on LHHS kids, and we solicited donations from the community. The response was overwhelming. These boxes are consolidated, but this is a lot of school supplies. We are so excited for the counselors to be able to line the Wildcat Den with these items and distribute them to students as needed. Everything we gave was requested by teachers based on specific needs.”

LHHS counselors use the Wildcat Den as a combination food pantry, clothes closet and general catchall for essential items for needy students. Volunteers run their Fresh Fruit Friday giveaway out of the Wildcat Den.

“Every year we have kids come in who don’t have anything,” added Fancher. “They’re coming from different school districts – some from different countries. This helps the students and it helps the teachers, who oftentimes buy supplies for kids with their own money. Many of these families have multiple kids, so buying supplies gets very expensive. This is really wonderful.”

If you’d like to contribute, it’s not too late. Fancher says the following items are still needed and can be delivered to the front office of “H” building (the former freshman center): pens, pencils, Kleenex, lined notebook paper, spiral notebooks, highlighters, 3 ring binders, 2 pocket folders with prongs, backpacks (can be gently used), student planners, 16g SD cards, dry erase markers, dividers, hand sanitizer, USB flash drives, colored pencils and rulers.