The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Giving kids tools they need to succeed
Architect donates handmade desks for Macdonough students
MIDDLETOWN — A city architect who recently donated a dozen handmade desks to a North End school said he did so to help the families of children constrained by their circumstances while studying remotely.
Steve Nelsen, who sits on the Russell Library board of trustees, said he knows very well the difficulties facing parents and their students using the hybrid learning learning model during the pandemic.
That is particularly true for children at Macdonough Elementary School, which has a large underserved population, Nelsen said. “We are keenly aware of how poorly kids who are challenged with media at home have trouble finding a place and time to stay properly in touch
with school.”
The donation was made two days before the Christmas break, Principal Damian Reardon said. “He didn’t want payment for it. He just wanted to do it, and we’re so appreciative,” Reardon said.
Nelsen is neighbors with kindergarten teacher Kelly Lenihan, whose classroom assistant is his sister-inlaw, Reardon said. The two women emailed families letting them know the desks were available. “The response we had was huge,” Reardon said.
Nelsen dropped off the wooden desks to Macdonough and asked the principal to make sure each went to a family in need.
Because the architect used materials he had around the house, “they were diverse in design. I finally standardized it with new materials, and that went a little easier,” he said. He used countertops for the desktops. Each has an open cubby for supplies directly underneath the work surface.
The design is simple, Nelsen said. “This is something that can tuck away in a corner and be a reserve space for the child.”
Because of an overwhelming response from the school community, Reardon is distributing the desks on a first-come, firstserved basis, giving out one per household. Some parents are picking them up. The principal will use his truck to deliver the others.
Nelsen is fortunate that the children in his family have enough, he said. “My
grandkids have just about anything they need, so it was something I could do for the school,” he said. His livelihood and love of the design process made him well-suited for the project, the architect said. “My abilities and interest went into the tables,” Nelsen said.
The desk giveaway aligns with the school’s mission of keeping tabs on the welfare of families who may be struggling during the pandemic, Reardon said. His staff members and parents made it a goal to call every Macdonough family to see how they were faring just before the holiday break, Reardon said.
“There are times when schools try to have all the answers as to what families need, but we don’t actually ask our families what they need,” the principal said. “We assume, and we want to move away from that.”
A volunteer, assigned to each household, asked parents how they were managing their utilities, rent, groceries, clothing and other responsibilities, Reardon said. The data was compiled into an online document, which enabled staff to do a keyword search for “food” or “clothing,” the principal said.
St. Vincent dePaul Middletown held a Farmers to Families food and toy drivethrough at the Amazing Grace food pantry down the street from Macdonough Dec. 21. When the event was over, there were several boxes left. Peter Keast at St. Vincent dePaul brought them to the school, said Reardon, who handed them out at dismissal time. All but eight were taken.
To distribute the remainder, staff used the list of families who had said food was the biggest challenge they were facing during the pandemic to pick out eight. “We were really psyched we could reach out, say food is an issue, and provide them with food,” Reardon said.
Such charitable efforts are common at the school. The Family Resource Center has a large collection of clothing, so staff can fill requests from those who need outfits, boots and outerwear for the cold weather. They were able to give out bags in a socially distanced way just before a recent snowstorm, the principal said.
These items are donated by parents whose children outgrow their clothing. They, in turn, can then pick out larger sizes of whatever they need, Reardon said. Each is washed beforehand. “It’s a nice swap.
“The desks are a piece of this. Families don’t have places to work — we have desks for you,” he said.
Second-grade teacher Joanne Jukins shared one parent’s appreciation: “It has changed everything for us with homeschooling, he’s organized and comfortable,” the person said.
Staff also learned child care was of big concern to about 16 families, Reardon said. As a result of the pandemic, the school district partnered with the Middlesex YMCA on a project to help parents. They also connect families with Care 4 Kids, which helps low- and moderateincome households pay for day care.
In all, 90 percent of Macdonough children either walk to school, or are dropped off by their parents. Many don’t have dependable transportation, the principal said.
To ease one of those barriers to child care, and help those who are walking their kids the mile from the school to the YMCA on Union Street, the district has set up busing, Reardon said.
Teachers at Macdonough, with the exception of three or four new hires, have been there for 12 or more years, Reardon said. “When people hear about Macdonough and the great things going on there, people want to help,” the principal said.