Glenshaw Century Club makes stuffed bears for Shaler Area kindergarten students
Everyone needs a friend on their very first day of school – even if it’s a colorful piece of stuffed felt.
Glenshaw Century Club members spent nearly three months making sure every kindergarten student at Shaler Area School District had a friend to hold on to when they began school on Sept. 8.
The club members handcrafted more than 300 Caring Bears to distribute to every kindergarten student and teacher in all four of the district’s primary schools. Each bear was attached with a note of encouragement.
“There’s the normal angst of starting kindergarten, and there’s also a lot of fear in little ones with the covid virus,” club member Susan Ball said.
“They have to meet strangers for the first time with masks on and social distance from their classmates.”
Founded in 1946, the Century Club is a woman’s club that works to advance education for all.
In May 2020, the group doled out 12 scholarships to Shaler Area seniors and hopes to repeat that in 2021, despite the challenges presented by the covid-19 pandemic.
Despite Shaler Area students starting the year remotely, the bears were able to be distributed during the district’s technology pick-up, Bethany Baker, Shaler Area communications specialist, said.
“All the kindergarten students received their bears last week when they received their textbooks and school supplies, so they had them for the first day of school,” she said.
The Caring Bears project has been a long-standing one for club members. The creations typically go to local police and emergency services personnel for distribution to children in crisis. The club has gifted more than 2,500 bears over the years as a means of comfort.
“We wanted to do something special during the pandemic and came up with the idea to focus on the kindergartners,” Ball said.
Cynthia Foht, principal of Scott Primary, said the gesture was welcomed in this atypical start to the school year.
“We appreciate the loving kindness that was shared by our community to welcome our youngest learners,” she said.
Tawnya Panizzi is a TribLive reporter. She joined the Trib in 1997. She can be reached at tpanizzi@triblive.com.
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