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Comprehensive Classroom Storage System Optimizes Educational Materials in Elementary School Classrooms

A scalable solution, Cascade™ Storage from Smith System allows educators to effectively organize, store and distribute three-dimensional learning materials

PLANO, TEXAS – (May 26, 2010) – Learning is stimulated through experience, and teachers are incorporating more tactile, three-dimensional learning aids into lessons to engage students’ sense of hearing, sight and touch now more than ever before. However, as teachers know, these learning aids don’t always store in flat file folders or stay neatly on shelves. Recognizing the need for flexible yet functional storage, Smith System has introduced the Cascade™ Classroom Storage system to organize – and optimize – educational materials in the classroom.

Comprised of shelving and tote tray storage units in an array of heights and widths, the Cascade Classroom Storage system is a scalable solution made to house materials of nearly any shape and size – from art supplies and science tools, to 3-D models.

“Storing the volume and variety of materials essential to today’s lessons can quickly overwhelm teachers,” says Bill Risdall, vice president of marketing at Smith System. “Cascade Storage enables teachers to efficiently organize, store and catalog these materials, which makes it easier than ever to incorporate objects that stimulate learning through experience into lesson plans.”

The variety in the Cascade Storage units’ sizes also makes materials easily accessible to students and teachers alike. The short, wide units provide students easy access to tote trays, while the taller units provide high-density storage at the teacher’s height.
Key pieces of the Cascade Storage system include:

Tote Tray Storage – The star of Smith System’s storage line, Cascade Tote Tray Storage units come with tote trays of all sizes that enable compartmentalized organization. Tote Tray Storage units can reside in a central location so materials can be shared by all educators, or in classrooms where individual tote trays can be assigned to each student. For added convenience, the tote trays can be moved from the storage cabinet to beneath Smith System desks fitted with rails, transforming the tote tray into a bookbox.

Shelf Storage – A complimentary product to Cascade Tote Tray Storage, Cascade Shelf Storage is designed to neatly organize and display a wide range of items. Shelf Storage is ideal for larger items including globes, reference books and projectors.

Cascade Tower Wardrobe – A best-of-both-worlds solution, the Cascade Tower Wardrobe offers the greatest storage flexibility in the Cascade line. The Tower Wardrobe cabinet rail systems can be installed to accommodate totes of varying heights, or left out to allow storage of tall objects, such as brooms, yard sticks or collapsible easels.  The Tower Wardrobe cabinet can also be outfitted with hooks to hang a teacher’s coat.

Added accessories make the Cascade Storage system even more versatile. The addition of a riser shelf, mount and lectern to Cascade Tote Tray Storage or Cascade Shelf Storage transforms the units into presentation carts, while adding lockable cabinet doors to any model keeps unsafe or fragile objects secure.

Featuring cabinet end panels available in 13 designer colors, all of the pieces in the Cascade Classroom Storage system are designed to be a cohesive storage solution. For more information about Smith System’s Cascade Storage system, visit www.smithsystem.com

About Smith System
Founded in 1905, Smith System (www.smithsystem.com) has helped American education evolve by being ready with the right school furniture at the right time. An industry leader in school furniture innovation, Smith System is committed to developing products that support the optimum learning environments -- addressing the needs of the student, the demands of the curriculum and the realities of space, maintenance and budget.

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Media Contact:
Bill Risdall
Smith System
972.398.4050
billr@smithsystem.com

Media Contact:
Laura Griffith
Risdall Public Relations
651.286.6775
lgriffith@risdall.com