When families get ready to go back to school, parents have a long check-list of things to accomplish before the first day of classes.
For families in Clearfield with students in multiple schools, having a one-stop shop helps.
To better serve families and build excitement for the first day of school, North Davis Jr. High and South Clearfield, Wasatch and Holt elementary schools combined forces for the inaugural Clearfield Community Back-to-School Bash. At this event, parents and students could meet teachers, tour classrooms, get school supplies and visit community partners for immunizations, haircuts and vital resources.
The event grew from previous back-to-school nights at North Davis Jr. that brought together parents and community partners. Expanding on the success of those family nights, the principals of all four schools and district department directors collaborated to make an even bigger event.
“It’s a fun, safe family fun night that celebrates the community and gets students excited about returning to school,” said Cerissa Thompson, principal of North Davis Jr.
Thompson estimates that 3,000 people attended the back-to-school night, an impressive turnout that even surprised teachers at the schools.
“The number of students and parents who attended and were involved has been a great surprise for them,” she said, noting that it wasn’t unusual to only see a handful of parents at back-to-school nights in years past.
Thompson expects next year to be an even bigger event and involve more families.
“We have already brainstormed and have even more ideas for next year,” she said. “We are excited to see where it goes and how it will grow.”