Glitter and unicorns and school supplies

Charles H. Featherstone/Columbia Basin Herald North Elementary School principal Kelly Fredrick with an armload of binders donated by Walmart to the Moses Lake School District on Friday. The retailer contributed roughly $7,500 in school supplies this year, which the district distributed on Wednesday.

by Charles H. Featherstone Staff Writer
| September 27, 2018 3:00 AM

MOSES LAKE — It’s the rare 8-year-old girl who doesn’t like glitter and unicorns.

“They are hot items!” said North Elementary Principal Kelly Fredrick as she picked up an armload of notebooks and binders, some covered with the sparkly mythical creatures.

Five pallets of notebooks, notepads, pencil cases and other assorted school supplies — including those covered with glitter and unicorns, as well as the fierce, scowling mascot of the Seattle Seahawks — sat inside a Moses Lake School District warehouse, the early morning sunlight shining through an open garage door.

It was time to distribute this weekend’s donation by Walmart of $7,500 in school supplies to the teachers and students of the Moses Lake School District.

“It’s first come, first serve,” said McKenna Reis, the school district’s communications coordinator. “Everybody got the same email at the same time.”

And so teachers and principals from across the MLSD made their way to the district warehouse at a little after 7 a.m. Wednesday to see what there was, and what they could use to augment their supplies and help out some of their neediest students.

“We’re just getting some interactive notebooks for our students,” said Park Orchard Elementary School principal Cheri Ward. “We do a lot of notebook writing.”

“We are getting mostly paper supplies that we need,” said Fredrick, who had a large reusable plastic grocery bag hanging from one arm. “And those folders and binders are, like, awesome, because it’s something that can go home and back to school without costing families a whole bunch.”

“This helps a lot,” said Prelita Owen, a fourth-grade teacher at Park Orchard. “As you know, some families can afford this, and some are unable. It really helps. Definitely.”

There were grateful thank-yous for Walmart all around.

“I know that we need this and this and this,” Owen said as she carefully placed notebooks and folders in the back of her car. “It’s nice to be able to do this. It’s amazing.”

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com.