Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOn The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline McCarthy says there will be a peaceful transition if Biden wins Anxious Democrats amp up pressure for vote on COVID-19 aid MORE (D-N.Y.) marked her first back-to-school season in office by handing out school supplies and a personal note to students in her Bronx district at area parks and block parties.

The congresswoman handed out colorful backpacks filled with school supplies and a note with her own tips on how to "thrive" in the new school year at recent area events, she said Saturday.

“This year what we’ve done is that we’ve gotten a range of different bright colors and backpacks,” she told News 12 Bronx.

Here’s one of our backpack celebrations at the Bronx Park East Block Party in Allerton pic.twitter.com/LSbH3i0ibo — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 31, 2019

“We’ve signed some of them, but also every single backpack has a suite of school supplies and also a personal note from me and some of my tips in helping our youth thrive here in the Bronx for the school year.”

The notes, a copy of one Ocasio-Cortez shared on Twitter, are written in both English and Spanish. ADVERTISEMENT

The message inside tells students to be kind, to be persistent and to practice their skills.

“A lot of my conversations with our youth and our young people today has to do with figuring out what their interests are and really encouraging them to work at it every single day,” she told News 12.