Thousands of families kick off school year at Back-to-School Jamboree

BOSTON – Thousands of children and families gathered on City Hall Plaza recently to celebrate the beginning of a new school year at the 2nd Annual Boston Public Schools (BPS) Back-to-School Jamboree.

The event, open to all new and returning BPS students and families, featured live performances as well as activities, prizes and giveaways, including school supplies from Office Depot Business Solutions Division and Office Depot Foundation and books donated by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Families were also able to take advantage of health screenings and other community resources to help students get the school year of to a good start. Representative from various BPS departments were available to answer questions about student assignment, afterschool programs, tutoring services, school meals and other important back-to-school topics.

“We recognize that back-to-school can be both an exciting and stressful time for students and families,” said Reverend Groover. “The Jamboree allows parents to take care of any last-minute back-to-school business and learn about valuable resources, while at the same time bringing the entire Boston Public Schools community together to joyously get the new school year off to a great start.”

Now in its second year, the Jamboree is organized by the BPS Office of Family and Student Engagement and produced by First Night Boston. In addition to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Office Depot Business Solutions Division and Office Depot Foundation, key sponsors this year included CVS Pharmacy, Pearson Foundation, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan, Neighborhood Health Plan, Costco, The Bay State Banner, Touch 106.1 FM, Children’s Hospital, and Wildflour Catering, Inc.

Superintendent Johnson emphasized that the Back-to-School Jamboree one of many strategies the district is using to better welcome and engage students and families.

“We value families as true partners in student learning and school improvement and believe that their support is critical to our students’ success and the success of the district as a whole,” said Dr. Johnson. “The Jamboree is one of the many ways in which we try to welcome families into the BPS community and engage them more meaningfully in the work of teaching and learning.”

Since 1999 Countdown to Kindergarten has been welcoming the district’s youngest students and their parents through the annual celebration at the Children’s Museum, neighborhood Kindergarten Days, and other events. In 2008 Superintendent Johnson announced the creation of the new Welcome Services department, which this year created materials to help students and families prepare for the transition to middle school and organized the first Middle O! orientation for sixth grade students, held in August at Fenway Park. In October, BPS will launch “Parent University,” a unique educational experience to help parents support their children’s learning and help them become leaders in school improvement.