NORTH BERWICK —More than 200 children who registered for kindergarten in Berwick, North Berwick and Lebanon this spring were given brightly colored fabric book bags stuffed with literacy materials to celebrate their launch into the “big kid’ world of public school.
This is the sixth year Noble Adult and Community Education has coordinated its popular project, which receives broad community support and is a big hit with the children.
Celia Momenee, 5, registering at the Primary School in North Berwick, chose a patterned pink bag bulging with a storybook, coloring book, crayons and pencils, a ruler, magnetic letters and numbers, a toothbrush, a Frisbee that folds into a pouch—and a coupon for a free haircut.
“She’s been waiting two years for this bag,” said her mother, Jessica. “We still have her older sister’s in a special spot at home. She said, today’s the day I get my bag.”
“A lot of people contribute every year to make this happen,” said Louise Burns, literacy coordinator for Noble Adult Ed who plans and oversees the three-town project. “All the bags are sewn by local women, area businesses donate paper and pencils or money to purchase books and other items, people donate fabric and ribbon. It’s a big production. We’re already planning ahead for next year.”
The kindergarten bag tradition started in 2004 after Adult Ed director Brenda Gagne heard about a similar project in another district.
“We didn’t have money to purchase bags and there wasn’t time to write a grant to buy bags,” she recalls. “Being a lover of fabric, I went through my stash, asked my quilting friends for help, and the process began. Dolly Bolduc and every friend who could sew made a dozen or so bags the first year. As people saw these jewels, staff and quilting friends joined in and the word began to spread.”
This is the second year six members of Adult Ed’s Do Your Own Quilt Thing group devoted a three-hour session to making more than 100 bags, and several participants in Quilter’s Weekend also helped out. The regulars include Nancy LeClair, Ilya Thomits, Kelly Munroe, Becky Hanson, Jacki Lavachhia, Lisa Huestis, Nancy Hay, Jean Whitaker, Joanne St. Pierre and Alice Eaton.
Businesses that contributed to this year’s book bag project are P.Gagnon & Son, Gateway Gas, Farwell’s Auto, Ray’s Barbershop, Kennebunk Savings Bank, North Berwick Physical Therapy, Allard’s Market, Red Leaves, Welch’s Hardware, Chix Salon, Goodrich Insurance, and SAD 60 Title I, also Rachel and Ronald Smith, Alice Eaton, and Kelly Monroe and Lucas.
Photo caption: Alexandria, who will attend North Berwick Primary School in the fall, considers her book bag selection at kindergarten registration recently. The bags, a gift of Noble Adult and Community Education, are sewn by volunteers and filled with literacy materials donated by area businesses. (Courtesy photo)
This is the sixth year Noble Adult and Community Education has coordinated its popular project, which receives broad community support and is a big hit with the children.
Celia Momenee, 5, registering at the Primary School in North Berwick, chose a patterned pink bag bulging with a storybook, coloring book, crayons and pencils, a ruler, magnetic letters and numbers, a toothbrush, a Frisbee that folds into a pouch—and a coupon for a free haircut.
“She’s been waiting two years for this bag,” said her mother, Jessica. “We still have her older sister’s in a special spot at home. She said, today’s the day I get my bag.”
“A lot of people contribute every year to make this happen,” said Louise Burns, literacy coordinator for Noble Adult Ed who plans and oversees the three-town project. “All the bags are sewn by local women, area businesses donate paper and pencils or money to purchase books and other items, people donate fabric and ribbon. It’s a big production. We’re already planning ahead for next year.”
The kindergarten bag tradition started in 2004 after Adult Ed director Brenda Gagne heard about a similar project in another district.
“We didn’t have money to purchase bags and there wasn’t time to write a grant to buy bags,” she recalls. “Being a lover of fabric, I went through my stash, asked my quilting friends for help, and the process began. Dolly Bolduc and every friend who could sew made a dozen or so bags the first year. As people saw these jewels, staff and quilting friends joined in and the word began to spread.”
This is the second year six members of Adult Ed’s Do Your Own Quilt Thing group devoted a three-hour session to making more than 100 bags, and several participants in Quilter’s Weekend also helped out. The regulars include Nancy LeClair, Ilya Thomits, Kelly Munroe, Becky Hanson, Jacki Lavachhia, Lisa Huestis, Nancy Hay, Jean Whitaker, Joanne St. Pierre and Alice Eaton.
Businesses that contributed to this year’s book bag project are P.Gagnon & Son, Gateway Gas, Farwell’s Auto, Ray’s Barbershop, Kennebunk Savings Bank, North Berwick Physical Therapy, Allard’s Market, Red Leaves, Welch’s Hardware, Chix Salon, Goodrich Insurance, and SAD 60 Title I, also Rachel and Ronald Smith, Alice Eaton, and Kelly Monroe and Lucas.
Photo caption: Alexandria, who will attend North Berwick Primary School in the fall, considers her book bag selection at kindergarten registration recently. The bags, a gift of Noble Adult and Community Education, are sewn by volunteers and filled with literacy materials donated by area businesses. (Courtesy photo)
