Discover donates supplies to Silver Hills Elementary

Elementary students take home school supplies donated by Discover

More than 450 students attending Silver Hills Elementary took home a new backpack and other school supplies provided by Discover Financial Services employees for back-to-school this fall.

Two days after school began this year on Aug. 22, Discover Financial Services employees and Granite School District Superintendent Dr. Martin Bates were at the school, located at 5100 South 5770 West, to distribute the backpacks, new crayons, pencils, colored pencils and scissors to the students.

Silver Hills Elementary Principal Paula Sorenson said the staff and students were grateful to Discover Financial Services and thrilled to be part of the good work the local business is giving back to the community.

“It’s awesome that they picked us [to receive the school supplies]. The experience was wonderful,” Sorenson said. “The kids were really excited and happy. I just think it’s awesome that the community wants to help enrich education, because our kids are our future.”

Each year, Discover Financial Services supports education in West Valley City through donations of financial support and school supplies.

For example, during the 2010-2011 school year, the local business donated $40,000 to fund after-school academic programs at Jackling Elementary School, 3760 South 4610 West.

Much of the funding and donated school supplies go to support educational opportunities for children from low-income families in the Granite School District.

Granite Education Foundation Visual Development Manager Mary Kammeyer said almost half of the children within the school district live at or below poverty level.

“There are children in our school district who don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” Kammeyer said.

She said Discover Financial Services has been a “tremendous partner” to support education for the more than 70,000 Granite School District students, including local West Valley school children.

Approximately 70 percent of the students attending Silver Hills Elementary School qualify by federal income guidelines to receive free or reduced-cost meals.

Sorenson said the students greatly appreciated the donated school supplies and would help support families in the local community.

“[The school supplies] are just one more thing that the parents don’t have to worry about,” she said.

In addition, Discover Financial Services donated extra backpacks to be given to new students who are midyear transfer to the school.