Free event at City Hall Plaza will help students and families

 get ready for the new school year

BOSTON – Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Boston School Committee and Superintendent Carol R. Johnson announced today that the Boston Public Schools (BPS) will host the first-ever Back-to-School Jamboree on Saturday, August 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on City Hall Plaza.

The event will feature live performances, free ice cream, health screenings, community resources, prizes and more. The first 1,500 students to attend can take home a free backpack full of school supplies.

“Whether your child is new to Boston Public Schools or a returning student, we encourage families to come to City Hall Plaza for the Jamboree and get the new school year off to a great start,” said Mayor Menino.

“Parents and families are key partners in their children’s learning, and we want to celebrate this partnership by welcoming everyone back for the new school year,” said Dr. Johnson. “We also want to ensure that our students have access to everything they need -- from school supplies to health screenings – to start the new academic year ready to learn.”

Organized by the BPS Office of Family and Student Engagement, the Jamboree is produced by First Night Boston. Sponsors for the event include Sovereign Bank, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Boston, Neighborhood Health Plan, Verizon, Apple, and Touch 106. Feed the Children donated the backpacks.

The Boston Public Schools serves nearly 56,000 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students in 143 schools, and in 2006 won the Broad Prize for Urban Education as the top city school district in the country.  For more information, visit www.bostonpublicschools.org.