Shrewsbury, Beal’s former daycare center, sells school supplies

SHREWSBURY – Desks overturned, chairs scattered, books and files thrown away, beads and sequins on the floor – the scene at the former Beal Early Years Center at 1 Maple Avenue looked like a teacher’s nightmare on Saturday morning.

But the paraphernalia of furniture and school supplies was a treasure for many parents looking to spruce up their children’s bedrooms or for other educational institutions looking for bargain-second-hand bargains.

After a final summer program, the school moved its premises to a new location on Hascall Street, leaving behind piles of sturdy furniture for sale to the public at cheap prices.

Families from Shrewsbury and the surrounding area entered the school building just in time at 8am to grab items from the huge clearance sale.

“We are so happy that so many parents are here with their children. It’s great because we know it will be put to good use,” said April Yu, deputy director of finance and operations for Shrewsbury Public Schools .

Staff at Shrewsbury Public Schools were helping shoppers load heavier items into their cars.

Christine Mattero, who had been at the cash desk since early in the morning, said she estimated hundreds had already arrived before noon.

“This furniture is from a school, so it is specially made for children and it will be good because my daughter is now 7 years old and needs her own space to study,” said Fang Wan, whose daughter, Emma. , Started his first year at Beal and will continue at the new location.

Jennifer Jordan, a kindergarten teacher from Northborough, stopped with her daughter, Riley, looking for items she could use to teach science, arts and crafts in her classroom.

A classroom near the crowded gymnasium was crammed with desk chairs for children and adults. Every 10 minutes, a different person could be seen swinging in the chairs, perhaps testing its sturdiness for their home office or just seeking a quick rest.

Manas Akula, 6, curiously searched the boxes for a toy while his mother, Jyothi, searched for household items like chairs, baskets, a table and objects to spruce up her study room. His choice for a toy turned out to be a kitchen timer, which he waved to proudly announce, “I’m going to play with it.”

For Priya Gandhi, who runs an adult day care center for immigrant seniors in Northborough, the sale was a great opportunity to purchase furniture for their premises.

“We started this business because we had a need in our own family and couldn’t find services suitable for different religions and cultures, so we started our own daycare in Massachusetts,” said Gandhi, who transported approximately 16 chairs, eight tables, shelves and office products for Amrit Sabha Adult Day Care Center.

As adults rushed to check the strength of drawers and the like, a toddler sat in a corner, paying no attention to the crowd, sorting coins on a school lunch plate, categorization guided by a known principle of ‘her alone.