The Many Safe Returns Fund
We have never had a back-to-school season like this one.
Leverett Elementary School faces an unprecedented challenge with COVID-19.
Every week brings changes to school reopening plans, new recommendations from the state, and a constantly evolving understanding of the virus. The school has decided to prioritize the health and safety of its students, teachers, and staff by beginning the year with remote learning. We don’t know when in-person learning for all students will resume, or what form it will take.
A pandemic was not in the budget. There are significant equipment and staffing hurdles confronting LES regardless of whether the school remains remote or transitions to in-person learning.
The price of one iPad for remote learning = $400
The cost of a single tent for outdoor learning = $5,000
A year’s supply of PPE and sanitization equipment = $25,000
Our school needs real money and it needs to be able to pivot on a dime, without interrupting the education and well-being of its students, teachers, and staff. It needs to create accessible outdoor classrooms and also ensure remote learning does not leave our most vulnerable children behind.
Without significant help from the community, our little school cannot cover these extraordinary, out-of-budget costs. Our school needs us now more than ever.
The Leverett Education Foundation and the LES PTO are joining forces to raise $30,000 for our school.
By donating to the Many Safe Returns Fund organized by LEF and the LES PTO, you are supporting the quality of education that this generation of Leverett children will receive. You will allow our school to keep everyone healthy and safe without sacrificing educational excellence.
You will make having a small school in a small town a strength not a weakness.
Here are a few ways your unrestricted gift can help.
$30 will buy two yoga mats to help ensure social distancing
$50 will buy five sets of take-home supplies for families
$100 will buy one set of foul-weather gear for outdoor learning
$400 will buy one iPad for remote learning
$1,000 will help equip a permanent outdoor learning space
$5,000 will buy a large tent suitable for outdoor learning
$10,000 will fund additional medical personnel when on-site learning resumes
This is not a small appeal because this is not a small problem.
But we have history on our side. Look at how our community stepped up to coordinate food, coffee, and drinking water for the first responders to the Joshua Hill fire. Look at how our community stood at attention when the Leverett Co-op sounded the alarm and began its capital campaign.
We are very aware that this is a challenging time for everyone. But we also know that to be a good neighbor is not a spectator sport. In many ways, the Leverett Elementary School is the heart of our town. We must do everything we can to keep it healthy.