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Drive fills a truck, need
South schools come to aid of Clarkdale
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John Heath, right, and Lambert High School head custodian Harley Stoller carry a box of supplies for an Austell school damaged in the recent flood. - photo by Jim Dean
Ashtyn Cauffman and Lillian Jones brought notebooks, glue sticks, flash cards and markers to school, but not for themselves.

The second-graders were two of many Sharon Elementary students who collected supplies for Clarkdale Elementary, an Austell school damaged by last month’s heavy rains and flooding.

Lambert High and Riverwatch Middle schools also participated in the drive.

The supplies were loaded onto a truck Wednesday morning and taken to the Cobb County school district for distribution.

Grayson Soucy, a classmate of Cauffman and Jones, said they collected the items because they care about the Clarkdale students.

“If I were at that school, I would cry because I want to learn,” Soucy said.

Emma Symonds brought “a lot of paper” and Catherine Townsend brought posters and folders.

Aaron Jubard donated pencils and glue, while Allie Owens brought play-doh and notebooks and Sydney Bates contributed pencil sharpeners and glue sticks.

Their teacher, Bobbi Kramer, said the children were grateful to a woman known as “Ms. Genny,” who donated six cases of paper after meeting Kramer at a local store.

Susan Brandon, instructional technology specialist at Sharon, said the supplies came in over four days. She said the schools decided to collect the items as a group rather than independently.

“I’m just amazed,” she said. “It was a community effort.”

When she pitched the idea to Lambert Principal Gary Davison, Brandon said, she found out the high school was considering a similar project.

The schools also collected guided reading kits and books, as well as hand sanitizer and index cards.

Sharon students turned the project into a learning exercise.