ATLANTA — Thousands of students and their families showed up for Atlanta Public Schools’ Back to School Bash, where they loaded up on free school supplies and bookbags.
About 8,000 students registered for the event at the Georgia World Congress Center as they prepare to head back to class on Monday.
Turquoise Davis-Williams, who has three sons, comes year after year and wouldn’t miss it.
“It helps me a lot because shopping for school supplies in the midst of going to get haircuts, going to open houses and making sure I get to work, too. It’s a help,” she said.
The event not only offers school supplies, but it also provides health and wellness services and information about a host of student support programs. Students can also sign up for after-school activities.
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Jamila Williams is here for the second year and came away with clear bookbags filled with school items for her daughters. The bash, she said, is a real boost for families.
“Because things are getting expensive,” she said. “Children are expensive. And also, I want to support my local community, my public school system.”
She appreciates having all the back-to-school resources in one place.
“It makes it very convenient because you don’t have to constantly surf the web to look for stuff. Everything is here. One-stop shop,” Williams said.
Atlanta Public Schools enters the year with no teacher vacancies and a driver for every bus route.
Dr. Bryan Johnson, the district’s superintendent, said compensation and culture keep teachers on the job.
He said APS will stay the course in the new school year.
“A lot is not changing. Our work now is getting better at what we do every single day. Literacy will continue to be a focus,” Johnson said.
He said the bash is a fun and important way to get the school year started, bringing together school district leaders, parents and students.
“We talk about being a community of believers, and the reality is there are more than 500 volunteers that are here,” he said. “So, we see the community coming together in support of students, and that’s a great way to start the year.”
Neveah Mullins is about to start the second grade. So, what is she looking forward to about the school year?
“Really just making friends and having fun,” she said.