Back to School Prep Begins

By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — As the school year approaches, SAU 6 is helping families prepare to send their children off with everything they need. The Back To School Festival, held at Barnes Park in Claremont, connects families with community organizations, as well as school teachers and administrators in a fun atmosphere. Families can look forward to events that start at 10 AM and continue until noon on Saturday, August 27, 2022.

“The Back to School Festival is a way to get schools and communities to come together. The goal is to set the stage for students to get ready to learn with the resources and tools they need to be successful students and families can come get those resources at the festival,” said festival organizer, Courtney Porter.

According to Porter, the Back To School Festival began around twenty years ago when SAU 6 Truancy Officer Terri Casey wanted to give back to the community. Around a decade later, Porter took the ball and ran with it, expanding on the idea and growing it into the large event that it has become today. Porter, who serves as the school district’s School Social Worker, McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison, and DCYF Point of Contact, says that the small event was originally held at Broad Street Park, and from there moved to Monadnock, and eventually Barnes Park as the scope and scale of the event continued to grow.

As inflation continues in the United States and prices continue to rise, purchasing new school supplies each year can be a hardship on families. The goal of making sure each child has the tools that they need to succeed each school year has been the purpose of the event since its inception.

Attendees will be able to pick up everything from pencils to backpacks from each of the community organizations in attendance including the Elks Club, Kiwanis Club, TLC, and the bus garage. Both the National Field Representatives and Claremont Savings Bank have made generous donations to the event. NFR has kindly donated 500 backpacks for students entering the school year and CSB has donated $1,000 to the school district. While picking up new school, families will also have the opportunity to meet principals, as well as teaching staff, in an effort to strengthen relationships between the schools and the community.

Aside from traditional school supplies, families will be able to get information like bus routes, and meet representatives from Fresh Picks Cafe, the newest food service provider for the school district. Over the last two years, families have not been required to apply for free or reduced lunch due, this year, however, they will once again have to apply. School administration encourages everyone to apply for the free lunch program even if they’re not sure they qualify, as school funding from Title 1 is based upon how many children meet those needs.

Porter has also started “Courtney’s Closet”, located at the high school, but available for students district wide. It is an opportunity for low income families to pick up much needed items. These include clothes, hygiene products, winter clothes, boots, non-perishable foods that kids are able to take home for the weekend, and even formal wear.

“If a kid gets a job at somewhere like Market Basket and they need dress shirts and ties, we want to be able to provide that for them. Really anything we can offer the students if they aren’t able to typically get those things themselves,” said Porter of “Courtney’s Closet.”

If families are unable to make it to the Back To School Festival, they are able to reach out to their specific school and be able to pick up items from the festival after this weekend. The festival staff has received a significant amount of donations and look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday August 27th. Anyone who wishes to speak with Porter can reach her at [email protected].