By Erik Harris, sports editor
GARDENDALE — The North Jefferson Rotary Club has made a donation to six elementary schools, as students and teachers return to the classroom amid this pandemic.
The donation provides enough classroom dividers to protect almost 1,300 students across the northern Jefferson County.
“It’s a blessing that someone would want to take their time to donate something to a school to help out since we do have a pandemic,” said Mount Olive Elementary School teacher Raquel Tubbs. “With the dividers, I feel a whole lot better and I know the parents are going to feel a whole lot better, knowing that we’ve provided extra protection for their students.”
Thanks to the North Jefferson Rotary Club, dividers have been delivered to the following JeffCoEd elementary schools: Mount Olive, Snow Rogers, Bryan, Warrior, Gardendale and Fultondale.
According to JeffCoEd, the dividers consist of plastic construction designed to prevent close contact throughout the classroom.
Tubbs says her Mount Olive students have adjusted well to the new desk dividers after a moment of curiosity.
“I think the kids are taking this very well,” she explained. “I have kindergarten, so when they first came in this morning, they had to touch and feel because it’s something new. But after that initial play was over, that was it.”
North Jefferson Rotary Club member Carol Stewart says she hopes this donation will encourage area businesses to step up and help provide protection for more students across the county.
“I just want to see our children safe and if it keeps one child healthy, one teacher with her class still going, it would mean a lot to protect our community,” said Stewart.