March 29, 2024

District Receives PPE From Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce

USD 457

Garden City Public Schools received a large quantity of personal protective equipment, or (PPE) from the Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce on Monday, June 22nd.  The Patterson Family Foundation donated various PPE items like masks and gowns to the Chamber of Commerce to help distribute to community organizations due to the increase in the demand for the use of the items in the community because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“The donated masks and gowns will be used by the nurses at the schools in the district during the 2020-2021 school year,” said Michelle Shull, Health Services Coordinator for Garden City Public Schools, who was present to pick-up the PPE from the Chamber of Commerce.  “The items will be used as part of the new procedures in caring for students that come to the nurse’s office when the students are sick.” 

Garden City Public Schools has started the formal planning process for the new school year.  The process has taken a different approach this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  There are multiple advisory committees that are looking at various aspects of Instruction and Operation to develop contingency plans for students and staff should there be a resurgence of the Coronavirus in the community.  The advisory committees will report to the SELECT Vision Team which is comprised of teachers, staff, parents and community leaders, principals, and district leaders.  This team will compile and present a final plan to the Board of Education in late July. 

The first day of school for the 2020-21 school year will be Monday, August 10th, with a half-day orientation for students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade, seventh grade, ninth and tenth grades and all students new to Garden City Public Schools.  The first full day of school for the district will be Tuesday, August 11, 2020.  All classes will be in session for the start of the 2020-21 school year.

The Patterson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Kansas CityMissouri that was founded in 2009.  The Foundation is a private grant making foundation that awards higher education scholarships to the children of Patterson Companies employees and provides grant funding to non-profit organizations working to expand healthcare to those most in need. The Foundation focuses its grants on human services and education programs related to oral health and animal health. Many of the programs they support assist disadvantaged individuals and those with special needs.

The Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce has served as the unified voice of the business community in Finney County since 1888. They work to serve and connect local businesses, service organizations and all levels of government to create an environment where people want to live, work and play. The Chamber is a not-for-profit business organization dedicated to creating a business-friendly environment in Finney County