Watercrest at Kingwood, a premier retirement community located in the heart of Kingwood, Texas, was thrilled to host a school supply drive for Bear Branch Elementary in honor of the current and former teachers living at the senior living community. Residents and team members at the community worked together to raise awareness about teachers’ needs for back-to-school supplies. Watercrest asked the public to join them in helping support local teachers by donating frequently used items for their classrooms. The community created back-to-school packets for each one of the 30 classrooms at the elementary school. The teachers requested Clorox wipes, Kleenex, packs of pencils, packs of colored pencils, boxes of crayons and dry erase markers. The goal was to collect 150 of each item to complete the classroom packs. The community also accepted check and cash donations to purchase the most needed materials. Residents and team members presented representatives of Bear Branch Elementary with the supplies during a presentation party at Watercrest at Kingwood to celebrate the coming school year.

“We are honored that the community approached us to help prepare for the school year,” Kakie Palmer, principal of Bear Branch Elementary School, said. “Our school is a very close-knit community, and our teachers are dedicated to enriching our students’ lives in every way possible. We value a student-centered style of teaching. Our teachers pay for a lot out of their own pockets to prepare their classrooms, and we are deeply appreciative of any assistance received to provide children the best educational experiences. We’re thankful to have the support of Watercrest at Kingwood. It’s even more special for me because my mother is a resident at the community.”

For the last 40 years Bear Branch Elementary has educated local families, with around 600 students attending each year. In fact, some of the residents of Watercrest at Kingwood used to send their own children to the school and now see their own grandchildren and great-grandchildren attending classes at the elementary school. The supply drive is particularly meaningful for residents like Jim and Sharon Bridges, as their daughter-in-law teaches in Austin. According to the Bridges, they have seen many teachers invest themselves financially and emotionally in their classrooms and students over the years, often without any recognition or reimbursement. For that reason, the Bridges were excited for the opportunity to support the teachers at Bear Branch Elementary. 

“It’s funny, in all these years we’ve never thought about having a school supply drive for teachers, but it just maked sense to help them prepare their classrooms for the coming school year,” said the Bridges. “Having a daughter-in-law who is a teacher, and knowing many others over the years, we’ve seen all they do for their students. We have so much respect for what they do. Jim recently learned of one of his own teachers who purchased a classmate’s graduation dress because she could not afford one. Little things like that demonstrate the lengths teachers go to for their students.”

The community hopes that by hosting this supply drive they will inspire the Kingwood community to come together in support of local teachers and schools. Watercrest plans to make the teacher’s school supply drive an annual occurrence, designating a new school in the local community to contribute donations to each year.

“Teachers sacrifice for their students each year and prepare them for the years ahead,” said Terri Lowery, executive director of Watercrest at Kingwood. “Ensuring they have the materials to make that possible is the least we can do. We hope the greater community will join us in donating supplies for the school year ahead.”