Once again, we are working on a summer drive to collect school supplies for needy area students returning to class in the fall. However, this year the drive, which ends August 18, has expanded.

As announced earlier, rather than limit our efforts to the Rensselaer City School District — in partnership with Circles of Mercy — we also are teaming with the Greenbush YMCA to aid students in the East Greenbush and Schodack districts.

Here are the dropoff sites and dates. The drive ends on Saturday, August 18. Note: For those who have not kept track of the suggested shopping list, it follows:

• Any weekday or Saturday — Greenbush YMCA, 20 Community Way, East Greenbush (just off Luther Road/Route 151).

• Thursday July 19 — 6 p.m., at the “Cookout By the Pool I,” Jim Leyhane’s residence.

• Sunday, August 12 — 4 p.m. at the “Sundaes on Sunday” event, Debbie Rodriguez’s residence.

• Thursday, August 16 — 6 p.m. at the  “Clubhouse Get-Together” event, the clubhouse at The Spinney at Pond View complex, 2500 Pond View Drive (off Miller Road), East Greenbush.

THE PREFERRED SHOPPING LIST

• Pencils (Regular Lead #2 and Color)
• Pencil sharpeners
• Erasers (for pencil work)
• Pens (black or blue)
• Markers (dry erase and color)
• Pocket Folders (Assorted Colors)
• 3-Ring Binders (in 2” and 3” Sizes)
• Loose leaf paper (college ruled)
• Graph paper
• Spiral subject notebooks (1-, 3- and 5-subject, college ruled)
• Subject dividers
• Pencil cases / boxes (plastic, zippered)
• 3”x5” index cards
• Highlighters (yellow)
• Rulers (regular with metric)
• Kleenex tissues
• Hand sanitizer (small bottles)
• Post-It Notes
• Backpacks (no rollers / no wheels)
• Ear buds (inexpensive, for computer use)
• Flash drives (all sizes)
• Scientific calculators (Texas Instrument TI-84)
• Hole reinforcement labels
• Combination locks (for gym lockers)
  

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