Sister School Partnership

Interested in supporting Arcola Elementary School students during COVID-19? Here are some ways you can help the efforts of the Arcola community to support children and families who are struggling with the pandemic:

County Holiday Giving Project (December 2021)- Arcola's on-site Linkages to Learning program is seeking sponsors for 72 children this holiday season.

The sponsorship process is simple - see the helpful instructions from Linkages below.

How to contribute:

1. Please look at the children’s wish list & Pick a child or multiple children you would like to support for the holidays: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17WyHuivqA4mCYXAtf2dKZs1u-MgaZSNn4oi2c2BNAsM/edit?usp=sharing. Note: it is not required that donors purchase everything on the child's "wish list"

2. Once you have decided on who you would like to support, please go to the sign-up Genius and sign up to support the student! Sign up Genius link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4eafaf2ba6fdc34-holiday

3. Gifts can be dropped off at our linkages to learning suite on the dates below. If delivering the gifts to Arcola presents a problem, please contact emilybeckman@yahoo.com and the Sister School Committee can provide a local drop-off point and help with getting the gifts to Arcola.

• Monday, 12/13 from 9:00am-7:00pm

• Tuesday, 12/14 from 9:00am-6:00pm

• Wednesday, 12/15 from 9:00am-7:00pm

• Thursday, 12/16 from 9:00am- 4:00pm

Please contact emilybeckman@yahoo.com if you have any questions or concerns.

Support Arcola ES Principal’s COVID Fund - Helps Arcola families who are experiencing economic hardship during this COVID economic recession.

How to contribute:

• Write a check to “Arcola Elementary School – Covid-19 Fund” and mail it to Principal Emmanuel Jean-Philippe, Arcola Elementary School, 1820 Franwall Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20902.

Give Food, Necessities, or Gift Cards to Arcola Linkages to Learning – Arcola’s Linkages to Learning Program supports 75 Arcola families in need with food assistance as well as a variety of social services. During this COVID economic recession, Linkages is now offering nutritional and financial support to all other families at Arcola and the surrounding neighborhoods who are in economic crisis.

How to contribute:

• Purchase e-gift cards from Target, Safeway, or Vanilla Gift and direct them to be sent to Arcola Linkages’ Community School Coordinator Janeysali Reyes at janeysali_reyes@mcpsmd.org

• Buy priority items when you do your own shopping and deliver to Linkages to Learning at Arcola Elementary School, 1820 Franwall Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20902 on Fridays between 9:30am and 1:30pm.

• Priority items most needed by Arcola families include: soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, baby wipes, diapers (sizes 3, 4, 5, and 6 and pull-ups), menstrual products, toilet paper, paper towels, cooking oil, rice, beans, dry soup/pasta, oatmeal, cereal, coffee, toddler milk such as Pediasure, canned goods, etc. Any amount of these items is appreciated.

Support Mrs. Norris’s #SOLIDARITYNOTCHARITY Initiative – Since March Mrs. Margaret Norris, long-time Arcola Kindergarten teacher and her friends and family have been distributing food and other items to Arcola and other neighborhood families. They distribute milk, eggs, and fresh produce as well as shelf-stable food and hygiene products. They have also kept two Gator Club (Arcola’s means-tested afterschool program) employees employed helping with their efforts while the Gator Club is closed due to COVID. Mrs. Norris was recently interviewed on CNN about her program – check it out!

How to contribute:

• PayPal: mrsmrnorris@gmail.com

• Venmo: Margaret-Norris-6

• Follow the public posts of Margaret Rodg Norr on Facebook